Remarks by
The Honourable Anita Neville, P.C., O.M.
Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba
MANITOBA COUNCIL FOR INTERNATIONAL CO-OPERATION – 50th ANNIVERSARY
Government House
Tuesday, October 22, 2024
(please check against delivery)
Fellow Manitobans and citizens of the world, welcome to Government House and this celebration of education and action.
It is a pleasure to welcome you to Treaty One territory and the homeland of the Red River Metis. As Lieutenant Governor, I acknowledge that our province is located on the treaty territories and ancestral lands of the Anishininew (ANISH-IN-INEW), Cree, Dakota, Dene, the Nehetho (NE-HET-HO) Nation. And I acknowledge that northern Manitoba includes lands that were and are the ancestral lands of the Inuit.
As Manitobans, we respect the spirit and intent of treaties and treaty making and remain committed to working in partnership with First Nations, Metis and Inuit people in the spirit of truth, reconciliation and collaboration.
Our province has long been closely connected to the wider world — far beyond our location in the heart of North America.
Here is where so many in the first great wave of immigration got off the train and began building lives in Canada, starting in the late 19th century. And it was here that the celebration of multiculturalism truly took off with the establishment of Folklorama in 1970.
So this was fertile ground for international co-operation and understanding when the Manitoba Council for International Co-operation was formed 50 years ago.
As the number of Manitoba organizations involved in international co-operation and development has grown, the MCIC has played an important role in connecting them and celebrating the work they do.
Much has changed in that half century. The world’s population has doubled. The Cold War ended and new global tensions has emerged. The global rate of extreme poverty has declined steadily, but nearly one billion people still live on the equivalent of a few dollars a day.
And of course we have become ever more aware of the global effects of climate change on food supplies, infrastructure and everything else.
Member organizations of the MCIC work for global sustainability, co-operation and human rights in countless ways. One of their important tasks is keeping Manitobans informed about international co-operation.
I am pleased therefore that today we will be recognizing students and educators for work in creating awareness of these issues. To address the challenges of the future requires understanding of the interconnected nature of our planet and its people.
I am also pleased that we will be recognizing an outstanding MCIC volunteer for years of leadership and service.
Responding to threats to sustainability begins with a commitment to understanding and caring enough to do something. Today’s award recipients – and the community of international organizations represented by the MCIC – demonstrate that Manitobans have that commitment.
Congratulations and may the MCIC’s second half-century bring continued progress and understanding.
Thank you. Merci. Meegwich. Shalom