Rights and Democracy Delegation Projects: 2008-2009

Vancouver Island University

(formerly Malaspina University-College)

MASH @ VIU
This tropical doctor-themed pub night, inspired by MASH, the television show, raised awareness on the right to health, and raised funds to build a medical clinic in rural Guatemala (For NGO Alianza- http://alianza.kics.bc.ca/).

October 16, 2008


Panties for Peace Campaign
Rights and Democracy’s Asia Regional Officer, Mika Lévesque, launched the VIU Panties for Peace campaign by discussing in detail the urgent human rights situation in Burma, and plans for action.

January 22, 2009


Fair Trade vs. Free Trade: The Rights and Democracy Network Western Regional Event
VIU, in collaboration with UVic, hosted this annual regional event which brought together delegates from across the Western provinces. Fair trade and free trade were debated and explored interactively through workshops, games, films, a sweatshop simulation, and a sweatshop fashion show.

February 19-22, 2009


5th Annual Rights & Democracy and Media Studies Student Film Award
Presented at the Nanaimo Global Film Festival, this award enables student human rights activists to use film as a medium for advocacy. This year, the recipient, Emily Harrison will be focussing on what democracy means, specifically in Cuba (http://www.nanaimofilmfest.org/preaward.html).

March 18, 2009


Activism Through Song at the 4th Annual Hip Hop for Peace Rally
VIU Delegation members discovered different ways of promoting human rights using the right side of their brains. At this event, hosted by the Popular Participation Movement, members sang a heartfelt song about war and peace to remind the audience that advocating for peace results in a better world for us all (http://www.ppmnanaimo.com/).

March 22, 2009


A Sense of Justice: CHLY 101.7 Radio Show
This weekly show explores cutting edge human rights issues, and is hosted by Kaelan Palmer and Rae Kornberger (www.chly.ca).

Every Wednesday from 7 pm- 8 pm


University of Victoria

Fair Trade Awareness Campaign
Delegation members produced an information brochure on fair/direct trade, and resources for each within their community. They then promoted awareness on fair and direct trade on their campus.

November 2008


Panties for Peace Campaign
Mika Levésque, Rights and Democracy's Asia Regional Officer spoke at the  launch of the UVic Panties for Peace campaign by speaking in detail about the urgent human rights situation in Burma, and plans for action.

January 21, 2009


Fair Trade vs. Free Trade: The Rights and Democracy Network Western Regional Event
UVic collaborated with VIU to organize this annual event. The UVic Delegation produced a video about direct trade, and provided a wide variety of fair trade products and information for participants and speakers.

February 19-22, 2009


University of Calgary

Introduction to the Delegation
A potluck and information session was held to recruit new members, and to refresh existing members.

October 5, 2008


2008 John Humphrey Freedom Award Speaking Tour: Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR)
The University of Calgary Delegation assisted with the logistical and promotional aspects of this event, and hosted a discussion lunch with the Award recipients.

November 27, 2008


University of Saskatchewan

University of Saskatchewan Radio Show on CFCR 90.5 FM
This human rights issues radio show was produced by the Delegation, and is available as a podcast.

December 2009


Fair Trade Forum: Producers, Consumers, and Social Change
The University of Saskatchewan organized this forum on fair trade and human rights, from both a global and local perspective. Speakers included professor Dr Darrell McLaughlin, Marla Carlson of the organic prairie farm co-op Farmer Direct, and Carole Samdup, Rights and Democracy's Senior Economic and Social Rights Advisor.

April 23, 2009


University of Manitoba

Get a Buzz, Save the World: Human Rights Over Coffee Series
Session 1
During this event in the coffee series, Jennifer Montebruno from the Canadian Red Cross spoke about cluster bombs, and the new international treaty, the Convention on Cluster Munitions.

January 14, 2009


Session 2
This session of the coffee series featured former Minister of Foreign Affairs Lloyd Axworthy, speaking on human rights and international justice.

March 18, 2009


Laurentian University

Conference on International Development
With presenters from the Ontario International Development Agency (OIDA), and Rights and Democracy, this conference explored different subjects related to international development and human rights.

October 2, 2008


The Rights and Responsibilities of Journalists in Situations of Conflict in Developing Countries: Rights and Democracy Network Ontario Regional Event
This event brought together students from all over Ontario, professional journalists, and professors to exchange thoughts and to learn from one another.

March 6-8, 2009


Carleton University

Solutions for Hunger: A Policy Seminar on the Human Right to Food
Members of the Carleton University attended this policy seminar organized by Rights & Democracy to reflect on the lessons-learned from various right to food initiatives and consider how they may best inform continued work on the human right to food.

November 7, 2008


Huron College, University of Western Ontario

Human Rights Coffee House
The Huron College Delegation organized this coffee house in solidarity with the Minga Resistance movement of indigenous peoples in Columbia.

November 26, 2008


The Place of Youth in the Struggle
This presentation by Patricia Tobon, a young indigenous Embera lawyer from Colombia, focused on the Colombian indigenous, Afro-Colombian and peasant youth movement and the process of conflict resolution in their country.

February 9, 2009


The Cost of Copper: Human Rights and Canadian Corporate Accountability
The Delegation hosted guest speakers Marcía Ramírez and Carlos Zorrilla, activists from the Intag area of Ecuador spoke about their experiences in the resistance movement against mining developments in Ecuador. They also presented a film on the issues and served fair-trade coffee.

March 3, 2009


University of Toronto

2008 John Humphrey Freedom Award Speaking Tour: Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR)
A discussion with John Humphrey Freedom Award winners Irene Petras and Andrew Makoni on the current human rights crisis in Zimbabwe.

December 1, 2008


Charter 08: A Manifesto for Reform in China
A panel discussion on the call for democracy featuring Sheng Xue, Professor Joseph Wong, and John Ralson Saul, organized in collaboration with several human rights organizations on campus.

February 11, 2009


Glendon College, York University

Roundtable on Internally Displaced Persons
A discussion with representatives from Amnesty International and the Red Cross on the human rights issues related to on internally-displaced persons.

May 13, 2009


Université Laval

Panties for Peace Campaign
With a panty-covered Christmas tree and a presentation by Rights and Democracy's Asia Regional Officer Mika Lévesque, the Université Laval delegation raised awareness of the human rights situation in Burma.

February 6, 2009


Canadian Refugee Rights Day
A weekend of activities featuring a presentation by Rights and Democracy Regional Officer for Africa Karim Laz, a multi-media installation on refugee realities called “Under the Blue Sky,” and an African music night.

April 3-4, 2009


Université de Montréal

Stand Up to End Poverty – 8 Goals Campaign
In collaboration with partners such as Oxfam-Québec, Amnesty International, and Engineers Without Borders, the delegation participated in a day of action for the Stand Up campaign.

October 17, 2008


Electoral observation mission to El Salvador
With their Salvadoran civil society partners, delegation members Rose-Anne Saint-Paul and Rocio Delmonte-Palomares closely monitored the presidential elections from the capital, San Salvador. .

March 15, 2009


UQAM

UQAM Celebrates the 60th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
In collaboration with UQAM's chapter of Amnesty International, the UQAM delegation celebrated the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by hosting a kiosk to distribute copies of the Declaration, and screening the film “Rape: A War Crime”.

November 24-25, 2008


Panties for Peace Campaign (cancelled)
Rights and Democracy's Asia Regional Officer, Mika Lévesque, was invited to discuss in detail the urgent human rights situation in Burma, and plans for action.

February 3, 2009


McGill University

2008 John Humphrey Freedom Award Speaking Tour: Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR)
In collaboration with the McGill Centre for Human Rights and Legal Pluralism, a discussion on the current human rights situation in Zimbabwe and reception was held for the 2008 John Humphrey Freedom Award recipients.

November 25, 2008


Books Across Borders: A Fundraiser for the Students at the University of Zimbabwe
The McGill Delegation organized a presentation by Rights & Democracy's Africa Regional Officer Karim Laz on the human rights situation in Zimbabwe, a film screening, and a book drive to collect law and human rights textbooks for students at the University of Zimbabwe.

March 26, 2009


Mount Allison University

100% Student Voter Turnout Campaign
In collaboration with several campus groups, the Mount Allison delegation participated in awareness campaigns to encourage student voter turnout in the federal election.

October 14, 2008


Panties for Peace Campaign
Wrapping up a week of panty-covered trees, an Amnesty International petition calling for the release of Aung San Suu Kyi, and a presentation by Rights and Democracy`s Asia Regional Officer Mika Lévesque, the Mount Allison delegation sent off 270 pairs of panties and thirteen boxers (both real and paper) to the Burmese embassy in Canada.

October 27-November 3, 2008


2008 John Humphrey Freedom Award Speaking Tour – Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR)
Delegation members travelled to Halifax to hear John Humphrey Freedom Award winners Irene Petras and Andrew Makoni speak on the topic “Prosecution as a Tool of Persecution” in Zimbabwe.

December 5, 2009


Silver Spoons and AK47s- How Youth Understand Conflict around the World: Eastern Regional Event
This three-day event brought together experts working in the field from Sierra Leone to the Hague to provide participants with a solid understanding of the experiences of youth and children in conflict situations. The event included a refugee camp simulation and a film screening about the work of the President of Rights and Democracy Rémy Beauregard on child soldiers, and a presentation by young Indigenous Embera lawyer Patricia Tobón on youth living in conflict-ridden Colombia.

February 5-8, 2009


Hunger Banquet and Philosopher's Café
The Mount Allison delegation hosted a Philosopher's Café in collaboration with an Oxfam hunger banquet to stimulate critical thinking on ethical questions and world issues.

April 4, 2009


Université de Moncton

2008 John Humphrey Freedom Award Speaking Tour: Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR)
Delegation members travelled to Halifax to hear John Humphrey Freedom Award winners Irene Petras and Andrew Makoni speak on the topic “Prosecution as a Tool of Persecution” in Zimbabwe.

December 5, 2008


Human Rights Caravan
A human rights education tour of New Brunswick high schools by members of the Delegations at the Université de Moncton and the Université de Ouagadougou Delegation in Burkina Faso.

November 2009


Dalhousie University

2008 John Humphrey Freedom Award Speaking Tour: Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR)
The Dalhousie delegation hosted the John Humphrey Freedom Award winners Irene Petras and Andrew Makoni, who spoke on the topic “Prosecution as a Tool of Persecution” in Zimbabwe.

December 5, 2009