Meet Me at the Bell Tower recognized for contribution to reconciliation

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This article was published 30/11/2015 (3080 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

John Ralston Saul’s been there; immigrant groups too.

Now the province’s human rights organizations are about to pay homage to a North End group of indigenous youth who’ve raised the city’s up close and personal profile for indigenous reconciliation in action.

The Manitoba Association for Rights and Liberties, the Canadian Human Rights Commission and the Manitoba Human Rights Commission announced Tuesday that the 2015 Commitment Award will go to Meet Me at the Bell Tower (MM@BT).

“In honour of the release of the Truth and Reconciliation Report, the 2015 Commitment Award of Manitoba will be awarded to a group that has worked towards reconciliation between Indigenous people and others within Manitoba, Meet Me at the Bell Tower (MM@BT),” the joint statement announced.

The group has met every Friday at the corner of Selkirk and Powers for the past four years, first to build up confidence in North End residents to battle crime and later to rejuvenate race relations across the city. It’s focus is to create a voluntary alternative to violence and provide examples and opportunities to participate in building a stronger community.

It’s leading spokesman, Michael Champagne, was profiled as an influential youth leader in Time magazine earlier this year.

The group has drawn notables to its Friday events; Canadian intellectual writer John Ralston Saul attended this fall. Photos of him in a signature fedora and overcoat were posted on Facebook.

In 2015, MM@BT added a specific focus to it’s workm by inviting different communities (Muslim, Filipino and other immigrant newcomers) to connect with Indigenous leaders and become part of the “bell tower family”.

The human rights agencies also honor youth every year, giving out a separate award.

The 2015 recipient of the Sybil Shack Human Rights Youth award is Christie McLeod. McLeod is active on both the local and national human rights scene working on a wide range of issues, from Shoal Lake 40 First Nation, to sex trafficking and women’s rights.

McLeod founded and the Human Rights Hub, an innovative website that was just launched. It provides Winnipeggers with a portal to human rights events and information.

The Annual Human Rights Commitment Award of Manitoba recognizes those who have promoted respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms and have advanced the rights of Manitobans. These awards are given out every year in celebration of International Human Rights Day. The awards are being presented Dec. 6 at the Union Centre on Broadway.

The event is public but the agencies require everyone to register in order to attend. Online registration is available at www.manitobahumanrights.ca or call 204 945-7653.