Human rights award recipient helping those in need

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This article was published 10/12/2018 (2639 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The famous quotation, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has,” could be the motto for one of the winners of this year’s Manitoba Human Rights Awards.

The Public Interest Law Centre, which has been helping Manitobans try to change the world for years, will receive the Aaron Berg Award on International Human Rights Day today at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights.

This year’s awards ceremony marks the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which is the basis for human rights protections in Canada.

The centre, which is an independent office of Legal Aid Manitoba, represents individuals and groups who might otherwise not have the resources or ability to advocate for their rights. It has taken a variety of cases that tackle systemic issues, including the rights of persons with disabilities to live in the community and access services.

One such case involves Tyson Sylvester and Amy Hampton, both in their 20s living with major disabilities. When they aged out of high school, they lost the supports and services that fostered their social inclusion and allowed them to pursue an education. The centre’s Joëlle Pastora Sala took their case to the Manitoba Human Rights Commission, arguing they were discriminated against on the basis of their age and disability without reasonable cause. An investigation supported their claim.

The findings put pressure on the province to address a long-standing complaint about Manitobans with physical disabilities losing services, support and social inclusion when they finish high school.

“The (centre) is an invaluable resource for the whole community,” said David Kron, executive director of the Cerebral Palsy Association of Manitoba that’s advocated for Sylvester and Hampton’s rights.

“They are a resource we can go to to keep systemic changes going and for keeping everybody on the straight (and) narrow as far as human rights go,” Kron said.

“The amount of things they’ve done over the years to accommodate change and make the world a better place is phenomenal,” Kron said.

Laws exist, but need to be acted upon to work for people. The centre is taking action on behalf of those who don’t have the resources to make sure laws work for them, he said.

“Not everyone can afford their own private lawyer,” Kron said.

Two other awards will be presented at today’s ceremony. The Human Rights Commitment Award recognizes the significant contribution of a person or group to the advancement of the rights of Manitobans, beyond the work they do in their paid job or position.

This year’s winner is Daniel Thau-Eleff, a Winnipeg playwright, performer, director, workshop leader and artistic producer of the Moving Target Theatre Company.

He’s used theatre to tackle often complex issues around family, relationships, sex, violence and morality and social issues such as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and gender identity and inclusion.

The Sybil Shack Human Rights Youth Award recognizes the commitment of a person or group aged 25 or younger whose work has advanced rights and freedoms locally or internationally.

This year’s winner, Brielle Beardy-Linklater, an advocate for LGBTTQ* rights who helped found Pride North of 55 in northern Manitoba and was a 2018 Winnipeg Pride Parade Marshall.

Through her work, she speaks out about the need to challenge transphobia in the Indigenous community and in general. By participating in Daughters of the Vote, she was the first Indigenous trans woman to take a seat in Parliament.

carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca