Jennifer Saint John, New Brunswick

Fair address: Anglophone South Regional Heritage Fair (Saint John)

Project: Equality / John Peters Humphrey

My project talks about John Peters Humphrey, who encouraged people from all parts of the world to treat people equally despite the differences. He is the principal drafter of Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and inspires people even until today. His tireless work in the United Nations and promoting the rights of each and every person in this world is remembered right at this moment.

What was the most interesting thing you learned about your topic?

The most interesting thing I have learned about my topic was how hard John Peters Humphrey worked to bring people together into communication of rights. Even though he faced many hardships, he continued to help others and didn't let his disadvantages stop him from making the world a better place. His belief of equality shaped an astonishing part of the world.

What important lessons have you learned that you want to share with other Canadians?

I have learned that we should celebrate our differences and treat people equally regardless of our nationality, colour, religion or any other status. I have also learned that anyone can achieve, no matter what the obstacle is, if we set our mind to it. We should never give up and treat people the way we want to be treated, just like John Peters Humphrey.

How would you compare your life today to the lives of those studied in your project?

My life today is very different from those I studied in my project, because today's society is more accepting than the lives in the past. People were mistreated of discrimination because of skin colour, race or any other status. Today, people are slowly accepting the differences of people, and hopefully, we continue to do so.