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Newsletter - July 2020

July 24, 2020

Source: MIGS

Announcements

On 9 June, MIGS co-hosted the online conference “China at a Crossroads: Standing up for Human Rights During the Coronavirus Pandemic” in partnership with the Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights, the National Endowment for Democracy and Freedom House, amongst others. The videos of the conference can now be viewed on MIGS’ YouTube channel as well as on CPAC.

Spotlight: Past Youth Fellows

Congratulations to former MIGS youth fellow Marissa Fortune, who recently joined Global Affairs Canada as a policy officer.

Congratulations to former MIGS youth fellow Adan Suazo, who was recently hired as a Senior Policy Analyst for the Ministry of the Environment, Government of New Zealand.

Podcast

MIGS continues a series of conversations with experts about human rights. Recent Interviewees include (but are not limited to) Dr. Ghayda Hassan, Université du Québec à Montréal; Adama Dieng, UN Secretary-General's Special Adviser for the Prevention of Genocide; and Christopher Tuckwood, executive director of the Sentinel Project for Genocide Prevention. These interviews are available in video format on YouTube and in audio version on Apple podcasts and Google Play. Interviews are ongoing and will continue to be uploaded on a regular basis.

Past Events

On June 18, MIGS co-hosted the Canada Launch of the 2020 Global Peace Index in collaboration with The Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP). Expert speakers included Lieutenant-General the Honourable Roméo Dallaire, Canadian Senator Marilou McPhedran, former Canadian diplomat Ferry de Kerkhove, and Serge Stroobants (Director of Operations, Europe & MENA, IEP). The video of the event is available on YouTube and audio version on Apple podcasts and Google Play.

On 21 May. MIGS’ Executive Director Kyle Mattews participated in a virtual roundtable entitled “Justice for the Rohingya: The Role of Canada” as an expert in human rights. A summary report of the roundtable is available here.

On 4 June, MIGS’ Executive Director Kyle Matthews was interviewed by the Young Transatlantic Leadership Initiative for a webinar series titled “YTL Leaders Lounge”.
On June 30, MIGS in collaboration with the Canadian International Council (Montreal branch) and the Centre sur la gouvernance sécuritaire et de crise (CRITIC) organized an online panel discussion titled “CIC Montréal: Surveillance electronique, les applications de tracage et la covid19 : analyse de la situation globale”. The webinar moderated by Chantal Lavallee (CRITIC) featured Professors Simon Hogue (College Royal Militaire de Saint-Jean) and Sonja Solomun (Max Bell School of Public Policy, McGill University). The discussion is available on our YouTube Channel.
On July 6, MIGS hosted a virtual panel conversation titled “Online Hate Speech and the Santa Clara principles”. Speakers include David Greene (Senior Staff Attorney & Civil Liberties Director at the Electronic Frontier Foundation), Chris Beall (Policy Lead for Platform Governance at the Centre for International Governance Innovation), and Heidi Tworek (Assistant Professor in International History, University of British Columbia). The video is now available on our Youtube channel.

In the media

June 6

MIGS Executive Director Kyle Matthews co-wrote an op-ed for the Vancouver Sun titled “China must not shape the future of human rights at the UN”.

June 9

MIGS Digital Network Fellow Marc-André Argentino was quoted in a Buzzfeed article titled “ How The Antifa Fantasy Spread In Small Towns Across The US”.

June 10

MIGS fellow Fannie Lafontaine was quoted in an article in La Presse titled “Les échos canadiens de George Floyd”.

June 11

MIGS Fellow Phil Gurski published an article in The Hill Times titled “Intelligence and the next pandemic.”

June 15

MIGS digital network fellow Anne Speckhard was quoted in an article for CBN news titled “Held as a Sex Slave by ISIS for Five Years: 'I Never Thought that One Day I Would Be Free'”.
MIGS digital network fellow Ewelina Ochab published an article in Forbes titled “ Is Genocide Happening In Nigeria As The World Turns A Blind Eye?”

June 18

MIGS Fellow Mark Kersten was quoted in an article for the Guardian titled “Canada’s failed UN security council bid exposes Trudeau’s 'dilettante' foreign policy”.
MIGS digital network fellow Mark Kersten published an op-ed for CBC titled “Trudeau government must stand up against Trump's escalating attacks on International Criminal Court”.
MIGS digital network fellow Ewelina Ochab published an article in Forbes titled “COVID-19 Pandemic Cannot Distract Us From The Urgent Need To Eliminate Sexual Violence In Conflict”.

June 19

MIGS fellow Fannie Lafontaine was quoted in a Radio-Canada article titled “ Les difficultés à reconnaître le racisme systémique envers les Autochtones”.

June 20

MIGS digital fellow Ewelina Ochab was quoted in an article for the Christian Post titled “‘Thousands of Christians killed’ in Nigeria: UK lawmakers call for investigation into reports of 'genocide'”.

June 22

MIGS fellow Michael Petrou co-published an article for The Globe and Mail titled “Man killed in weekend shooting in Ontario linked to Liberian war crimes”. See here for a transcript of the interview Michael Petrou did on the topic with CBC’s As It Happens.

June 24

MIGS’ Distinguished Senior Fellow Roméo Dallaire participated in virtual address for the annual D'Arcy McGee medal ceremony, honouring outstanding achievement in community involvement.
MIGS fellow Michael Petrou was quoted in an article in the Sudbury Star titled “Liberian warlord’s London slaying puts more than alleged war crimes in spotlight”.

June 29

MIGS Executive Director Kyle Matthews was quoted in an article for Radio Canada International titled “Repatriate Canadian former ISIS fighters and family members, rights group urges”.
MIGS Project coordinator Marie Lamensch spoke to Radio-Canada about Human Rights Watch’s report on dozens of Canadian men, women and children detained in Syria because of their suspected links to the Islamic State.
MIGS Fellow Mark Kersten published an article titled “It’s About Time: Calling on the ICC to investigate Atrocities Perpetrated by former DRC President Kabila” on his blog.

June 30

MIGS Fellow Mark Kersten published a new blog post titled “Short-List for the Next ICC Prosecutor is Out!” about four individuals who could become the next chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court.

July 6

Project coordinator Marie Lamensch commented on Bob Rae’s appointment as Canadian Ambassador to the United Nations on Radio-Canada.

Faculty of Arts and Science