Adult Film Maker; Human Rights Advocate Kate Sinclaire has been making body- and sex-positive adult film and photography in Winnipeg since 2008. Her kind presence and dedication to showcasing people for who they are has changed the lives of countless people that have either collaborated with her or simply have been able to enjoy her work. Kate not only creates art that inspires and empowers, but also bridges the gap between those that think pornography is inherently negative and those that feel ...
May 30, 2024•54 min•Ep. 80
Diane Roussin is an Anishinaabe ᐊᓂᔑᓈᐯᒃ community leader passionately committed to the pursuit of mino bimaadiziwin(the good life) for all families and children. Her in-depth knowledge of Indigenous issues and solutions flow directly from her strong sense of identity and worldview. She is a proud member of Skownan First Nation in Agowidiiwinan Treaty 2 Territory.Diane is currently the Project Director of The Winnipeg Boldness Project, an ambitious social innovation initiative seeking to create la...
May 16, 2024•55 min•Ep. 79
On this episode of Humans, on Rights, we talk to Kirsten Wurmann, the Program Director for the Manitoba Library Association about how libraries are feeling pressure to remove certain books from the library and because of that libraries should not be neutral spaces. Libraries need to be accountable to our community and our community is comprised of people from a myriad of backgrounds. She believes that libraries must reflect the communities that we serve, and that all of our community members sho...
Apr 29, 2024•42 min•Ep. 78
As a young Black man growing up in Winnipeg Rich Thomas remembers his parents saying to him “you are living in a society where you are not the majority, and a s a young Black person, you are going to have to work twice as hard for half as much”. Those words had an enormous impact on his early years. And when we spoke on this episode of humans, on Rights Rich talked about how he took the words of his loving parents to heart. Rich Thomas shares his personal story of running his own business, his c...
Apr 18, 2024•40 min•Ep. 77
“We absolutely should have publicly funded prevention of pregnancy and not just publicly funded abortion.” On this episode oh Humans, on Rights we talk with Dr. Martha Paynter, Dalhousie School of Nursing scholar, researcher, writer, nurse, activist and board chair of Wellness Within about why she wrote her book Abortion to Abolition: Reproductive Health and Justice in Canada. Dr. Paynter believes that the history of abortion decriminalization and critical advocacy efforts to improve access in C...
Apr 04, 2024•47 min•Ep. 76
Sunshine House is a community drop-in and resource centre focusing on harm reduction and social inclusion. The team at Sunshine House, led by Executive Director Levi Foy, provide programming that fulfills people’s social, community, and recreational needs. Participants can come as they are and are not expected to be “clean” or sober.Sunshine House has an abundance of programming – Brunch, 2S/Trans ID Peer Support, Street Feet, Gizhiwenimin, Like That and a first of its kind, very innovative prog...
Mar 21, 2024•47 min•Ep. 75
During the celebration of Black History Month, Chef Rob Thomas talks about how he plans to create a special dinner to celebrate how Black culture has influenced the food we eat. To further promote and celebrate Black History Month Chef Rob is doing a livestream on Thursday February 22 to demonstrate one of his signature dishes. In addition to the livestream, the chef is preparing a special menu for a Winnipeg Jets hockey game as the Jets celebrate Black History Month. Go Jets Go!According to Che...
Feb 22, 2024•39 min•Ep. 74
Laura Brandon is a band member of Waywayseecappo First Nation, she has three adult children and is a grandmother. Laura Brandon wants to know that when it comes to discussing the ribbon skirt, she speaks only for herself. The good news is that Laura Brandon generously shares her personal views on the history, the importance, the celebration, and the learning that comes from the making and the wearing of the Ribbon Skirt. When 10 year old Isabelle Kulak drew international attention when she wore ...
Jan 11, 2024•33 min•Ep. 73
Ever wonder why we celebrate holidays and what they mean to our culture? Holidays serve as a reflection of a society’s shared values, historical milestones, and unique tradition. Holidays offer key insights into cultural identities, showcasing and celebrating how diverse the world is. But are we, in Winnipeg, in Manitoba reflecting just how diverse and therefore inclusive our holidays are? Dr. Rehman Abdulrehman thinks we need to add a number of more dates to the holiday calendar. Dr. Abdulreham...
Dec 28, 2023•45 min•Ep. 72
Peter Tonge show notes: If airlines can move horses safely by air…why can’t they do the same for my wheelchair? My guest Peter Tonge wants answers. And why not? Airline travel can be stressful for anyone, and particularly for a person with a disability. A disabled traveller has the usual concerns, such as scheduling and connections, but also the additional concern about the safety of their mobility equipment.According to Tonge, worldwide, airlines have a poor record for safely transporting mobil...
Dec 14, 2023•40 min•Ep. 71
Jacob Kaufman was born in Vancouver. His mom, who he tells us he loved very much, was also addicted to “pretty well everything.” Because of his mom’s addictions, Jacob was shipped from foster home to foster home where he was beaten ad had exorcisms performed on him. When Jacob was 14, he ran away from his foster home and began a life on the street with a new family, the street community family. Jacob spent time on the street working as an exploited youth. At age 19, Jacob decided he was done wit...
Nov 23, 2023•39 min•Ep. 70
Every child and youth in Manitoba has inherent rights. These rights are enshrined in the United Nations Conventions on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). In Manitoba in 1985, Judge Kimelman released the Kimelman report based on the “Sixties Scoop”. In 1993 the Office of the Child Advocate opens in Manitoba. In this Humans on Rights podcast, we talk with the Manitoba Advocate, Sherry Gott, about how important it is to have the role of an Advocate for children to track issues identified in the Advoc...
Nov 09, 2023•43 min•Ep. 69
In the English language, our most commonly used pronouns (he/she) specifically refer to person’s gender. For queer, gender non-conforming, non-binary, ad transgender people, these pronouns may not fit, can create discomfort, and cause stress and anxiety. Bre Calma (they/them) is a non-binary queer. They have an extensive education background, and they were most insightful when they thoughtfully captured why pronouns matter in a gender debate. Bre lays out how pronouns play a crucial role in resp...
Oct 26, 2023•59 min•Ep. 68
Fact: A study done in 2022 concluded that 1 in 4 Canadian women are forced to choose between buying meals and period products. On this episode of Humans, on Rights, the Executive Director of the Women’s Health Clinic, Kemlin Nembhard (she, her) shares her views on the challenges women face when it comes to purchasing period products. Kemlin’s experience growing up in Winnipeg as a child of Jamaican immigrants in a predominately white school system shaped her identity as an activist and a feminis...
Oct 12, 2023•47 min•Ep. 67
Claire Sparling has always felt a need to learn how things are put together. Throughout her life, she has followed this instinct by developing skills in everything relating to textiles. From a very young age, Claire has been sewing, knitting, spinning and weaving, never missing a chance to add new skills to her repertoire.But it’s not just the sewing, knitting, spinning and weaving that keeps Claire busy. In addition to designing and creating costumes for professional actors, both in the theatre...
Sep 14, 2023•41 min•Ep. 66
It has taken Lorraine Daniels, a second generation Indigenous Residential School survivor, over 60 years to accept her Ojibway culture. As a student at the Indigenous Residential School, we were taught that God was a punishing God, and she and other children were forever being punished and not loved. She recounts that Indigenous children were not allowed to converse with other family members, such as a brother or sister, or talk during meals and that pulling their hair and getting the strap were...
Aug 24, 2023•44 min•Ep. 65
Human trafficking is a grave violation of human rights and one of the most heinous crimes committed against individuals, particularly women and children. It is a modern form of slavery, involving the recruitment, transportation, harboring, or receipt of people through force, fraud, or coercion for the purpose of sexual exploitation.In this episode of Humans, on Rights our guest, Hennes Doltze talks about the work that he and his team are doing to engage man and boys to prevent sexual exploitatio...
Jul 20, 2023•45 min•Ep. 64
Niigaanwewidam James Sinclair is an Anishinaabe writer, editor, and activist based in Winnipeg , Manitoba . And his credentials are very, very impressive when you consider Sinclair is also a public speaker and media commentator who was recently named to the “Power List” by Maclean’s magazine as one of the most influential individuals in Canada. He has helped organized Idle No More Winnipeg events and he frequently speaks on Indigenous issues on CTV, CBC and APTN. In 2018, he won Canadian columni...
Jun 29, 2023•39 min•Ep. 63
Simple and to the point. It was the statement put out by the University of Brandon when Brandon School Division trustees heard from a local delegation’s call to remove 2SLGBTQ+ and sexual education resources from the school libraries. Our Humans, on Rights podcast guest, Ellen Bees is a middle school teacher and is a member of People for Public Education who believe that public education should be universally accessible, be publicly funded and free for families, provide equal opportunities for s...
Jun 08, 2023•42 min•Ep. 62
Sally is a proud member of the 2SLGBTQ+ community and so eloquently reminds us that “we all have a voice, find your voice, and use it. Your silence won’t protect you.‘’ And Jordan, who is a trans woman clearly articulates that “a lot of people don’t like people who are different from themselves. We need to have honest communication, there needs to be honest communication between both sides to understand each other” The Rainbow Resource Centre in partnership has launched an exhibit called “If The...
Jun 01, 2023•28 min•Ep. 61
Melissa Stone woks at Ma Mawi Wi Chi Itata and is the coordinator for Astum Api Niikinaak and Amoo wig amig. Astum Api Niikinaak means “come sit at our home”. This project which offers affordable housing for people facing key barriers such as being unsheltered and addictions, alongside a communal lodge with culturally sensitive support services is the result of organizations End Homelessness Winnipeg, the Aboriginal Health and Wellness Centre, Eagle Urban Transition Centre and Thunderbird House ...
Apr 27, 2023•43 min•Ep. 60
Millions of people are forced to leave their home country to find work. Each individual journey is filled with hope to rebuild and have a better life, but once they settle in their new home, the hardship doesn’t always stop there. Migrant workers face a much higher risk of vulnerability to exploitation in the workplace in large part because of their limited access to information and support networks, networks not just in social networks within governance framework, but networks that we take for ...
Apr 13, 2023•42 min•Ep. 59
“The way to preserve a language is to start the lessons at home. And listen to your elders.” Elder Mary Houle When it comes to giving voice to language, Rebecca Chartrand, the President & CEO of Indigenous Strategies has a voice. A very strong voice. Rebecca whose leadership style is based on Indigenous ways of teaching and learning, which orient towards holistic perspectives and contributions strives to ensure” we are all paddling the same canoe towards a common goal.” Rebecca shares her st...
Mar 30, 2023•56 min•Ep. 58
Devon Clunis solidified his place in history in 2012 when he became the first Black chief of police in Canadian history. Clunis immigrated from Jamaica with his family in 1975 at age 11 and he began his career in law enforcement with the Winnipeg Police Service in 1987. Clunis occupied several roles and moved up in ranks from patrol to community relations and then chaplain to the superintendent. He served as chief of the Winnipeg Police from 2012 to 2016. Before 2012, Winnipeg was well known acr...
Mar 16, 2023•48 min•Ep. 57
"Where are you from?” I would be asked. “Oh, I’m from here” would be my response. Simple enough, right? Nope. During Black History Month, Winnipeg’s Rhonda Thompson-Wilson says cultural organizations play an important role in helping preserve connections and the uniqueness of cultures. Manitobans celebrate the diversity and commonalities of the community during Black History Month in February. On this episode of Humans, on Rights Rhonda Thompson-Wilson talks about the importance of Gospel Music ...
Mar 02, 2023•46 min•Ep. 56
As the Founder and CEO of Make Music Matter, Darcy Ataman, M.S.C., O.M. has dedicated his life’s work to bringing an alternate form of music therapy to survivors of sexual violence, conflict and trauma. Working in partnership with Nobel Laureate, Dr. Denis Mukwege, Darcy developed the Healing in Harmony program where patients become artists to begin the healing process by writing, recording and professionally producing songs about their emotions and experiences simultaneously engaging in therapy...
Feb 23, 2023•54 min•Ep. 55
February is when the proud Black History Manitoba organization invites the whole community to come together to Remember, Recognize and Educate. To quote the BHM President Nadia Thompson, “February is the month in which we bear witness to the progress, richness, and diversity of the achievements and contributions of Black people in Canada and around the world.” And with that in mind, the Humans, on Rights podcast went to the Manitoba Museum to capture the Black innovators, entrepreneurs, musician...
Feb 15, 2023•21 min•Ep. 54
Learning. Teaching. Education is a human right. When exploring education as a human right in this episode of Humans on Rights, Mitchell DeFehr, education coordinator for MARL, discusses the importance of human rights learning when we reference the “other”. He shares his views about how systems developed by those of privilege are systems that oppress the “other”. And he explains how to use education as a human right from an “inside out” approach as well as an “outside in” approach to change those...
Jan 26, 2023•40 min•Ep. 53
"I wanted to be more than just a screamer!" - Yvonne Peters. To acknowledge World Braille Day, Humans, on Rights spoke with Yvonne Peters. Yvonne practiced as a human rights lawyer in Winnipeg for over 30 years. During this time she served as legal counsel and advisor on a number of equality test cases involving disability rights and women’s rights. Her work also included serving as a legislative consultant on the implementation of regulated midwifery in Manitoba and acting as project manager fo...
Jan 05, 2023•53 min•Ep. 52
Advocate. Community Engagement. Community Organizer. Judith Oviosun came from Nigeria to study medicine at the University of Manitoba. Along the educational pathway which Judith found herself recognized by being placed on the prestigious Dean’s list, she saw areas where International Students’ voices were not being heard. She quickly discovered that to create change, you had to more than just talk about it. You needed to find a seat at the policy decision making table.During her time studying at...
Dec 15, 2022•40 min•Ep. 51
