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Newsletter - October 2021

October 25, 2021
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Source: MIGS

Announcements

MIGS’ Canadian Task Force to Combat Online Antisemitism next policy dialogue will hold its next policy dialogue on Wednesday, November 17 and focus on the role of social media companies in combating online antisemitism. Speakers include: Guilherme Canela De Souza Godoi (Chief of the UNESCO Section for Freedom of Expression and Safety of Journalists), Peter Stern (Director, Content Policy Stakeholder Engagement at Facebook), Dr. Catherine Chatterley (Founding Director of the Canadian Institute for the Study of Antisemitism), Dr. Michael Geist (Law Professor at University of Ottawa), and Dr. Gunther Jikeli (Erna B. Rosenfeld Professor at the University of Indiana). 

Congratulations to MIGS’ Distinguished Senior Roméo Dallaire who will be inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame. It recognizes Canadians from a variety of fields for "their distinctive accomplishments and successes but also for their philanthropy, advocacy, and contributions toward the greater good."

MIGS Digital Fellow Phil Gurski published a new book titled  “The Peaceable Kingdom? A history of terrorism in Canada from Confederation to the Present.”

MIGS Fellow Fannie Lafontaine has been recognized as one of Canada’s most influential lawyers

Upcoming Events

27 October

To mark Media Literacy Week, MIGS, in collaboration with Habilo Media, is organizing a panel discussion on the rise of online harassment of journalists. Speakers will include Tristan Péloquin (La Presse), Christopher Curtis (Ricochet) and Mélanie Marquis (La Presse). You can register here. Please note that the discussion will be held in French.


MIGS is organizing a Twitter Space conversation with Prof. Darren Byler to discuss his new book “In the Camps: China's High-Tech Penal Colony.” Join the conversation on Twitter. 

3 November

Marie Lamensch will participate in the International Coalition for the Responsibility to Protect’s annual consultation meetings.

15-18 November

Kyle Matthews, Marie Lamensch and Lieut-General Romeo Dallaire will participate in Global Action Against Mass Atrocity Crimes (GAAMAC)’s fourth Global Meeting. The multi-stakeholder dialogue will focus on “Strengthening national efforts to address hate speech, discrimination and prevent incitement."


18 November

MIGS is organizing the 5th event of its series on digital authoritarianism supported by the US Embassy to Canada. The panel “Russia and Iran’s Digital Authoritarian Playbook” will feature Andrea Kendall-Taylor (Senior Fellow and director of the Transatlantic Security Program, Center for a New American Security), Amin Saberi (Executive Director of Digital Impact Lab, Founder of CERTFA) and Alina Polyakova (CEO of the Center for European Policy Analysis). Please register here.

 

Recent Events

In case you missed #RightsCon 2021, MIGS’ session titled “Spotlight on digital authoritarianism” is now available to watch online. Moderated by MIGS’ Executive Director Kyle Matthews, the discussion featured Eileen Donahoe (Global Digital Policy Incubator at Stanford University), Siena Santis (Citizen Lab) and Buhran Wazir (Coda Story). 

A video of the main take-aways of MIGS and Parliamentarians for Global Action’s event titled  “Large-Scale Human Rights Violations in Afghanistan: What Can Be Done to Prevent New Atrocities?” is now available on our YouTube channel.

9 September

The International Centre for Counter-Terrorism – The Hague hosted an online event for the re-release of Dr. Joana Cook’s book, “A Woman’s Place: U.S. Counterterrorism Since 9/11, for the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.” View the recording here.

20 September

Kyle Matthews interviewed Kenneth Roth, Executive Director and Human Rights Watch, at an virtual event co-hosted by MIGS and the Montreal’s Council on Foreign Relations. You can watch the discussion here and read a transcript of the discussion on our website.

Digital Fellow Ewelina Ochab participated in a panel discussion organized by the Institute for Genocide and Mass Atrocity titled “Responding to the Uyghur Genocide: Assessing Policy and Legislative Options.”

21 September

MIGS organized a discussion on Twitter Spaces with former diplomat Chris Alexander on Canada’s post-election foreign policy agenda.

5 October

MIGS’ Fellow Naomi Kikoler participated in an event titled “One Hundred Thousand, and Counting: Seeking Justice for Syria’s Disappeared”. The discussion was organized by the Syrian Network for Human Rights and the Syria Campaign on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.

6 October

MIGS hosted the first of three policy dialogues as part of the Canadian Task Force to Combat Online Antisemitism project. Discussants included Tom Mulcair (Université de Montreal), Barbara Perry (Ontario Tech University & International Network on Hate Studies), Oren Segal (Center on Extremism), Imran Ahmed (Center for Countering Digital Hate) and Emmanuelle Amar (CIJA). 

MIGS hosted a Twitter Space with Port Coquitlam Mayor Brad West to discuss the role of mayors in defending human rights at home and abroad.

13 October

Kyle Matthews and Lauren Salim attended in the Malmö International Forum on Holocaust Remembrance and Combating Antisemitism. Participants discussed Holocaust remembrance and education, antisemitism on social media platforms, and combating antisemitism and other forms of racism in all spheres of life. You can watch the entire programme here.

MIGS' staff participated in the Principles for Peace' second Stakeholder Platform Meeting, which brings together representatives of organizations, research institutes, governments, and private sector entities.

Marie Lamensch participated in Peace Direct’s consultations on Local Leadership in Peace Processes consultation. 

14 October

MIGS hosted a Twitter Space with its Digital Senior Fellow Phil Gurski to discuss his new book “The Peaceable Kingdom? A history of terrorism in Canada from Confederation to the Present.”

19 October

MIGS organized the 4th event of its series on digital authoritarianism supported by the US Embassy to Canada. “Digital Authoritarianism Without Borders” featured speakers  Steven Feldstein (Senior Fellow, Carnegie Endowment for International), Jessica Brandt (Policy Director for the Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technology Initiative, Brookings Institution), Yinka Adegoke (Strategic Initiatives editor, Rest of World),  and Noura Aljizawi (Researcher, CitizenLab). Watch the discussion here or listen to the podcast episode.

In the Media

17 September

MIGS Digital Fellow Dr. Joana Cook discussed the anniversary of 9/11 in an interview with France24.

21 September

Dr. Joana Cook was featured on the podcast Global Coalition Against Daesh in an episode titled “Once an extremist, always an extremist?” 

24 September

Phil Gurski published a new article on his blog titled “Is all not well with the ‘5 eyes’ intelligence alliance?”

MIGS’s project officer Lauren Salim was quoted in an article titled “Could a Dedicated Disinformation Beat Help Address the Infodemic in Canada?”

8 October

Phil Gurski published a new blog post titled “How does barring Islamist political parties from democracy help?”

9 October

MIGS Digital Fellow Ewelina Ochab wrote three articles in Forbes titled “United Nations: China Denies Allegations Of Organ Harvesting”“Daesh Threat Moves Online And Expands Across Africa And Conflict Zones” and “Somalia: Sexual Violence On The Rise.”

11 October

Ewelina Ochab wrote an article in Forbes titled “An Apology To The Afghan Girl.”

MIGS’ Senior Distinguished Fellow Roméo Dallaire spoke with Radio-Canada’s Penelope McQuade about youths and social media. 

20 October

Kyle Matthews and Lauren Salim wrote an op-ed in the Ottawa Citizen titled “How Canada can help fight online anti-Semitism.”

Project Coordinator Marie Lamensch wrote an article for the Centre for International Governance Innovation titled “Cyberspace Has Rules: It’s Time to Enforce Them.”

Fannie Lafontaine is cited in the La Presse article “Le président brésilien, tueur de masse ?




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