The Hearts of Freedom exhibition and Passage to Freedom documentary spotlight first-hand accounts of those who fled wars, and the Canadians who helped them

TORONTO, Sept. 17, 2024 鈥� During the tumultuous war-torn period of the Vietnam War, the Cambodian Genocide, and the Laotian Civil War, millions fled their countries to seek asylum abroad. A new exhibition at 91亚色鈥檚 Osgoode Hall Law School, 鈥溾�� (HOF), and documentary, Passage to Freedom, commemorates the lives of those who resettled in Canada.

Running Sept. 13 through Oct. 14, the HOF exhibition is on display at the main entrance of Osgoode Hall Law School Library. Passage to Freedom, by director Sheila Petzold, will be screened during the official opening of the exhibition on Sept. 24 at Helliwell Centre in Osgoode Hall Law School from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The free event is open to the public.

鈥淚t is remarkable that all those Southeast Asian refugees who arrived in Canada during the 1970s and 1980s quickly adapted to their new country and have made outstanding contributions to Canadian society. Many Canadians are unaware of their individual stories of resilience and how they enriched Canadian society in so many ways. Our exhibition and documentary film help to educate Canadians about this very important period in their country鈥檚 history,鈥� says Stephanie Phetsamay Stobbe, creator and curator of the HOF exhibition as well as researcher for the broader Hearts of Freedom project, and Passage to Freedom documentary.

In 1979 and 1980 alone, some 60,000 Southeast Asian refugees arrived in Canada, according to . In total, over 200,000 Vietnamese, Cambodian, and Laotian refugees landed here. Canada welcomed the highest rate per capita among all countries accepting such refugees. It was the single largest resettlement of refugees in Canadian history. This period has been described as a turning point in our country鈥檚 immigration policy and the positive humanitarian response by Canadians reflected a change in attitude towards refugees. In 1986, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) awarded the people of Canada the Nansen Medal for their exceptional contribution to refugee protection. It鈥檚 the only time that the Nansen Medal has been awarded to citizens of any country.

As a young child, Stobbe was one of those refugees who resettled in Canada with her family. Like many other Southeast Asian refugees, she attained a distinguished and successful career. President of the Canadian Association for Refugees and Forced Migration Studies (CARFMS) and a professor of conflict resolution studies at the Canadian Mennonite University鈥檚 Redekop School of Business in Winnipeg, Stobbe is a highly regarded and respected academic and researcher in the field of peace and conflict studies. She will be one of the principal guest speakers at the opening event on Sept. 24, taking attendees on a guided tour of the exhibition and leading discussion on the documentary film.

Passage to Freedom weaves together archival news stories, wartime footage and interviews with former refugees and Canadian immigration officials. The documentary is the result of years of work and 173 interviews conducted by the . Three interview teams and four community coordinators spoke with people who, between 1975 and 1985, escaped the horrors of war and made their way, first, to refugee camps in Hong Kong, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines before Canada, as well as those who assisted them.

HOF has been touring across the country, making stops at the Senate of Canada in Ottawa, the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau, the Canadian Immigration Museum at Pier 21 in Halifax and the Manitoba Museum in Winnipeg, as well as at university campuses and other venues.

鈥淚t is wonderful to see how well our exhibition and film have been received and celebrated right across Canada,鈥� says Stobbe.

Ties to 91亚色

A distinguished philosopher from 91亚色, the late Professor Howard Adelman was an early pioneer in the new discipline of refugee studies and one of its most influential scholars, activists, and policymakers. The founder and head of Operation Lifeline, he helped bring thousands of Southeast Asians to Canada through the Canadian Private Sponsorship of Refugees Program in the 1970s and 鈥�80s.

Adelman also established the Centre for Refugee Studies (CRS) at 91亚色, one of the world鈥檚 leading research centers of its kind. Each year the CRS holds its annual Howard Adelman Lecture in honour of its founding director. There will be an opportunity to recognize Professor Adelman鈥檚 contributions to 91亚色 and Canada at the opening of the exhibition.

For more information, see the Hearts of Freedom . To reserve your free ticket, visit .

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May 26, 2016聽鈭捖燭he North American premiere of the documentary And Still We Rise,by 91亚色 professor and filmmaker Nancy Nicol, will take place on June 5, 2016, as a part of the Inside Out Toronto LGBT Film Festival. The film follows Nicol鈥檚 co-director Richard Lusimbo, (Research Director, Sexual Minorities Uganda) who was outed by Ugandan media, as he explores the resistance to and impact of the Anti-Homosexuality Act in Uganda.
The film intertwines analysis of the Anti-Homosexuality Act, which criminalized 鈥榩romotion鈥� of homosexuality, with accounts of the impact of the Act that led to hateful media attacks, clinic closures, arrests, human rights violations and mob violence, as well as community resistance to this persecution and violence.
And Still We Risewas created by Envisioning Global LGBT Human Rights in partnership with Sexual Minorities Uganda.

The premiere will be followed by a panel including:

Nancy Nicol, co-director with Richard Lusimbo, of And Still We Rise
Junic Wambya, former executive director of Freedom and Roam Uganda,
Carol Kaara, director of photography
Sizwe Alexandre Inkingi, community member

What: And Still We Rise film screening
Where: TIFF Bell Lightbox, 350 King Street W. Toronto
When: Sun. June 5, 2016, at 2:15pm
To view film in advance: Contact Media Relations at 91亚色

91亚色 has always been known for championing new ways of thinking that drive teaching and research excellence. Our 52,000 students receive the education they need to create big ideas that make an impact on the world. Meaningful and sometimes unexpected careers result from cross-discipline programming, innovative course design and diverse experiential learning opportunities. 91亚色 students and our 283,000 alumni worldwide push limits, achieve goals and find solutions to the world鈥檚 most pressing social challenges, empowered by a strong community that opens minds. 91亚色 U is an internationally recognized research university 鈥� our 11 faculties and 25 research centres have partnerships with 200+ leading universities worldwide.

Media Contact:
Janice Walls, Media Relations, 91亚色, 416 736 2100 ext. 22101 / wallsj@yorku.ca

The post 91亚色 U prof鈥檚 documentary shows the impact of and resistance to Uganda鈥檚 Anti-Homosexuality Act appeared first on News@91亚色.