The BC Civil Liberties Association (BCCLA) has awarded the Centre’s Academic Director Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond, Aki-Kwe, with the 2020 Reg Robson Award. The Reg Robson award is BCCLA’s longest-standing and most prestigious award.
The Liberty Awards honour exceptional contributions to the fields of human rights and civil liberties in Canada. The award, named after former BCCLA president Reg Robson, is given to honour substantial and long-lasting contributions to the cause of civil liberties in BC and Canada.
“I thank the BCCLA for this award. The award reminds me that if we stand together for civil liberties and ensure that advocacy for freedom is our highest goal, much can be accomplished. An open and democratic society based on respect for civil and human rights is not a given,” says Aki-Kwe. “We know of mass violations of human rights, and today we are bearing witness to this yet again in BC with the discovery of unmarked graves of 215 children at residential schools such as Kamloops Indian Residential School. We require organizations with thoughtful, committed people, like BCCLA, to ensure society does not forget that rights have been freely trampled in the past without people organized, speaking up and insisting those rights are understood and protected.”
Aki-Kwe was nominated for her work as a human rights champion with long-lasting contributions to the cause of civil liberties and human rights in BC and Canada. As British Columbia’s first Representative for Children and Youth she created a lasting impact in the province and improved supports for uniquely-vulnerable children and youth involved in the child welfare system.
The BCCLA Liberty Awards happen once every two years and bring together some of Canada’s preeminent social justice champions to celebrate excellence in legal advocacy, journalism, the arts, and youth and community activism. Due to COVID restrictions, the in-person gala was cancelled this year. Information about the awards and recipients are available on the BCCLA website.