Day of Reflection to be Proclaimed

The Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission today announced that Friday, Nov. 9, will be proclaimed a Day of Reflection on the Spirit of Community. The proclamation will be signed by Myra Freeman, Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia, on Friday morning at an interfaith breakfast at Province House.

"Our goal in proclaiming this special day is to promote the values of inclusion, racial harmony and community," said Mayann Francis, executive director of the commission. "Proclaiming November 9th as a Day of Reflection on the Spirit of Community affirms the importance of peace, tolerance and understanding in our province."

Part of the commission's mandate is to be proactive in the areas of public education and outreach to increase awareness of human rights in the province. The commission is always concerned about expressions of hatred which may be based on stereotypes of certain groups. Concern about this issue has been heightened following the tragic events of Sept. 11 in the United States.

At the interfaith breakfast, members of various faith communities will speak briefly about what the concept of community means in their faith. Guest speakers at the event will be Michael Baker, Minister charged with the administration of the Human Rights Act, on behalf of the premier; Ms. Francis; and Jim Dewar, chair of the Human Rights Commission.