Russian community contests exclusion from Edmonton Heritage Festival – Edmonton | 24CA News
Representatives from the Russian neighborhood in Edmonton say the choice to exclude the Russian pavilion from this 12 months’s Heritage Festival is a violation of human rights.
Earlier this month, the Edmonton Heritage Festival Association (EHFA) stated it had determined to not function Russian tradition on the pageant because of security considerations, saying it’s acquired a number of threats and was suggested by police that further safety could also be required if the pavilion was included.
“This decision of the EHFA board is deeply disturbing – by excluding individuals based on their ancestry or place of origin, the event organizers are perpetuating stereotypes, reinforcing divisions and limiting the free expression of cultural identity,” the Russian Heritage Cultural Development Association (RHCDA) stated in an announcement.
“Banning individuals from participating in a cultural event based on their ancestry or place of origin should be considered a violation of human rights.”
The EHFA stated it had acquired the assertion from the RHCDA and would for now chorus from making detailed feedback.
“However, we want to assure our community and stakeholders that the matter is being taken seriously,” the EHFA stated.
“We deeply value the contributions and perspectives of all groups represented in the festival, including the Russian heritage community.”
The RHCDA is a various group of Canadians who respect and have an curiosity in Russian tradition, language and traditions and whose volunteers have ancestral roots in Russia, Ukraine, India, China, Italy, Switzerland and Brazil, the group stated.
“We are a Canadian association, not connected to the Russian government in any way, and we have never been supported by the Russian government in any way,” the RHCDA stated.
The group stated it desires to keep away from politics and give attention to inclusion.
The assertion went on to say the Russian neighborhood – the goal of the threats – was being excluded, whereas it didn’t see any motion taken in direction of the organizations and people making the threats.
The annual heritage pageant options greater than 100 cultural teams that share a whole bunch of cultural dishes and crafts and carry out reveals on 40 levels. Hundreds of hundreds of individuals from throughout the province attend the pageant every August lengthy weekend.
The RHCDA stated it has been part of the pageant since 2007.
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