TORONTO, March 17, 1997 -- Osgoode Hall Law School of York University will be home to Canada's first centre for the study of organized crime and corruption, which has been generously endowed by Mark Nathanson, Dean Marilyn Pilkington announced at a news conference today.

Pilkington paid tribute to Mr. Nathanson who donated $3 million to endow The Jack and Mae Nathanson Centre for the Study of Organized Crime and Corruption at Osgoode Hall Law School of York University.

"The Nathanson Centre will help fill an urgent need for research, policy development, law reform and education in the field of organized crime and corruption," said Pilkington. "I want to thank Mr. Nathanson for his generosity, his intellectual curiosity, and his commitment to supporting academic research," she said.

Nathanson, a 50-year-old international businessman with a long-standing interest in security, policing and corruption issues, is Co-chairman and Director of International African Mining Gold Corporation (IAMGOLD) and Chairman and CEO of International FIA (Forensic Investigative Associates) Holdings Company Ltd. He spent the past 25 years working with governments around the world in the security and communications sector. The Centre is named in memory of his parents.

"I've always had a passion to unveil what's hidden," Nathanson said. "Openness and knowledge in themselves are defences against corruption. I firmly believe that we need more research on organized crime and corruption, domestic and international. We need to understand the conditions in which it flourishes and the means by which it can be controlled."

"I chose to endow the Centre at Osgoode Hall Law School because of the outstanding reputation of its faculty for innovative legal research and policy development, its commitment to interdisciplinary research, and its expertise in criminal law, policing, banking, commercial law, and international law. York's strengths in criminology, economics, political science, sociology and business made the choice easy and obvious," said Nathanson.

Dr. Margaret Beare, a professor of Criminology at York University and author of Criminal Conspiracies, Organized Crime in Canada (1996), is the Centre's first director. She said the Centre will examine such issues as how organized crime and corruption has been affected by increased globalization, the Internet, and political changes in Europe, Russia and Hong Kong. She said researchers will assess the effectiveness of Canadian law, procedure and enforcement and comparethe Canadian approach with that of other countries. It will be important, for example, to identify the reasons why money laundering has proliferated in Canada and to analyze the effectiveness of specificenforcement strategies in curtailing organized crime.

Beare said the Centre breaks new ground in Canada. "Canada has not had a tradition of turning to the academic community for input on public policy development in curtailing organized crime and corruption. I hope the work of this Centre will begin that tradition. Academic research that is both excellent and relevant can contribute to policy development, help create a new body of professional researchers in this area and draw on the expertise and experience of individuals, community groups, journalists, police, and others," she said.

Pilkington said one of the Centre's strengths is its Advisory Board whose membership is as diverse as it is distinguished. From civil libertarian Alan Borovoy to Ontario Chief Justice Roy McMurtry to Metro Chief of Police David Boothby, the Centre's board includes journalists, senior government advisors, lawyers and policy makers, and leaders in the financial and policing world. The Nathanson Centre is also linked to other international research institutes, non-governmental organizations, and to top experts in accountancy and forensic investigation.

Pilkington said the first Nathanson Graduate Fellowships, which are funded from the endowment, will be awarded this spring and will encourage new researchers to enter this field.

"By developing programs for undergraduate and graduate students, for professionals, and for the public, the Nathanson Centre will help promote public awareness and education on the impact of organized crime and corruption,"Pilkington said.

York University President Dr. Susan Mann reiterated the significance of the Nathanson endowment. "This generous and important gift will enable us to continue to attract the finest students and scholars from around the world and reinforce York University's reputation as a leading North American institution of higher learning."

Nathanson's donation is an important contribution to the National Campaign for York University which aims to raise $100 million by the year 2,000.

For more information, please contact:

Sine MacKinnon
Senior Advisor for Media Relations
(416) 736-2100, ext. 22087
YU/027/97

"I am excited by the prospect of a centre entirely devoted to the study of organized crime and corruption, and particularly the goal of having the Centre's work inform policy and assist enforcement activities throughout Canada. As both a Federal and Ontario prosecutor, I am keenly aware of the impact of organized crime on the safety of our communities and of the need for focused and co-ordinated work to combat it."
Graham Reynolds, Asst. Deputy Attorney General
Criminal Law/Member of Advisory Board

"The Centre will be a place where the debate about different approaches to attacking organized crime can be more focused and philosophical. It will be very helpful to bring some intellectual discipline to the area of business crime. Often, people in law enforcement are so busy killing the alligators, we don't have time to look at draining the swamp. Just coming up with the definition of organized crime has been elusive."
Norman Inkster
President, KPMG Investigations and Security Inc.
Former RCMP Commissioner, former President of Interpol

"The idea of involving civil libertarians in the Nathanson Centre for the Study of Organized Crime and Corruption is to ensure that the battle against organized crime focuses not only on the adoption of effective measures, but also on the avoidance of excessive measures."
Alan Borovoy
General Counsel, Canadian Civil Liberties Association
Member of Advisory Board

"In recent years, the Canadian financial community has been targeted by several organized criminal groups operating within Canada and internationally. These criminal groups are directly responsible for the ever increasing and most disturbing fraud losses to our industry. It is initiatives like the Nathanson Centre for the Study of Organized Crime and Corruption that will assist the members of the Canadian Bankers Association to better understand the criminal element and to develop programs and partnerships to reduce our exposure to fraud."
Raymond Protti, President & CEO, Cdn Bankers Assoc.
Member of Advisory Board

"Organized crime is a criminal problem, not an ethnic problem. Only an organization like this centre, which brings together such diverse views, experiences and expertise, can put the phenomenon of organized crime and corruption into its proper perspective."
Antonio Nicaso, journalist/author
Co-editor, Corriere Canadese/Member of Advisory Board

"The Nathanson Centre represents a growing academic interest in the study of organized crime and corruption. A multi-disciplinary approach is necessary to get a better understanding and greater control. The creation of the Centre will enrich and invigorate police efforts against organized crime and will be welcomed by the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police."
Tonita Murray, Special Advisor, Cdn. Assoc. Of Chiefs of Police
Member of Advisory Board

I'm sure there are a thousand things we can learn by collectively bringing together people who are turning their minds to the problems of organized crime in an organized way. The justice system, lawyers, police and academics all bring different expertise and knowledge to the table."
Chris Lewis, Director, Criminal Intelligence Service Ontario