Teach-in with Professor John Packer

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Foreign states are increasingly violating Canadian sovereignty, territorial integrity, and the safety and freedom of people within our borders. This global phenomenon, rapidly expanding and impacting over half the world's countries, sees repressive acts ranging from travel constraints and property confiscation to detentions, torture, and assassination. Most insidiously, these hostile foreign powers are using extortion and covert measures to silence critical voices and eliminate basic freedoms.

The targets are vast, including activists-in-exile, independent voices, journalists, civil servants, and parliamentarians. Alarmingly, Canada's approximately 4 million dual nationals are particularly vulnerable to these foreign laws and repressive acts.

Join us for this Teach-In addressing Transnational Repression, an urgent threat to Canadian security and democracy,  with one of Canada’s leading human rights voices, Professor John Packer.

Currently, Canada isn't doing enough to respond to these growing threats. Professor Packer will give a clear "Call to Action," explaining simple, concrete steps for Canada to improve its defense. This includes appointing a dedicated person in the Privy Council, setting up a working group across different government departments, and joining a new international agreement called the Council of Europe Convention on Transnational Repression.

Key Details

  • Date: Monday June 8

  • Location: 

    • In Person: University of Alberta - HM Tory 12-15 (the PoliSci Co-Lab Space)

    • Online Via Zoom

  • Schedule:

    • 10 am - noon: Teach-in (hybrid)

    • noon - 2 pm: Lunch and Networking (in person) 

The John Humphrey Centre for Peace and Human Rights thanks the University of Alberta via Dominique Clément and the  Government of Canada, CSMARI Program and New Horizons for Seniors Program for making this event possible. 

Speaker Spotlight: Professor John Packer

Professor Packer is a Professor of International Law at the University of Ottawa. He is recognized as one of Canada’s leading human rights voices with over 35 years of professional experience in international human rights, diplomacy, and security.

Highlights of his career include:

  • United Nations: Served as the Constitutions and Process Design Expert on the UN’s Standby Team of Mediation Experts (2012-2014).

  • International Human Rights: Held the inaugural Neuberger-Jesin Professor of International Conflict Resolution and served as Director of the Human Rights Research and Education Centre at uOttawa (2014-2025).

  • Diplomacy and Security: Was the Legal Adviser and then first Director of the Office of the High Commissioner on National Minorities of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (1995 to 2004).

  • Expertise: A frequent consultant advising numerous governments and NGOs on matters of peace and security, conflict prevention and resolution, diversity management, constitutional reform, and peace process design for inter-ethnic conflicts.

Neximar AlarconHuman Rights Education, Human Rights