Human Rights Talks

The Real-Life Impact of Transnational Repression: Iranian activist Maryam Shafipour Speaks Out

Today on the podcast, we speak to Iranian human rights activist Maryam Shafipour about Iranian-Canadians who say they are being threatened and monitored by affiliates of the Iranian regime in Canada. 

Following seven months of pre-trial detention in Evin Prison, Maryam was sentenced to seven years in prison in March 2014. She was released after 2 years and found refuge in North America where she continues her activism. 

This episode is part of a special project supported by the Department of Canadian Heritage. Titled Digital Defenders Initiative, the aim of the project is to uncover transnational repression and foreign manipulation campaigns in Canada, and their impact on the diaspora. 

Messaging Apps and the Spread of Disinformation

In this episode of Human Rights Talks, we talk to Samuel Woolley, the Dietrich Endowed Chair in Disinformation Studies at the University of Pittsburgh. Samuel talks about the role of encrypted messaging apps in spreading mis-and disinformation, how it impacts diaspora communities in particular and democracy more generally, and how some organizations are fighting back.

Samuel Woolley is a writer and researcher specializing in the study of automation/artificial intelligence, emergent technology, politics, persuasion and social media. He is currently the Dietrich Endowed Chair in Disinformation Studies at the University of Pittsburgh. Previously he founded the Propaganda Research Lab, Center for Media Engagement at The University of Texas at Austin. He also founded and directed the Digital Intelligence Lab at the Institute for the Future, a 50-year-old think tank based in the heart of Silicon Valley. He also cofounded and directed the research team at the Computational Propaganda Project at the Oxford Internet Institute, University of Oxford. He has written on political manipulation of technology for a variety of publications including Wired, The Atlantic, Motherboard VICE, TechCrunch, The Guardian, Quartz and Slate. His work has been presented to members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the US Congress, the UK Parliament and to numerous private entities and civil society organizations. 

Digital Transnational Repression in Canada: When the Chinese Government Targets the Diaspora

In this episode of Human Rights Talks, we talk to Samuel Cooper about how the Chinese government and Chinese officials and proxies engage n transnational repression in Canada

Sam Cooper is an award-winning investigative journalist and best-selling author, who has presented his anti-corruption findings to Canadian law enforcement agencies, officials in the Pentagon, financial and legal professionals, and academics. He was a reporter for The Province and Vancouver Sun in British Columbia, and Global News in Ottawa. He has won a number of awards for narrative reporting and his first book in titled "Wilful Blindness. 

This episode is part of a special project supported by the Department of Canadian Heritage. Titled Digital Defenders Initiative, the aim of the project is to uncover transnational repression and foreign manipulation campaigns in Canada, and their impact on the diaspora. 

Digital Diasporas, Messaging Apps and the Transnational Disinformation Threats

In this episode of Human Rights Talks, Shelly Ghai Bajaj (University of Waterloo) talks about the use of chat apps by diaspora communities in Canada. Shelly explores the flow, spread, and transfer of mis/disinformation on private chat and closed direct messaging apps among ethnocultural diasporic communities. Whether its about public health or politics, transnational disinformation creates multiple challenges for communities and for democracy. 

Shelly Ghai Bajaj (Ph.D., University of Toronto, 2022) is a Postdoctoral Fellow working with Dr. Bessma Momani on projects relating to identity, democracy, disinformation, and social media. She studies comparative politics of both developing and advanced industrial democracies and is interested in the politics of identity and ethnonationalist mobilization, political parties and party strategy, the use of social media by political actors, and South Asian politics

 

Répression transnationale et influence étrangère au Canada

Dans cette discussion avec Fanny Tan, journaliste techno et chercheure à l'Observatoire des conflits multidimensionnels à la Chaire Raoul Dandurand de l'Uqam, nous parlons de la repression transnational et des campagnes de manipulation étrangère au Canada. Ce balado se fait dans le cadre d'un projet soutenu par Patrimoine Canada intitulé "Initiative des défenseurs du numérique". 

Veuillez noter que le MIGS se nomme désormais le Centre Montreal pour la Sécurite Globale

Behind the curtain: Beijing’s role in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine'

In the lead up to the Montreal International Security Summit on China and the Indo-Pacific, which will take place on 16-17 October, MIGS hosted a X Spaces discussion with Maria Shagina (Diamond-Brown Senior Research Fellow, IISS) and Dr Justyna Szczudlik (Head of Asia Pacific Programme, PISM). This is a podcast episode version of the discussion. 

China’s Digital Silk Road: from technology to repression

In the lead up to the Montreal International Security Summit, which will take place on 16-17 October, MIGS hosted a X Spaces discussion on China and the Indo-Pacific with Michael Caster (Asia Digital program Manager, Article 19). 

APT31: the Chinese hacking group behind a global cyber espionage campaign

In the lead up to the Montreal International Security Summit, which will take place on 16-17 October, MIGS is hosting a series of X Spaces discussions on China and the Indo-Pacific.

We spoke to EU MEP Reinhard Bütikofer (the Greens) and Canadian MP John McKay (Liberal Party) about the APT31, a China-nexus cyber espionage group behind a large-scale cyber espionage campaign against parliamentarians and activists. 

Transnational Repression: The Long Arm of Authoritarianism

In the lead up to the Montreal International Security Summit, which will take place on 16-17 October, MIGS is hosting a series of X Spaces discussions on China and the Indo-Pacific. 

In this discussion, we speak with Laura Harth (Digital Defenders) and Luke de Pulford (Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China) about the Chinese government's transnational repression around the globe and what democratic governments should do to confront this challenge.

This series of discussion is produced thanks to the support of the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung Canada.

Safeguarding Democracy: Exposing China's Foreign Interference

In the lead up to the Montreal International Security Summit, which will take place on 16-17 October, MIGS is hosting a series of X Spaces discussions on China and the Indo-Pacific.

On 24 April, MIGS hosted Chinese-Canadian journalist and human rights activist Sheng Xue and Canadian journalist Sam Cooper to discuss China's foreign interference campaigns in Canada. The discussion was moderated by Kyle Matthews, MIGS' Executive Director.

With the support of the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung Canada.