VANCOUVER – This year’s Thakore Visiting Scholar Award will honour the work of women’s rights advocate Jean Augustine.
The Thakore Visiting Scholar Award is presented annually to outstanding persons who have made the welfare of society their lifetime work.
This year the Thakore Charitable Foundation, The Institute for the Humanities and the J.S. Woodsworth Chair in the Humanities at Simon Fraser University celebrates the
27th annual Gandhi Jayanti Celebration with an award to Jean Augustine for her work in advancing women’s rights and for being a strong advocate for the rights of black women.
Jean was selected as the Thakore Visiting Scholar for her commitment to non-violent efforts for social change. She spent time studying the theories of non-violence actions at the Dr. Martin Luther King Center and in 1991 chaired the largest conference in Canada on social change and non-violence.
A key event at the conference was Gandhi and King: Dialogue on Non-Violence that brought members of both Black and East Indian communities together. Amongst her notable achievements was legislation to protect low-income individuals including single mothers.
She was appointed the First Fairness Commissioner for the province of Ontario. Jean used skillful negotiation to garner unanimous support to pass a historic motion designating February as Black History Month in Canada. She was appointed as a Member of the Order of Canada in 2009 and received the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012.
Today, Jean remains involved with community activities including the Jean Augustine Centre for Young Women’s Empowerment. She also supports several scholarships at various post-secondary institutions to help provide a better future for young women.
The celebration will be in the form of two separate events (both events are free and open to the public):
- The Garlanding Ceremony will be held on October 2nd, 2018 at the bust of Mahatma Gandhi located in the Peace Square on the SFU Burnaby campus (south side level 3 of the Academic Quadrangle) from 6:45pm – 7:30pm. Note parking at SFU Burnaby campus for the garlanding ceremony is free in the parkade under the convocation Mall. For directions, parking instructions and more information about these events, please visit www.gandhijayanti.com.
- The Gandhi Commemorative Lecture and presentation of the 27th Thakore Visiting Scholar Award and the annual Gandhi Student Peace Award on October 3rd, 2018, from 6:00pm to 8:00pm at the SFU Harbour-side (downtown) campus (515 West Hastings). More information is provided on the Gandhi website (www.gandhijayanti.com)
- the SFU Harbour-side (downtown) campus (515 West Hastings). More information is provided on the Gandhi website (www.gandhijayanti.com)
