humanrightsradio

Tristan Durocher visited Amnesty Saskatchewan's Write4Rights on-line event on Dec 7th.  Tristan knows that even small positive changes can lead to great things -- and he has been instrumental in creating those changes.

On Saturday Nov4 from 2 to 4 pm Rhonda Rosenberg, Kelsey Aitcheson and Yordanos Tesfamariam from Multiculturalism Council of Saskatchewan will be at the Unitarian Centre at 2700 College Ave. to facilitate an anti-racism workshop.  In today's show, Amnesty International volunteers, Jim Hutchings and Carloline Cordeiro talk with Kelsey and Rhoda about how we can combat racism in our communities.

Jim Hutchings and Gord Barnes talk with Ritva Gahimbare about the problems in Burundi. Ritva came to Canada as a refugee from Burundi and has kept in touch with the situation there.   We talked about Burundi’s past, what is happening now, and what may happen in the future.

Jim Hutchings and Gord Barnes talk with special guest, Peter Tah, who is from Cameroon and has reported from there as a freelance journalist for the BBC World Service. We find out some of the history of Cameroon and some of the difficulties the people face from both the government and secessionists.

March 8th is International Women's Day and Crystal Giesbrecht, assisted by Jim Hutchings, got together with three Amnesty members from central and Eastern African countries to talk about the state of women's rights in those countries and in our own. Joining us were Ritva Gahimbare, Manal Allajabu, and Tolulade Otayemi.

Today Gord Barnes and Jim Hutchings have an interesting conversation with Manal Allajabu and five Sudanese students, Mohanned Mohamedali, Ishag Alawad, Jalal Adam Almerdi, Rajaa Musa Daldum, and Umniya Hassan who tell us about how the 30 year old regime ruling Sudan is starting to face opposition from the people after many years of repression. 

President and Vice Chancellor of the University of Regina commenting on why the theme of Amnesty Saskatchewan's provincial conference is important to her as she welcomes participants to "Defending Gender Rights and Equality".

At 2018 Amnesty International Saskatchewan Provincial Conference, Zarqa Nawaz moderated discussion on Defending Gender Rights and Equality with panel members:  Amber Fletcher, Jett Brewer, Jacqueline Anaquod, Patience Umereweneza, and Jackie Hansen.

Amnesty International Saskatchewan Provincial Conference 2018 panel discussion on need for a national action plan on Violence Against Women. Brenda Anderson moderated.  Panel members were Jackie Hansen, Crystal Giesbrecht, Darlene Okemaysim-Sicotte, and Lori Johb.

Jackie Hansen, presenting at Amnesty Saskatchewan Provincial Conference. Jackie Hansen is Amnesty International Canada’s Gender Rights Campaigner based in Ottawa. She covers women’s rights, LGBTI rights, and gender equality campaigning for Amnesty International Canada. Her work is currently focused on ensuring the rights of women and LGBTI rights defenders are respected, protected and fulfilled; addressing the human rights impacts of energy development in Canada on women, transgender, and non-binary individuals; addressing violence against Indigenous women, girls, and two-spirit people; and more broadly, ending gender-based violence in Canada. Her previous work has focused on transgender rights in Canada, ending torture, and promoting sexual and reproductive rights. Her activism began by founding an Amnesty International student group at her junior high school. After finishing her studies she spent a year interning with the Canadian Red Cross, followed by over a decade campaigning to eliminate victim-activated weapons through work with the Nobel Peace Prize Laureate International Campaign to Ban Landmines and its research and monitoring initiative Landmine and Cluster Munition Monitor. In 2013 she came back to Amnesty International Canada in a staff role.

Today Gord Barnes and Jim Hutchings spoke with Ponziano Aluma of the Uganda Canadian Association of Saskatchewan (UCAS) and Gwen Friedrich of "The Caring Place" about "Journey to Success", a Gala being held on October 29 on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of both organizations.   Gwen and Ponziano talk about what their respective organizations do and how they have helped over the past 25 years.

Today Human Rights Radio spoke with Marion Tudor and Gail Greenberg of Grandmothers to Grandmothers, an organization dedicated to helping grandmothers in Africa as they struggle to raise grandchildren who have lost their parents to the scourge of AIDS on that continent.  They talk about their scrabble fundraiser which raises money for the Stephen Lewis Foundation, a charitable organization that focuses on the wellbeing of those grandmothers and the children who are growing up without their parents.

Today Human Rights Radio had a very special guest via phone in the person of Heather Luna-Rose, activist, author, educator, passionate advocate of marginalized peoples and the marginalized voices in all of us. She tells us how she came to be so concerned for the well-being of Canadians in Thailand prisons and how she does her best to support these inmates who are paying a heavy price for violating Thai law. Check out her website here

Today Gord Barnes and Jim Hutchings had a special Human Rights Radio program featuring the Secretary General of Amnesty International Canada (English Speaking Section), Alex Neve.  We touched on a number of human rights issues that have been around for a while but seemed to be stalled under our previous government.  Some progress is being made but Amnesty Canada continues to encourage our federal government to do better.

Today Human Rights Radio speaks with Tyler Gray, Communications, Advocacy, and Projects Coordinator at Carmichael Outreach in Regina.  We discuss the many ways Carmichael Outreach helps families whose breadwinners are making minimum wage and still not making enough money to pay for basic needs.  We talk about what is being done and what is possible if we just talk to our elected officials and tell them to do the right thing.

Gord Barnes and Jim Hutchings talk with Yordanos Tesfamariam and Rhonda Rosenberg of Multicultural Council of Saskatchewan about racism in Saskatchewan and how we can all do something to help end racism in our communities.

The people of Saskatchewan received a rude awakening last month when a first nations man was shot dead in an interaction in a farm yard near North Battleford.  Today Gord Barns and Jim Hutchings talk about racism in Saskatchewan and how much needs to be done to recognize and deal with the problem.

Daylene Sliz and Jim Hutchings talk with Peter Gilmer, an activist with the Regina Anti-Poverty Ministry about what needs to be done to alleviate poverty in Saskatchewan and how recent Government action has affected disadvantaged people in the province.

Daylene Sliz and Jim Hutchings talk with Janine Windolph and Trudy Stewart about efforts being made to provide a commemorative stone in remembrance of the children who died at the Regina Indian Industrial School and who are buried in that institution's cemetery.

Today Ritva Gahimbar talks with Gord Barnes and Jim Hutchings about the continuing repression and crisis in Burundi