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The Ontario Human Rights Commission will work with the Ontario Federation of Indigenous Friendship Centres to build capacity and human rights knowledge with the ultimate goal of ending anti-Indigenous discrimination in Ontario.
An agreement between the two organizations was signed July 8 and promises to engage with urban Indigenous people on policy development, and coordinate provincial advocacy in key areas such as health care, child welfare and criminal justice.
“This partnership is an important step in protecting and defending the human rights of Indigenous people in Ontario,” said Susan Barberstock, president of the Ontario Federation of Indigenous Friendship Centres (OFIFC). “This agreement between our organizations will bring communities together to safeguard the human rights of Indigenous people.”
It sets the stage for future collaboration with urban Indigenous communities that is based on trust, dignity, respect, and a shared commitment to reconciliation and substantive equality, reads a press statement.
The agreement will connect the human rights commission with the nearly two-thirds of Indigenous people who live in urban areas and are protected from discrimination in housing, employment and services under the Ontario Human Rights Code.
“I had the honour of being in Ottawa when the Final Report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission was presented,” said Chief Commissioner Renu Mandhane. “Signing a cooperation agreement with the OFIFC will help us continue to take steps towards long-lasting reconciliation with First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples in Ontario.”