Students put first touches on human rights banner

Reprinted with permission from the Manitoba Human Rights Commission newsletter, Connections

Northern high school students are the first to complete pieces that will be assembled into a province-wide human rights banner to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the United Nation’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The students were attending the Commission’s
Northern Youth Conference in the Pas in March.

The “Peace by Piece” project allows students to send a message about human rights. The six  schools that participated in this conference had only one hour to be both creative and thoughtful during the afternoon activity session. Working in school teams they talked, cut and pasted to create their portion of the banner which is estimated to be at least 24 feet by 24 feet when it is assembled.

Chairperson Jerry Woods opened the day explaining that the 2008 conference called “Our World, Your World My World” was a celebration of the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

He said he hoped it would draw everyone’s attention to human rights issues faced around the world and in our own backyard. “The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is the foundation of international human rights law, and the first universal statement on the basic principles of inalienable human rights,” he said adding, “The world is changing, new issues emerge, and even a country like Canada has to consider what may become a human rights issue in the future. We can try to anticipate. We can even dream.”

He suggested the students consider the right to clean air and water and the right to
food and shelter.

The afternoon keynote speaker was Michael Champagne, a young Aboriginal man who grew up
in Winnipeg’s North End. In his address, “Taking Chances, Creating Change,” he spoke about taking negative stereotypes and turning them into personal challenges.
“Anything worth achieving is worth fighting for,” he said, and encouraged the participants to realize that anything they wanted was within their reach and capability.

The students also attended two workshops; “Are You Smarter than a Human Rights Officer” is a quiz based on human rights issues. “Scenes from a Hat – Human Rights Style,” is a skit-based
workshop putting the students into situations where rights and responsibilities come into play, and gives them the opportunity to change what they see or hear happening.

Over the lunch hour the winner of last year’s “Making a Difference Challenge” was announced. The students from Margaret Barbour Collegiate in The Pas received a $500 cheque for their school and took home a Certificate of Achievement. After last year’s conference these students put together an anti-racism presentation for younger students in The Pas who in turn were encouraged to come up with their own anti-racism message.

The staff is now preparing for the next two conferences, one in Winnipeg on April 24 and the other in Brandon on April 25.