Events and Conferences
Below is a listing of upcoming and past Global College events and other items of interest from our institutes and community.
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Recent Events
2018 El Tassi Lecture
Marina Nemat
Wednesday, May 16, 2018 – 7:30 pm
Eckhardt-Gramatté Hall
University of Winnipeg
As a teenager Marina Nemat was a political prisoner in Iran. Her book After Tehran: A Life Reclaimed probes her journey of acknowledging and living with the effects of torture and related trauma long after she was released from prison and moved to Canada. Her courageous story resonates with the journeys of countless refugees and political exiles.
Marina Nemat was born in 1965 in Tehran, Iran. After the Islamic Revolution of 1979, she was arrested at the age of sixteen and spent more than two years in Evin, a political prison in Tehran, where she was tortured and came very close to execution. She came to Canada in 1991 and has called it home ever since. Her memoir of her life in Iran, Prisoner of Tehran, was published in Canada by Penguin Canada in 2007, has been published in 28 other countries, and has been an international bestseller.
In 2007, Marina received the inaugural Human Dignity Award from the European Parliament and, in 2008, the Grinzane Prize in Italy. She was the recipient of the Morris Abram Human Rights Award from UN Watch in Geneva, Switzerland, in 2014. In February 2017, she received Premio Ceppo Pistoia, a prestigious award given every year in Tuscany, Italy. In 2008/2009, she was an Aurea Fellow at University of Toronto’s Massey College, where she wrote her second book, After Tehran: A Life Reclaimed, published in 2010.
Marina regularly speaks at high schools, universities, and conferences around the world, including University of Milan, Oxford University, Yale, Tufts, Berkeley, and Stanford, and sits on the Board of Directors at the CCVT (Canadian Centre for Victims of Torture) and Vigdis, a Norwegian charitable organization that provides legal and other forms of assistance to female political prisoners around the world. In addition, she is the chair of the Writers in Exile Committee at PEN Canada, a member of the International Council of the Human Rights Foundation in the U.S., and has been a volunteer at her church’s Refugee Committee since 2010. She has a Certificate in Creative Writing from the School of Continuing Studies at University of Toronto and currently teaches memoir writing at the SCS. In 2014, she was a recipient of the Excellence in Teaching Award at the School. She’s also a senior fellow at the Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights. Occasionally, she writes book reviews and opinion pieces for various publications.
Locating Health and Human Rights in Global Affairs
Monday May 7, 2018
5:30-7:00 PM
2M70, Manitoba Hall, University of Winnipeg
Health and human rights are located at a complex nexus in international affairs. People’s ability to enjoy optimal health is influence by many structures in the international system, including: trade agreements, patent regulations, visa regimes, refugee law, international development assistance, environmental regulations, human rights treaties, and UN initiatives like the Sustainable Development Goals.
This international and interdisciplinary panel gather three health and human rights scholars who will tackle the question: How well do institutions and practices of global affairs and governance address the challenge of securing the right to health?
The panelists:
Regiane Garcia: Brazilian lawyer and PhD candidate in the Faculty of Law at UBC
Claire Brolan: Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto
Lisa Forman: Lupina Assistant Professor in global health and human rights at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, and Director of the Comparative Program on Health and Society at the Munk School of Global Affairs at the University of Toronto.
The panel will be moderated by Global College's Dr. Kristi Kenyon.
This event is co-sponsored by CIC Winnipeg Branch.
Women at the Heart of Peace
Tuesday, May 1, 2018
Viscount Gort Hotel
Doors open at 6:30, Program at 7:00 PM
Tickets are $35, students $20
Institute for Internation Women's Rights - Manitoba (IIWR-MB) is excited to host the 10th Anniversary of Local to Global, with Ketty Nivyabandi, a peace activist and refugee from Burundi. Ketty has a story to tell, and a message for all.
Ketty Nivyabandi was a leader in mobilizing women in protest against her country’s government and this eventually led her to flee from persecution, to Canada. As a refugee, Ketty continues to be a voice for peace and rule of law in her country –Burundi– and she will speak on human rights, refugee issues, the intimate effects of conflict on women’s lives globally and her work as Media Associate for the Nobel Women’s Initiative.
There will be special entertainment, refreshments, door prizes, a wonderful raffle, displays and much more!
Emcee is CBC's Marcy Marcusa.
Proceeds will support:
The House of Peace - a warm and caring environment for newcomer women, many are refugees.
Make Music Matter - Supporting the healing process, with music in war ravaged countries.
Global Citizenship Scholarships - for students studying human rights at University of Winnipeg
MARL Human Rights Film Festival
Date: March 24, 2018
Time: 2:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Venue: Gas Station Arts Centre, 447 River Ave, Winnipeg MB
Join us for the 8th Annual MARL Human Rights Film Festival! Film is a powerful tool that can help spark public education, build collective understanding of inequity and discrimination, and create community dialogue about human rights issues locally and globally.
This year's MARL Human Rights Film Festival will connect the films we're watching to local resources and groups that are taking action for equity and justice.
Program
2:00-3:15 | Youth Human Rights Film Showcase
Q&A Panel with Youth Filmmakers and Freeze Frame
3:30-5:00 | Journeys through Generations: Indigenous Voices
Four Faces of the Moon / Amanda Strong
Life on Victor Street / Kirby Hammond
Nosisim / Sonya Ballantyne
Moccasin Stories / Charlene Moore
Panel Discussion featuring Indigenous Filmmakers
Sonya Ballantyne and Charlene Moore
5:15-6:15 | Here and Abroad: Falun Gong
Keynote Speaker
The Crown: Anastasia Lin / Kacey Cox
Demonstration from Falun Gong Group Winnipeg
7:00-9:00 | Feature Film: Saturday Church
Introduction from Reel Pride Winnipeg
Talkback with Local LGBTTQ* Activists
Tickets are by donation, though no one will be turned away due to lack of funds.
The Gas Station Arts Centre is wheelchair accessible and is located on the first floor. There are two gendered washrooms in the building.
Everyone is welcome to stay for any or all of the day’s programming. It is free to the public.
Find the event page here.
Sister: Barriers to Maternal Health
Date: March 21, 2018
Doors open at 7:00PM
Film screening 7:30PM - 9:00PM
Panel Discussion: 9:00PM - 9:30PM
Venue: Forth, 171 McDermot Ave, Winnipeg
Film: Sister - by Brenda Davis
Sister tells the story of health workers from Ethiopia, Cambodia and Haiti, explores how they find meaning while working under difficult circumstances and reveals maternal and newborn death as a human rights issue.
Follow the link below for the trailer or for more information:
http://
Panelists:
Janet Macaulay
Janet is a midwife practising in downtown and north Winnipeg. She uses a pro-choice, inclusive approach and plays a major role in a program for healthy pregnancy in women who face barriers to maternal care, including low-income and Indigenous women and women dealing with drug addiction. She has done wonderful work in improving neonatal and maternal health in low-resource areas of Winnipeg.
Bobbak Makooie
Bobbak is a paediatric nursing student in London, Ontario who traveled to Rwanda in August of 2017 as part of ADRA's EMBRACE program. He has first-hand experience in hospitals, emergency rooms, and paediatric and neonatal intensive care units, and is particularly concerned with unequal access to healthcare in local and global settings.
Laura Smith
Laura is an International Development student at the University of Winnipeg with a particular interest in health and social barriers to accessing healthcare. She has plans to attend medical school after graduation this spring. Laura studied maternal health in Rwanda as part of the EMBRACE project and now acts as a volunteer advocate in Winnipeg, drawing from her experiences in Rwanda and in Winnipeg to organize events and workshops.
This event is the result of a partnership between ADRA Canada, the Global College of the University of Winnipeg, and Global Affairs Canada, and aims to advocate for safer pregnancy and healthy mothers and children in diverse, low-resource settings.
The event is free and open to the community. Please contact us if we can do something to make the event more accessible for you.
You can find the Facebook event page here. See you there!
Middle East Week 2018
UWinnipeg presents its annual Middle East Week from February 26 – March 2, 2018 on campus. This week promotes dialogue, and further understanding of this multifaceted and historically-rich region of the world. This year’s lineup includes Dr. Amarnath Amarasingam, Senior Research Fellow at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue (University of Waterloo); Dr. Nora Gold, writer, activist and founder of JSpaceCanada; Belle Jarniewski, Chair of the Freeman Family Foundation Holocaust Education Centre of the Jewish Heritage Centre of Western Canada; and Dr. William R. Dickson, UWinnipeg academic contemporary Islamic professor. All events are open to the public.
Monday, February 26, 2018
Fields of Exile: Fiction as a Tool for Educating About Israel on Campus
Presented by Dr. Nora Gold
12:00pm – 12:45 pm in Eckhardt Gramatté Hall
Coffee break 12:45 – 1:00pm
Canadians in ISIS: Who Are They and Is There a Threat?
Presented by Dr. Amarnath Amarasingam
1:00 pm – 1:45 pm in Eckhardt Gramatté Hall
Tuesday, February 27, 2018
5th Annual Leadership Breakfast – Strangers No More: Refugees, Schools, and a Future for All *
Presented by Mohammad Rezai, Vice-Principal, Grant Park High.
7:30 am in Convocation Hall
To purchase tickets please visit EventBrite.
*Sponsors for this event: The Manitoba Multifaith Council, The Ridd Institute for Religion and Global Policy of the Global College, and the University of Winnipeg.
Friday, March 2, 2018
What’s in a Word? Defining Antisemitism and Islamophobia
Presented by Belle Jarniewski and Dr. W. Rory Dickson
12:30 – 1:30pm in Convocation Hall
Link to Facebook page for all events here.
My Jerusalem: Responding to the U.S. Embassy Announcement
Date: February 28, 2018
Time: 7:00 PM - 9:30 PM
Venue: Eckhardt-Gramatté, University of Winnipeg
The United Nations partition plan of 1947, which drew the boundaries for the two States of Palestine and Israel, recognized the international nature of the City of Jerusalem, and called for it to be administered by the United Nations Trusteeship Council. For the next 70 years the international community recognized and supported the unique nature of Jerusalem. All of that changed on December 6th, 2017, when the U.S.A. announced that it would move its Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
Jerusalem holds significant religious and spiritual importance to the three Abrahamic religions, Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Please join us on Wednesday February 28th, 7:00 P.M. in Eckhardt-Gramatté Hall, University of Winnipeg, to hear from followers of these three religious traditions.
The panelists are:
Rabbi David Mivasair - is motivated by the Biblical command to "seek peace and pursue it" and lived in Jerusalem for four years.
Fadi Ennab - is a lecturer and educator on migration and anti-oppression and is a Palestinian-Canadian from an Arab-Christian background born and raised in the Middle East.
Dr. Idris Elbakri - was born in the city of Jerusalem and spent his formative years there, he has lived in Winnipeg for nearly 13 years and been active in a number of community initiatives including grassroots efforts to welcome Syrian refugees.
The panelists will share their personal reflections on what Jerusalem means to them and their religious tradition.
To help place Jerusalem in a political context, we have invited Dr. Tami Amanda Jacoby from the University of Manitoba. Dr. Jacoby is an associate professor in the Department of Political Studies at the University of Manitoba where she has taught for the last twenty years. Her research is on terrorism, gender and war, victim identities, Diaspora and Middle East politics.
The event is free and open to all.
The event is sponsored by: Canadian Arab Association of Manitoba, Global College - University of Winnipeg, Independent Jewish Voices - Winnipeg, Mennonite Central Committee - Manitoba, Peace Alliance Winnipeg, United Church Conference of Manitoba and Northwestern Ontario, United Jewish Peoples Order - Winnipeg, and United Network for Justice & Peace in Palestine & Israel.
The event page can be found here.
The Importance of Community Involvement In Policing
Date: February 9, 2018
Time: 6:30 PM - 9:00 PM
Venue: Convocation Hall, University of Winnipeg
Special Guest Speaker/Presenter:
Assistant Commissioner Scott Kolody,
Commanding Officer of RCMP “D” Division – RCMP Manitoba
Featuring: Community leaders in dialogue
As part of the event, the RCMP Commander will address issues of importance and concern from the leaders and members of community. Such are issues which when resolved, would help to shape the course of building a more inclusive, fair, just, peaceful and secure society.
Everyone is cordially invited.
Admission is free.
More details can be found here.
"A Good Place To Live" : A Film About the Revitalization Of Lord Selkirk Park Housing Developments
Date: February 12, 2018
Time: Doors open at 6:30 PM, event from 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Venue: Eckhardt-Gramatté Hall, University of Winnipeg
"A Good Place To Live"
A Film About The Revitalization of Lord Selkirk Park Housing Developments
Film Screening and Discussion
Featuring Lord Selkirk Park Community Members and Professer Jim Silver
Hosted by Michael Champagne
6:30 PM Doors Open
7:00 PM Film
7:30 PM Discussion Panel
The Facebook event can be found here.
International Holocaust Remembrance Day 2018
Date: Sunday, January 28
Time: 2:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Venue: Canadian Museum for Human Rights
The Canadian Museum for Human Rights' Holocaust and genocide curator, Dr. Jeremy Maron will be leading an afternoon of reflection and dialogue on the experiences of Italian Jews during the Holocaust. There will also be a screening of the film The Garden of the Finzi-Continis. Q&A and a reception will follow.
More details here.
Date: Monday, January 29
Time: 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Venue: Shaarey Zedek, 561 Wellington Crescent
Dr. Alain Goldschlager, Professor at the University of Western Ontario will be delivering a lecture on the life of Italian-Jewish writer and Holocaust survivor, Primo Levi. Dr. Goldschlager has published extensively on the Holocaust. A Q&A and reception will follow.
More details here.
Date: Tuesday, January 30
Time: 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Venue: Holy Rosary Parish Hall, Roy Poltronetti Room, 510 River Avenue
Father Sam Argenziano will be delivering a lecture on the response of the Catholic Church to the Holocaust. A Q&A and reception will follow.
More details here.
All of the above events are free and open to the public.
ASL interpretation will be available at all events.
Brought to you by the Freeman Family Foundation Holocaust Education Centre of the Jewish Heritage Centre of Western Canada Inc. Lupa Di Roma: Order Sons of Italy of Canada, Canadian Museum for Human Rights, Societa Dante Alighieri Winnipeg, Congregation Shaarey Zedek, B'Nai Brith Canada, Vice Consolato d'Italia Winnipeg Manitoba Canada, and The Azrieli Foundation.
The Importance of Food Security
Date: September 25, 2017
Time: 5:30-7:30 PM
Location: 2M70, University of Winnipeg
The world today is richer and healthier than ever. Since 1990, hunger and poverty have decreased while agricultural production has doubled. Major strides have been taken to support feeding 9 billion people. Is ending hunger now within our reach? What can we do to maintain our momentum in the fight against malnutrition?
Please join us for this important discussion.
When I Moved to Manitoba: the Strange, the Cold, and the Friendly
Date: September 28, 2017
Time: 7:00 PM
Venue: Eckhardt-Gramatté Hall, the University of Winnipeg
A lively evening of sharing experiences of immigrating to Manitoba—the good, the challenging, and the heart-warming. Red Threads of Peace will bring stories and memories to life through playback theatre. Playback theatre uses interactive improv as a lens for seeing experiences more clearly and deeply.
This is the 15th event in the “Igbo Educational Lecture Series” (IELS), a collaboration between the Global College since its inception and the “Umunna (Igbo) Cultural Association of Manitoba Inc.” The Igbo people have their ancestral origins from the south-east and mid-west of Nigeria. To learn more about the IELS, please click here.
Event details also available on Facebook.
Lifting the Veil of Secrecy: Organ Harvesting in China
Date: November 8, 2016
Time: Doors at 6:30, Panel starts at 7:00
Location: Eckhardt-Gramatté Hall
Global College is hosting a panel discussion on forced organ harvesting of the Falun Gong people in China. The panelists for the evening are:
David Matas, international human rights lawyer based in Winnipeg, Order of Canada. Because of his work on the forced organ harvesting issue of China, Matas was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2010. Matas has received many human rights awards over the years. Recent notable awards include the Carthage International Award and the Distinguished Alumni Award of the University of Manitoba. He is co-author of Bloody Harvest, and co-editor of State Organs and one of the main authors of the most recent updated report on the forced organ harvesting in China.
Dr. Maria Cheung, Associate Professor at the Faculty of Social Work, University of Manitoba. She is also Research Affiliate of the Centre for Human Rights Research at the U of M. In recent years, Dr. Cheung has been working on human rights research in the area of Falun Gong and forced organ harvesting issue in China. She has received the Merit Award on Research and Scholarly Work , University of Manitoba and CIDA Award for Canadians. Her most recent peer-reviewed publication is on mindfulness and human rights.
Ogai Sherzoi, Chair, Citizens Against Forced Organ Harvesting. Ogai is a Master of Social Work student, U of Manitoba.
South Sudanese Peace Table
Date: Saturday, November 12, 2016
Time: 1:00 PM
Location: South Sudanese Community Centre, 129 Dagmar Avenue.
Peace Table on Women Building Peace in South Sudan, hosted by Manitoba Women for Women of South Sudan, in cooperation with the Institute for International Women's Rights at The University of Winnipeg Global College, Institute for International Women's Rights - Manitoba, and Rotary World Peace Partners.
For more information on this event, please check out the Facebook event.
CEDAW Canada Review October 2016
Calling feminists and women’s rights advocates in Canada!
Mark October 24-25, 2016 on your calendar!
Are you ready to hold the Canadian government accountable to international women’s human rights obligations?
Do you want to see how the Canadian government is representing their progress on and challenges to women’s human rights implementation in Canada at the United Nations?
On October 25th, the Government of Canada will be assessed on its women’s human rights record by the independent human rights experts of the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) in Geneva. This is a public and participatory process that will be live webcast. Feminists and women’s advocates need to show the Government of Canada that we are watching, that we will hold them accountable for what they say, the commitments they make, and that we will follow up on the recommendations made by the CEDAW Committee to ensure decisive action is taken.
How can you get involved?
Watch the livestream to find out what your federal government is saying about women's human rights! Get together with friends, colleagues and advocates to watch together! Share quotes and your thoughts on social media to draw attention to the process!
WATCH: Tune in online: http://webtv.un.org/meetings-
October 24th, 3 pm Geneva time: hear Canadian NGOs make their statements to the CEDAW Committee
October 25th, starting at 10 am Geneva time: watch the constructive dialogue between government representatives and the CEDAW Committee experts LIVE. The dialogue continues until 5 pm Geneva time, with a break for lunch.
MAKE NOISE: Draw attention so that the Canadian government knows women are watching and holding them to account, and so that the media covers the CEDAW review:
Use the hashtags: #Rights4CdnWomen #CEDAWCAN2016
- NOW! To share your opinions on important women’s human rights issues in Canada that should be discussed at the session
- During the LIVE dialogue! To share what our government representatives say, and so they know we are watching in order to hold them account!
- After the review! Usually 2-3 weeks later, when the Committee issues its formal recommendations to the Canadian government on their website. These should be made visible and the government should know we are reading and following up on them!
Watch the FB page and search the hashtags to find out more information and ongoing updates!
Facebook page: www.facebook.com/CEDAWCanada
Basic Income in Canada and Australia: Building Political Support and Designing for the Real World
Date: Thursday, November 24. 2016
Time: 9:30 AM - 4:00 PM
Location: Winnipeg Harvest, 1085 Winnipeg Ave
CONFIRMED SPEAKERS:
Evelyn Forget, Community Health Sciences, University of Manitoba
Sid Frankel, University of Manitoba and Campaign 2000
Damon Johnston, Aboriginal Council of Winnipeg
Jennifer Kaighin, Queensland University of Technology
Jennifer Mays, Queensland University of Technology
To REGISTER:
Email social_work@umanitoba.ca with “BI Symposium Nov. 24 Registration” in the subject line.
For more information, please visit: umanitoba.ca/social_work
Building Feminist Futures: A Conversation with Human Rights Defenders from Burma, Colombia, Iran and Syria
Date: Monday October 3
Time: 1:00-3:00 PM
Location: Eckhardt-Gramatté Hall
UWinnipeg is hosting a panel discussion on Building Feminist Futures, the realities for the women activists leading movements on the ground, on Monday October 3 from 1:00 – 3:00 PM in Eckhardt-Gramatte’s Hall. Women human rights defenders from Burma, Colombia, Iran and Syria will share messages of activism and peace. UWinnipeg’s Dr. Sharanpal Ruprai (Women and Gender Studies) will facilitate discussions on what it means to be a feminist leader and activist. This event is free and open to the public.
During this dynamic discussion, four human rights defenders will share stories of their own struggles and triumphs. Their stories include striving to end forced marriage in Syria; banning legalized sex discrimination in Iran; ensuring that Thailand’s Burmese refugees can access the services to which they are entitled; and sharing stories from Colombia’s National Museum of Memory.
This event is supported by The MATCH Fund, the MATCH Manitoba Committee, Nobel Women’s Initiative, and the Institute for Women and Gender Studies at the University of Winnipeg
Stop! 25 Years of Crimes Against Humanity in Eritrea
Date: September 25: 5:30 PM
Location: Eckhardt-Gramatté Hall
Event organizer: Eritrean-Canadian Human Rights Group of Manitoba in collaboration with Global College
Join us for guest speaker Dr. Andeberhan Wolde Giorgis, Senior Mediation Specialist/ Political Dialogue Facilitator at European Centre for Electoral Support. He has held extensive senior positions including Eritrea's Ambassador to the DRC, the EU, France, Luxembourg, Belgium, Portugal, Spain and the Netherlands and the UK and Permanent Representative to the UNESCO, IMO and Governor of Bank of Eritrea and other positions. He is the author of a 600 page book titled: "Eritrea at a Crossroads: A Narrative of Triumph, Betrayal and Hope". He resides in Belgium.
The event will commemorate the tens of thousands of Eritreans prisoners of conscience and those who were arrested on September 18, 2001 and never heard from again. It has been 15 years and they still remain incommunicado detention.
Peace Days Documentary Screening: Neuland
September 14: Doors open at 6:30, screening starts at 7:00
Location: Eckhardt-Gramatté Hall
Peace Days will be hosting a screening of the documentary "Neuland" atEckhardt-Gramatté Hall on September 14th. Neuland follows the life of refugees adjusting to their new life in Switzerland, and their teacher who endeavors to help them find employment. Following the screening, Matt Fast of NEEDS Centre will speak about the refugee mentorship program, which is in need of volunteers. For a full listing of Peace Days events, please click here.
Dialogue on Policing in Multicultural Communities
March 10, 2016 - 6:00pm-9:00pm
Room 2M70, Manitoba Hall
Participants include:
Abdikheir Ahmed, Immigration Partnership Winnipeg
Assistant Commissioner Kevin Brosseau, RCMP “D” Division Commander
Michael Champagne, Aboriginal Youth Opportunities
Chief Devon Clunis, Winnipeg Police Service
Bilquis Khan, Canadian Council of Muslim Women, RCMP employee
Suenita Maharaj-Sandhu, RCMP Commanding Officer’s Committee on Cultural Diversity
Florence Okwudili, African Communities of Manitoba Inc., Africa Pavilion
Robert-Falcon Ouellette, MP, Winnipeg Centre
Jon Reyes, Filipino community, and RCMP CO’s Committee on Cultural Diversity
Omar Siddiqui, Canadian Muslim Leadership Institute
Maggie Yeboah, President, Ghanaian Union
Middle East Week February 22-26, 2016
2016 El Tassi Lecture, part of Middle East Week
The Arabs in Israel: The Inaudible Cry for Full Citizenship
Sayed Kashua, Arab-Israeli journalist and author
Date: Thursday, February 25, 2016
Time: 7:00pm
Location: Eckhardt-Gramatté Hall
Prominent Palestinian author and journalist Sayed Kashua is UWinnipeg's 2016 El Tassi Lecturer. Writing in Hebrew, and identifying as a Palestinian citizen of Israel, Kashua is known for his books and humorous columns in the Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz.
In a humorous, tongue-in-cheek style, Kashua addresses the problems faced by Arabs in Israel, caught between two worlds. His novel Dancing Arabs has been made into a feature film, and premiered in 2014 at the Telluride Film Festival.