In English with simultaneous French translation

The Ottawa Japanese Community Association (OJCA), in collaboration with Library and Archives Canada (LAC), invites you to a conference to mark the 30th anniversary of the Japanese Canadian Redress Agreement, a historic landmark in the evolution of human rights in Canada.

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the signing of the Redress Agreement between the National Association of Japanese Canadians (NAJC) and the Government of Canada. The agreement included a formal acknowledgement and symbolic individual redress payments for the extensive and systemic human rights violations suffered by the Japanese Canadian community during the Second World War. The federal government was responsible for the wholesale internment of the community, the seizure and liquidation of Japanese Canadian property, as well as postwar deportations. The 1988 Redress Agreement held the Government of Canada accountable for these injustices and opened the door to reconciliation and redress for other communities. Read more about the Japanese Canadian journey.

The Conference on the 30th Anniversary of the Agreement aims to ensure that the wartime experiences of the Japanese Canadians and the journey to Redress are not forgotten. It will also explore how LAC played a pivotal role in making archival records accessible to the community, records that were used to provide evidence of the Government of Canada’s wrongdoing during the fight for Redress. The event will also look to the future in the hopes of building new coalitions for change and supporting the evolution of human rights in Canada.