Human Rights
Society
Determined to give them back their names
Forensic scientist Cristina Cattaneo, BSc’87, heads up an effort in Italy to identify migrants who have perished in their attempts to reach Europe. “It’s important for the living, not just for the dignity of the dead.”
Webcasts
Sudan in Crisis
Just four years after its dictator was chased from power, the nation of Sudan, the third largest in Africa, is immersed in a new and extremely violent conflict, with hundreds dead and tens of thousands seeking to flee the country.
Webcasts
Migrants on the move
The world is on the move like never before. According to the United Nations, a record 100 million people were displaced from their homes in 2022, forced out by conflict, violence, persecution or natural disasters. Many are undertaking perilous journeys and turning up at borders in Canada, the United States and Europe, pleading to be let in.
People
The missing pages in history books
It was in 1992 when Sally Armstrong, BEd’66, DLitt’02, heard about the camps. She had gone to Sarajevo during the Balkan conflict to cover how the war was impacting children.
Society
Pursuing justice for the Rohingya
Associate professor of law Payam Akhavan, a former UN prosecutor at The Hague, recently worked with Bangladesh in a successful effort to establish the International Criminal Court’s jurisdiction for investigating crimes against humanity perpetrated by military leaders in Myanmar.
Society
An “inconceivable” moment in history
When U.S. authorities sparked a huge public outcry by separating children from parents who had crossed the border into the U.S. illegally, BJ Jensen, BCL/LLB'11, soon found himself in the thick of the action.
Discovery
The barriers to education for homeless youth
When a young person doesn’t have stable housing, succeeding in school can be incredibly challenging. McGill doctoral student Jayne Malenfant knows this from her research – and from her own life experience.
Discovery
Exploring the damage done to the most vulnerable by war
Myriam Denov, BSW’94, looks at the devastating impact of war on the lives of women and children. Her sensitive approach benefits from the fact that her research partners include people with firsthand knowledge of that trauma.
People
Opening a conversation on systemic racism
As the new president of Quebec’s Commission des droits de la personne et des droits de la jeunesse, Tamara Thermitus, LLM’13, will play an important role as the province examines systemic discrimination and racism.
Society
No room for apathy when the stakes are so high
Human rights activist Payam Akhavan has witnessed horror firsthand and has suffered wrenching personal losses. The McGill associate professor of law is the 2017 Massey Lecturer and sees it as an opportunity to spur people to action.
People
A storyteller emerges from the storm
Though uneasy in the spotlight, Monia Mazigh, PhD’01, became a public figure when she campaigned for her husband’s release from a Syrian prison 15 years ago. She found solace in writing.