Colour of Poverty - Colour of Change’s 30 in 30 Campaign asks people to pause and consider the greater significance of Remembrance Day and its relationship to the International Day for Human Rights. 30 days in 30 refers to the 30 days between November 11 (Remembrance Day) and December 10 (the International Day of Human Rights). This campaign is designed to promote the rights of all Ontarians and Canadians, from peoples of diverse faith backgrounds to First Peoples, workers, women, peoples of colour, LGBTQ individuals, immigrants, and people experiencing injustice in health, education or housing.
December 10, the International Day for Human Rights, is also the anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). The UDHR happens to have 30 articles, a number exactly matching the 30 days between Remembrance Day and the International Day for Human Rights. "30 in 30 - From Remembrance to Equity, Inclusion & Human Rights" is meant to provide an opportunity for people to explore each UDHR article, day by day, as a journey of “remembrance” of the reasons people engaged in violent forms of conflict resolution in the first place: the preservation and/or pursuit of freedom, equity, inclusion, fairness and human rights.
Understanding the significance of the 30-day connection between Remembrance Day and the International Day for Human Rights can help Canadians creatively apply an equity and justice-informed understanding of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the Ontario Human Rights Code, and the Canadian Human Rights Act. It can also help us understand how the Canadian rights instruments connect with the full spectrum of international human rights legal instruments, from the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) to the the International Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD), to the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women and many more.
This 150th anniversary year of Canada and Confederation, as well as the recent commemoration of the 100th anniversary of World War I, is an ideal time to emphasize the core architecture of human-rights-based values, policies and programs across Ontario and Canada. It is also an opportunity to deepen Canadians’ shared understanding and appreciation of these values and the importance of preserving them for the future.
Colour of Poverty - Colour of Change asks members, partners and all others to let them know how you intend to connect your scheduled events with this campaign or otherwise take advantage of this opportunity for teaching, learning and taking action in order to nurture a deeper understanding and promote a shared commitment to equity, human dignity and social justice.
More resources:
Employment Equity - Why - A Backgrounder
Municipal Rates of Poverty in Ontario for Select Groups
Percent Low-Income by Ethno-Racial Group - Ontario and Canada (Census - 2006)
We Are All Treaty Peoples - A Framework for Good Relations Going Forward