Manitoba Human Rights Awards
Since 1989 the Manitoba Human Rights Commission has held an event to celebrate International Human Rights Day on December 10.
For the last several years, we have partnered with the Canadian Human Rights Commission and the Manitoba Association for Rights and Liberties to hold an awards evening. Each year awards are given to Manitobans who have made significant contributions to promoting respect for human rights and equality.
The award recipients are chosen by an independent Selection Committee made up of representatives from each of the partner organizations.
The Manitoba Human Rights Awards are open to the public.
Human Rights Commitment Award of manitoba
This award recognizes a person or group who has made a significant contribution to the advancement of the rights of Manitobans, beyond the work they do in their paid job or position.
DANIEL THAU-ELEFF
Daniel Thau-Eleff is a Winnipeg-based playwright, performer, director, workshop leader and artisitic producer of the Moving Target Theatre Company. For the past 14 years, he has used theatre to challenge Manitobans to relfect on their lives and live courageously. Through his work, he tackles ofen complex issues around family, relationships, sex, violence and morality and social issues such as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and gender identity and inclusion. Daniel has been actively involved in a number of community initiatives including Winnipeg Copwatch, the Albert Street Autonomous Zone Co-op, Manitoba Aboriginal Justice Equality Coalition and Independent Jewish Voices.
This year, Treherne fibre artist Krista Zeghers was selected to design the award. Her design was chosen because it embodies the spirit of advancing human rights and the fundamental freedoms in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. For more information about Krista visit her blog.
2017 Alaya McIvor
2016 Tracia's Trust
2015 Meet Me at the Bell Tower
2014 PRIDE Winnipeg, Rana Abdulla,
Althea Guiboche
2013 Betty Hopkins, Dr. Joan Durrant,
The Manitoba League of Persons
with Disabilities
2012 Jane Burpee, Louise Simbandumwe
The Rainbow Resource Centre
2011 United Food and Commercial Workers Local 832
2010 Ernesto Griffith, Winston Moxam,
Manitoba Theatre for Young People
2009 Ali Saeed
2008 Yude Henteleff and Irene McKay
2007 David Livingstone Community School's Bridges FASD Program
2006 Chuck Duboff
2005 Marceline Ndayumvire
2004 Chris Vogel and Richard North
2003 Winnipeg Harvest
2002 Jim Derksen
2001 Hersch Zentner
2000 Kathy Mallet and Sherri Walsh
Sybil Shack Award
This award is given to a person or group aged 25 years or younger whose work has impacted the advancement of rights and freedoms locally or internationally.
Dr. Sybil Shack was a recognized educator, writer, and broadcaster and was active in the promotion of human rights all her life. She was a part of numerous boards and committees in Winnipeg including being a board member, vice-president and co-convener of the Legislative Review Committee for The Manitoba Association for Rights and Liberties. She bequeathed funds which have been used to provide a cash award that honours her commitment to educating youth and to human rights.
BRIELLE BEARDY-LINKLATER
Brielle is an advocate for LGBTTQ rights and helped found Pride North of 55 in Northern Manitoba. She was also a 2018 Winnipeg Pride Parade Marshall. Through her work, she speaks out about the need to challenge transphobia in the Indigenous community and in general. By participating in Daughters of the Vote, an initiative of Equal Voice, she was the first Indignous trans woman to take a seat in Parliament.2017 Amina and Nusaybah Mohamed, Alexa Potashnik
2016 Lauren Milne
2015 Christie McLeod
2014 Alana Robert
2013 Megan Fultz, Gray Academy-Gay Straight Alliance
2012 Muuxi Adam, Chelsea Caldwell, Ayla and Van Hamilton
2011 Rebekah Enns
2010 Voices: Manitoba's Youth in Care Network
2009 Anna-Celestrya Carr
2008 Joe A. Ross School
2007 Krupa Kotecha
2006 Tasha Carriere-Spillett
2005 Maples Collegiate Unity Group
2003 Youth Helping Youth
aaron berg award
This award is given to a person involved in the legal profession (lawyer, paralegal, law student) who has contributed significantly to the advancement of human rights in Manitoba by way of their legal work.
The award was announced in 2016 to recognize the contributions of Aaron Berg, former counsel to the Manitoba Human Rights Commission and General Counsel with Manitoba Justice. Aaron passed away in June 2017. He was an expert in human rights and administrative law, and represented the Commission in several high profile human rights cases, including Janzen v. Platy Enterprises and Brooks v. Canada Safeway, both of which established women's rights in this country. Aaron was also involved in drafting The Human Rights Code to replace the former Human Rights Act.
PUBLIC INTEREST LAW CENTRE 
The Public Interest Law Centre is an independent office of Legal Aid Manitoba that has represented individuals and groups who might otherwise not have the resources or ability to advocate for their rights. They have taken a variety of cases tackling systemic issues including the rights of persons with disabilities to live in the community, to have accessible limousine services and around the adequacy of services as young persons “age-out” of care. They have also been an active voice in the development of accessibility vulnerable persons legislation in the province.
The Public Interest Law Centre is an independent office of Legal Aid Manitoba that has represented individuals and groups who might otherwise not have the resources or ability to advocate for their rights. They have taken a variety of cases tackling systemic issues including the rights of persons with disabilities to live in the community, to have accessible limousine services and around the adequacy of services as young persons “age-out” of care. They have also been an active voice in the development of accessibility vulnerable persons legislation in the province.
2017 Dr. Donn Short
Reconciliation Award of Manitoba
The Reconciliation Award was given out as the Human Rights Commitment Award in 2015 and as a separate award in 2017 to Red Rising collective to honour the efforts of these groups to achieve reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in Manitoba. It is not given out every year.
