Friendship centres to meet in Ottawa

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Secretary of State David Crombie has announced a $90,460 grant to the National Association of Friendship Centres (NAFC). This grant will assist the NAFC to host a three-day national conference on issues affecting Aboriginal disabled persons in Ottawa in March 29, 30 and 31.

The NAFC represents some 99 friendship centres across Canada which provide services to Aboriginal people and assists them to adjust to life in urban communities.

A preliminary meeting sponsored by the Department of the Secretary of State was held in Cornwall, Ont. On Jan. 21 and 22, 1988 to facilitate an awareness of the problems of Aboriginal disabled persons and to discuss an approach to the issues.

The main objective of the conference are to ensure that the needs of disabled Aboriginal persons are consistently addressed by friendship centres and to sensitize the urban communities to the needs of their disabled members.

"The National Association of Friendship Centres is best suited to coordinate this conference because of the role friendship centres play in the Aboriginal community," said Crombie. "Friendship Centres are and always have been community centres for Aboriginal people and this conference will lay the firm foundation for Aboriginal disabled persons to voice their concerns and needs to the general public and the federal government," he added.

The funding for the conference comes from the Native Citizens Directorate of the Department of the Secretary of State.