Friends Of Simon Wiesenthal Center's Leo Adler Appointed To Canadian Cross-Cultural Roundtable On Security

Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center For Holocaust Studies

NEWS RELEASE

FRIENDS OF SIMON WIESENTHAL CENTER'S LEO ADLER APPOINTED TO CANADIAN CROSS-CULTURAL ROUNDTABLE ONSECURITY

Leo Adler, National Affairs Director, Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center has been appointed as a member to the Federal Cross-Cultural Roundtable on Security.

His appointment, as one of 15 Canadians, was announced by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Anne McLellan, Minister of Justice IrwinCotler and Minister of State (Multiculturalism) Raymond Chan.

The Roundtable will work with the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness and the Minister of Justice, who will consider its input in the ongoing development ofmatters relating to national security.

"I am extremely proud to be a member of such a Roundtable and to provide, as a result of my involvement with Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center, a unique perspective to thesediscussions," said Leo Adler.

First meeting of the Roundtable will take place in early March in Ottawa.

"Over the course of the nomination period, we received a large number of applications from highly qualified Canadians from across the country, and choosing only 15 members provedto be a difficult task," said Minister McLellan. "However, we are pleased that such a fine roster of individuals from such diverse backgrounds have agreed to serve in thisextremely important function."

"Their collective experience, broad range of perspectives, and willingness to contribute to the development of security policy will be tremendous assets to the Roundtable," saidMinister Cotler.

"This Roundtable is a good example of a partnership between Canadians and their government," said Minister of State Chan. "Men and women from many different ethnic, racial,cultural and religious backgrounds will sit at this table. They will be able to guide us, on an on-going basis, in managing the security interests of all Canadians, as well aspromoting mutual respect and common understanding in our diverse society."

The Roundtable will provide a forum to discuss emerging trends and developments emanating from national security matters. It will facilitate a broad exchange of informationbetween the Government and diverse communities on the impact of national security issues, consistent with Canadian rights and responsibilities. The Roundtable will also serve tobetter inform policy makers by providing insights on how national security measures may impact Canada s diverse communities and promoting the protection of civil order, mutualrespect and common understanding.

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ABOUT FRIENDS OF SIMON WIESENTHAL CENTER FOR HOLOCAUST STUDIES
Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies is a Canadian human rightsorganization dedicated to fostering tolerance and understanding through community involvement, educational outreach and social action. With over 40,000 members of all faiths, itconfronts important contemporary issues including racism, antisemitism, terrorism and genocide. Friends is affiliated with the world-wide, Los Angeles-based Simon WiesenthalCenter, an accredited Non-Government Organization with status at international agencies including the United Nations, UNESCO, OSCE and the Council of Europe, with offices in NewYork, Miami, Paris, Jerusalem, Buenos Aries and Toronto. At 95, Simon Wiesenthal still works from his Vienna office.

About Leo Adler
Leo Adler holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from McGill University, majoring in sociology and political science, as well as a lawdegree from Osgoode Hall Law School. Mr. Adler has been a criminal defense lawyer since 1975 when he was called to the Ontario bar and has since become a member of the CriminalLawyers Association as well as the International Association of Defence Attorneys. In 1999, he was named Counsel and Director of National Affairs for the Friends of SimonWiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies. Mr. Adler has participated as an NGO delegate at the Assembly of States-Parties meeting of the International Criminal Court at the UnitedNations as well as chaired various committees, groups and seminars dealing with different aspects of the justice system.

Contact:
David Eisenstadt
The Communications Group Inc.
416-696-9900 ext. 36
deisenstadt@tcgpr.com