The Honorable Dr. Hedy Fry, Canadian Secretary of State for Multiculturalism
and the Status of Women, will be the featured speaker at the Inter-American
Development Bank (IDB) on May 31, 2001 at 6:30 p.m. For this presentation by
The IDB Cultural Center, Dr. Fry will discuss the topic "Beyond Tolerance:
Two Journeys."
Dr. Fry was born in Trinidad and immigrated to Canada in 1970. A medical
practitioner for 23 years, she was first elected as Member of Parliament for
Vancouver Centre in 1993 and re-elected in 1997 and 2000. She has been
Secretary of State, with responsibility for Multiculturalism and the Status
of Women, since 1996.
Through a discussion of her personal journey as an immigrant and a woman of
color, Dr. Fry will explore Canada's journey with diversity, as the first
country in the world to adopt multiculturalism as an official policy.
Reflecting on multiculturalism thirty year after its enactment into Canadian
legislation, the changing face of Canada, and in preparations for the World
Conference Against Racism, Dr. Fry will examine the challenges faced today in
both Canada and the United States in moving beyond tolerance towards the
eradication of the systemic barriers to the full participation of all
citizens.
After the lecture, attendees can also view the current exhibit on display,
"Art from the Americas: Selections from the IDB Art Collection. IDB Cultural
Center is located at 1300 New York Avenue, NW, Washington, DC. For more
information call 202-623-3558 or 3774.
Before you attend the Minister's speech you may want to read a report
recently released by The Centre for Social Justice. "Canada's Creeping
Economic Apartheid" by Grace-Edward Galabuzi is a ground-breaking study, with
new, never before published data, on the growing economic racial divide in
today's Canada. Click here for a summary of the report. Click here to read the full report of 130 pages (available in PDF). |