Foundations

• human rights, 
• race,
• ethnicity,
• gender,
• sexual orientation,
• socio-economic status,
• age,
• physical abilities,
• religious and political beliefs.

These concepts are upheld in the following statutes that NorQuest looks to and is guided by:  

• The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms 
  • guarantees fundamental freedoms and rights (democratic, mobility, legal, equality, and language) to Canadian citizens.
• The Canadian Multiculturalism Act
  • works to preserve and enhance multiculturalism in Canada.
• The Alberta Human Rights Act.
  • sets out equality for individuals in matters of “dignity, rights and responsibilities without regard to race, religious beliefs, colour, gender, gender identity, gender expression, physical disability, mental disability, age, ancestry, place of origin, marital status, source of income, family status or sexual orientation" (Preamble).
• The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
  • sets out a framework of minimum standards for the survival, dignity, and well-being of the indigenous peoples of the world and it elaborates on existing human rights standards and fundamental freedoms as they apply to the specific situation of indigenous peoples.
• Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, Calls to Action
  • suggested actions to "redress the legacy of residential schools and advance the process of Canadian reconciliation".
• The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
  • clarifies and qualifies how all categories of rights apply to persons with disabilities and identifies where adaptations have to be made for persons with disabilities to effectively exercise their rights” (2006).