After several months of hard work our new website is finally up.  We would like to invite all of our members, volunteers and guests to take a tour of the new site.  We have made some modifications as you can see and have added some new features and new information:

The Manitoba Association for Rights and Liberties Annual General Meeting will take place on Monday June 21st , 2010 at the MARL Office 507-294 Portage Ave. (Doors to the building are open until 6:00 pm)

• 5:30 pm Registration and membership renewal.
• 6:00 pm Call to Order
• Budget Approval. Board Elections. Open House.
• Refreshments will be served.

Youth Tackle Human Rights Issues - 8 schools, 8 projects, 1 goal: better communities!

On May 12, 2010 high school students from Winnipeg showed us all how to become more aware and active in our communities. A workshop series in youth leadership in Human Rights provided 65 students with a forum to create projects to improve their communities. They targeted pressing issues such as the homeless, refugee integration and food security. These youth presented their projects to invited guests at the University of Winnipeg earlier this month, showing what can be accomplished and sharing their vision of a more just society.

MARL is looking for volunteers for positions on the Board of Directors. The nine member Board of Directors which is responsible for managing the affairs of the organization. Board members are elected for a two-year term or appointed by the Board to fill a vacancy between elections. Board members will attend monthly board meetings between September and June each year and will participate on one of MARL’s committees

The 2010 MARL Youth Leadership in Human Rights Project had a very successful launch on November 4 at the Collège Universitaire de Saint-Boniface. There are nine schools participating in this year’s program. They are : Collège Jeanne Sauvé, Kildonan East Collegiate, Munroe Junior High, Pinawa Secondary School, Collège Pierre-Elliott-Trudeau, Gimli High School, Garden City Collegiate, St.Norbert Collegiate and Argyle Alternative School.

The recipient for the 2009 Sybil Shack Human Rights Youth Award is Anna-Celestrya Carr.  She is creative youth leader who has focused her energy and dedication on her Aboriginal roots, and on advancing the rights of Aboriginal Woman.  Anna-Celestrya has worked with many organizations and institutions to promote the rights of Aboriginal women, including the University of Manitoba when she was vice president of the University’s Aboriginal Students Association. 

MARL is welcoming Nadine McCaughan as the new Program Developer for the Human Rights Education Program. Nadine has a bachelors of Education from the University of Manitoba. She also holds a degree in International Relations from the University of British Columbia. Currently Nadine is studying for a Master’s degree in Library Sciences and is also working part-time for the Winnipeg Public Libraries.

Greetings. I am a continuing member of MARL’s board of directors and am happy to be taking on the role of president this year. I am currently the principal of Collège Pierre-Elliott-Trudeau, a French immersion UNESCO high school in Winnipeg. The path that I have journeyed to where I am today has been filled with miracles and wonderful adventures. Almost every step of the way has led me towards children and education and that is what inevitably brought me to MARL. I truly believe it is our responsibility to make sure that the next generation has a voice and informed voice on human rights.