Two New Brunswickers were honoured Thursday for their contributions to human rights in the province.
Anita Joseph of Elsipogtog First Nation received the Human Rights Award and Chinazam Igwe of Moncton received the Youth Human Rights Award during a ceremony at Government House in Fredericton.
Lt.-Gov. Louise Imbeault praised both recipients as human rights champions who reach beyond their traditional circles to bring New Brunswickers together, regardless of background.
“As community leaders, they advocate for lasting change while breaking down barriers and challenging systemic injustices,” Imbeault said. “Their sustained efforts are leading to the creation of a society in which everyone is treated with more compassion, respect and equity.”
Igwe is a Grade 12 student at Harrison Trimble High School in Moncton. She organized the first Elevate: Empowering Black Youth Summit in March. The summit was hosted by Youth and Innovation and Professional, an organization Igwe founded, and brought together more than 100 Black high school students from the Greater Moncton area.
From an early age, Igwe has been dedicated to promoting human rights for racialized youth in New Brunswick.
After immigrating to the province, one of her first initiatives was to raise money to buy books by Black authors and donate them to her middle school library to diversify its collection.
“I turned to books in middle school to navigate my early experiences with anti-Black racism,” she said. “Over the years, my advocacy has grown through poetry, grassroots work and community projects promoting diversity and inclusion in New Brunswick.
“This award reminds me that human rights work is a collective effort, shaped by countless contributors here and around the world, from whom I continue to learn and collaborate.”
Joseph has been an advocate for Indigenous health-care equity and has spent the last five years as an important contributor in a research study called Eimeg tan tleiaoltieg (We are home where we belong): Home for Life.
The study aims to help Indigenous elders stay in their own homes as long as possible. As a core part of the community-based research team, Joseph creates culturally safe spaces by interviewing Elsipogtog elders in Mi’kmaq.
She also sits on the restorative justice committee in Elsipogtog and offers culturally compassionate end-of-life care to members of the community by providing prayers in Mi’kmaq.
The New Brunswick Human Rights Award was established by the commission in 1988 to mark the 40th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In 2019, the commission created the Youth Human Rights Award to recognize the contributions of young New Brunswickers. The awards celebrate individuals and organizations who have advanced human rights, equality, diversity and inclusion in New Brunswick.
