May 16, 2025 — Members of the community can now sign up to participate in the City’s UNDRIP Working Group community conversation on May 29.
The working group — first formed in 2018 to guide the implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) in Sarnia — is preparing to host a Community Conversation: Implementing UNDRIP in the City of Sarnia at Lambton College. The event will provide the opportunity to learn, share, and brainstorm ideas that will help guide the development of the City of Sarnia’s UNDRIP Implementation Plan.
“An important part of the UNDRIP Working Group’s mandate is to guide the City in the development of the City of Sarnia’s United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Implementation Plan through community engagement and active listening. The Community Conversation is designed to bring together a broad range of community voices in order to provide the Working Group with the guidance needed to craft a meaningful, action driven strategy,” said UNDRIP Working Group chair Brad Brownlee.
The event will feature an overview of the UNDRIP, the working group, and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, alongside the opportunity for small group discussion, with the ultimate goal of sharing information; educating and increasing awareness; and improving relationships between the City and Indigenous communities, focussing on communication and collaboration.
The working group has already invited local political and community leaders from area First Nations communities and Sarnia. The opportunity to register is now being extended to the public at large. Spaces are limited and will be provided on a first come first served basis.
The event will run from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Lambton College Event Centre. Interested individuals can sign up at https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/community-conversation-implementing-undrip-in-the-city-of-sarnia-tickets-1323542474169?aff=oddtdtcreator