On this page, you will find upcoming and past Commision and community events. We encourage all Nova Scotians to participate and celebrate our diverse communities. If you have an event we should include here please contact us.
Upcoming Events
There are no upcoming events scheduled
Past Events
December 6th, 2024 - December 6th, 2024 - Gender-Based Violence Prevention and Support for Newcomers, Migrants, and Refugees
Date: Friday, December 6
Time: 2:00 - 3:30 p.m.
A recording of this session is posted below.
How does being new to the country, status, identity, ability and other intersecting identities increase vulnerability of GBV and increase challenges for accessing supports.
Panelists
Briana Miller (Acting) Manager, National GBV Settlement Sector Strategy and NS Gender-Based Violence Prevention Project in Nova Scotia.
Stacey Gomez. Executive Director, Centre for Migrant Worker Rights Nova Scotia
Tammy Bernasky, Assistant Professor, Cape Breton University
Rhiannon Makohoniuk, Rainbow Refugee Association of Nova Scotia
Recording
December 6th, 2024 - December 6th, 2024 - Land Titles, Community Land Trusts, and Housing in African Nova Scotian Communities
Date: Friday, December 6, 2024
Time: 11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
A recording of this session is posted below.
Join panelists Sunday Miller, Curtis Whiley, Larissa Lee, and Holly Adams to learn how African Nova Scotians are claiming ownership of their lands, turning past traumas into new opportunities, and uniting to ensure future generations can thrive in historic communities.
For more than 400 years, many African Nova Scotians have been living on land passed down by their ancestors without clear land title, without which they can’t get a mortgage, bequeath or sell their land, or access housing grants.
Clarifying land title can be an expensive legal process. Under the Province of Nova Scotia’s Land Titles Initiative (LTI), all fees associated with gaining clear land title are covered. In 2018, the LTI was created to address the historical wrong whereby African Nova Scotian settlers were not granted clear legal documentation of land ownership, resulting in economic disadvantages for the African Nova Scotians who descended from those settlers. Since the LTI’s inception in 2016, 410 parcels of land belonging to African Nova Scotians have been clarified.
In 2014, Akoma Holdings Incorporated acquired the assets from the former Nova Scotia Home for Coloured Children which includes 320 acres of property on which there were two child caring residential facilities. Akoma set out to develop this historic property into a place where future generations would be able to come to acknowledge their past and build a bright future for themselves and their children. The Old Home, which was the original orphanage, was renovated and turned into a business hub. The one house school room has become a meeting place for the community. The acquired Watershed Association Development Enterprises (WADE) building is being used as another office space for Akoma Holdings and the community.
In October 2023, Akoma opened four duplexes on these lands (“The Fairfax Homes”) reserved for Black families. A committee, composed of shelter workers, identified potential tenants based on established criteria and priority was given to families with children.
The Upper Hammonds Plains Community Land Trust (UHPCLT) was established in 2022 to address growing concerns about the future of the historic African Nova Scotian community. Committed to protecting, preserving, and strengthening Upper Hammonds Plains' historical and sacred lands, UHPCLT has mobilized to deliver transformative projects that highlight the power of Community Land Trusts (CLTs) in creating tangible solutions through collective action.
Following years of unified community effort, UHPCLT is proud to present transformational projects currently underway, demonstrating how CLTs effectively address critical needs like affordable housing and renewable energy through community-led development.
UHPCLT envisions Upper Hammonds Plains as a thriving, culturally rich community that stewards land for the benefit of its people, grounded in traditions and social equity. Dedicated to preserving African Nova Scotian heritage, UHPCLT aims to lead the advancement of CLTs in Black communities across Nova Scotia and beyond. By fostering intergenerational wealth, economic opportunities, and affordable housing, UHPCLT is paving the way for a sustainable and prosperous future for Black families and individuals.
December 5th, 2024 - December 5th, 2024 - Gender-based Analysis Plus and Human Rights
Date: Thursday, December 5, 2024
|Time: 10:30 - 11:30 a.m.
A recording of this session is posted below.
Gender-Based Analysis (GBA) Plus is a way of thinking and acting that helps us understand how policies, programs and services impact women, girls and gender diverse people. Representatives from the NS Status of Women Office will present highlights of GBA Plus and why GBA Plus matters to our human rights.
Presenters
Josie McKinney
Shiva Nourpanah
Lesley Poirier Mclernon
Recording
December 5th, 2024 - December 5th, 2024 - Office of African Nova Scotian Affairs and the Pursuit of Greater Inclusion
When: Thursday, December 5
Time: 1:00 – 1:45 p.m.
A recording of this session is posted below.
The Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission’s existence is a testament to the persistent efforts of African Nova Scotians. Despite facing racial injustices, African Nova Scotians have tirelessly advocated for policies and legislation to safeguard their community’s human rights, laying the groundwork for the Commission. This endeavor is part of the enduring history and resilience of African Nova Scotians, many of whom can trace their roots back over 400 years.
Despite unfulfilled promises and a discriminatory environment, African Nova Scotians and communities of African descent have made substantial contributions to all aspects of life in Nova Scotia. The Commission acknowledges their trauma, resilience, and significant contributions to the province and country.
Join Augy Jones, Executive Director of the Office of African Nova Scotian Affairs (ANSA) to learn about the work of this office and the enduring history of advocacy for inclusion and recognition of the rights of African Nova Scotians.
