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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River deltas are key to global food supply

TORONTO, January 24, 2019 鈥� 91亚色 professor is the only Canadian on an international team that will receive $17.2 million British pounds to study how to protect environmentally sensitive river deltas in South and Southeast Asia, the huge supply of food they produce and the livelihoods of local people.

Environmental degradation of the river deltas in South and Southeast Asia could deplete some of the world鈥檚 top rice and fish stocks and undermine the livelihoods of at least 40 million people.

, an assistant professor in the Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies,聽will focus on the deltas鈥� socio-ecological systems of three major rivers in South and Southeast Asia 鈥� the Mekong and Red Rivers (Cambodia and Vietnam) and the Ganges-Brahmaputra (Bangladesh).

鈥淚f we don鈥檛 do anything the food supply will be depleted, and we鈥檒l be in trouble,鈥� said Dao, a human-environment geographer and international development advocate in the Department of Social Science.

鈥淲hen you buy fish, there鈥檚 a good chance it came from the Mekong River delta both in Vietnam and Cambodia. When you buy rice, it may have come from the Mekong River delta in Vietnam which is the world鈥檚 third largest exporter of rice. The fish and rice produced in these areas were once in abundance, but the stock has dropped significantly due to various factors including saltwater intrusion, climate change, upstream dam construction, chemical overuse, water shortages and degraded soil and water.鈥�

River deltas are low-lying plains or landforms that occur at the mouth of a聽river聽near where it flows into an ocean or another larger body of water. Valued for their highly fertile soil and dense, diverse vegetation, the world鈥檚 river deltas represent one percent of the global landscape yet support over five billion people.

(UKRI) is funding Dao鈥檚 research project with a grant of $17.2 million British pounds ($30 million Canadian).

The research project, UKRI GCRF () Living Deltas Hub, led by Newcastle University will study the river deltas that are considered among the world鈥檚 most at-risk environmental and biodiversity hotspots.

This Living Deltas Hub is funded by UKRI through the Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF), which is a key component in delivering the UK AID strategy and puts UK-led research at the heart of efforts to tackle the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Dao will receive about $240,000 Canadian dollars for her research and will work with 50 other researchers from international universities and institutions including Newcastle University and Durham University in England, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, Vietnam National University and the University of Glasgow in Scotland.

鈥淭his study is unique and will be one of the most comprehensive studies covering the three river deltas,鈥� said Dao, who will be leading the project鈥檚 efforts to create sustainable development capacity and impact through gender-sensitive learning and knowledge co-creation. 鈥淲e want to create participatory research which brings together the community, policymakers, and researchers with the collective goal of sustainable development in this region based on the tangible and intangible cultural values of the people. The community鈥檚 voice needs to be heard.鈥�

Dao will lead the development of a knowledge-sharing strategy with all parties, as well as monitor, evaluate and learn strategies to enable progress in the South and Southeast Asian river deltas. She will explore opportunities for sustainable development goal-related commercial opportunities for economic advancement in the delta countries. Dao will also oversee the research teams to ensure they are delivering the right activities for the desired outcome.

Read UK Research and Innovation鈥檚 .

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91亚色 champions new ways of thinking that drive teaching and research excellence. Our 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-disciplinary programming, innovative course design and diverse experiential learning opportunities. 91亚色 students and graduates 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. Located in Toronto, 91亚色 is the third largest university in Canada, with a strong community of 53,000 students, 7,000 faculty and administrative staff, and more than 300,000 alumni.
91亚色 U's fully bilingual Glendon Campus is home to Southern Ontario's Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education.

Media Contact:聽Vanessa Thompson, 91亚色 Media Relations, 416-736-2100 ext. 22097,聽vthomps@yorku.ca

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