Call for nominations - 40th anniversary of the Québec Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms: Only a few days left to submit a nomination
Montréal, June 17, 2015 — In order to mark the 40th anniversary of the adoption of the Québec Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms, the Commission des droits de la personne et des droits de la jeunesse is looking for 40 people who defend and promote human rights and freedoms in Québec. Submitting a nomination is simple and quick, one needs to fill the form before June 30, 2015.
To be eligible, you must live in Québec and defend and promote rights and freedoms through your work, volunteering or your citizen actions. The complete details and nomination form are available at 40ansdelaCharte.org 
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What does it mean to defend and promote human rights and freedoms in Québec? Here are a few examples:
- Anthony lectures and publishes articles to raise awareness about temporary farm workers to promote their right to fair and reasonable working conditions;
- Andres made a documentary on an organization working to defend the rights of people with mental health problems;
- Mélanie blogs about the problems facing single parents like her, who are trying to find decent housing;
- Fatou, a hospital worker, developed tools and activities to raise awareness about the exploitation of elderly people.
Louise Arbour, former United Nations high commissioner for human rights and a leading figure in international law, will chair the independent jury who will select the 40 defenders. The other members are: Samian, First Nations rapper, Dr. Gilles Julien, founder of social pediatric clinics, Carla Beauvais, coordinator of Black History Month and Ian Hamilton, executive director of Equitas, Centre for international human rights and winner of the Commission’s 2014 Rights and Freedoms Award.
The 40 people selected by the jury will be invited to take part in a forum on December 10, 2015, International Human Rights Day. Also, all year long, the Commission will pay tribute to the human rights defenders by highlighting their work and commitment on the website 40ansdelaCharte.org , allowing all to learn more about their important contribution and hopefully inspiring others.
To obtain an English-language form or for more information, please contact Jean-François Gagnon:
- Tel.: 514-873-5146 or toll-free- 800-361-6477, ext. 230
- E-mail: 40ans@cdpdj.qc.ca
- Website: 40ansdelacharte.org
The Commission des droits de la personne et des droits de la jeunesse (Human Rights and Youth Commission) ensures the promotion and respect of the principles set out in the Québec Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms. It also ensures that the interests of children are protected and that their rights recognized in the Youth Protection Act are respected and promoted. In addition, the Commission oversees compliance with the Act respecting Equal Access to Employment in Public Bodies.
Contact:
Jean-François Gagnon
514 873-5146 or 1 800 361-6477, extension 230
40ans@cdpdj.qc.ca
