Human Rights Policies for an Inclusive Canada

Shaheen Azmi is Director of the Policy, Education, Monitoring and Outreach Branch at the Ontario Human Rights Commission where he has worked for more than 17 years. Prior to coming to the Commission, Shaheen completed his Ph.D. in social work from the University of Toronto. His academic research and writing has focused on the challenges of ethno-racial and religious diversity to human services, social welfare, and human rights

David Arnot has served as a Judge of the Provincial Court of Saskatchewan, the Director General of the Aboriginal Justice and Special Advisor to the Deputy Minister of Justice (Canada), the Treaty Commissioner for the Province of Saskatchewan. He is currently the Chief Commissioner for the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission and continues to promote Indigenous rights, education, and citizenship.

Cassie Palamar is the Director of Education and Engagement, with the Alberta Human Rights Commission, an independent commission of the Government of Alberta. Through the delivery of programs and services, through partnership and collaboration, and through consultative and grant support for community human rights initiatives, the Education and Engagement arm of the Commission advances the goal of creating a province where everyone can participate fully without discrimination.

The Commission is proud to be have been recognized with an Award of Excellence (2014) from the Canadian Race Relations Foundation for their partnership work with the Alberta Urban Municipalities Association (AUMA) in developing the Welcoming and Inclusive Communities (WIC) initiative. WIC’s goal is to build municipal capacity to combat racism and other forms of discrimination through developing tools and organizing events that facilitate the sharing of best practices. The initiative also provides support and information to encourage municipalities to join the Coalition of Municipalities Against Racism and Discrimination (CCMARD), and to develop plans to help them meet their commitments as a signatory.

Prior to joining the Alberta Human Rights Commission, Ms. Palamar was involved in developing the provincial network of provincial historic sites and interpretive centres in Alberta.

Mark Allen has been Executive Director of Human Rights and Indigenous Affairs Policy at Global Affairs Canada (the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development) since 2015. Prior to that, he was Canada’s Permanent Representative to the International Civil Aviation Organization in Montreal and, between 2007 and 2011, Director of International Relations at the Department of Transport. As a Canadian foreign service officer, he has served in Rwanda and the United Kingdom and has advised on Canada’s relations with the Middle East. He began his public service career as a development officer at the Canadian International Development Agency.

Ekua Quansah is Policy Counsel at the Law Society of Upper Canada, where she acts as a legal resource on equity and diversity issues to committees, task forces, working groups and advisory groups. From the University of Toronto, Ekua has an Honours Bachelor of Arts majoring in African Studies and Sociology and a Master of Arts in Sociology and Equity Studies in Education. She has a LL.B. from the University of Ottawa and was called to the Bar in Ontario in 2009.