A small group of Moose Jaw Amnesty International supporters had intended to deliver a Valentine’s Day greeting to Palliser MP Ray Boughen Thursday afternoon, but were greeted by a closed door instead.
“It’s a campaign by Amnesty International. Everybody is encouraged to go to their MP and to promote the First Nations Have a Heart campaign,” said Dicky Scholten. “Amnesty International, for the first time, joined the campaign ... it’s really to raise awareness of the plight of aboriginal children.”
The Moose Jaw Amnesty chapter drafted a large Valentine’s Day card reading, “Please ensure First Nations children have the same chance to grow up safely at home, get a good education, be healthy and proud of their cultures.”
The chapter then took their card around to various meetings and collected signatures from members of the community before attempting to deliver it to Boughen’s constituency office at noon Thursday.
The office, however, was closed.
The card sports roughly 70 signatures, including those of all four candidates for the Saskatchewan NDP leadership, Scholten said. The goal is to promote awareness about the plight of aboriginals, particularly First Nations children, and to encourage action to assist them.
“Everybody is concerned that Canada has a third world on the doorstep,” Scholten said. “We want to educate the people about it.”
Scholten said she would return to deliver the Valentine’s Day card at a later date.
