A Day for Truth and Reconciliation

Today is Canada’s first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, a day to mourn the lost children and honour the survivors of Canada’s Indian residential school system that operated until 1998.??

Dating back to the early 1800’s Indigenous children in many parts of Canada were forced to attend residential schools, often far from their home communities, enduring hardship, abuse and unspeakable tragedy.?

In June I shared my thoughts about the importance of zero tolerance for hate of any kind. Hate has no place – anywhere. We must all continue our journey towards equality and reconciliation and decry the misguided and harmful acts against others.?Three weeks ago, I visited one of the many memorials in Ottawa, Canada to try in my way to come to terms with what happened with our Indigenous children and while it was overwhelming to even begin to fathom the pain and suffering the children, their families and communities endured, I left resolved that I and all of us can do better and must do better.??

Today is a day for reflection and healing everywhere. In Canada it is an opportunity to honour the lost children and survivors of residential schools, their families, and communities. Around the world it is a call to action that we cannot and will not ignore the lessons of the past no matter where they manifest. We must learn from our mistakes and make a commitment to ourselves and our communities to build a better environment for all of us, everywhere.?

It is a sobering reminder for us in the business events industry to be responsible for our role in bringing people together and ensure that our organizations and our events are inclusive, equitable and where everyone belongs.?

In order for meaningful change to happen, it must start with oneself.?I asked you on this day – what does that mean for you, your organization and your business events????