We sit down with Dr. Kerstin Roger, a researcher and advocate tackling an urgent but often overlooked human rights issue: the abuse of older adults. Dr. Roger shares why this isn't just a family matter—it's a fundamental question of human dignity and rights.We're talking: Why age has been historically left out of human rights frameworks How different communities define aging differently, and the global variations in lifespan and health outcomes Why traditional data collection methods fall short ...
Jul 17, 2025•30 min•Ep. 110
We sit down with Stanislas Bell, Manager of Visitor Services at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights and the first Black manager in a position of power at the institution. Originally from Cameroon, Stanislas shares his journey from teenage immigrant to community leader, including a life-threatening encounter with medical racism that shaped his commitment to serving others.We're talking: Moving from Cameroon to rural Manitoba at 16, speaking only French How sports became his bridge to acceptance ...
Jul 03, 2025•48 min•Ep. 109
We sit down with Brigette DePape, project manager and climate planner at Narratives Inc, who brings together climate advocacy, education, and community action in powerful ways. As someone who's been part of the climate justice movement for over 15 years, Bridgette offers both personal insights and practical solutions for addressing our climate crisis while building resilient communities.How early experiences connecting with nature—from bike rides through Seine River Forest to cleaning up garbage...
Jun 19, 2025•48 min•Ep. 108
Aaron Pollock: Architecture as Human Rights - Designing Spaces for Justice and InclusionIt's Pride month, and we're sitting down with Aaron Pollock, associate architect at Number TEN Architectural Group and the lead architect behind the Rainbow Resource Centre's groundbreaking phase two expansion. Aaron brings together his passion for inclusive design with real-world expertise in creating what he calls "purpose-built queer spaces" - moving beyond simply adapting existing buildings to designing f...
Jun 05, 2025•42 min•Ep. 107
We sit down with Dr. Stanley Amaladas, Director of the Mauro Institute for Peace and Justice at the University of Manitoba. Dr. Amaladas reflects on his journey from Malaysia to Canada and shares a powerful story about his citizenship interview that shaped his understanding of human rights, responsibility, and dignity. We're exploring: How an uncomfortable citizenship interview became a lesson about rights, power, and responsibility The difference between the legal framework of rights and our hu...
May 22, 2025•40 min•Ep. 106
We sit down with Ron Thiessen, Executive Director of CPAWS Manitoba, and Carly Gray, Environmental Education Manager, to discuss conservation initiatives in our province and the importance of connecting with nature. We're talking about: The ambitious goal of protecting 30% of Manitoba's land by 2030 (currently at 11%) The Seal River Watershed Indigenous Protected Area initiative in northern Manitoba Efforts to establish Assiniboine Forest as a National Urban Park The powerful connection between ...
May 08, 2025•44 min•Ep. 105
We welcome back Dr. Rehman Abdulrehman to discuss his new book, "Developing Anti-Racist Cultural Competence." In this episode, he breaks down how traditional approaches to cultural competence often centre whiteness and view other cultures through a colonial lens. Instead, he offers a transformative framework that begins with self-reflection about our own biases. We're talking: Why traditional cultural competence models can perpetuate racism by viewing other cultures as exotic or "other" How anti...
Apr 17, 2025•44 min•Ep. 104
We sit down with Haran Vijayananthan, Community Health and Wellness Director at Klinic Community Health Center. Haran shares his experience challenging the Toronto Police Service over their handling of missing persons cases and his current work making healthcare more accessible to marginalized communities right here in Winnipeg. We're talking: Why "awareness" without action falls short in creating real change How Haran's work led to concrete reforms in how police handle missing persons cases The...
Apr 03, 2025•47 min•Ep. 103
Stuart Murray sits down with Devon Clunis, the first Black Chief of Police in Canadian history, to discuss his new autobiography "ONE: A Story of Hope in Our Time." Devon shares his journey from a small Jamaican village without running water to becoming a transformative leader in the Winnipeg Police Service. More than just a memoir, Devon's book serves as a catalyst for meaningful conversations about unity in diversity during increasingly divided times. We're talking: Why Devon felt compelled to...
Mar 20, 2025•40 min•Ep. 102
We sit down with Ralph Bryant – a writer, filmmaker, and mental health advocate who's making waves in Winnipeg's community. Originally from the Bronx, Ralph brings a unique perspective to mental health advocacy, particularly focusing on Black men's mental health through his documentary project "On the Verge." In this episode, Ralph shares: His personal journey through mental health challenges, including his hospitalization in 2018 The alarming statistics showing Black youth suicide rates rising ...
Mar 05, 2025•40 min•Ep. 101
For our milestone 100th episode, veteran journalist and Winnipeg Free Press columnist Dan Lett takes over the interviewer's chair to dig into host Stuart Murray's journey from Canadian Museum for Human Rights CEO to human rights podcast creator. Murray opens up about discovering Winnipeg's rich but often overlooked human rights community, sharing stories of local champions like Dilly Knol, who transformed how she sources food for vulnerable community members - refusing to accept "almost garbage"...
Feb 20, 2025•31 min•Ep. 100
When Byron Williams and Taylor Galvin sit down to discuss their unprecedented legal case, one thing becomes clear - they're fighting for something much bigger than themselves. The duo is part of a landmark effort to grant legal rights to Lake Winnipeg under Section 7 of Canada's Charter of Rights and Freedoms - the first case of its kind in Canada. In this episode, we explore how traditional Indigenous knowledge and Western legal frameworks are coming together to protect one of the world's large...
Feb 06, 2025•47 min•Ep. 99
We sit down with Theodore Biggs-Engel, a transgender activist, researcher, and fourth-year health sciences student at the University of Manitoba who is using systems mapping – a method for visualizing how different parts of complex systems interact and influence each other – to better understand gender-affirming care.As president of the Rainbow Pride Center and queer representative on the university's union board of directors, Theo brings both personal experience and academic rigor to the conver...
Jan 23, 2025•43 min•Ep. 98
On this episode of Humans, On Rights we talk with the Founder of the Joy Smith Foundation. Joy Smith’s journey, and the history behind the Foundation, are testimony that the actions of one individual can make a difference for so many others. Joy jumped into action after learning no laws yet existed in Canada to protect victims, or to bring perpetrators to justice. She decided to run, and won, a seat in the Manitoba Legislature in 1999. In 2004, she became a Member of Parliament and made Canadian...
Jan 09, 2025•53 min•Ep. 97
Poverty is a human rights issue. A “Basic Income” is a policy idea centered on providing all individuals within a society with a regular, unconditional payment from the government. This payment is intended to cover essential living expenses, ensuring everyone has a financial safety net regardless of their employment status, income level, or personal circumstances. From 1974 to 1979 Manitoba experimented with a social program called the Manitoba Basic Annual Income or “Mincome”. Mincome was a lan...
Dec 19, 2024•48 min•Ep. 96
The Canadian Museum for Human Rights recently released a survey called Foresights for Human Rights. This national survey offers numerous and interesting insights into the human rights landscape of Canada. Matthew Cutler, my guest on this episode of Humans, on Rights and the vice-president of exhibitions at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights talks about how respondents felt less free to express their views and have honest conversations in many places, including education institutions. Cutler sh...
Dec 05, 2024•51 min•Ep. 95
"AI is likely to be either the best or the worst thing to happen to humanity” - Stephen Hawking Cody Chomiak, a recognized voice in the field of artificial intelligence, and the Vice President of Marketing, Travel Manitoba shares his thought provoking comments on how AI is changing the world before our very eyes. Chomiak reminds us that what was once science fiction, we now carry systems powered by AI in our pockets and wear them on wrists. Although Chomiak recognizes the risks that can dampen t...
Nov 28, 2024•48 min•Ep. 94
Sport is not an equal plying field. We need to change the game. Craig Brown from Anti Racism in Sport talks about how the lack of empirical information that details the experiences of First Nations, Inuit, Metis, Black, Racialized and Religious Minority communities in sport in Winnipeg became the backdrop for the Anti Racism in Sport organization. Out of the research, Brown talks about the importance of the findings and more importantly shares the recommendations of the findings: Education and t...
Nov 14, 2024•49 min•Ep. 93
With over 15 years of experience as a peacebuilder and certified environmental professional, Somia Sadiq the founder and CEO of Narratives Inc. has been exploring how inclusive planning and Indigenous led solutions are crucial in advancing human rights locally in Manitoba and more broadly. In this episode of Humans, on Rights, Somia shares multiple stories and examples of how she and her team seek to find and create spaces for respectful dialogue, to teach, advance diplomacy, and real barriers w...
Oct 31, 2024•55 min•Ep. 92
J Fiedler is a sexuality educator originally from Detroit, MI. They have a background in HIV/AIDS, 2STLGBQIA+ culture & inclusion and Comprehensive Sexuality Education. Over the years J has facilitated workshops in various territories around Manitoba from The Pas to Vita. They now live in Winnipeg and they are a member of the Sexual Education Research Centre (SERC) In this episode, J talks about how sexual health is a vital aspect of overall well-being, encompassing physical, emotional, ment...
Oct 17, 2024•42 min•Ep. 91
Pay discrimination and inequality persist in Manitoba with women earning, on average, 71 % of what men earn. To talk about this disparity, we talk with Molly McCracken, Director of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives - Manitoba office. Molly talks about a very indepth, well researched, and well written document called “Tired of Waiting : Rectifying Manitoba’s Pay Gap”. She has over 17 years of experience as a research manager and advisor in various social and economic policy areas. She i...
Oct 03, 2024•44 min•Ep. 90
Darcy Ataman is a Canadian humanitarian, music producer, and the founder and CEO of Make Music Matter , an organization that uses music therapy to help survivors of conflict and trauma. He created the Healing in Harmony program, which integrates music therapy with psychological support to assist individuals in recovering from traumatic experiences, particularly survivors of sexual violence and conflict in countries like Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and others. His work focuses...
Sep 19, 2024•40 min•Ep. 89
Over the course of her incredible career, Carol Off has reached a level of journalistic excellence that has been equalled by few. She has covered conflicts in the Middle East, Haiti, the Balkans and the sub-continent. As well as events in the former Soviet Union, Europe, Asia, the United States and Canada. She reported the fallout from the 9/11 disasters with news features and documentaries from New York, Washington, London, Cairo, and Afghanistan and has won numerous awards from her CBC televis...
Sep 12, 2024•44 min•Ep. 88
Cathy Ching and the South Central Regional Library System were recently recognized by the Manitoba Library Association alongside the Association of Manitoba Book Publishers as the inaugural Human Rights Book Award. Cathy Ching talks about how Manitoba libraries are upholding fundamental values of intellectual freedom, inclusion and diversity despite recent calls for censorship and the harassment of library workers. Ching and her team at South Central Regional Library have remained passionately s...
Aug 29, 2024•44 min•Ep. 87
Fashion by Hafsa is a progressive artistic line of clothing designed for the modern modest woman. Hafsa uses influences from her experiences from different cultures to create a unique line of modest clothing. Being designed to be worn by anyone regardless of belief is important as Hafsa’s vision is to bring the old world into the new world, to respect the past while modernizing to prepare for the future. Hand painted designs stand out to promote a woman’s forward fashion sense while respecting o...
Aug 15, 2024•40 min•Ep. 86
In this episode of Humans, on Rights Cordella shares the interesting fact that the YMCA-YWCA is the largest child care provider in Manitoba, the YMCA-YWCA operates Camp Stephens, and has four dedicated community hubs that serve in the areas of mental health, fitness, aquatics, newcomer programming, employment services and community play. With over 20 years of leadership experience in the government and non-profit sectors, Cordella is committed to people, strategy, alignment and authenticity. Cor...
Aug 01, 2024•53 min•Ep. 85
Welcome Place is a well-known organization in Winnipeg, Manitoba, dedicated to helping refugees and immigrants settle in the city. The origins of Welcome Place can be traced back to the post World War II period when various religious and community groups in Manitoba began to provide assistance to European refugees. Throughout the 1990’s and early 2000’s Welcome Place expanded its services to include not only immediate settlement services bur also long-term support such as language training, empl...
Jul 18, 2024•46 min•Ep. 84
Canada’s first Métis citizenship judge, Suzanne Carrière, has presided over 1,950 citizenship ceremonies, personally welcoming over 145,000 newcomers into the Canadian family. As one of only 9 citizenship judges in Canada, she uses her platform unfailingly to speak about reconciliation being a shared responsibility of all Canadians, whether Indigenous or non-Indigenous, whether born here or elsewhere. In June 2021, she was honoured to preside the very first citizenship ceremony in Canadian histo...
Jul 04, 2024•53 min•Ep. 83
What the RCAF and the 2SLGBTQ1+ community have in common.In this episode Major Jackie Zakhar discusses how she went from working at a local Subway sandwich shop in a small community to becoming a Major in the Royal Canadian Air Force. Major Zakhar has served her country in several roles, such as senior duty officer at One Canadian Air Division to Department of Air Operations Chair at Barker College. And she has done so as a proud member of the queer community. Her leadership, along with other me...
Jun 27, 2024•41 min•Ep. 82
More than 50 years after passing the passing of the Official Languages Act, 1969, Canada’s official languages face new challenges. Despite a 50 percent increase in bilingualism since 1969 and a record number of youth who are studying French as a second language, the growth rate of Canada’s official-language minority communities is slower than overall population growth. Fact. There are one million Francophones outside of Quebec.The French language remains in a vulnerable position nationally and p...
Jun 13, 2024•49 min•Ep. 81
