2015 Highlights: Canada, Asia and Europe
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Peacework in Northern Ireland
On 9 December 2015, Peacemakers Trust director Ernie Fraser returned from three months at Corrymeela, Northern Ireland’s oldest peace and reconciliation organization. As part of the Centre’s leadership team, he provided leadership for the development of young adults from around the world who were engaged with community groups on matters related to healing and reconciliation.
Judges in Thailand hear about mediation in Canada
Peacemakers Trust director Catherine Morris spoke to judges and mediators of Thailand’s Intellectual Property and Trade Court on 12 November 2015 on "How legal culture and traditions shape systems and practices of mediation: Lessons from Canada” based on her 2013 chapter on mediation in Canada in a collection on Mediation in Asia-Pacific published by CCH Hong Kong.
Research & writing on Cambodia’s legal system
In 2015, Catherine Morris submitted a chapter entitled “Justice Inverted: Law and Human Rights in Cambodia” for a Handbook of Contemporary Cambodia, edited by Simon Springer and Katherine Brickell to be published by Routledge. Peacemakers Trust supported her 2014 research visit to Cambodia. The chapter discusses the impact of legal development efforts on peacebuilding and human rights in Cambodia over the past two decades.
Bibliographic and other free, web-based resources
Peacemakers Trust’s resource website received more than 150,000 visits in 2015, nearly doubling 2014’s visits.
Business, Human Rights and Conflict: New Peacemakers Trust initiative in 2015-16
Business enterprises are often involved in public policy conflicts and human rights violations. Land, water and environmental conflicts around the world are leading to increased international efforts to hold businesses accountable for upholding international human rights and environmental standards. In 2011, the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council (HRC) endorsed Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. A UN Working Group is working to increase worldwide acceptance of the Guiding Principles. In 2014, a HRC working group was tasked to draft an international treaty to regulate of transnational corporations and other business enterprises. In 2015, Peacemakers Trust began to develop online resources on business, human rights and conflict. In partnership with Lawyers’ Rights Watch Canada, Peacemakers Trust sent Catherine Morris to the November 2015 UN Forum on Business and Human Rights in Geneva to learn more about these international developments. In 2016, subject to sufficient donations, Peacemakers Trust plans to conduct case study research on business and human rights in Thailand.
Indigenous peoples in Canada
In light of findings and recommendations of Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission, Peacemakers Trust directors are in the preliminary planning stages for education on basic concepts and practices of reconciliation with at least one faith-based organization in 2016.
Thank you donors! Your gifts make it possible for Peacemakers Trust:
- To update our free, online resources for students, academics, practitioners and the public;
- To help our volunteers with their travel expenses to conduct education or research including planned case studies on business, human rights and conflict;
- To respond to invitations to conduct education on dispute resolution, conflict transformation and reconciliation.
- Thanks for your tax-deductable gifts by cheque or online through CanadaHelps https://www.canadahelps.org/dn/11293.
