Human Rights Talks

Escaping Mariupol

In this episode, a Ukrainian college student shares her story of fleeing the city of Mariupol as Russian forces closed in.

We reflect on the destruction of Mariupol and examine how disinformation has warped reality in the ensuing information war being waged by Russia.

Episode 2 of a 3-part series produced in collaboration with Concordia’s Department of Journalism. 

 

Speakers:

Alexandra Postoieva, journalism student at Mariupol State University

Craig Silverman, disinformation expert and national reporter for ProPublica

Sources: AP, BBC, Debunk.org, News of Donbas, ProPublica, Reuters, Statista (Levada Center), The Moscow Times

 

Reporter: Bogdan Lytvynenko, Department of Journalism

Producer: Aphrodite Salas, MIGS John Lemieux Faculty Fellow

From Kharkiv to Montreal: Escaping War and Finding a New Home

In this episode, we follow the tumultuous journey of a Ukrainian family who fled from the frontline city of Kharkiv to start a new life in Canada.

After enduring bombings and terror amid the Russian invasion, we hear how one family was greeted with overwhelming support in Canada that made their 7,500-kilometre journey worthwhile.  

Episode 1 of a 3-part series produced in collaboration with Concordia’s Department of Journalism.

Speaker: 

Olena Martynova, Ukrainian newcomer under the CUAET program

 

To find out more about the help provided to Ukrainians in Montreal, visit Concordia’s online magazine The City: http://thecitymag.concordia.ca/home-away-from-home-ukrainian-refugees-montreal/

Reporter: Bogdan Lytvynenko, Department of Journalism

Producer: Aphrodite Salas, MIGS John Lemieux Faculty Fellow

 

Cyberviolences basées sur le genre et magnosphère: discussion avec Marianne Couture-Cossette

Dans cette discussion, Marianne Couture-Cossette et Marie Lamensch parlons de cyberviolences à caractère sexuel et basées sur le genre et de la manosphère, ainsi que de la mission de Les 3 Sex*. Marianne est vice-présidence et direction du volet sensibilisation chez Les 3 Sex*.  

 

Cet épisode fait partie de notre projet sur la Paix Numérique soutenu par Patrimoin Canada. L'initiative a pour but de contribuer aux efforts nationaux visant à comprendre et à contrer la haine en ligne.

Humanitarian Crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh

The Lachin corridor, the lifeline road connecting Nagorno-Karabakh with Armenia, has been blocked by Azerbaijiani protesters since December 12. With supplies of food and medicine in the blockaded region running low, 120,000 Armenian residents find themselves in a precarious situation, leading UNICEF to issue a statement warning about the deteriorating humanitarian situation.
 

The blockade also risks scuppering the fragile peace process between the Republic of Armenia and Azerbaijan, which have fought two wars in the past three decades. 

 

Speakers:

- Elisa von Joeden-Forgey, Endowed Chair, Department of Holocaust and Genocide Studies, Keene State College, and  Co-founder of the Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention.
- Robert Avetissian, Representative of the Republic of Artsakh in the United States.
- Gregory Stanton, Founding president and chairman of Genocide Watch.

 

This live discussion took place on Twitter Space and was moderated by Marie Lamensch, MIGS’s Project Coordinator

 

”Queering the Web”: a conversion with Dr. Stefanie Duguay

"Queering the Web": Examining Online Harms and Hate Speech Directed at 2SLGBTQIA+ Communities with Dr. Stefanie Duguay

This episode features a conversation with Dr. Stefanie Duguay, assistant professor in Communication Studies and the Concordia University Research Chair in Digital intimacy, gender, andsexuality. How do queer people express identity in digital spaces? What are the challenges that they face when navigating online harms? Explore how queer people are navigating digital spaces, and learn more about Stefanie's research (https://digslab.net).

 

This podcast is part of the Digital Peace Project, an initiative supported by Heritage Canada that aims to analyze different forms of online hate.

 

 

One year on: How Ukrainian civil society continues to resist

On the first anniversary of the war in Ukraine, join the Montreal Institute for Genocide and Human Rights Studies at Concordia University for a Twitter Spaces conversation on the resilience of Ukraine's civil society.

Speakers: 

- Oleksandra Povoroznyk, Kyiv-based translator and journalist 

- Alina Bondarenko, communications professional in Washington DC and arising expert in Ukrainian cultural diplomacy

- Anton Liagusha, dean of the Faculty of Social sciences and Humanities, Kyev School of Economics. Now Associate Professor, George Mason University. Specialist in Public History, media analysis, propaganda expert

- Katerina Sviderska, MA student at the Université de Montréal

- Moderator: Marie Lamensch, Project coordinator, MIGS

 

Fleeing Afghanistan : a discussion with filmmaker Jawad Mir

During a Twitter Space, MIGS spoke with filmmaker Jawad Mir about his movie “Citizen of Moria”, which documents the plight of filmmaker Ahmad Brahimi.

When his life comes under threat by the Taliban in Afghanistan, he leaves his family behind for survival and ends up in Europe’s worst Refugee Detention Camp, Moria. Ahmad documents the difficult living conditions endured by the refugees and his attempt to build a life on the island of Lesbos, off the coast of Greece.

 

Dr. Aylin Matlé on what the invasion of Ukraine means for Germany and NATO

Dr. Aylin Matlé on what the invasion of Ukraine means for Germany and NATO. Dr. Matlé has been a research fellow in the German Council on Foreign Relations' Security and Defense Program since March 2022.

Previously, she worked as deputy head of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung’s Israel office in Jerusalem. Prior to that, she was a research associate for the chair of international relations and European politics at the Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg.

This is part of our Global Parliamentary Alliance Against Atrocity Crimes, a project supported by the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung Canada.

Oleksandra Matviichuk on the work of the Center for Civil Liberties in Ukraine

As part of MIGS’s Global Parliamentary Alliance Against Atrocity Crimes, Project coordinator Marie Lamensch spoke with Oleksandra Matviichuk, the head of the Center for Civil Liberties. Oleksandra talks about the organization’s efforts to collect evidence of war crimes and crimes against humanity, and why she hopes that their efforts will have an impact on the global justice system. The Center for Civil Liberties is the recipient of the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize.

#TwitterSpace : Elon Musk buying Twitter: what does it mean for online hate?

A Twitter Spaces conversation on the implications of Elon Musk’s acquisition of Twitter for the spread of disinformation, hate speech and other online harms.

Speakers:

- Dr. Emma L. Briant, British scholar and academic researcher on media, contemporary propaganda, surveillance and information warfare, and Visiting Research Associate in Human Rights, Bard College.

- David Troy, researcher, technologist, and investor interested in hybrid warfare and threats to democracy, and Fellow at Future Frontlines at New America.

- Peter MacLeod, co-founder and principal of Mass LBP, and leading expert in public engagement and deliberative democracy.

- Yaqiu Wang, Senior China researcher at Human Rights Watch, working on issues including internet censorship, freedom of expression, protection of civil society and human rights defenders, and women’s rights.

- Prof. Taylor Owen, Beaverbrook Chair in Media, Ethic and Communications, and the founding director of the Centre for Media, Technology and Democracy at McGill University.

The discussion is moderated by MIGS' Project Coordinator Marie Lamensch and Project Leader Lauren Salim.