Upcoming: Global Migration and Human Trafficking

4th Annual "A Story to Tell and a Place for the Telling" series

GLOBAL MIGRATION AND HUMAN TRAFFICKING

The Canadian Red Cross, in partnership with Vancouver Public Library and local grassroots NGO's, are proud to present the fourth in the 2006/07 series:

“Legislating Protections”
with speakers:
Naomi Minwalla, Catherine Dauvergne, Harsha Walia

This panel will speak to the current situation for migrant and non-status residents of Canada, overview the legal context and barriers to fullparticipation, and point toward human rights solutions.

Hosted by: Russ Froese
Tuesday March 13th, 7:30 p.m.
Alice McKay Room, Vancouver Public Library Central Branch
350 West Georgia Street, Vancouver
Free event - all welcome
More information? (604) 709-6662


Naomi Minwalla

Naomi Minwalla is a lawyer who is deeply devoted to people and to justice. She has a passion for law and for helping people in need. Naomi trained extensively at internationally renowned universities. She has two law degrees (English common law and French civil law) with distinction from McGill University, Canada. She was the recipient of a Commonwealth Scholarship at Oxford University, Englandwhere she obtained a master's degree in social anthropology. She also has a bachelor's degree with honours in economics and political science (summa cum laude) from York University, Canada. Before becoming a lawyer, Naomi emigrated to two different countries, worked in overseas refugee camps, travelled the world extensively, lived in many different countries, and volunteered in a women's shelter. She brings to her law practice a depth of first-hand experience and understanding of human relationships, cultures, and political issues from all over the world.

Naomi completed her law article training with the British Columbia Ministry of Attorney General where she worked as a Crown Prosecutor before starting her own law firm that focuses exclusively on immigration, refugee, and extradition law. She represents a wide variety of people from every continent in the world, and uniquely combines solid legal skills with compassion and care for all.

Catherine Dauvergne

Catherine Dauvergne joined the UBC Faculty of Law in 2002 as an Associate Professor and Canada Research Chair in Migration Law. She was previously a member of the Faculty of Law, University of Sydney. In 1995, she clerked for Chief Justice Antonio Lamer. At UBC, Prof. Dauvergne teaches Immigration and Refugee Law as well as legal theory courses. She was a member of the Peter Wall Institute for Advanced Studies Early Career Researcher Associate Professor Cohort 2003-04.

Catherine is currently involved in three funded research projects. She holds a SSHRC grant running until 2008 with which she is investigating the role of exceptional discretion under Canada's Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. This project focuses on national security cases and humanitarian and compassionate grounds for exceptions. With Jenni Millbank at the University of Sydney she has just been awarded $280,000AUD by the Australian Research Council to investigate first-instance refugee decision-making in six countries. She is also in the final stages of revising a collaborative report, 'Gendering Canada's Refugee Process', funded by Status of Women Canada.

Harsha Walia

Harsha Walia is a community activist and writer working with immigrant and refugee rights and aboriginal sovereignty struggles. She recently worked in India for anti-corporate struggles in one of the largest People's Alliance movements. Recently, Harsha was a speaker at the UBC Colour Connected Forum and advocated for the social and labour equality of Canada’s at-risk communities.