BACKGROUND ON DEVELOPMENT OF HUMAN RIGHTS EDUCATION INFORMATION

Following the historic Redress Settlement on September 22, 1988, the then NAJC President Art Miki and other community leaders pointed out that the signing of the Redress Agreement was an important achievement in the history of human rights in Canada that carried with it a special responsibility. Japanese Canadians must be vigilant with regard to human rights violations and should be the first to speak up when situations occur. Other minority groups should not have to experience similar violations of their rights. The Vancouver JCCA Human Rights Committee published a Bilingual Human Rights Guide for Japanese Canadians in 1995, which was revised and enlarged in 2003.

It was well received by the established community, and by newcomers and visitors from Japan for whom it served as an orientation reference for the history and cultural of Japanese Canadians.  The booklet provided information to those who were unaware of their rights, making them vulnerable to exploitation and discrimination. The NAJC Human Rights Committee members adapted some of the information from the Vancouver guide for this online version.  We developed the human rights web information in the hopes that this would assist you to be aware of your own and other’s human rights.  We also hope that you will be able to recognize acts of discrimination, harassment, sexism, racism, racial profiling or any other unequal or unfair treatment, and will know how to deal with these situations. Information at this site is provided as a service to members. The Human Rights Committee did its best to get the most current information, but the environment and regulations surrounding human rights issues are constantly changing and readers should be aware that we cannot guarantee that all information is current or accurate.  Users should verify the information before acting on it.  See the links under “What agencies are responsible for Human Rights Law in Canada” for further information on provincial, territorial and federal human rights bodies.