Canada Should Support Muslims Through Development in South Asia
South Asia Partnership Canada
SAP Canada presents to Canadian parliamentarians
October 2, 2003
OTTAWA—Canada should look to civil society in South Asia to support shared values of democracy and religious tolerance, according to Ann Thomson, President of the South Asia Partnership Canada Board of Directors.
Ms. Thomson was one of four presenters to the Standing Committee for Foreign Affairs and International Trade hearings on “Canada’s Relations with the Countries of the Muslim World” this Thursday. Read the presentation on-line at our web site: www.sapcanada.org .
Ms. Thomson told the story of how SAP Canada’s partners in South Asia work on a day-to-day basis to empower impoverished communities in South Asia, including people of all religions.
The Committee is holding the hearings in advance of a planned trip to the Middle East and South and Southeast Asia in October 2003. The Committee first held hearings on May 6-7, 2003, prior to traveling to the United States, United Kingdom, France and Morocco.
South Asia (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka) is home to nearly half of the world’s Muslims.
South Asia Partnership Canada is a coalition of 25 Canadian organizations – secular, Muslim, and Christian – that work for human development in South Asia. Human development is the practice of empowering communities in South Asia to design, implement and sustain their own solutions to the challenges they face every day to make ends meet.
For more information, contact:
Peter Moore
Communications Coordinator
South Asia Partnership Canada
Tel. 613-241-1333 ext. 228
Fax 613-241-1129
Web Site: https://www.sapcanada.org/