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On January 23, 2003, with management succession
permanently in place at CanWest Global
Communications Corporation (an international communications company I had
launched), I relinquished my full time office as Executive Chairman of the Board
to turn to my personal agenda, which I have yet to complete. A large part of
this agenda is to oversee the important work that The Asper Foundation has done
and will continue to do.
This marks the 20th anniversary of The Asper Foundation. When I look back to the
intent of my foundation and some of its goals in the last 20 years, much has
been accomplished. For example, I wanted to leave a permanent and significant
endowment in the name of the University of Manitoba Law School. This was
established three years ago through the Asper International Chair in Business
and Trade Law and the Asper School of Business. I had also wished to make a
significant gift to Winnipeg’s St. Boniface General Hospital or its Research
Foundation and this was accomplished as well. The fundamental purpose of The
Asper Foundation is the support and encouragement of projects in Winnipeg and
the Jewish community, and Jewish causes within Canada and Israel.
To this end, we have supported the creation of The Asper Jewish Community Campus
in Winnipeg and created the Hebrew University Scholarship Program which has been
in place for almost 20 years, which has now been expanded into a national
scholarship program. We have also made significant donations to the Hebrew
University to establish the Asper Centre for Entrepreneurship in Jerusalem
modeled after our similar highly successful program here in Winnipeg at the
University of Manitoba. The Community Action Centres, which have now been
established in Beer Sheva, Israel and another one being developed in Ofakim,
Israel, will provide badly needed education support to disadvantaged youth in
that country.
On April 17th, 2003, on the 21st anniversary of the Canadian Charter of Rights
and Freedoms, I, along with our federal and provincial governments and the City
of Winnipeg partners, announced the potential creation of a groundbreaking $270
million Canadian Museum for Human Rights.
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Israel Asper, 1932 - 2003 |
