| Date | Time | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Friday, November 23, 2012 | 2:00PM - 4:00PM | Seminar Room 108N, Munk School of Global Affairs 1 Devonshire Place |
North Korea Research Group Seminar
In recent years, Toronto has emerged as an important destination for North Korean refugees. Yet, information about North Korean refugees in Toronto remains scarce and unreliable. This presents us with an incomplete picture of how the refugees interact with the government, NGOs, and the Toronto community at large. Dr. James C. Simeon, Director of the Centre for Refugee Studies at York University, will start the conversation with an overview of Canada’s refugee policies and present issues they face – with a particular focus on Toronto. Next, the Director of the Romero House, Dr. Mary Jo Leddy will compare the situation of North Korean refugees in Canada to refugees of other nationalities. She will also discuss the involvement of religious organizations in the settlement of refugees in Toronto. Lastly, HanVoice Executive Director Randall Baran-Chong will present his NGO’s advocacy for North Korean refugees in Toronto. This workshop will address the current situation of North Korean refugees in Toronto in the context of the overall status of refugee issues in Canada.
Dr. James C. Simeon is the Acting Director at the Center for Refugee Studies at York University, Toronto, and Associate Professor in the School of Public Policy and Administration at the Faculty of Liberal Arts. He was previously Executive Director of the International Association of Refugee Law Judiges, and he served on the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada. Dr. Simeon specializes in Public Policy and Administration, International Refugee Law, International Human Rights Law, International Humanitarian Law. He holds a Ph.D from York University.
Dr. Mary Jo Leddy is the Director of the Romero House Community for Refugees, based in Toronto. The organization assists with the resettlement of refugees and provides advocacy services to more than 6,000 individuals and families. Dr. Leddy is also a lecturer at Regis College, UofT, an accomplished author, and a member of the Order of Canada. She is the author of At the Border Called Hope: Where Refugees Are Neighbors, which was a finalist of the 1997 Trillium Award. She holds a Ph.D from the University of Toronto.
Mr. Randall Baran-Chong is the Executive Director of HanVoice, a Toronto-based NGO that works in advocacy and awareness about North Korean refugees in Canada. The organization is the largest Canadian NGO operating in this field. Mr. Baran-Chong is also a board member of the Chinese Canadian National Council (Toronto chapter). He was Chair of the 10th International Conference on North Korean Human Rights and Refugees, the largest of its kind in 2010. He is a Manager at nD Insight, a management consultancy, and holds a degree in Economics and Latin American Studies from the University of Toronto.
If you are attending a Munk School event and require accommodation(s), please email the event contact listed above to make appropriate arrangements.
Disclaimer: Please note that events posted on this website are considered to be public events – unless otherwise stated – and you are choosing to enter a space where your image and/or voice may be captured as part of event proceedings that may be made public as part of a broadcast, webcast, or publication (online and in print). We make every effort to ensure your personal information is kept and used in compliance with the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA). If you have any questions please get in touch with our office at munkschool@utoronto.ca or 416-946-8900.