6th edition of the National Building Reconciliation Forum (2021) Falling into step with First Peoples students

Québec City, November 17, 2020—Université Laval and the Université du Québec network, in partnership with numerous Indigenous organizations, will host the 6th edition of the National Building Reconciliation Forum from September 21 to 23, 2021. The event, which is supported by Universities Canada, comes in the wake of the findings of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, which flagged education as one of the keys to reconciliation.

Under the theme "Falling into step with First Peoples students," the Forum will rally Indigenous and non-Indigenous stakeholders from the university community to gain a better understanding of the cultural and historical realities of First Nations and Inuit in Québec and the rest of Canada with regard to education. The attendees will share their thoughts and their concrete initiatives to support the multiple educational paths and trajectories of First Peoples students.

"First Nations and Inuit peoples face significant obstacles on the road to academic success and admission to university. It is important to recognize the systemic barriers they must overcome, and adopt tangible measures to assist in their success," mentioned Michèle Audette, Senior Advisor for Reconciliation and Indigenous Education at Université Laval.

"Our desire is for the 2021 edition to help us identify–together–solutions and clear commitments to address the realities and needs of First Peoples. By focusing on a co-construction approach and highlighting inspiring initiatives and paths, we hope to build strong and respectful relationships, which are an essential condition for the reconciliation process," noted Johanne Jean, President of the Université du Québec network.

Preparatory Webinars

Five preparatory webinars will be held in the coming months. The webinars are free to attend, however registration is mandatory and the number of participants is limited. Simultaneous interpretation (English/French) will be available. The first webinar is scheduled for December 3, 2020, from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. EST. The topic will be Raising awareness among post-secondary institutions about the realities of First Peoples. Please register by December 1, 2020. The registration form is available online:
•    Raising awareness among post-secondary institutions about the realities of First Peoples

About the National Building Reconciliation Forum
Since 2015, Canadian universities, supported by Universities Canada, have organized an annual forum bringing together leaders and members of universities, colleges, and Indigenous communities “to create meaningful and lasting institutional change in the higher education sector, to advance reconciliation.” (Universities Canada, 2017)

6th edition
National Building Reconciliation Forum, 2021 edition
Pre-forum, September 21, 2021, Kiuna Institution, Odanak
Forum, September 22 and 23, Hôtel Le Concorde, Québec City
www.fourwav.es/forum-reconciliation

About the Université du Québec network
Université du Québec was founded 50 years ago. A French-language collaborative network that's outward-looking and extremely diverse, UQ has helped Québec grow thanks to its affordable, high-quality academic programs; outstanding international-calibre research; and valuable and wide-ranging partnerships.

As they strive to address the challenges facing society, close to 3,000 professors create, transfer, and mobilize knowledge in every field of study, helping position the network among the top ten universities in Canada for the volume of research it conducts.
Each year, the network's 10 institutions welcome fully one-third of all Québec's university students. Nearly 100,000 students are enrolled in one of the 1,300 undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate programs offered by UQAM, UQTR, UQAC, UQAR, UQO, UQAT, INRS, ENAP, ÉTS, and TÉLUQ. http://www.uquebec.ca/reseau/fr/contenu/english-section

About the Université Laval
Driven by innovation and the pursuit of excellence, Université Laval is one of Canada’s leading research universities, ranking 7th in the country, with over $400 million in research funding last year. A leader in distance education, it boasts more than 1,650 professors as well as 2,300 lecturers and other academic and research staff who share their knowledge with some 45,000 students, 27% of whom are enrolled in graduate studies. The university values diversity and is proud of the members of its community, who hail from 135 countries. The oldest French-language university in North America, Université Laval has, to this day, educated more than 319,000 people who each contribute in their own way to the advancement of society. https://www.ulaval.ca/en/