Lunch and Learn: Equitas

The Mission and Outreach Committee, in conjunction with the Ministry Committee, invites you to a Lunch and Learn on Sunday, September 28th following the service of worship.

Our guest presenters that afternoon, two dynamic women, Odette McCarthy and Candace Blake-Amarante, are representatives of Equitas, a Montreal-based human rights training organization. The term Equitas, derived from Latin, means fairness, justice, and equality; it is a perfect word to describe the work undertaken by these impressive Montreal women and their like-minded colleagues.

Based in Montreal, Equitas is Canada’s oldest and most active human rights education organization for the advancement of equality, social justice and respect for human dignity through transformative education programs. For more than 57 years, Equitas’ vast network of 6000 community leaders in 140 countries contributes significantly to our world by protecting human rights in contexts marked by instability and crisis, in Algeria, Burkina Faso, Haiti, Egypt, Senegal, Sri Lanka, Tanzania and Myanmar among others.

Equitas was founded in 1967 by a group of eminent Canadian scholars and social activists which include the co-drafter of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, John Humphrey, the women’s rights activist, Therese Casgrain and Dr. Gustave Gingras, an ambassador for persons with disabilities.

Equitas provides knowledge, skills, and tools to support the empowerment of groups that are subject to discrimination, exclusion and other forms of human rights violations, particularly women, children and youth.

“For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required.” Luke 12;48