Since 2003, the city of Calgary, Alberta , has held GlobalFest, an annual community-driven festival of fireworks and cultural events that showcase Calgary’s cultural diversity. The theme for this year’s festival, which begins on Friday, is Canadian citizenship and multiculturalism.

A major component of GlobalFest is the Human Rights Forum, a series of speeches and panel discussions by experts on issues related to building inclusive communities and cross-cultural understanding in the workplace.

As part of this series, former Canadian Governor General Adrienne Clarkson will be speaking about Foreign Professional Accreditation on Monday.

Additional events include speeches and panel discussions about Temporary Foreign Workers, Barriers in the Workplace, the Aboriginal Experience and the Refugee Experience.

Clarkson was chosen for her experience in human rights issues, and for her commitment to expanding the Canadian citizenship experience, said Lynn Berry, Director of the Human Rights Forum.

Clarkson came to Canada as a refugee in 1941 and was appointed Governor General in 1999.