Thank you so much for having me here. My name is Dunia Nur, and I serve as the president of the African Canadian Civic Engagement Council, ACCEC.
I would like to begin by acknowledging that I am joining you virtually from Treaty 6 territory. I recognize and hold deep respect for the histories, languages, ceremonies and cultures of the first nations, Métis and Inuit people who have called this territory home since time immemorial.
As a person of African descent, I think treaty acknowledgement is of utmost importance, as it serves as a reminder of the shared painful histories of oppression that have left both of our communities with enduring scars. It is important to acknowledge that the system of apartheid established through the process of colonization on the continent of Africa drew its model from the oppression and colonization of the indigenous people of Turtle Island. This was tragically replicated in the enslavement and colonization of African indigenous populations in Africa.
Our mandate is to protect and promote the dignity and human rights of people of African descent, and we fulfill this mandate through five primary areas—youth development, gender-centred access to justice—