The John Humphrey Centre for Peace and Human Rights
Mar 06, 2023 12:00 PM
Renée Vaugeois, Executive Director
The John Humphrey Centre for Peace and Human Rights

2023 marks a landmark year for human rights as the 75th Anniversary of the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In this session, we will reflect on the origins of the Declaration, how far we have come, how far we have to go, and the important role that human rights plays in building peaceful and inclusive communities. Human rights are an important tool for building peace and the John Humphrey Centre for Peace and Human Rights uses the framework of human rights to advance dignity, justice, peace and freedom. Big plans are underway for 2023 to elevate and amplify human rights. In this session,we will share ways that the Centre is creating movements and action and the possibilities for Rotary to engage. 

Renée Vaugeois has been leading the John Humphrey Centre for Peace and Human Rights (JHC) as Executive Director since 2005. She has taken on a number of other leadership roles to build and strengthen organizations such as the Alberta Hate Crimes Committee, the Coalition for Justice and Human Rights, Righting Relations Canada, Women in International Security Studies Canada, Ainembabazi Children’s Project, and GUUTO Mothers Cooperative. She has over two decades of experience leading the innovation and development of community-based as well as rights-based approaches to address systemic and individual human rights issues while also strengthening community connection and collaboration.

Renée has her Master of Arts in Political Science from the University of Alberta, is a Hate Crimes Trainer certified from the Ontario Provincial Police, a Peace Circle Facilitator,  educator, writer and mother.  She has been recognized for exemplary leadership and ability to mobilize collective and grassroots action, and inform and impact institutional level change here in Canada (e.g., Outstanding Peace Advocate, Top 40 under 40, UofA Advocacy Award, Intercultural Dialogue Institute Youth and Social Media Award, Aboriginal Relations Award), as well as internationally (e.g., Ram Krishna Bajaj Memorial Global Award). In April of 2020 she was the one of the first recipients of the provincial Northern Lights Recognition program for her work leading the YEG Community Response to COVID19 effort.