CIC’s Statement on Reconciliation with First Nations, Métis and Inuit Peoples

People hug in front of a mural honoring all the missing indigenous children during the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on September 30, 2021. (Photo by Lars Hagberg / AFP) (Photo by LARS HAGBERG/AFP via Getty Images)

The Canadian International Council (CIC) recognizes that acknowledging, understanding, and confronting Canada’s history of the violation of rights of Indigenous peoples is a vital prerequisite to reconciliation. Reconciliation is the path our nation must follow to uphold the values that define us as a community of people in the face of today’s realities of diversity and the imperative of collective action.

The mission of our organization is to give citizens voice in global affairs. To perform our mission, we must make space for the voices of indigenous people to be heard. We will work to ensure representation of Indigenous voices within our community, bringing together Indigenous and non-Indigenous leaders to discuss the hard truths of our common history and take action to ensure the richness of our shared heritage, shared by First Nations, Inuit, Métis and new Canadians alike, is fully reflected in the work of the CIC.

Passed by the CIC Board of Directors, October 7, 2021