Immersion Journey to Canada: First Nations Rights & Reconciliation

This three-day program will address community, government and social enterprise initiatives that support Canada’s First Nations communities. TPW will travel to Yellowknife, a city in the Northwest Territories, to meet local experts, and together we will travel on by seaplane to Décline on Great Bear Lake where we will spend time with the local community including indigenous elders, youth and social entrepreneurs. You will have the opportunity to learn alongside peer philanthropists, many of them Canadian, working in this area.

We will take part in a reconciliation dialogue workshop, learn about the history of the First Nations peoples, and understand more about the Canadian government’s reconciliation process. With a focus on land rights, we will learn about the challenges these communities face from big business and oil and gas pipelines; the opportunities the land provides for social enterprise and livelihoods; and the means for elders and young people to influence policy, practice and public opinion. This programme will be led by Jo Ensor, who has 20 years’ experience working with marginalised communities, and a Canadian Foundation which works closely with these communities – together providing a rights-based, gender-based and strategic philanthropy lens to the visit. Canada’s recent refugee integration policies are an interesting backdrop.

We will take part in a reconciliation dialogue workshop, learn about the history of the First Nations peoples, and understand more about the Canadian government’s reconciliation process. With a focus on land rights and issues, we will learn about the challenges these communities face from big business and oil and gas pipelines; ways to strengthen livelihoods; and the means for elders and young people to influence policy, practice and public opinion. This programme will be led by Jo Ensor, who has 20 years’ experience working with marginalised communities, and a local foundation which works closely with these communities – together providing a rights-based, gender-based and strategic philanthropy lens to the visit. Canada’s recent refugee integration policies are an interesting backdrop.

We hope this programme will be of interest not only to TPW’s Canadian membership, but also to global members working in human rights and land rights, and with indigenous or marginalised communities.

Participants will need to arrive into Yellowknife on Monday 24 September, 2018 in time for our opening dinner that evening. The following day we will travel by seaplane to visit Décline on Great Bear Lake where we will spend the night at Grey Goose Lodge, before heading back to Yellowknife, finishing our program on the afternoon of Thursday 27 September, 2018.

TPW does everything it can to make these learning programs educational, and not touristy. Please note however that this is a very special location, close to the Arctic Circle and with the possibility of enjoying the Northern Lights.

Program Objectives:

• Gain insight into the history of First Nations people, and the ongoing reconciliation process.
• Focus on the rights of indigenous people, learning from them about their land, their culture, the challenges and opportunities that they face.
• Examine the role of government, business and community in achieving change.