I watched a boatload of refugees arrive, fleeing the Arakan Army in search of safety. As they stepped onto land, several women in niqabs crumpled to the ground, overcome with emotion, gripping the rough concrete pier as tears streamed down their faces. After a few moments, they gathered themselves and pressed forward, while others discreetly diverted the attention of the Border Guard Bangladesh—who, despite the subterfuge, were surely aware that new arrivals were slipping ashore.

I recently spent a day in Teknaf, Bangladesh, speaking with locals about their experiences of the Rohingya Genocide. Teknaf, in the far southeastern corner of Bangladesh, is separated from Myanmar’s Rakhine State by the Naf River, which empties into the Bay of Bengal.

Rakhine has been the epicenter of genocidal violence, first perpetrated by the Government of Myanmar between 2016 and 2017, and later by the ethnic militia known as the Arakan Army (AA) since 2024. Nearly the entire Rohingya population of Myanmar has been forced to flee due to systematic and brutal persecution: entire villages burned to the ground, widespread sexual violence, torture, and the mass killing of tens of thousands of people.

As a Muslim minority in a predominantly Buddhist state, the Rohingya have endured decades of relentless oppression, dating back to the 1940s. They have been subjected to systemic discrimination— denied citizenship, extorted by the Myanmar Army and Arakan civilians, bullied in school, prohibited from practicing their faith, denied access to education, and conscripted for forced labor and military service. Those who resist or even voice their grievances face imprisonment, torture, or death.

I will recount what I learned on that sweltering day about this unfolding humanitarian crisis.

I chose not to approach the newly arrived refugees, knowing that the last thing they needed in that moment was an inquisitive professor. Instead, I sought out the fishermen who plied the brackish waters of the Naf River—the front lines of this unfolding genocide. I found them seated on concrete beams beneath the pier, and they agreed to speak with me.

The Fisherman

A slight, sun-wizened fisherman of 72 sat beside me in my minivan, its doors open to the heavy air. My research assistant, Shakila, leaned back in the driver’s seat, listening.

The fisherman remembers 2017 vividly. Across the Naf, he watched flames devour villages and heard the crack of gunfire. Then came the thick smoke, rising from homes reduced to ash in a single day. And finally, the bodies—drifting onto the shore in distressing numbers. He saw “hundreds,” many of them women and children.

His voice catches, as he recalls, “I stayed here the whole day.  The Myanmar military killed them and threw their bodies into the river. There were a lot of dead bodies on the riverside, and gunfire was going on over there. I came here to see what was happening.”

The shoreline there was a treacherous expanse of deep, silty mud flats, where thousands of Rohingya struggled to reach solid ground. Some arrived by boat, while younger refugees braved the low tide, swimming with desperate determination, clinging to plastic jerrycans if they had the strength.

Fishermen under the pier at Teknaf, Bangladesh. Photo by Dr. Kjell Anderson.

Local Bangladeshis could not stand by in silence—they “couldn’t tolerate seeing the condition these people were in.” Women arrived unclothed, and he offered his own wife’s clothing to restore their dignity. In the months that followed, he gathered food from neighbors and cooked for the refugees. People lined the roadside, “full of hunger,” waiting for sustenance. The need was immense, and locals rushed to help, drawn by the distant, harrowing sounds of gunfire and bombing.

The sheer number of bodies washing ashore was overwhelming, so he enlisted around 300 students from the madrasa (Muslim religious school) to assist. He remembers the toll it took: “After collecting the bodies, I became senseless. I prepared the funerals and gathered clothing for them. Sometimes, we had to find funeral garments for 8–10 bodies at once. Every day, we discovered 5–6 dead.”

They worked tirelessly to provide proper Islamic burials whenever possible, but the scale of loss was staggering. Many were laid to rest in mass graves. “One day, I performed funerals for 30 people.”

His voice trembled as he spoke of the many pregnant and unclothed women who arrived in those desperate days. “We found a woman who had been raped and later became pregnant,” he recalled. “She gave birth to a baby boy, and now he is seven years old. We admitted him to an Islamic orphan school here.”

The violence against the Rohingya has not stopped. He tells me, “I saw fire a few days ago, when they burned the whole village… they have been burning villages for the past month.” Just a week before our conversation, thousands more had arrived in the area. “They survived for 18 days in the hills of Myanmar, eating tree leaves, before finally managing to reach Bangladesh.”

The Driver

A local driver told me a similar story. Many of the Rohingya that arrived in 2017 had no clothes, many “had not eaten for three days. Some had food, some were sick, and some were injured by sharp knives or gunshots. I supported them by transporting them with my jeep.”

He continues, “they told us that Arakan people beat and slaughtered them. They said their fathers and brothers were killed. When we saw their condition, we realized how much these Muslim people had suffered. They asked for our help, saying, ‘We are Muslims, and you are also Muslims. Please help and support us.’” The stories he heard about sexual violence were “unbearable.”

He saw countless bodies floating in the water, a grim testament to the scale of the tragedy. He documented what he witnessed with his phone but later deleted the photos—too painful to revisit. Yet, he remained determined to help recover and restore dignity to the dead.

“I personally put the bodies into the graves,” he said. “I collected 5, 6, or 7 bodies at a time from the riverside—young girls, children, women, and elderly people’s dead bodies, which were swollen and smelled bad. I brought them in my jeep. No one was ready to collect the bodies except me and some madrasa students. Together, we prepared the graves.”

Fishing boats at the pier at Teknaf, Bangladesh with Maungdaw (Myanmar) in the distance. Photo by Dr. Kjell Anderson.

Alongside local fishermen and others, he helped bring food and water to the refugees, most of whom had gone days without sustenance. “Alhamdulillah [praise be to God], I also took financial support from my brother who lives abroad to help the Rohingya people.”

It has become harder for the Rohingya to cross the Naf River, but they continue to flee persecution—now from the Arakan Army. Recent accounts suggest the AA is even more brutal than the Myanmar military. Those who attempt to cross do so “secretly,” as Bangladesh’s government enforces tighter restrictions.

Days prior to our interview, a boat carrying 50-60 people sank and 30 people died, including a Border Guard of Bangladesh officer who drowned while trying to save them.

The driver’s children are sometimes woken in the night by “booming sounds from Myanmar. Our land shook like an earthquake.  We could see they were burning the houses from here.”

After our interview ends, he tells me “If you had seen them in that condition, you would cry also.”

These are the stories of the Naf River—of struggle, death, courage, and compassion. Ordinary people, driven by humanity, feeding and clothing desperate refugees. Children laying the dead to rest because no one else is there to do it.

As I spoke with these shaken, elderly men, black smoke coiled into the sky from a burning village across the river.

Dr. Kjell Anderson’s areas of research focus include genocide, human rights, mass atrocities, and international criminal law. He has also written about and taught research methods in dangerous or sensitive political contexts, and qualitative interview methods. He co-wrote the book Approaching Perpetrators: Insights on Ethics, Methods, and Theory, with Dr. Erin Jessee (University of Wisconsin Press), which outlines a code of best practice when conducting research in genocide studies, transitional justice, and related fields. For past projects, he has done qualitative interviews with victims and perpetrators of mass atrocities in Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda, Bosnia, Cambodia, India, and Iraq. Currently conducting research for his next book in Bangladesh, Dr. Anderson has shared this story to provide insights into what this kind of research entails.

What was your thesis/practicum placement and major research paper on and who was your advisor?
For my practicum, I was placed at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, where I focused on the right to health, empathy, storytelling and information disorder. I also worked at the Manitoba Human Rights Commission through the STEP program, where I participated in investigations. My major research paper, advised by Professor Dr. Kjell Anderson, examined Indigenous genocide in Brazil during the pandemic, with a particular focus on state policies, structural violence, and accountability. The paper examined how conventional frameworks of transitional justice frequently fail to adequately address the unique and ongoing harms experienced by Indigenous communities.

Why did you choose that thesis topic or practicum placement?
As a Brazilian physician who worked on the front lines of the pandemic, I witnessed firsthand how public health was politicized and how marginalized communities were disproportionately affected. My transition into human rights advocacy emerged from that experience. The practicum at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights enabled me to integrate my medical background with critical human rights reflection. My major research paper was an extension of my commitment to amplify voices often silenced by dominant narratives and legal frameworks. 

What inspired you to pursue an MHR degree at the University of Manitoba?
After becoming politically engaged in Brazil during a period of democratic backsliding and misinformation, I realized the need to expand my understanding of justice and advocacy beyond clinical care. The University of Manitoba’s interdisciplinary MHR program was one of the few that offered both academic depth and practical experience. It was the perfect bridge between my medical training and my growing commitment to human rights, particularly in the areas of public health, Indigenous rights, and transitional justice.

What was your favourite / most memorable moment or experience while taking this degree?
There were many meaningful moments, but one that stands out was being part of the international partnership project between the University of Manitoba and the University of Brasília. Facilitating knowledge exchange between institutions in Canada and Brazil, especially on Indigenous justice and reconciliation, felt like a full-circle moment, bringing together my roots, my research, and my hopes for collective change. 

What advice would you give to anyone considering taking an MHR at UM as to the benefits the degree will have to your career?
The MHR program at UM opens space for bold, interdisciplinary thinking and action. Whether you come from a law, social sciences, healthcare, or activist background, this program will challenge you to connect theory to practice in a deeply personal and impactful way. For me, it reshaped my career path by blending medicine, research, and advocacy, and provided me with the tools and network to pursue meaningful work at the intersection of human rights and public health.

Applications for the next cohort of the University of Manitoba’s Master of Human Rights program are due December 1.

The main goals of MHR program administrators is that the Tour sparks dialogue, promotes reflection, and educates participants about the dynamic nature of human rights. The Tour emphasizes how historical events have shaped Winnipeg’s present human rights climate and projects their significance into Canada’s future, intertwining past events with current activism and future aspirations for justice and inclusion.

“The Winnipeg Human Rights Tour is one of the land-based learning activities of the Master of Human Rights program at the University of Manitoba, and provides a unique opportunity for participants to explore some of the rich history and current struggles of human rights in Winnipeg,” said Dr. Nathan Derejko, who holds the Mauro Chair in Human Rights and Social Justice.

A map of Human Rights-related landmarks was created especially for the Master of Human Rights program’s tour.

This year, program administrators commissioned an intricately designed map, enriched with additional stops of interest. More than just a tool for navigation, this map narrates Winnipeg’s ever-evolving journey in human rights. With concise descriptions of significant landmarks, participants are not only informed about historical events but are also introduced to ongoing human rights initiatives and potential future developments. The map fosters a deeper connection between the participants, the city’s history, its contemporary human rights scenario, and future aspirations.

Winnipeg’s human rights history is a combination of struggles and heartening victories. While it is essential to acquaint university students with the past, it is equally important to connect these historical accounts with contemporary issues and future human rights prospects. This tour serves as a bridge, fostering awareness and inspiration, and reminding participants of sacrifices, achievements, and the ongoing journey towards a more inclusive society.

Pia, an International Student from Chile, said, “I really liked the tour because it provided insight into the city’s history, which is very important as a newcomer, and also, I enjoyed the participatory approach between the guide and the participants.”

This year’s tour took place on Saturday, September 17 and was open to all Master of Human Rights program students and alumni. While primarily designed for university students to promote academic discussion and ideas, plans are in the works to expand the tour to a broader audience. The tour is focused on downtown Winnipeg and the Forks, and takes about two to three hours to walk. This year, Javier Torres, Master of Human Rights Professional Development Coordinator led the tour.

Priscila, an International Student from Brazil, described an encounter the group had with a passerby who was also an activist, taking part that day in a protest to search the Brady Landfill. “As an international student, this tour allowed me to connect with the city and with local events related to human rights,” she said. “The highest point was talking to a representative of a local protest who claimed the search for missing Indigenous women in the region. It was an important experience to feel the city and its culture.”

A local activist stopped to speak with MHR students regarding the ongoing landfill search protest. Photo by Dr. Kjell Anderson.

Augustine Caesar, another participating student, said, “The Winnipeg Human Rights Tour has helped me to learn what happened in the past and to realize the importance of keeping track records of whatever happened. As a Human Right Student and activist, it has helped me to appreciate and recognize the past happenings, and definitely it will help me to shape the present now, the future and to hold duty bearers accountable for their actions.”

The Human Rights Tour of Winnipeg offers a rich tapestry of stories, struggles, and triumphs that can inspire a new generation to continue the work of their predecessors, ensuring a brighter and more inclusive future.

Fourteen students presented in five different panel sessions which were divided into the topics of Human Rights and Mental Health, Human Rights and Education, Indigenous Rights, Perspectives on Human Rights, and Discrimination – Race, Gender, and Disability. Audience members, which included placement mentors, professors and family members, were invited to ask questions after each group had presented. This year, the Faculty of Law accommodated a hybrid format for those unable to attend in-person.

“It was wonderful and enriching to all be together in the same room for the Master of Human Rights Symposium,” said Dr. Kjell Anderson, Director of the MHR program. “The pandemic has been a bumpy ride, but our students have shown a lot of resilience and I know they were grateful for the opportunity to gather to share their experience and knowledge with each other and the community.”

Presenting student Piper Larson reflected on how removed from each other her cohort felt, due to the pandemic. This symposium marked the first chance some of her classmates were able to meet in-person. “It was an honour to listen to all of my classmates as they spoke of their practicum experiences and their upcoming research. The diversity in the field of human rights is remarkable and listening to what everyone is passionate about is truly special. I cannot wait to see where the MHR students go from here,” she said.

“Presenting at the symposium online was definitely not the same as presenting in person but with the proper tech set up I was able to participate and engage as if I was there in the room,” said Sara Gibson, one of the student presenters who was unable to attend in-person, but presented via an online feed. “During my panel, I felt just as part of it as my fellow panelists that were in person.”

Sign of the times: Sara Gibson presents from afar online, but alongside her fellow panelists, Mitchel DeFehr and Stephanie Zirino. Dr. Kjell Anderson moderates.

Students could invite family and friends to attend as well as practicum mentors, which helped to make them feel supported. Gibson appreciated the opportunity and added, “It was so exciting to hear from my classmates and see the many different areas of focus that we are all researching. It was such a rewarding day and I am so proud of everyone in this cohort!”

Students in the practicum stream undertake work placements with leading local and international human rights organizations to gain practical, hands-on experience doing human rights work. Recent graduates are sometimes offered paid employment with their practicum organization following the completion of their hours.

Amy Cherpako completed her practicum at Wa Ni Ska Tan, a research-based Indigenous-led organization at the University of Manitoba’s Environmental Conservation Lab. During her placement, she focused on the concept of assigning legal rights to natural entities, like rivers or lakes, as an innovative, decolonizing environmental protection strategy.

Photo by Amy Cherpako, Practicum Student, Master of Human Rights program.

“I was drawn to the practicum stream for the desire to gain valuable work experience and skills in the field of human rights as well as have the opportunity to work with community,” said Larsen. “I chose to reach out to Immigration Partnership Winnipeg about a practicum placement because of their vision of making Winnipeg a welcoming and inclusive multicultural city, where everyone finds support and opportunities to prosper.”

I was able to work in the human rights field all summer and with subject matter that I care about deeply!” – Sara Gibson, MHR Practicum Student

“The practicum stream is such a valuable opportunity and all students should take advantage of it if possible,” said Gibson. “I had the chance to work at the Manitoba Association for Rights and Liberties, a Winnipeg-based non-profit. As someone who had only ever worked in the public sector, this was such an eye-opening experience and I learned how non-profits function.”

Practicum placements and topics presented were as follows:

Human Rights and Mental Health

Victoria Weir
Practicum Site: Initiatives for Just Communities
Title: Offenders with FASD and the Case for Carceral Abolition

Aayushi Bana
Practicum Site: Public Interest Law Centre
Title: Right to Mental Health; A Scoping Review of Social and Cultural Barriers to Accessing Mental Healthcare Services for Refugee Women in Winnipeg

Omobolanle Sodipo
Practicum Site: Manitoba Advocate for Children and Youth
Title: Rethinking Mental Health Legislation to Provide Protection for Children and Youth at Imminent Risk of Harm: A Human rights approach

Human Rights and Education

Stephanie Zirino
Practicum Site: Manitoba Association of Rights and Liberties (MARL)
Title: Mental Health as a Human Right: A Review of Mental Health Policies in Winnipeg School Divisions

Sara Gibson
Practicum Site: MARL
Title: Gaps in Human Rights Knowledge among Canada’s Youth

Mitchel DeFehr
Practicum Site: MARL
Title: The right to Tell Stories: Human Rights Narratives and the Digital age

Indigenous Rights

Michael Campbell
Practicum Site: National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation (NCTR)
Title: Preserving the Right to Truth at the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation

Amy Cherpako
Practicum Site: Wa Ni Ska Tan
Title: Nature’s Rights are Human Rights: Revitalizing Indigenous Land Stewardship through Legal Personhood

Perspectives on Human Rights

Natasha Tomchuk
Practicum Site: Manitoba Human Rights Commission
Title: The Effects of COVID-19 on the Manitoba Human Rights Commission

Sabbontu Abdushekur
Practicum Site: MARL/Human Rights League Horn of Africa
Title: The Hidden War in Oromia (Ethiopia)

Piper Larsen
Practicum Site: Immigration Partnership Winnipeg
Title: Permanent Residents and the Right to Vote

Discrimination – Race, Gender, and Disability

Raisa Salima Amin
Practicum Site: Sexual Violence Resource Centre, UM
Title: Sexual Violence against Students with Disabilities on Campus: A Review of Resources and Accessibilities.

Kimberly Lenz
Practicum Site: Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights (Montreal)
Title: Accelerating Global Efforts to Eradicate Gender-based Violence against Women: The Prospects of an International Binding Treaty

Jessie Thind
Practicum Site: Her Code Camp
Title: Artificial Impartiality: The Insidious Role of AI in Reinforcing White Supremacy in Canada

The Master of Human Rights program at the University of Manitoba offers both a thesis stream (16 – 24 months of full-time study) and a practicum stream (16 months full-time including a practicum of at least three months). Complete information about the program is on the Faculty of Law website. The annual deadline for applications is December 1st each year.

Together with international researchers, Anderson is involved with a project on the Visual Storytelling and Graphic Art in Genocide and Human Rights Education.

“At its core, the project brings together survivors of mass atrocities with artists to create graphic novels highlighting their experience of genocide and other human rights violations,” Anderson explained. “These graphic novels – on The Holocaust, Rwanda, Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraq, Syria, and Canada – will then be used for a range of educational activities.”

The project team has assembled a global network of scholars, community organizations, survivors, activists, educators, artists, and filmmakers across 17 countries to address a core question: what are the best Human Rights-focused practices for collecting, preserving, and teaching the testimonies of survivors of mass atrocity?

The University of Manitoba’s role in the project is multi-faceted, involving scholarship funding for Master of Human Rights students to prepare (human rights) educational materials, co-hosting an artist-survivors roundtable with the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, and an exhibition at the School of Art Gallery. Anderson will be part of the central steering group of the project, while also working directly on the Syria and Iraq novels.

In addition to this major project, Anderson, along with Centre for Human Rights Research director, Professor Adele Perry and other University of Manitoba-based scholars, was also a successful co-applicant on a $250,000 New Frontiers in Research grant for the project “A Long Walk: Repatriation, Decolonization, and Reconciliation”. This Indigenous community-led project involves establishing a University of Manitoba process for the repatriation of ancestor’s remains as a practice of reconciliation. 

Anderson is a jurist and social scientist specialised in the study of human rights, mass violence, and mass atrocities. He is the author of Perpetrating Genocide: A Criminological Account (Routledge 2019), and co-editor with Erin Jessee of Approaching Perpetrators: Insights on Ethics, Methods, and Theory (University of Wisconsin Press, 2020). He has been Director of the Master of Human Rights program at the University of Manitoba Faculty of Law since it began in 2019.

MHR students choose to complete either a thesis or a practicum with a major research project. The thesis stream takes from 16 to 24 months to complete, and the practicum stream can take 16 months full-time, including at least three months of practicum. The program started in 2019 and is housed at the Faculty of Law, with collaboration from the Faculties of Arts, Education and Social Work.

We asked a number of these incredible students to share their experiences taking this degree, which is partly taught by program director Dr. Kjell Anderson, and Dr. Laura Reimer, Professional Development and Practicum Coordinator. Here are their stories.

Dennis Asebi Boakye Atuahene

Dennis is a law student from Ghana who did his practicum with the Manitoba Association of Rights and Liberties, and completed his major project on “Law and sexuality: A comparative analysis of legal treatment of queer people in Canada and Ghana – the quest for human rights justice for queer minorities in Ghana.” His advisor was Dr. Donn Short (Law).

Q: What drew you to the Master of Human Rights program?

A: After my degree in Law, I was looking for a program that would help me advance my quest for a free and safe society through advocacy, activism, campaigning, research, policy, education and law for intergovernmental organizations, NGOs, governments, and social enterprises. A program that would help me advance my quest for human rights justice and equality among minorities in my home country Ghana. A friend who had done his undergraduate studies at the University of Manitoba told me about the New Master of Human Rights program at the University of Manitoba. I read about the course and the only thing I said after my research was GOTCHA!!!!

Q: What was your path to get to the MHR program?

 A: My path to the MHR program was definitely not a smooth one. At least coming from my part of Africa, the challenges are many. I first had my first degree in Political Science with English at the University of Ghana in 2014. And then had my degree in Law in 2019 and then entered the Ghana School of Law the same year I had admission to the MHR program. Indeed, it was close to impossible to do the two jealous courses at the same time. Well, I think COVID served me better than everyone (lol). The courses moved to virtual and I was able to do the first year of both courses at the comfort of my home. Well, this period was indeed the most stressful period of my life but WE DID IT!!!.

Q: What was your favourite class and why?

 A: My favorite MHR class was with Dr. [Laura] Reimer where we did an advocacy simulation. It was a course where we had to choose a problem and solve it through advocacy. I think that course utilized my advocacy skills [more] than I ever imagined.

Q: What was your favourite MHR memory?

A: My favorite MHR memory had to do with my time at the Manitoba Association for Rights and Liberties [MARL]. I designed and presented workshop material on the ‘Rights of the Youth at the Workplace’. It was virtual and I was also in Ghana and had never been to Canada before. The kind of work I put in, learning about so many things including the rights and laws youth at the workplace. My supervisor Sandra Krahn was amazing. I think all MHR students should have a feel of MARL before graduation.

Q: What do you wish you knew before your first day of the MHR?

A: Before my first day, I didn’t know the course would be more engaging, demanding and yet exciting. It requires students to be more practical and real without compromising on quality. You just cannot be lazy.

Q: What one piece of advice would you give to a new MHR student or applicant?

A: Well, comrade, if you really want to shape your beliefs, ideals, legacy and hope with regards to human rights and mirror same to the world, then relax and learn: YOU ARE IN SAFE HANDS.

Danielle Milln

Danielle completed the thesis stream with her thesis title: “Not the limit of our imagination: Exploring student advocacy discourses in support of universal higher education.” Her advisor was Dr. Bruno De Oliveira Jayme (Education).

Q: What drew you to the MHR program?

A: I was drawn to the MHR as the only human rights-focused Master’s program in the country. My undergraduate studies left me with a passion for human rights, and I was eager to marry my interests of social justice, human rights, and education through the interdisciplinary MHR.

Q: What was your path to get to the MHR program?

 A: I have attended six post-secondary institutions, including the University of Manitoba, to get to where I am now! I did an Office Administration Certificate from Nova Scotia Community College (2012), my Bachelor of Arts (International Studies) from Simon Fraser University (2016) and was looking for a program that would allow me to explore multiple topics with a human rights lens. I have worked in universities/colleges for 10 years throughout all of my studies and full time in between my degrees, and my professional experience showed me how post-secondary education can be inequitable and I was eager to explore that through a human rights lens.

Q: What was your favourite class and why?

A: I loved SOC 7160 with Dr. [Annette] Desmarais because it opened my mind to different ways social change can occur, and gave me the tools to write my thesis on the Canadian Federation of Students as a social movement organization. I was lucky to have great electives all around, with life-changing knowledge gained in PEAC7050 with Dr. Senehi and EDUA7040 with Dr. [Cameron] Hausemann.

Q: What was your favourite MHR memory?

A: Building relationships with my cohort is one of the best experiences I have had through the MHR program, and my favorite memories are of sitting in the student lounge learning about everyone’s experiences and passions. It was such an inspiring group of people who taught me a ton about different human rights issues, and I made lifelong friendships that I will always cherish. 

Q: What do you wish you knew before your first day of the MHR?

A: That you can and should explore everything that you are curious about! I thought I had to have it all figured out before I began, and felt like I might not belong in the MHR because I am not focused on a classic human rights topic like genocide or international issues, but each and every person contributes something unique to the cohort and being able to explore your passions from a human rights perspective is incredibly rewarding.

Q: What one piece of advice would you give to a new MHR student or applicant?

A: Besides taking the time to get to know and lean on your cohort for support, I would say that the amount of information and opportunities can be overwhelming beginning graduate school, so lean into whatever makes you most excited and don’t be afraid to flex and adjust your plans as you learn more and grow throughout your journey. It will all work out exactly as it is meant to!

Marylyn Afenyo

Marylyn came to the MHR program from Ghana with a background in social work. She completed her practicum with the Manitoba Association of Rights and Liberties (MARL) with her major research paper on “Exploring the idea of human rights education workshops through the Ghanaian school curriculum.” Her advisor was Dr. Adam Muller (Arts).

Q: What drew you to the MHR program?

A: I have always been interested in developing a career in human rights and so I was excited when I found the University of Manitoba started offering the Master of Human Rights program.

Q: What was your path to get to the MHR program?

A: I applied as an international student from Ghana with a bachelor’s degree in social work interested in the thesis stream. I eventually changed to practicum when my interests aligned more with hands-on experience in human rights education.

Q: What was your favourite class and why?

A: I particularly enjoyed Dr. [Jessica] Senehi’s class, ‘Young People Affected by Violence’ from Peace and ConflictStudies. she always made her students feel at home and even though we had a lot of assignments, she made sure they were fun to do. 

Q: What do you wish you knew before your first day of the MHR?

A: I wish I knew more about the practicum stream and possible placement areas much earlier. 

Q: What one piece of advice would you give to a new MHR student or applicant?

A: If you are interested in developing a strong academic foundation in human rights, I strongly recommend the MHR program. Both the practicum and thesis streams are great, so take enough time to explore these options before you decide.

Information about the University of Manitoba’s Master of Human Rights program can be found on the Faculty of Law website.

The Mauro Chair in Human Rights and Social Justice was created and funded through the generosity of the Mauro Foundation and is a key part of the Master of Human Rights program, now housed at Robson Hall, the Faculty of Law building on UM’s Fort Garry Campus.

The Master of Human Rights program’s inaugural cohort of students started classes in the fall term of 2019, as did the appointment of Dr. Kjell Anderson as the program’s director. The naming of the Mauro Chair is now the final key to opening the door to making Winnipeg “the next Geneva” as UM Chancellor Emeritus Mauro contemplated in a 2018 story in UM Today Magazine announcing his gift to endow the cross-faculty Chair in Human Rights and Social Justice.

“I’m very excited that Nathan Derejko will be joining our Faculty and the Master of Human Rights program as Mauro Chair,” said Anderson. “Nathan is a dynamic teacher and researcher, whose wide-ranging practice experience will energize our program and provide new opportunities for our students.”

Dr. Derejko holds a B.A., an LL.M. in International Human Rights Law, and a Ph.D. in International Human Rights and Humanitarian Law. He has been living, researching and teaching in the UK for the past 10 years, with his most recent practice experience having been at Rights Watch UK in London. Born and raised in Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta, Dr. Derejko has also lived in Vancouver and Halifax. Initially, he will be teaching human rights law for both the Juris Doctor and Master of Human Rights programs, as well as an elective Human Rights course, “Use of Force in International Law.” Robson Hall was pleased to interview Dr. Derejko prior to his arrival in Winnipeg, and we present here, a glimpse of our new Mauro Chair in the following conversation:

Robson Hall: How did you come to study human rights in the first place?

Dr. Nathan Derejko: Through a sense of frustration really. During my undergraduate studies at Dalhousie University I became deeply committed to grassroots activism on a range of social justice issues, and I was always evoking the idea of ‘human rights’ in advocacy and outreach, which proved to be a powerful language for mobilisation. But I soon came to realize that my knowledge of the actual scope and content of human rights, and how they work in practice, was pretty limited. I knew that human rights could be a tool for change, I just didn’t know how to use them effectively. This realization put me on the search for a Masters program in human rights, although to my surprise, I could not find a single one in Canada. Expanding my search abroad, I quickly discovered that Europe was abound in graduate programs dedicated to human rights. So without hesitation, I packed my bags and headed to Ireland to undertake an LL.M. in International Human Rights Law at the Irish Centre for Human Rights at the National University of Ireland Galway. This program opened my eyes to the possibilities and challenges of using human rights as a tool for change, and I spent the next decade in Europe and beyond studying, teaching, and practicing human rights law.

RH: How exactly does one practice human rights law? What examples of cases might you encounter as a human rights lawyer?

ND: There are many ways one can practice human rights law. Of course, you can become a lawyer and litigate cases against the government before national courts. In Canada, this would include cases regarding any of the rights enshrined in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, such as the right to life, liberty, and security of person. But the practice of human rights is in no way limited to litigation and one does not need to be a lawyer to be a human rights practitioner – litigation is just one of many tools in the human rights toolbox.

I have an LL.M. and a Ph.D. in international human rights law, but I am not a human rights lawyer. Nevertheless, I have a wide range of experience as a human rights practitioner. For example, outside from academia, I have supported a range of strategic litigation efforts, provided legislative scrutiny and policy analysis to government review processes, engaged United Nations human rights mechanisms and special procedures, and developed advocacy campaigns both domestically and internationally. There is an abundance of roles in which a deep understanding of human rights law is essential.  

For example, many people with a Master in Human Rights go on to work at human rights NGOs, evaluating government policy – whether on health, housing, employment or other rights issues – through the framework of human rights law. Others end up working for government agencies advising on how to ensure that national laws and policies comply with international human rights standards. Some work with international organisations, such as the United Nations, doing research, advocacy or training. Some work in the investment or business sector, and conduct human rights due-diligence assessments to ensure investment policies and transnational corporations comply with human rights standards. The breadth of career opportunities is so incredibly vast, and whatever work one ends up doing will no doubt be tremendously rewarding, challenging, and inspiring. 

RH: What inspired you to apply for the Mauro Chair?

ND: Pretty much everything about this Chair inspired me to apply. First and foremost, the Chair is situated within Canada’s leading graduate program dedicated to human rights. This in and of itself presents a rich and inspiring research and teaching environment, for both students and staff, and means that I will have the opportunity to research and teach squarely within my areas of interests. If this program had existed when I was a student, I would have surely found myself headed to Winnipeg, Manitoba, rather than Galway, Ireland. As someone who has spent the last decade with one foot in the academy and another foot in the practice of human rights, the unique multidisciplinary nature of the MHR program, and its specific focus on bridging the theory and practice of human rights, was also very appealing to me as it aligns with my own approach to teaching and learning. Finally, as Canada’s leading graduate program in human rights, the opportunity to contribute to its future development and provide students with both the knowledge and skills necessary to become effective human rights practitioners is simply and literally my dream job.

RH: What is your plan for your research as Mauro Chair?

ND: My current research focuses on the protection of human rights during armed conflict, and counter-terrorism and human rights, and there are plenty of unresolved challenges in these areas that I plan on exploring in more depth. In terms of future research agenda, I am interested in further exploring the relationship between climate change and human rights, and in particular, the role and relevance of international human rights law in climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies. I would also like to explore the possibility of developing a collaborative multidisciplinary research project on Climate Justice and Human Rights that will marshal a broad range of expertise from across the University of Manitoba, including expertise from law, political studies, Indigenous studies, environmental sciences, public policy, social work, and economics, to determine if and how the human rights framework can contribute to the regulation of climate change and the emergence of climate justice.

RH: To what extent will you be working with students in the MHR program?

Engaging directly with the students, both within and beyond the classroom, is what I find most inspiring and love most about teaching human rights law, and I am very much looking forward to meeting the students in the MHR program. I am deeply committed to bridging the theory and practice of human rights in all my teaching and learning activities, and will work towards creating various opportunities for students to augment the knowledge they gain in the classroom with the development of the practical skills necessary to become effective human rights practitioners.

RH: Why Winnipeg (the inevitable question about mosquitos and weather)?

As a Canadian, I am quite familiar with the mosquito and weather narratives about Manitoba. I love snow and I know my kids will too, but I have to admit I’m slightly terrified about the mosquitoes – I’m really hoping their size and appetite are a myth! Nevertheless, my family and I are beyond excited to be moving to Winnipeg. We can’t wait to explore the many parks, sprawling urban forests, rivers and vast lakes – all things that we have missed dearly while living abroad. We also love the arts, and are particularly excited about Winnipeg’s legendary music scene.  My partner also practices human rights law, and we are both really looking forward to tapping into the vibrant civil society in Winnipeg that is working on an impressive range of human rights and social justice issues. As someone who has spent a considerable amount of time in Geneva, I am also intrigued by Arthur Mauro’s vision of Winnipeg as the human rights capital of Canada, or “Canada’s Geneva”. Cleary, for anyone dedicated to the promotion and protection of human rights, Winnipeg is an inspiring place to live and work.

Jochelson has taught at the Faculty of Law since 2016, having achieved the position of full Professor in 2019. Until his appointment as Dean, he maintained a busy schedule as the lead on a major Social Science and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) grant, co-editor of Robson Crim, a thriving law blog written by a cross-Canada network of legal professionals and student contributors, and was teaching a full slate of courses including Criminal Law and Procedure, Charter Issues in Criminal Law, and Sexual Expression, Conduct and Work in Canada. He regularly published new books and research papers (either solely or co-authored) in notable presses and journals, adding to a very respectable volume of published works. After a few years of quietly observing the Faculty, Jochelson stepped up to the plate when the Dean position was advertised. It would not be the first time he took a risk to choose a career path less traveled.

“Leavin’
On a southern train
Only yesterday”

– Interstate Love Song, Stone Temple Pilots

Once upon a time, a University of Calgary Zoology graduate student named Richard Jochelson, discovered he was “not cut out for hard sciences,” joined a band as a guitarist and hit the road. “It was mainly a lot of fun, and it was that point in life where you face familial pressure like “become a doctor”,” Jochelson explains. “It was on a band tour to Los Angeles where I wrote off my partner’s car and found myself alone without a vehicle in the barren desert of California with 60 dollars to my name.”

Jochelson had applied to law school earlier that year but was “in a different kind of desert with that”, being stuck on the dreaded waitlist. “It was fair to say I was abandoned in a desert with no car, no money and no prospects. I managed to sell off the car for scrap metal and crawl to Tumwater, Washington (near Olympia, birthplace of grunge music)” he adds.

“One week later I was back at home and the phone rang: it was Professor Chris Levy from University of Calgary Law School. I think I accepted before he completed his fourth syllable.”

“You gave me life, now show me how to live.”

– Show me how to live, Audio Slave

Thus Richard, the self-described “listless and unemployable” zoology grad-turned musician began the journey to become Dr. Jochelson, law professor. His current colleagues and students know him as an expert in criminal law, but he explains this interest extended from Charter issues that arise in criminal law, “especially those that involve the interplay of persons at the wrong end of police encounters.”

“This is also a great launching point to think about institutional racism, discrimination and the different experiences that persons resident on these lands have with policing,” he continues, slipping into Professor mode, “so it draws on some important socio-legal theory. It also draws on big picture socio-legal issues like surveillance society and precautionary cultures that tie into some leading-edge critiques of the modern state.”

Academia was not a hard choice for Jochelson, who clerked at the Alberta Court of Appeal and Court of Queen’s Bench before spending enough time working at law firms to know he wanted to return to school.

 “I was actually on secondment at the Edmonton Courts when 9/11 happened,” he explains. “The rest of my time was a short five-month stint at Fraser Milner Casgrain (now Dentons) where I had also summered as a law student.”
He had already applied for LLM programs early in his articles, and his firm was supportive in helping him further his studies, so at that point he was certain the LLM would be merely “a brief diversion and I would be back to firm life before long.”

While practicing law did not inspire him to study more, law school did. “I had come to law school from a world of hard sciences,” he says. “I remember in law school seeing a whole new world open up (after the first six months of crying).”

 “It was just as law school ended that I felt like I had not learned enough and that I wanted to dig deeper into the study of law.”

 “When I went into the practice side of things, I realized that the work was responsive – responsive to the associates and partners, who were giving you work, and of course to clients,” Jochelson reflects. “It really demonstrated that the flow of business would decide how and what you learned. I came to realize that there were concepts and ideas I wanted to study more and really delve into, and I had always had a passion for education. Once that clicked, I knew I wanted more schooling.”

“I’ve looked at life from both sides now
From win and lose and still somehow
It’s life’s illusions I recall
I really don’t know life at all”

– Both Sides Now, Joni Mitchell

 It was while working on his LLM at Toronto that a series of incidents turned his life course towards becoming a university professor. While enjoying life on the St. George campus, he was beset by serious health issues that required surgeries.  Upon recovering, he visited his thesis advisor, thinking, “today, is the first day of the rest of my life.”

During the visit, however, a flash blizzard hit Toronto. En route to the subway after his meeting, Jochelson fell down two flights of stairs shattering his ankle, resulting in more hospital time and several years of recovery. At that point, he decided returning to legal practice did not make any sense, so he made the call to further pursue studies at Osgoode while rehabilitating from his injuries.

Despite having chosen the academic path, Jochelson fully recognizes the profound importance of the practice of law through his own experience and through conversations with practitioners. “It takes a keen mind, an incredible work ethic, an incredible attention to detail, and a willingness to be a first responder in terms of the rule of law.”

“The most important trait one needs, I think, is the willingness to accept the realities and limitations of the file you are working on and to service that file and the client in line with ethical standards and to the best of your abilities.”

The Dean considers both sides of the study and practice of law: “I think we need to do more to let students know about the seriousness of the pursuit. On the other hand, there is a lifetime of thinking to do about any area of law, and if your passion is to follow your muse to explore those areas, practice is a challenge. Certainly, a good lawyer is a lifelong learner, but the learning relates to one’s competency. A scholar of law is following their research passions and might find themselves sidetracked by legal practice – a select few juggle both.”

You choose, you learn
You pray, you learn
You ask, you learn
You live, you learn

– You Learn, Alanis Morissette

 Once a professor, his teaching style evolved over time, and he still considers it a work in progress. “As cliché as it sounds, over time I have really come to believe in the “guide on the side” model,” he explains, “In my early teaching years, I was very performative, an infotainer maybe. In a way, that was the easy and popular way to teach. But I have learned that just because a style is well-liked does not mean it is pedagogically effective.”

From experience, Jochelson now considers self-directed learning to be most effective, especially for Robson Hall’s law students, whom he describes as “amongst the brightest we could hope for.”

“I have really come to believe in directed and curated seminars where students have agency within the parameters of the materials and questions I provide,” he explains. “I especially notice that students with life experience thrive in this environment. I also see a very real clinical benefit in this.”

As the Faculty on-boards much-needed new law professors and instructors, Jochelson shares some advice for the new-hires:

“Prepare but don’t obsess. Be open to critique but don’t make sudden changes to your style until you have engaged in considered reflection. Ask a trusted colleague to sit in on your class and schedule a debrief. Remember that few of us are natural teachers, most of us grow into effectiveness, and expect a bumpy start but prepare for a glorious flight, ultimately. Don’t be afraid to talk about your teaching insecurities with your colleagues. We have all been there, and we can relate. There is tremendous pressure to have a perfect early career. I can promise you that few journeys are perfect and that craft is perfected over time.”

“Time is never time at all
You can never ever leave
Without leaving a piece of youth

And our lives are forever changed”

– Tonight Tonight, The Smashing Pumpkins

A Dr. Jochelson of seven years ago would have sworn up and down that he had no desire to be at Robson Hall. He had a satisfying job, but his late mother was very ill at the time, so he interviewed at a law school to be close to her in her last days. While he didn’t get the job, the experience reminded him what he loved about law schools: “the intelligent students, the colleagues that you could discuss salient issues with, and the culture of educating with a purpose.”

Therefore, he applied for a teaching position at Robson Hall once one arose. “It was so thrilling to get the chance to work here, and I have never regretted it,” he says.

Now as Dean, he is modest about occupying this leadership role. “For me leadership isn’t natural – in the sense that I am not some alpha primate than can command a room because of my tremendous riches or husky baritone,” he explains with his trademark dry humour.

“I am not really oriented towards hierarchy and let’s face it, [most of] the world is so oriented. What I can say is that I am always listening,” he explained. “I absorb information for a year or two, map out relationships and code strengths and weaknesses at an organizational level. I also have a strong belief in collegial governance – I largely trust our collective wisdom as professionals to orient towards improved answers.”

The University of Winnipeg where he previously taught, was quite small. With his law degree, his skill-set was desirable university-wide, and he soon found himself drafting senate standing rules, developing Intellectual Property policies, sitting on collective bargaining teams, and acting as president of the faculty association where he learned the value of teamwork. “When my grant applications were being developed here at Robson Hall, I was very minded about putting together strong teams,” he reflects.

“When you have a trusted and motivated team, and when you have the privilege of leading that group, you can accomplish amazing things. That is why I am so excited to be here, at the law school, now. This is a special place with tremendous talent. We need to clue in the rest of the world as to how special it is.”

Despite taking on the heavy responsibility of Dean of Law at a time when his own research projects are reaching a peak, Jochelson sees his current role as being supportive of his colleagues’ work. “My portfolio now is no longer about my research interests – it is time to put those to the periphery and to help our collective garden grow,” he explains.

“Once you know you can never go back
I gotta take it on the other side”

– Otherside, Red Hot Chili Peppers

Having surveyed the scene at the Faculty for some years now, Jochelson identifies the school’s emerging and established strengths as including Public Law and Human Rights, Corporate Commercial Law, and Critical Legal Studies. These all need to be placed in the broader context of the Faculty’s and the University of Manitoba’s missions to foster Indigenous research and learning in order to encourage an inclusive and diverse environment, he observes. “This means – in part – welcoming Indigenous practitioners to this community and recognizing that these voices can really help re-orient and invigorate the research and clinical mission of the school,” he explains. “Collaboration can make for amazing research in my experience, so I encourage our Faculty to build bridges and to work together. It galvanizes your work quality, the exposure of your work and your funding opportunities.”

Jochelson recognizes all too well that research can be a lone pursuit, and wants to see researchers succeed and prosper but also to help publicize and share their work with broader audiences who can benefit from it.  At the same time, he recognizes the Faculty must encourage clinical and advocacy work, and support and value public intellectualism.

Next up, the Faculty is preparing to expand the Master of Human Rights program by hiring the Mauro Chair in Human Rights and Social Justice housed at Robson Hall, which has the benefit of connecting a potentially insular faculty to work closely with other academic disciplines. “There is exciting growth there on the horizon,” Jochelson said. “This is all a delicate balance. We exist to teach prospective lawyers, but we also need to provide intellectual space for our faculty and students to explore critical ideas and research.”

“We are the sole provider of law graduates in the province, and we are a durable and prolific provider of articling students here, so we have a special responsibility to grow deliberatively.”

Acknowledging the long tradition of law schools’ inclination to keep to itself, Jochelson says this has broken down over the last two decades. “We already see many of our professors reaching out across disciplines, faculties and programs,” he said, citing recent examples where law professors have collaborated on research projects with other scholars in the Health Sciences, Sociology, the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation (NCTR), Peace and Conflict Studies, Psychology, Education, Psychiatry, Politics, History, Philosophy, Social Work and others. Recognizing that the results of these collaborations may help generate funding opportunities and thereby grow opportunities for students, Jochelson notes that overall, the entire faculty benefits. “As a collective, we have obvious linkages we could draw on from a teaching perspective with sociology, criminology, business, NCTR and social work. Probably what we have been lacking in the past are willing minds in multiple leadership positions simultaneously across Faculties,” he muses. “Timing is so important on these sorts of collaborations.”

At the graduate level, clinical options are in the works for Master of Laws students. The Faculty already has two clinical professors, and is in the process of hiring two clinical instructors with at least two more staff members licensed to practice law. “It would also be an opportunity to gain advanced clinical experience for students who feel a bit timid in terms of their clinical skills, in advance of practicing,” he said.

 As for the Faculty’s other graduate program, the Master of Human Rights degree, Jochelson is very pleased with the job being done by Dr. Kjell Anderson, program director, and Dr. Laura Reimer, program coordinator. Tied to the program, the endowed Mauro Chair in Human Rights Research is on course to be filled early in 2022. “The sky is the limit for the program,” said Jochelson. “Right now, it is a world class interdisciplinary program but when the Mauro Chair joins, the profile will increase further, and that scholar will be in a position to do more public-facing events, get involved in advocacy work in the human rights sphere even more, and maybe even develop the first doctorate in the Faculty of Law.”

Workin’ on a mystery, goin’ wherever it leads
I’m runnin’ down a dream

– Runnin’ down a dream, Tom Petty

With all these heavy matters on his plate, Jochelson still finds time to be a dad to two daughters, a spouse, and a human to the family Havanese (a small pile of hair known for dog-like characteristics). Along with this supportive family (“the dog less so”), Jochelson admits to having “a not-so-secret guitar problem,” and indeed, has been observed on occasion carrying instrument cases about Robson Hall. “I love electric and acoustic guitars, I love guitar amplification. I am a very average player, but I do find it very therapeutic and meditative to strum some chords,” he admits.

While music remains a big part of life, Dean Jochelson has made legal scholarship his life’s path.

During the pandemic, he and an old friend recorded some songs and released them on streaming services. “We maxed out at 31 listeners! It was amazing fun even if, justifiably, it had no impact in the world of music,” he said. “When you get to my age, it is probably ill advised to play rock music, but the fun factor keeps me involved.”

Jochelson is full of stories about his touring musician days, but at the end of the day, he said, he realized at some point he had to make a living. “My parents had immigrated to Canada in 1980, and this whole music thing was very nerve wracking for them. They moved to Canada so their kids could succeed and there I was after college, writing off cars and pursuing a low-odds dream. And they were right! Law school ended up being the real dream, and I didn’t realize it until years later. Ultimately, I never left, and I say with all honesty, the privilege of this work is a high honour, and for me it is the dream.”

Students in the MHR program can choose either the Practicum or Thesis stream.  Since the program first started in September of 2019, the majority of students have chosen the Practicum stream, although three students in Whiteman’s cohort chose the thesis stream. “The thesis stream is appropriate for students interested in doing in-depth, original research on a human rights issue,” said Dr. Kjell Anderson, Director of the MHR program. “It is also excellent preparation for those who intend to pursue doctoral studies (and we have a couple of MHR students who have applied to PhD programs).”

Whiteman, however, who already was employed in her chosen area of child welfare, chose to deepen her knowledge of her chosen career in a way to provoke concrete change. “She decided to pursue a Master of Human Rights degree to gain a broader and deeper perspective on human rights, which she is now applying directly to her important work for the province,” Anderson explained. “Her thesis examined the right to legal representation for children in care, a crucial issue in ensuring that children’s rights and child welfare are at the heart of our system of care.”

“My thesis, Toward Guaranteed Legal Representation for Children in Care, is looking at the inequities that children who have been apprehended into the care of the child and family services systems across Canada face in having a voice in the process that so greatly affects the trajectory of their lives,” Whiteman explained. “Ultimately my research argues that every jurisdiction, and specifically Manitoba, should have an office of the children’s lawyer established to represent children and youth in the proceedings.”

With the MHR program being housed at the Faculty of Law with opportunities for students to take courses from the faculties of Arts, Education, Law and Social Work, Whiteman took Dr. Lorna Turnbull’s course Children, Youth and the Law course and determined from that experience, that “with her vast knowledge and understanding of the CFS [Child and Family Services] system and its linkages to the legal system, she was the ideal professor to advise me.”

The main inspiration behind Whiteman’s thesis stems back to one of her previous roles working over the past decade in child welfare, when she had occasion to visit all of the group homes in Manitoba where children in care were placed to live with staff hired to provide care for them.  “The best part of that role was having the chance to chat with the youth,” Whiteman said. “Inevitably what I heard is that this, whatever ‘this’ happened to be for that specific youth, is something that is happening to them and not for them and not with them. It struck me that if they actually had a voice in the process maybe their experiences and outcomes would be more positive or at the very least more authentic for them.”

This experience left a lasting impact on Whiteman, so throughout her studies in the MHR program, every paper and project she worked on was about some aspect of children’s rights. “It is what I am passionate about because I see that of all of the rights holders, children and youth are often silenced and have no avenue to voice their objections due to power imbalances,” she said. 

“I am intrigued by the law itself.  I am intrigued by the application of the law, so it was fitting for me to focus my thesis on the legal aspects of children’s rights as they intersect with my career.”

With her brand-new Master of Human Rights degree, Whiteman intends to continue using everything she has learned in the program “to improve the actualization of rights for the children and youth I serve through my role within government systems. My goal now is to see an office of the children’s lawyer come to fruition and I am fortunate to have an incredibly supportive Director who has already shared my thesis with some potential ‘movers and shakers’, so I intend to build on that communication and hopefully create momentum.”

Despite being a seasoned worker in her chosen field already, Whiteman found there was much to learn while completing this degree. “I learned that I may have underestimated my need for rest as a late-thirty-something, single parent working full time in a demanding profession while completing a Masters in two years!” she said.

“All jokes aside, I learned that laws are not infallible and are meant to be challenged if they are misaligned or interpreted in a way that does not reflect the commitments made to human rights instruments on the international stage. 

“I would also note that it was invigorating to be studying human rights with a cohort of people with diverse passions as it highlights how interdependent rights truly are.  I learned so much both from the brilliant professors within the Faculty of Law and from my fellow students.”

Associate Dean (Juris Doctor) Mary Shariff and Assistant Professor Brandon Trask have been outspoken on issues around health treatment ethics, especially in the context of the pandemic. Shariff has been particularly concerned with laws around the elderly and dying, while Trask has looked at privacy rights and discrimination.

Ottawa Citizen Op-Ed: Law Professors Shariff and Trask: COVID triage protocols could hurt marginalized people most

Globe and Mail Op-Ed – Brandon Trask: COVID-19 vaccine passports would discriminate against Canadians if used here at home

Toronto Star – The Saturday Debate: Is there a role for vaccine passports in Canada?

Assistant Professor Gerard Kennedy addressed the federal government’s treatment of the minister of justice and attorney general as “just another cabinet post.”

National Post Op-ed: Gerard Kennedy: Trudeau Liberals go around attorney general again, this time over bilingualism

Director of the Master of Human Rights Program and Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Law, Dr. Kjell Anderson wrote in The Conversation on the subject of his recent research, Dominic Ongwen, former leader of Uganda’s Lord’s Resistance Army who was recently tried at The Hague. Anderson’s new book on how to conduct research on perpetrators of genocide was also launched this winter.

The Conversation: Kjell Anderson: Child victim, soldier, war criminal: unpacking Dominic Ongwen’s journey

New book fills gap in research on perpetrators of genocide

Professor Brenda Gunn, Robson Hall’s resident expert on the United Nations Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), weighed in with several editorials intended to educate the Canadian public about the pressing importance of Canada’s implementation of the Declaration.

Globe and Mail Op-Ed: What Canadians should understand about the federal UNDRIP bill

Ottawa Citizen Op-Ed: Gunn and Neve: Canada mustn’t wait any longer to implement the UN declaration on Indigenous rights