Rt. Hon. Adrienne Clarkson to open symposium on international refugees
The Rt. Hon. Adrienne Clarkson will deliver the keynote address during a symposium at York University on Monday, October 17, focused on creative responses to the large-scale, forced displacement of people in many parts of the world.
The Re-imagining Refuge event is part of a Universities Canada speaker’s series called Mindshare: Inspired thinking for real action. Organized by York University and York’s Centre for Refugee Studies in collaboration with Universities Canada, the symposium will bring together professors, researchers, and students who are studying the issue of international refuge as a global challenge, along with government officials, community leaders and members of organizations working with refugees.
Mme. Clarkson, who came to Canada from Hong Kong as a refugee in 1942, rose through the broadcasting industry and public sector to become Governor General of Canada from 1999 to 2005.
 A panel of speakers with local, national, and international perspectives and expertise will re-imagine how Canadians and others can go beyond humanitarian aid for refugees to focus on offering these individuals opportunities for development. The symposium will also explore innovative ways to achieve a more secure, equitable and sustainable world that recognizes refugees’ rights and their capacity to contribute to society.
List of speakers (bios):
- Hon. Adrienne Clarkson
- Mary Jo Leddy, founder of Toronto’s Romero House
- Loly Rico, Co-director, FCJ Refugee Centre and President, Canadian Council for Refugees
- Professor Jennifer Hyndman, Director of York University’s CRS
- Mamdouh Shoukri, President, York University
- Professor Susan McGrath, former director of the CRS
WHAT: Re-imagining Refuge: Toward equitable and sustainable communities
WHEN: Monday, October 17, 2016, 1-4:30pm
WHERE: Glendon campus, York University, Room A100, Centre of Excellence (Bayview Ave at Lawrence Ave East)
PROGRAM: http://president.yorku.ca/mindshare
York University is known for championing new ways of thinking that drive teaching and research excellence. Our students receive the education they need to create big ideas that make an impact on the world. Meaningful and sometimes unexpected careers result from cross-discipline programming, innovative course design and diverse experiential learning opportunities. York students and graduates push limits, achieve goals and find solutions to the world’s most pressing social challenges, empowered by a strong community that opens minds. York U is an internationally recognized research university – our 11 faculties and 26 research centres have partnerships with 200+ leading universities worldwide. Located in Toronto, York is the third largest university in Canada, with a strong community of 53,000 students, 7,000 faculty and administrative staff, and more than 295,000 alumni.
York U's fully bilingual Glendon campus is home to Southern Ontario's Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education.Â
Media Contact:
Janice Walls, Media Relations, York University, 416 736 2100 x22101 / wallsj@yorku.ca
