Beyond Labels – Labels help define us and stay connected to who we are.
Canada’s human rights laws are based on formal grounds, or labels, that define our unique combination of characteristics – our gender, our religion, our disability, our sexual orientation, our race. These labels have been embraced by many as a call to action for groups who claim these identities. Yet more and more, people are rejecting these labels.
During this pivotal year – Canada 150, 40 years of the Canadian Human Rights Act, and the 35th anniversary of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms – we are asking participants: Is it time to focus on what unites us instead of what divides us?
Beyond Labels 2017 Human Rights Symposium will be held in Ottawa at the Shaw Centre from September 27-28.
Join us in making a difference
The Canadian Human Rights Commission’s 2017 symposium will challenge our thinking, our behaviour and the labels we use for each other and ourselves, setting the foundation for discussions about human rights over the next 40 years.
Join human rights advocates, academics, employers, lawyers, and engaged citizens from across the country as we explore the future of human rights beyond labels as it relates to technology, our institutions, our workplaces, and our public spaces.
▼ Wednesday, September 27, 2017, Morning
8:00 a.m. Registration opens
8:15 a.m. Refreshments and networking
8:30 a.m. Overview of the Symposium
Daniel Normandeau
8:45 a.m. Welcoming Remarks
Algonquin Territory Leader
9:00 a.m. Opening Remarks
Marie-Claude Landry, Ad.E. Chief Commissioner, Canadian Human Rights Commission
9:15 a.m. Keynote Speakers – Living Beyond Labels
Tiq Milan and Kim Katrin Milan
10:15 a.m. Health Break and Networking
10:45 a.m. Panel Discussion – Moving Beyond Labels
Moderator: Peggy Warolin, Commissioner, Canadian Human Rights Commission
Panelists:
Bernie Farber, Executive Director, Mosaic Institute
Donna Jodhan, Founder and Chair, Barrier Free Canada
Caitlin Tolley, Student, University of Ottawa
John Dick, Hallway Group
12:00 p.m. Buffet Lunch and Networking
▼ Wednesday, September 27, 2017, Afternoon
1:00 pm. Concurrent Workshops
Workshop A Blanket Exercise (KAIROS)
Moderator: Ed Bianchi, Program Manager, KAIROS
Workshop B Social Condition and Remote Communities
Moderator: Danika Billie Littlechild, Vice-President, Canadian Commission for UNESCO
Panelists:
Adam Akpik, The Children and Youth in Challenging Contexts (CYCC) Network
Harriett McLachlan, Canada Without Poverty
Workshop C Beyond Accommodation
Moderator: Bonnie Brayton, National Executive Director, DisAbled Women’s Network Canada
Panelists:
Fran Odette, Part Time Faculty, George Brown College
Neil Bélanger, Executive Director, BC Aboriginal Network on Disability Society
Alexandre Baril, Dalhousie University
Dr. Susan Hardie, Director, National Network for Mental Health
Workshop D Engaging and Empowering Youth – Tools and Resources
Moderator: Ian Hamilton, Executive Director, Equitas
Panelists:
Max FineDay, Canadian Roots Exchange
Jennifer Reddy, Embrace Immigrant Youth, Vancouver School Board
Sarah Gaham, Girls Action Foundation
Hon. Landon Pearson, Founder and Chair, Landon Pearson Resource Centre for the Study of Childhood and Children’s Rights
2:30 p.m. Health Break and Networking
3:00 p.m. Mental Health Commission of Canada
Louise Bradley, President and CEO Mental Health Commission of Canada
3:10 p.m. Panel Discussion – Mental Health
Moderator: Nitika Rewari, Manager, Research, Evaluation & Knowledge Translation, Workplace Mental Health, Mental Health Commission of Canada
Panelists:
Heather Stuart, Professor, University of Guelph
Dr. Rebecca Gewurtz, Assistant Professor, School of Rehabilitation Science, McMaster University
Lyne Wilson, Talent Acquisition and Organizational Health, NAV Canada
Misty Giroux, Manager, Legislated Programs, NAV Canada
Derek J. Jones, director, Mental Health, Privacy & Equality in the Workplace Project, McGill University
4:30 p.m. End of Day 1
5:00 p.m. Networking Reception
▼ Thursday, September 28, 2017 Morning
8:15 a.m. Refreshments and Networking
8:45 a.m. Overview of Day 2
Daniel Normandeau
9:00 a.m. Welcoming Remarks
Chief Dr. Robert Joseph
9:30 a.m. Entertainment
Dandelion Dance Performance
10:00 a.m. Health Break and Networking
10:30 a.m. Panel Discussion – Conflicting Rights
Moderator: John Packer, Professor, Human Rights Research and Education Centre, University of Ottawa
Panelists:
Alex Neve, Secretary General, Amnesty International Canada
Farida Deif, Director, Canada, Human Rights Watch
Shahina Siddiqui, President, Islamic Social Services Association
Shaheen Azmi, Director of Policy, Education, Monitoring & Outreach, Ontario Human Rights Commission
12:00 p.m. Buffet Lunch and Networking
▼ Thursday, September 28, 2017 Afternoon
1:00 p.m. Concurrent Workshops
Workshop E Gender Identity and Gender Expression
Moderator: Helen Kennedy, Egale Canada
Panelists:
Françoise Susset, Institute for Sexual Minority Health
Quinn Bennett, Director, PeerNet BC
Nicole Nussbaum, Lawyer, Canadian Professional Association for Transgender Health
Samuel Singer, Assistant Professor, Thompson Rivers University
Workshop F Families in Canada
Moderator: Nora Spinks, Chief Executive Officer, Vanier Institute of the Family
Panelists:
Sheila Osborne-Brown, Senior Counsel, Canadian Human Rights Commission
Natasha Bakht, Co-Mama
Todd Nicholson, 2018 Chef de Mission for Paralympic games
Farhat Rehman, Mother and advocate
Kelly J. Lendsay, President and CEO, Indigenous Works
Workshop G Human Rights – The Next Generation
Moderator: Renée Vaugeois, Executive Director, John Humphrey Centre for Peace and Human Rights
Panelists:
Odélie Joly, Administrator, Amnistie internationale
Raffi Cavoukian, Founder, Centre for Child Honouring
Tammy Robinson, Oxford House First Nation
Workshop H The State of the Rule of Law in Canada’s 150th Anniversary Year
Moderator: Errol Mendes, President, International Commission of Jurists (Canadian Section)
Panelists:
Hon. Michele Rivet, Board Member of ICJ Canada and Commissioner of ICJ Geneva
Janine Lespérance, Executive Director, ICJ Canada
2:30 p.m. Refreshments and Networking
3:00 p.m. Panel Discussion – Beyond 2017
Ian Fine, Executive Director, Canadian Human Rights Commission
Kim Samuel, Professor of Practice, McGill University’s Institute for the Study of International Development
Ihsaan Gardee, Executive Director, National Council for Canadian Muslims
Haroon Siddiqui, Editorial Page Editor Emeritus, The Toronto Star
4:30 p.m. Closing Remarks
Marie-Claude Landry, Ad.E., Chief Commissioner, Canadian Human Rights Commission
5:00 p.m. End of Symposium
Please note that simultaneous interpretation will be available during all plenary panel discussions, in English and French. The concurrent workshops will be held in both official languages, depending on the individual language choice of the moderator or panelist. During these workshops, participants will be able to ask questions in the language of their choice and a designated person will translate the exchange if the need arises.