Centre for Human Rights Research

Congratulations to our graduating student research assistants and staff! 🎉

From top to bottom:
Kelly Pugh (she/her) completed her practicum for her MHR program with the Centre. She will be graduating from the Master of Human Rights program in the Faculty of Law. Congratulations, Kelly!

Kiersten Sanderson (she/they) is a research assistant with the Just Waters project. She is receiving her Juris Doctor (JD) degree this Spring. Congratulations, Kiersten!

Angela Ciceron (she/her) works in community engagement and knowledge mobilization at the Centre. She is graduating from the Master's in Economics program with a concentration in Economics and Society. Congratulations, Angela!

Amber Vandenberg (she/her/they/them) assisted with several of the Centre's projects and initiatives on reproductive and bodily justice. She is graduating from the undergraduate Honour's program in Psychology. Congratulations, Amber!

Malia Koblun-Boateng (she/her) completed her practicum placement at the Centre. She is graduating with her highschool diploma and will begin her studies at UM in the Fall. Congratulations, Malia!

Kyra Campbell (she/her) worked on several of the Centre's initiatives in reproductive and bodily justice, including assisting with the 2024 Pride in Health conference. She will be graduating from the Master of Human Rights program in the Faculty of Law. Congratulations, Kyra!

Aubrey Yuol (she/her) completed her practicum placement at the Centre. She is graduating with her highschool diploma and will begin her studies at UM in the Fall. Congratulations, Aubrey!

Olivia Thomas (she/her) completed her practicum placement for the Bachelor's in Social Work program at the Centre. She graduated from the Bachelor's of Social Work program in Fall 2025. Congratulations, Olivia!

🎓

This week's researcher of the week is Aimee Craft, a professor in the Faculty of Law at the University of Ottawa.

Aimée Craft is an Anishinaabe-Métis lawyer and artist from Treaty One territory. She is the co-lead for Decolonizing Water, an Indigenous led partnership committed to protection of water and Indigenous water governance. Aimée is an active member of the Speakers Bureau of the Treaty Relations Commission of Manitoba. She remains the University Research Chair in nibi miinawaa aki inaakonigewin: Indigenous governance in relationship with land and water.

In 2023, Heidi Kiiwetinepinesiik Stark, Aimée Craft and Hōkūlani K. Aikau co-edited a volune titled "Indigenous Resurgence in an Age of Reconciliation" published by University of Toronto Press.

Read more about Aimee's work by visiting https://chrr.info/person/people_network/aimee-_craft/

Join us as we host Dr. Janis Thiessen for a workshop on oral history methodology. The workshop will be held on Thursday, June 25, 2026 from 12:00 to 1:30 pm on Zoom Webinars.

Dr. Thiessen will provide an overview of oral history methodology that addresses a number of crucial questions, including: What is oral history? When should scholars use this methodology (and when should it be avoided)? How should an oral history be conducted? How should archived oral histories be used and interpreted?

All are welcome to attend. Register now at https://umanitoba.zoom.us/meeting/register/SnNV-5fMRhaeRdlNd2nVGg

The Fighting for Sustainable Empowerment (FSE) Project aimed to develop and implement a pilot pedagogical model for the empowerment of newcomer students identifying as women through a University-based feminist karate program, which combines sports karate training and feminist theoretical classes. As a part of the project, women at the University of Manitoba gather to learn karate every Saturday night with Dr. Fabiana Turelli. This short film summarizes the project through a belt ceremony held in April 2026.

Watch the video now at https://youtu.be/64c8ulZBcP0

It's not too late to donate gently used books! 📚 The CHRR is still collecting books for two local volunteer groups supporting incarcerated Manitobans and their families.

The Manitoba Library Association’s Prison Libraries Committee and the Bar None Prison Rideshare Project both believe that education, literacy, and fostering a sense of belonging do more to build healthier communities than isolation and punishment.

We are especially looking for:
- novels by bestselling authors
- popular non-fiction on topics like science, nature, current events, history, and psychology
- graphic novels
- books by Indigenous authors.

We would prefer not to receive:
- textbooks
- encyclopedias
- magazines
- non-fiction books that are out-of-date or overly academic
- books in poor condition

Most of the books will be sold at their June book sale to fund their entirely volunteer-run programming, but some will also be set aside for use in prison libraries. If you have books that you would like to donate, please drop them off at the boxes in our office in 440 Robson Hall, or contact us at [email protected].

On Friday, October 11, 2024, the CHRR supported the 2SLGBTQ+ Histories Series at the University of Manitoba for a lecture with Dr. Tom Hooper from the Department of Equity Studies in York University who spoke on “Resisting Anti-Queer and Anti-Trans Hate: Lessons from 1970s Toronto”.

Watch the video now at https://chrr.info/resource/resisting-anti-queer-and-anti-trans-hate-lessons-from-1970s-toronto-with-dr-tom-hooper/

This week's researcher of the week is Dr. Christopher Webb, who is an urban and social geographer whose work lies at the intersection of labour studies, youth livelihoods, and social policy. Christopher also currently serves as the president of MGEU Local 47.

He holds a PhD in human geography from the University of Toronto, where his research examined South Africa’s changing urban geographies in the post-apartheid era. His research—focused on labour markets, young people’s livelihood strategies, and educational mobilities—has been published in Society and Space, Geoforum, and Area among others. As a post-doctoral fellow at the London School of Economics, he worked with South African NGOs on the impact of financial technologies on social welfare systems. His current work, on the geographies of solidarity in Canada’s anti-apartheid movement, draws on oral history and archival sources to uncover the multiple meanings and spatial practices of transnational solidarity. He has taught urban geography and development studies at the University of Toronto and Carleton and his popular writing has appeared in Canadian Dimension, Jacobin, and Africa Is A Country.

In 2025, Dr. Webb contributed an article on the Canadian Dimension titled, 'Is international development dead?: The collapse of the global development agenda spells the end of ‘progressive neoliberalism’"

Read more about Dr. Webb's work by visiting https://chrr.info/person/christopher_webb/

The annual report for Just Waters for 2024-2025 is out now on our website. Swipe to see some highlights from the previous year! ➡

This year, Just Waters aims to continue supporting community-led projects and exhibitions, and engage in knowledge mobilization through events and the development of an open educational resource. To learn more about our current projects, visit our website, chrr.info/just-waters.

Access the annual report now throughhttps://chrr.info/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Just-Waters-Annual-Report-2025-2026_Website.pdf

Join Dr. Jocelyn Thorpe for a discussion with the Rivers are Connectors group following a screening of “I am the River and the River is me” on May 27. Register for a free ticket by May 13!

This week as we commemorate , we encourage folks to learn more and raise awareness about the issue of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, Two-Spirit, and gender diverse people (MMIWG2S+) in Canada. As a starting point, the CHRR created a resource guide for folks seeking to educate themselves about .

Access the resource guide through visiting https://chrr.info/resource/a-resource-guide-on-missing-and-murdered-indigenous-women-girls-two-spirit-and-gender-diverse-people-in-canada/