“Not only is it absurd politically, but it’s a grotesque, vulgar display of power that violates every single basic principle of international law that we have. It’s wholly unlawful,” said Nathan Derejko, an assistant law professor at the University of Manitoba and the Mauro Chair in Human Rights and Social Justice.

“It breaches some of the most basic and fundamental provisions of the United Nations Charter.”

To read the entire article, please follow the link to CBC Manitoba.

To listen to the full interview, please visit CBC Manitoba Weekend Show. 

To listen to the conversation with Nathan Derejko, please visit CBC Manitoba.

Listen here

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.

In the talk titled “The Attack of the Peacekeepers,” Dr. Derejko specifically examined the legal implications of robust mandates in terms when UN peacekeepers can use lethal force, as well as, when lethal force may be used against UN peacekeepers, from the perspective of international human rights and humanitarian law.

This topic attracted a diverse audience comprised of students and faculty from the Mauro Institute for Peace and Justice’s Peace and Conflict Studies program, the Faculty of Law, the Master of Human Rights program, the Departments of Philosophy, Political Studies, and History, as well as former UN Peacekeepers in addition to the CAR-based MINUSCA mission members.

Former UN Peacekeeper and Marine Officer from the Peruvian Navy, Omar Tejada, was also present at the talk and introduced Dr. Derejko. Tejada moved to Canada six months ago and is currently a Master’s student in Peace and Conflict Studies at the University of Manitoba. He is also a UN Peacekeeping Operations Consultant for the Conflict and Resilience Research Institute Canada (CRRIC). He previously served on multiple UN Peacekeeping Missions and worked in the UN Department of Peace Operations in New York.

Both Dr. Nathan Derejko and Omar Tejada kindly answered some questions about research being done on this topic, and how the UN Peacekeepers came to ‘attend’ the hybrid presentation live from Bouar.

How did the peacekeepers hear about your presentation?

Dr. Nathan Derejko: I am not sure to be honest, Omar simply showed me the picture after the lecture and said ‘hey look who tuned in.’

Omar Tejada: I was contacted by Lieutenant Commander Gabriel Velarde telling me that he was watching the event together with some of the members of his unit. He is a good friend of mine and is serving at MINUSCA. Besides knowing each other from the Peruvian Navy, we served together in the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) back in 2014 when I was the Commander of the Peruvian Infantry Company.

Did you know they were going to tune in? How did you feel?

ND: No, I did not. But I am very pleased that they did. These issues are currently at the forefront of international debate and concern at the United Nations, but it is not always clear how much of that debate makes it to the local level where these complex international mandates are being implemented by Peacekeepers on the ground.

OT: I didn’t but it was no surprise for me. Gabriel is always following the events from Mauro’s Institute. He is always trying to educate himself and his troops in Peacekeeping.

Did they ask questions or offer insights?

ND: I wish they had, and even more so, I wish I had the opportunity to ask them questions. I have a long list of questions I would love to ask UN Peacekeepers who are currently deployed on so-called Robust Missions. Perhaps this is a sign that a more collaborative and participatory event is necessary, one that creates a space to hear the first-hand experiences, insights and opinions from UN Peacekeepers on the ground. I am always interested in collaborations with practitioners to link research and practice, especially from the bottom up. 

OT: Actually, they did, but due to lack of time, I couldn’t pass it to Nathan. It may be a good opportunity to mention something about it. Gabriel wanted to ask:

 “At MINUSCA, the Quick Reaction Force (QRF) neutralized the rebel groups, Seleka or Antibalaka. Afterward, the RCA government changed its view and started working with private military companies (PMC) against these rebel groups, rather than keep working with UN Forces. The UN peacekeepers are now placed between the rebels and the Central African Armed Forces (FACA) supported by the PMCs.

What should be the position of the MINUSCA regarding the use of Private Military Companies (PMC) supporting RCA combat operations in scenarios where Peacekeeping Forces are also working?”

ND: Indeed, there is no simple or straightforward answer to this question, which requires a similar analysis to that undertaken with respect to the UN Peacekeepers to determine the legal status of members of another group to see if/when they can use lethal force and if/when lethal force can be used against them.  It certainly further complicates the facts on the ground and application of law to those facts, and creates further operational challenges for UN Peacekeepers on the ground. 

Did you know them previously from your work?

OT: I’ve been involved in Peacekeeping Operations for several years. I served as Military Observer in UNMIS (Sudan), Contingent Commander in MINUSTAH (Haiti), and Peacekeeping Affairs Officer in the UNHQ in New York. These experiences, together with my fieldwork in Peru doing counterinsurgency and counternarcotics, allowed me to teach in different institutions, including the Peruvian Peacekeeping Centre. I taught military and police members in Peru in their pre-deployment courses back in 2016 and 2019. As mentioned, I know Gabriel from past missions as a Peacekeeper and Navy Officer as well.

To what extent does your work impact these Peacekeepers as they carry out their mission?

ND: Fundamentally – literally in a life and death way. My research focuses on the legal aspects on the use of lethal force both by and against UN peacekeepers. With increasing frequency, the UN Security Council is authorising peacekeeping forces to launch ‘offensive military operations’ against armed groups in order to demobilise them and maintain territorial stability. At the same time however, the Security Council is also condemning attacks by armed groups against peacekeepers as ‘war crimes’. The validity of such accusations hinges on the legal status of the peacekeeping forces under International Humanitarian Law (IHL). To this end, my lecture investigated the conditions under which peacekeeping forces operating during situations of armed conflict should be considered as a ‘Party’ to the armed conflict and therefore bound by and subject to IHL. If peacekeeping forces are considered as a Party to an armed conflict, they are no longer entitled to protection from direct attack under IHL. As a result, their battlefield deaths, as long as they conform to the rules of IHL, will not constitute a war crime.

OT: In my case, I’ve always focused my research on the evolution of conflict related to Peacekeeping Operations and the lack of adaptability to new challenges of the entire organization. I also research Peacekeeping Operations Leadership and its effects on force protection, the protection of civilians, and mission success. Due to my background and experience, I have an operational approach rather than a legal one. Thanks to Nathan’s intervention, I have broadened my understanding of the complexity of PKO challenges. It has given me a new insight that was not on my radar beforehand. Thanks, Nathan, for that!

Omar, what project or thesis are you working on?

OT: Believe it or not, my thesis will not be focused on PKO but on the War on Drugs. We may think it has nothing to do with PKO but it actually has a lot to do with it, especially in the most dangerous mission located in Africa. Unfortunately, I am not planning to reach that far and will focus on Latin America instead. However, I am writing some essays related to PKO as part of my studies and also a book chapter that [hopefully] will be published by the end of this year. I am also in touch with PKO organizations such as the Latin American Association of Peacekeeping Training Centers (ALCOPAZ) and the International Association of Peacekeeping Training Centers (IAPTC), among others. 

The event, “Imagining the Peg as a Human Rights City”, takes place on Zoom on Friday, December 9, 2022 at 12:00 p.m. Registration is open to the public. This event is the first of a series of bi-monthly “public policy talks” by the Centre for Social Sciences and Policy, and Director Shayna Plaut will be speaking further about the event with CBC’s Marcy Markusa on Information Radio on Friday.

Guest speakers include Dr. Warren Clarke, Assistant Professor of Anthropology at the University of Manitoba, Dr. Nathan Derejko, Assistant Professor and Mauro Chair in Human Rights and Social Justice at the UM Faculty of Law, Reanna Merasty, Artist, Author and Chair of the Welcoming Winnipeg Committee, City of Winnipeg, Dr. Joel Pruce, Associate Professor of Political Science and Director of Applied Research and Learning at the University of Dayton Human Rights Centre, and Karen Sharma, Executive Director of the Manitoba Human Rights Commission and member of the UM Master of Human Rights Program Committee.

Introductory remarks (via pre-recorded video) will come from Leah Gazan, MP for Winnipeg Centre, NDP Critic for Women and Gender Equality; Children, Families and Social Development; Deputy Critic for Housing. Gazan, together with Reanna Merasty, has called for a state of emergency in the wake of the recent news of the loss of life of several First Nations women, which has redoubled efforts of the MMIWG2S movement to raise awareness and address the lack of response when Indigenous women, girls or two-spirited individuals go missing or are murdered.

“Human rights are always realized bottom up, largely through the unrelenting work of community groups and civil society. Here it is clear that Winnipeg is home to a diverse, dedicated and vibrant civil society, that is without doubt, the driving force of social justice in Winnipeg.” – Dr. Nathan Derejko, Mauro Chair in Human Rights and Social Justice, University of Manitoba

Participants in the event can expect panellists to examine the question of what Winnipeg might look like if human rights and responsibilities were centred, and if human rights were the guiding principles for the decisions made and strategies undertaken at the city level. Currently, Winnipeg is regarded as ground zero for MMIWG2S and has been labeled as one of the poorest and most racist cities in Canada. Organizers hope to spark dialogue and action in the community to make human rights in Winnipeg a lived reality.

In preparing for the event, Derejko shared some thoughts on the idea of a ‘Human Rights City,’ which he explained means different things to different people, “which is not unlike the concept of ‘Human Rights’ itself,” he said. “While there is no universal definition of a human rights city, nor a single or strict blueprint for building one, one of its defining characteristics is the mainstreaming of human rights within by-laws, policies, and programs of a city. Again, there is no blueprint here, nor a minimum quota that must be reached in order to “qualify” as a human rights city.”

Rather, adopting a municipal ‘human rights charter’ that sets out rights, obligations, and guiding principals is the approach to take, Derejko suggested, pointing to the Montreal Charter of Rights and Responsibilities as an example.

“A city could/should, in my opinion must, take a “Human Rights Based Approach (HRBA)” to its municipal policies and strategies, including on housing, education, health care, transportation, planning and development,” he said. “A city should also apply a HRBA to municipal budgets, not only in terms of budget allocation, but also in terms of a participatory and transparent system of budget allocation and taxation to ensure the municipality has the resources necessary to make rights a reality for all.”

Laws, policies and resources are not sufficient by themselves, however. “Political will is also an indispensable ingredient, and time will tell whether, and if so to what extent, Winnipeg’s new mayor will take the steps necessary to make rights a reality in Winnipeg for all,” said Derejko.

Derejko teaches Human Rights Law at the University of Manitoba’s Faculty of Law and works closely with Canada’s first interdisciplinary Master of Human Rights program.