Chasing wrongs, defending rights

A conversation with world-changing activist Elaine Pearson

October 30, 2024

In the Sri Lankan city Vavuniya in 2017, Elaine Pearson meets with Tamil mothers protesting the enforced disappearance of their children during Sri Lanka's civil war. Partially obscured.

Credit: Courtesy of Elaine Pearson

Event details

Cost:
Free
Location:
Manitoba Teachers’ Society Classrooms, Canadian Museum for Human Rights, Level 1
Schedule:

Wednesday, October 30, 2024
Meet‐and‐greet from 6:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. 
Talk and Q&A from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Language and Accessibility:
The program is in English. Event space is accessible and located on one level. Gender-inclusive washrooms available.

Join us for a conversation with Elaine Pearson, the director of Human Rights Watch’s Asia Division and author of Chasing Wrongs and Rights (2022). For over 20 years, Elaine has been on the forefront of defending human rights. She has documented human rights violations throughout Asia — from human trafficking in Nepal to the “drug war” in the Philippines, from the atrocities of war in Sri Lanka to the over‐imprisonment of Indigenous Australians — and will offer insight into the progress on human rights protection and the work that urgently needs to be done.

Elaine will share personal accounts of her experience conducting interviews in prisons, navigating cultural differences and diversity, and provoking change through documentation and advocacy.

The conversation will also draw connections between issues in the Asia region and challenges and successes in Canada, and the important role human rights stories play in inspiring young people to work for social justice and bring change to their communities and beyond.

Learn more: Elaine Pearson talks about her book in this YouTube video.

This free public event is open to all. Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions. Registration is recommended. 

Meet‐and‐greet: 6:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Please note that this program is subject to change or cancellation without notice.

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