In the Beginning

The Canadian Tribute to Human Rights celebrates the desire of people to live in freedom and dignity and to share equal rights.
Enter the Tribute. A path traces a symbolic procession through a portal inscribed with the first words of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

The Tribute was realized by a community of volunteers from across Canada engaged in the struggles for the rights of all people.
Sparked in 1983 by the struggle of the Polish trade union Solidarność, conceived by a group of committed Ottawa activists and dedicated on September 30, 1990, in the presence of the Dalai Lama of Tibet, The Canadian Tribute to Human Rights is a reminder that until all rights are respected, none are secure.

From The Letters Patent (June 8, 1984)
Section III
The objects of the Corporation are:

(a) To promote awareness of human rights, without espousing any particular political beliefs or position, as such rights are set forth in the United Nation Declaration on Human Rights and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms;

(b) To erect a public monument or statue in the National Capital Region of Canada as a tribute to the pursuit of fundamental human rights, and a reminder of the importance of human rights in Canada and throughout the world;

(c) To foster public awareness, through the erection of the said monument, of the importance among all human beings of tolerance and co-existence, and provide symbolic focus for and respect for the individual and minority groups, and the individual and collective rights of individuals and societies, and thereby to engage in an activity which is beneficial to the community as a whole;

(d) To provide for the erection of the said monument or statue, and for the maintenance, care and upkeep of the said monument or statue in perpetuity, and in furtherance thereof, if necessary to purchase, lease, acquire or hold to those therefore;

(e) For the furtherance of the objects aforesaid, to collect money by way of donations, accept gifts, legacies, devises, bequests and to hold, invest, expand or deal with the same;

(f) To do such other things as are necessary or incidental to the above objectives.

The following images depict the construction of the monument.