Senators' Statements

Honourable senators, I rise today to bring to your attention that on Friday, December 9, 2016, two important milestones in Nova Scotia will be commemorated: the fiftieth anniversary of the Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission and the seventy-fifth anniversary of the Dalhousie University School of Social Work.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was signed by United Nations members in 1948, and Canada is among the signing nations. In Nova Scotia, changes began to be made in gender rights and racial segregation, which laid the foundation for the civil rights and women's rights movements there.

In 1962, a special committee was established to look at the rights of racialized peoples, notably the Mi'kmaq and African Nova Scotians, which led to the passing of the first Human Rights Act in 1963.

The Government of Nova Scotia established the Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission in 1967, with the explicit purpose to challenge long-standing patterns of discrimination on racial, religious and ethnic grounds. Since 1981, Nova Scotians have observed the international Human Rights Day on December 10 with partners from various sectors, including education and business.

This year, the Dalhousie University School of Social Work is hosting a special conference to mark the upcoming fiftieth anniversary of the Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission and the seventy-fifth anniversary of the school, celebrating its long- standing commitment to social justice.

Since those early beginnings, human rights legislation has evolved, most notably with more protected grounds included. However, despite 50 years of service, each year there are a number of cases that the commission sends to a board of inquiry because of a perceived human rights violation. Most individuals who file a human rights complaint do so because they want to see some change in the conditions that led to their complaint. Yet these cases seldom lead to much public awareness, education or systemic change.

This conference, entitled "50 Years of Human Rights in Nova Scotia: Reflecting on the Past and Moving Towards a More Socially Just Society," will bring together leading human rights professionals, students, advocates and members of the public. They will critically review what has been learned and evaluate how effective Nova Scotia has been in challenging and changing long-standing patterns of discrimination. The conference bridges town and gown to bring greater awareness of human rights cases to the wider community.

I commend the 100 social work graduate students in my course, Anti-Oppressive Social Work in Diverse Communities, for their dedication to this work and their willingness to share their learning with the community in an effort to help us all move towards a more socially just society.