Canada's New Government Launches "Racism. Stop It!" National Video Competition for March 21

Ottawa, November 22, 2006 - The Honourable Beverley J. Oda, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Status of Women, today announced the launch of the 2007 "Racism. Stop it!" National Video Competition for March 21. This competition challenges young Canadians, aged 12 to 18, to create a video, 60 to 90 seconds long, that expresses their thoughts on how to eliminate racism in Canada.

Video competition entries must be received by January 16, 2007. Ten winning entries will be chosen by an independent committee, composed of educators and representatives of ethno-cultural organizations, and judged on the basis of the video's production quality, artistic merit, and messages.

"Racism isolates and divides people, and it has no place in an open and inclusive country like Canada," said Minister Oda. "The National Video Competition gives young people an opportunity to share their vision of the kind of society they want to build for the future and to celebrate the diversity that makes us strong."

The "Racism. Stop It!" National Video Competition is one way that Canada's New Government is leading the fight against racism and mobilizing young people across Canada to take a stand against racism. The Competition involves thousands of young Canadians in every province and territory. It requires little or no acting experience and encourages young people to have fun in the process. It also allows individuals to move beyond the recognition of the problem of racism and take action to "Stop It!"

The Department of Canadian Heritage supports this video competition to mark March 21, the United Nations International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. The competition stimulates dialogue about racism among educators and students across the country and results in winning videos that are aired as public service announcements on CBC and Radio-Canada.

The top 10 winning teams will receive a three-day, all-expenses-paid trip to Canada's Capital Region in March 2007. As VIPs, they will be invited to attend an awards ceremony at the Canadian Museum of Civilization.

All winning schools or organizations will receive a Panasonic Digital Palmcorder Multicam camcorder. For more than 10 years, Panasonic has been a dedicated partner of the National Video Competition.

In partnership with the National Film Board of Canada, anti-racism and technical workshops to encourage participation and offer technical assistance to young people and educators will also be held across the country. Teachers interested in organizing an anti-racism and technical workshop for fellow teachers and students in their area can refer to our online educator's guide at www.march21.gc.ca

For complete details or to order promotional materials, please visit www.march21.gc.ca or call 888 77-MULTI / 888 776-8584.

Information :

Chisholm Pothier
Director of Communications
Office of the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Status of Women
819 997-7788

Donald Boulanger
A/Chief, Media Relations
Canadian Heritage
819 994-9101

[ Media Room ]