"...PROMISES TO KEEP..."

1998 will mark the 50th anniversary of the proclamation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). For human rights practitioners, national and international leaders and educators, the whole year, beginning on Human Rights Day, December 10, 1997, holds great potential as a moment in history to focus on human rights issues. When the UDHR came into effect in 1948 at the United Nations, it was an event that fifty years later is still viewed as one of the most important international initiatives of the 20th century. Yet after these five decades the issues of human rights still have such primacy that the UN has named the decade beginning in 1995 as the Decade for Human Rights Education.

Canada can take particular pride in the fact that one of our own, John Peters Humphrey, a lawyer from McGill University and the first director of the UN Centre for Humans Rights, prepared the first draft of the Universal Declaration. Over the years other Canadians have endeavoured at local, national and international levels to promote individual and societal rights, and through their daily lives, have attempted to be models of a fair and just citizenry.

Canadians can and do take pride in their leaders who stand on the side of justice in a wide variety of fora. There is also a glimmer of awareness of the behind-the-scenes actors, who are equally effective in trying to make changes for the better, from a "rights" perspective. The UDHR is both an inspiration and a gauge for Canadian values - values which make Canada such a unique place to people around the world and particularly to those experiencing human rights abuses or seeking refuge from oppression. Yet it is unknown if many Canadians are familiar with the existence of the UDHR, and its importance as an instrument governing so many aspects of our lives. The United Nations Association in Canada (UNA-C), whose mandate is to promote a better appreciation among Canadians of the objectives and operations of the United Nations, wishes to determine if and how Canadians might choose to mark the significance of the Year. In order to answer this a process of national consultation was initiated earlier this year concluding in early July, 1996. The views of four main stakeholders were sought, including non-governmental organizations and community-based groups, Aboriginal groups, statutory human rights agencies at national and provincial levels and ombuds offices, and political leadership at the provincial and federal levels.

The response, as detailed in the following report, is encouraging. Canadians from all walks of life would like to mark the year in creative and substantive ways. But Canadians from Victoria to St. John's were also very clear in expressing a number of concerns and conditions, outlined in detail in this report.

The tempered enthusiasm of Canadians may be a function of the current economic climate, as cutbacks are resulting in more difficult conditions for many and the loss of important human rights gains. Also, the experiences with previous "celebrations" of UN "years" are viewed by many as being remote affairs that do not touch their lives in meaningful ways. Nonetheless, Canadians would like to see something transpire, not lavish, but commemorative, and with a strong emphasis on action. After all, said one interviewee, "It's important to celebrate how far we have come - but it is equally important to point out how far there is to go."

Or, put more strongly by another respondent, "We do not want to celebrate the year with balloons and whistles. We want to see progress, not pablum. We have come a long way on human rights, but there is so much more road to travel."

The response to the idea of an anniversary year was indeed positive and prompted a profusion of practical and purposeful suggestions. Many non-governmental organizations and voluntary associations offered to include a significant reference to the Universal Declaration in their on-going programme in 1998. Many expressed a strong desire to participate in alliance with others to plan and undertake "stand-alone" events to familiarize Canadians with the Declaration. Aboriginal respondents emphasized the importance of working on human rights issues at home. They strongly encouraged the involvement of youth in whatever plans were developed.

A number of Ministers made a commitment to have the initiative discussed in Cabinet with a proposal to mark the year. A provincial premier promised to raise the matter at this summer's meeting of Premiers and to include it in a forthcoming Throne Speech. Others stressed the importance of establishing provincial coordinating committees as a means of encouraging citizen participation and some even offered modest resources to assist with the planning and implementation of activities.

Offices of the Ombudsman offered to carry the message of the Universal Declaration in their public presentations, in their literature and annual reports. Some eagerly embraced the coming anniversary as a means to publicly connect their work with the principles in the Declaration.

Every Human Rights Commission or Council in Canada is prepared to mark the year in creative and substantive ways. The Canadian Human Rights Commission gave its full support and offered to collaborate with all official anti-discrimination agencies, and others as well, to mark the year with a practical and dynamic programme. In Alberta, for example, Commission members expressed an interest in organizing a provincial gathering of youth to examine the relevance of the Declaration and human rights in their experience. In Nova Scotia, the Commission volunteered to provide leadership in programs of public education and the coordination of activities to mark the year.

From all levels of respondents, four conditions for the success of this year were strongly underscored. First, programs and activities will have to emerge from the level of the local community. Second, it was very strongly voiced that the most important participants for the year are youth. Third, there will be a need for a lean national structure - with its main purpose being to develop a communications strategy and to provide resources. Fourth, the Year's activities should not be national or international but interconnected at these levels. Canada should be both leader and participant in the global arena. These conditions are elaborated upon in Section 8- Ideas Bank.

Responses were also very reflective in terms of content - what aspects of human rights should be addressed at local, regional, national and international levels. The range is described in the Themes section, not as a conclusive scenario, but instead as a set of options from which to choose. A preference may emerge to concentrate on one theme only for the Year, or for a combination of complementary themes. Overall, the preference seemed to be to allow local or regional committees to decide on such matters. Some, including the Winnipeg Round Table stressed that having too many themes may "cheapen the currency" and lend to confusing messages about human rights.

Specific activities fitting within these themes, and having the potential to respect the conditions, were also suggested and are contained in the report in the form of an "Ideas Bank", which can be developed accordingly. A celebration of John Peters Humphrey’s role as a pioneer of Human Rights is already on the agenda of some, and others expressed the wish to make a special acknowledgement of him and his historic contribution. Likewise, the message was relayed again and again that there are human rights heroes in every community who should be recognized for their commitment, courage and inspiration.

Being 50 may seem middle-aged to some, but the age-group which is most enthused about this being the right time to focus on human rights are those from 12-20, or "youth". Although this report attempts to blend the many and varied responses from all ages and sectors, the untrammelled enthusiasm and high energy responses experienced at a youth focus group merits significant mention in this report. These leaders of tomorrow have an abundance of firm ideas on what the Year should address and a brimming treasure box of suggestions for programmes and activities to help bring their concerns to the fore. Their interest is backed by offers to design and organize activities of varying scope. These ideas and others can be found in Section 8, in the "Ideas Bank".

A supplementary table is available on request which comprehensively summarizes the suggestions of the hundreds of people who responded, broken down by region. This information complements the list of activities found in the Ideas Bank. The table also contains any express offers of support, coordination, and financing, and will prove to be a useful building block to develop programmes, depending on the structure designed to facilitate the initiative.

Whereas very tangible motifs and directives have emerged from this survey, no attempt is made in this report to suggest a specific theme or to provide extensive details of structure, in keeping with requests to have the ball start rolling at the local level - and until official response is received from the Government of Canada on a commitment to the Declaration Year.

The next step is a call to action for the federal government, in the form of a set of recommendations prepared by the Standing Committee on Human Rights of UNA Canada. These are presented in Section 7. The hope is that this report will receive favourable reaction and will provoke the necessary conditions to mark this important anniversary in a meaningful and substantive manner. Time is of the essence. It is critical that planning begin now, in mid 1996, if a series of activities which will stretch throughout the Year, are to be formally launched on Human Rights Day, December 10, 1997.

This report gives voice to all the Canadians who expressed their impassioned and earnest vision of what 1998 could be, and is presented with the hope that it will be catalytic in realizing this vision.