|
(Wolfville,
NS) - The yellow, white and red colours of the Nunavut
flag will be flying over the Acadia University campus May 5 – 7 to
mark one of Canada’s most important political achievements in recent
history.
Nunavut at Five: The
Nunavut Policy Symposium hosted by Acadia University in celebration
of the 5th anniversary of the creation of Canada’s newest territory
and its government will provide an opportunity for Inuit policy
makers and community leaders to reflect upon and share their
perspectives on the first five years of the Nunavut government’s
political achievements and challenges.
An Inuksuk,
constructed with Annapolis Valley granite by the Honourable Peter
Irniq, Commissioner of Nunavut will be unveiled on May 5th at 12:30
p.m. on the front lawn of University Hall.
“We are honoured to
have the officials of Nunavut visit our campus to take part in this
event. I would like to thank Commissioner Irniq for his kindness and
inspiration through the gift of the Inuksuk,” said Dr. Gail Dinter-Gottlieb,
President of Acadia University.
The symposium begins
May 5th at 9:00 a.m. with the lighting of the qulliq and a drum
dance, followed by a panel discussion entitled “Nunavut, the First
Five Years.” The schedule also features roundtables on the Nunavut
public sector, policy, and the digital divide. These discussions
will help develop an Inuit-driven policy dialogue and research
network. Additional workshops will identify the Inuit-defined
research agenda and will direct four to six policy seminars to be
held in the next year, with the policy focus of each determined by
the May meetings at Acadia University.
“A key objective of
the symposium is to deepen our shared understanding of Inuit values,
approaches and perspectives in the public sector and to generate the
kind of policy-relevant research that our participants need in
education, the environment, economic development, and employment,”
said Dr. Cynthia Alexander event organizer and professor of
Political Science.
With its quiet, rural
setting and world-class technological “info-structure,” Acadia
University provides both a comfortable environment for the
participants and the resources necessary to ensure that the policy
dialogue is inclusive and national in its reach. Using video and
teleconferencing, the workshop and the policy seminars will be
inclusive of Inuit community leaders and Inuit policy officials,
selected academics across the country, Inuit youth and elders, Nova
Scotia-based cultural communities, appropriate elected officials.
-30-
|
