Stride takes on Portage La Prairie, Keeshkeemaquah, Treaty 1 Territory

A report from Yaw Bayyim

Canadians are well known for acceptance and hospitality; however, Portage la Prairie was “extra” in a good way. For the past three years, and thanks to the McConnell Foundation, Stride Advocacy has visited different cities within the prairies to deliver our Human Rights Advocacy training, equipping and training community members and organizations ready to support change. In May 2025, Portage was ready for such a challenge. The John Humphrey Centre for Peace and Human Rights’ (JHC) human rights advocacy training team arrived in Winnipeg on time, got groceries, print outs and other essentials, and headed off to Portage. It was a great ride through the winding country road. When we got to our hotel, we were warmly welcomed by Don Boddy, one of the participants, who gave us a briefing on Keeshkeemaquah, Treaty 1 territory, and who was willing to take us around when needed. 

Day 1 began on a good note. Participants came earlier than expected which gave a good vibe. An Elder led us through a prayer and blessed the day, grounding us in and setting our intentions. Right when we started smudging, the smoke alarm went off. What a dramatic way of getting started! We quickly pivoted and moved outside, did introductions of how the three days were going to look like with the program line up and then introduced each other. Lesson learned; no more smudging if there is a smoke detector in the room. There were a total of 27 people present; i.e, 24 trainees and three JHC staff members. The discussion was very interactive. Folks came with questions and were not hesitant to engage. Topics like anti-oppression and human rights frameworks were discussed. 

Day 2 began on time as well. All participants were present and ready to engage. Smudging was done outside of the room (we learned our lesson!). Human rights mechanisms, including the UN, Canadian and provincial mechanisms, along with other methods were discussed. Participants asked questions and began working on applied practises through building cases and characters of relevance to their work and local situation. One part that kept the conversation going was the rights-based poverty lens. Almost all participants have been working with community members who need help and were on the poverty line so there was a lot of engagement.

Day 3 ended beautifully. Participants engaged in role play in practising how to engage with policy makers, civil servants and politicians to discuss their human rights issues, as well as crafted human rights strategies. Meeting policy makers to discuss possible issues has always been a challenge. To make things easier, the team did a role play to educate participants on how to interact with politicians when the time rises. The need for self care in advocacy was a great way to end the three day training.

Saying goodbye is always the challenge but it is also part of the process. The food was delicious, thanks to local caterers. Our team learned some important lessons which we will apply moving forward; we shall do better! There should be frequent breaks and we should always be time conscious. Our goal to not only to impart our knowledge, but to learn from community members was achieved. Participants’ evaluations proved that Stride touched hearts and inspired motivation, and emphasized communities’ needs to feel heard, engaged, and equipped to address human rights issues.