African Nova Scotian Decade for People of African Descent Timeline

  • December 23, 2013

    United Nations General Assembly declared January 1, 2015 – December 31, 2024 the UN International Decade for People of African Descent

  • January 1, 2015

    International Decade for People of African Descent begins

  • October 17 – 21, 2016

    United Nations Working Group of Experts visits Canada to talk with African Canadian community and government about issues that affect people of African descent living in Canada

  • October 19, 2016

    United Nations Working Group meets with the African Nova Scotian Community and Organizations at the Black Cultural Centre

    • After this meeting over 30 ANS organizations decided to work collaboratively on issues that affect our community.
    • The African Nova Scotian Decade for People of African Descent Coalition (DPAD) was created and meets monthly
  • January, 2017

    The African United Baptist Association (AUBA) in conjunction with Dalhousie Legal Aid called for an immediate ban on street checks and were supported by DPAD.

  • April 28, 2017

    DPAD presents to the Deputy Ministers

  • August 16, 2017

    United Nations releases: Report of the Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent on its mission to Canada.

    • DPAD calls for Nova Scotia and Canada to recognize the UN Decade and address its recommendations
  • September 2017

    Creation of the Justice Strategy Working Group (JSWG)

  • November 2017

    World Café Community Consultations

  • January 30, 2018

    Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announces that the government of Canada will officially recognize the UN decade. Commits $25 million to capacity building in the African Canadian Community

  • May 8, 2018

    Nova Scotia officially recognizes the UN Decade and announces work on a provincial action plan

  • September 2017 – August 2018

    DPAD continues to work on the issue of street checks, begins to develop governance document and receives funding to hire a Program Coordinator, Office assistant and open an office.

  • May 30, 2018

    DPAD meets with the Liberal Caucus

  • December 2018

    DPAD supports the Health Association of African Canadians’ (HAAC) work in the creation of a position to support the African Nova Scotian Health Strategy

  • December 2018

    Creation of the Community Services Working Group (CSWG)

  • December 2018

    DPAD forms the Health Strategy Working Group (HSWG)

  • March 27, 2019

    Department of Justice places a moratorium on street checks but the Minister of Justice’s directive still permits illegal street checks to continue.

  • March 2019

    Wortley Report on Street Checks data is released

    • DPAD calls for an immediate ban on all street checks
  • May 2019

    DPAD asks NSHRC for independent legal review on street checks

  • September 2019

    DPAD presents to the United Nations Deputy High Commissioner on Human Rights on our work

  • September 2019

    Nova Scotia’s Action Plan in Response to the International Decade for People of African Descent (Count Us In) is released

  • October 2019

    Community Café updates

  • October 21, 2019

    Independent legal review deems street checks illegal

  • October 21, 2019

    Department of Justice bans streets checks

  • December 10, 2019

    ANSDPAD is awarded a Nova Scotia Human Rights Award

  • March 2020

    Part of planning committee for the National Black Canadians Summit. Partnership with the Michaëlle Jean Foundation

  • Present

    DPAD Coalition continues to support community and address on-going issues that affect our communities

    • Truro: Watching Deer while Black
    • Shelburne: Well and clean drinking water
    • Yarmouth: First celebration of African Heritage Month
    • Digby: Ujamma Fisheries
    • Ongoing issues in policing and justice