Welcome Dr. Kirsten Van Houten to Global College's Human Rights program

Fri. Feb. 24, 2023

Join us in welcoming Kirsten Van Houten to Global College's Human Rights program! 

Kirsten holds a Postdoctoral Fellowship with Global College at the University of Winnipeg.

During her time at Global College, she plans to undertake several new projects. She is currently co-editing a book on Canadian foreign policy at the human rights and peacebuilding nexus with the former Secretary General of Amnesty International Canada Alex Neve with contributions from recognized academics and practitioners at the nexus. She also hopes to explore the nexus in practice with renewed fieldwork in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Philippines. 

Since completing her Ph.D. in International Development Studies at the University of Ottawa, she has worked as academic and practitioner at the Human Rights and Peacebuilding Nexus. Across her academic work she has worked with local communities mobilizing for peace and human rights in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Philippines, Palestine, India, Canada and elsewhere. She has also worked with Canadian political parties and Non-Governmental Organizations to advocate for improved policy on peacebuilding.

Her research interests include peacebuilding, civil society, human rights, state fragility, Canadian foreign policy and gender equality. She is currently editing books on Sustainable Development Goal 16: peaceful, just and inclusive societies; and Canadian foreign policy at the human rights and peacebuilding nexus, with several forthcoming articles on related topics.