In the complex tapestry of rights and liberties, we encounter a troubling paradox: rights, enshrines in treaties, constitutions and customary law, are often categorizes into neat silos. Yet the lives reality of human experience is messy, complex and indivisible. The right to education is undermines in the absence of health or a home; freedom of speech is hollow without freedom from fear. In the space between theory in law and its translation to lived experience, rights are too often out of reach for the most in need.
It is in that space, between theory and lived experience, that at the University of Ottawa, the Observatory on Human Rights at the UN is established - a bridge and beacon, guided by the principles of indivisibility, complementarity, and mutual reinforcement between rights for all their holders without distinction.
Its mission: to support the development of human rights with targeted research and analysis, to innovate legal education by bridging the gap between theory and practice, and to empower civil society and the general public through knowledge democratization.
Here, guided by Dr. Pascale Fournier - Chair of the Observatory - and UN human rights expert Dr. Ibrahim Salama - Associate Director - students become active participants in the holistic realization of rights. Their research isn't confined to theoretical exercises; through exchanges of experience with practitioners and authentic engagement in real-world situations, they delve into the complexities of human rights law, not in isolation, but as experienced by those whose rights are at stake.
Within the Observatory, Pilots - exceptional individuals whose inspiring careers have impacted Canada and the world - mentor students as they navigate their experiential research project, showing by example what leadership looks like. Collaborators also contribute to the learning of the students through conferences and articles, drawing from their rich experience working with human rights. With the knowledge they acquire, students then present to relevant UN monitoring mechanisms of treaty bodies, and are tasked to creatively disseminate to civil society and the general public.
From film screenings and podcasts to conferences and public lectures, their work speaks across divides, sparks dialogue and inspires action. The creative media projects they create in the Observatory aim to make human rights increasingly familiar, practical knowledge for all, generating a real impact on society.
In doing so, students will journey from the pavilions of United Nation in Geneva, alighting along the way in the Telfer School of Management at the University of Ottawa, Leadership Academy, HRREC - Human Rights Research and Education Center and the LRIDE - Interdisciplinary Research Laboratory on the Rights of the Child.
The Observatory for Human Rights at the UN is not just one more institution; it's a collaborative story about the power of knowledge-sharing, bridging divides and working hand in hand toward a world in which human rights are neither silos nor ideals but a reality for all. It's a commitment to democratizing knowledge, translating research into accessible formats that empower everyone to become active participants in the conversation about, and fulfillment of, all rights together.
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