BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Annual Ottawa Youth Conference in honour of Canada’s National Day of Remembrance and Action on Mass Atrocities (2013-2018).

Local activist, Mr. Norm King approached his local MP, Paul Dewar, with the idea of creating a Canadian National Day to raise awareness about mass atrocities occurring around the world. In 2010, MP Paul Dewar had a private member’s motion passed unanimously in the House of Commons to create Canada’s National Day of Remembrance and Action on Mass Atrocities. April 23rd was chosen to honour the birthday of Lester B. Pearson, former Prime Minister and Canada’s only Nobel Peace Prize winner.

Conferences have been held annually since 2011 on April 23rd to commemorate the National Day. The context for this Youth Conference event has evolved from having the G12 Conflict and Crises class at Sir Wilfrid Laurier Secondary School help in the planning and hosting of this event, to this year G12 students at Colonel By Secondary School taking the Social Justice and Equity course assist in organizing this community Youth Conference.

Among some of the other partnerships that we have fostered in the process of working on this youth event we work with the All-Party Parliamentary Genocide Prevention Group Chair on Parliament Hill, the Canadian Centre for International Justice, the Montreal Institute for Genocide and Human Rights Studies and the Montreal Holocaust Memorial Centre.

We currently have a partnership with Carleton University’s Faculty of Public Affairs to host the event on campus, for the 6th year in a row. Also, we have maintained a partnership for the past five years with the All-Party Parliamentary Group for the Prevention of Genocide and other Crimes against Humanity, working with the office intern for the Youth Conference. As well annually we reach out to the Montreal Institute for Genocide and Human Rights Studies in planning our sessions for students.

Our past 6 Youth Conferences have featured the following keynote speakers:

2013 -The Honorable Romeo Dallaire, Retired Senator and Lieutenant-General

2014 - Mrs. Marie-Claire Wihogoro, a Rwandan genocide survivor

2015 - Dr. James Orbinski, former President of Médecins Sans Frontières

2016 - National Chief Dwight Dorey, Congress of Aboriginal Peoples

2017 - Audrey Mallet, Montreal Holocaust Museum

2018 - Toronto TED Talk Two Canadas, by The Honourable MP Ahmed. D. Hussen

(Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship) and

-Hilary Clauson - From University Campus to Dzaleka Refugee Camp

(Aga Khan Foundation of Canada Development Champion)

Mr. Norm King, MP Paul Dewar & Dr. James Orbinski participated in a press conference on Parliament Hill the eve of our April 23rd, 2015 Youth Conference. They were highlighting for MP's & Senators the significance of Canada's National Day of Remembrance and Action on Mass Atrocities as well as inviting the politicians to attend our event the next day @ Carlton University.

Mr. Norm King (local activist) & Mr. Paul Dewar (former MP)