A day to celebrate

The National Day of Healing and Reconciliation is celebrated each year in Canada on May 26. The day provides the opportunity for individuals, organizations and communities to move past injustices towards healing. Each year communities, religious groups and cultural organizations choose to commemorate the day through events and activities meaningful to their members.
The City of Edmonton, along with the National Day of Healing and Reconciliation planning committee, is gearing up to host the Circle of Unity event. Activities will take place in the City Room at City Hall at noon, following the Western Municipalities Aboriginal Gathering. Featured will be cultural music and dance and speakers from the Arab Jewish Women's Peace Coalition.
The National Day of Healing and Reconciliation is a grassroots movement to heal our communities by addressing lingering issues resulting from past injustices based on culture, religion or race. It stems from Australia's National Sorry Day. A report tabled May 26, 1997 called Bringing Them Home detailed the painful legacy of the removal of thousands of Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander children from their families. It recommended that a 'Sorry Day' be held. Over half a million people responded by signing Sorry books and taking part in activities on Sorry Day.

The National Day of Healing and Reconciliation is different from the Sorry Day of Australia, in that it does not focus on Aboriginal/non-Aboriginal relations, but is built on an understanding that all Canadians need to be educated and healed from a collective history.

For more information about the National Day of Healing and Reconciliation call (780) 447-9342 or visit the web site at www.ndhr.ca .