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The Pilots
Who They Are
Our esteemed Pilots - a group of accomplished professionals from diverse fields who serve as mentors and advisors to the Observatory. Their expertise and guidance enrich our interdisciplinary approach and ensure our work remains grounded in practical realities.
The Honourable Nicholas Kasirer
The Honourable Nicholas Kasirer graduated from McGill University in 1985 with a Bachelor of Civil Law and a Bachelor of Laws, following a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Toronto. In 1986, he completed a postgraduate Diplôme d’études approfondies in International Law at Université Paris I (Panthéon-Sorbonne). After clerking for the Honourable Jean Beetz of the Supreme Court of Canada, he became a member of the Barreau du Québec in 1987.
From 1989 to 2009, the Honourable Kasirer was a professor at McGill University’s Faculty of Law, where he taught in several fields, including the law of obligations, property law, family law, and wills and estates law in both civil and common law. He was also a visiting professor at various universities, including the Université Paris I (Panthéon-Sorbonne). He served as Dean of the Faculty of Law at McGill University from 2003 to 2009.
The Honourable Kasirer held the James McGill Chair from 2002 to 2009 and directed the Paul-André Crépeau Centre for Private and Comparative Law from 1996 to 2003. He has authored over a hundred publications in a variety of fields, including civil law, comparative law, and jurilinguistics.
Since 1990, the Honourable Kasirer has been secretary and member of the Editorial Committee of the Private Law Dictionary / Dictionnaire de droit privé at the Faculty of Law at McGill University. He is a member of the editorial committees of the Revue du Notariat, the Revue de droit de l’Université de Sherbrooke, the Louisiana State University Journal of Civil Law Studies, the ISAIDAT Law Review of Turin (Italy) and the Revue internationale de droit comparé in Paris.
In 2009, he was appointed Justice of the Court of Appeal of Quebec. During the last 10 years, he has rendered many judgments in various fields, such as private law, criminal law, and public law, including constitutional law.
Since 2006, he has been a Titular Member of the International Academy of Comparative Law (Paris). In 2012, the Université de Sherbrooke awarded him an honorary doctorate in law. In 2008, he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada.
The Honourable Nicholas Kasirer was appointed to the Supreme Court of Canada on September 16, 2019.
From 1989 to 2009, the Honourable Kasirer was a professor at McGill University’s Faculty of Law, where he taught in several fields, including the law of obligations, property law, family law, and wills and estates law in both civil and common law. He was also a visiting professor at various universities, including the Université Paris I (Panthéon-Sorbonne). He served as Dean of the Faculty of Law at McGill University from 2003 to 2009.
The Honourable Kasirer held the James McGill Chair from 2002 to 2009 and directed the Paul-André Crépeau Centre for Private and Comparative Law from 1996 to 2003. He has authored over a hundred publications in a variety of fields, including civil law, comparative law, and jurilinguistics.
Since 1990, the Honourable Kasirer has been secretary and member of the Editorial Committee of the Private Law Dictionary / Dictionnaire de droit privé at the Faculty of Law at McGill University. He is a member of the editorial committees of the Revue du Notariat, the Revue de droit de l’Université de Sherbrooke, the Louisiana State University Journal of Civil Law Studies, the ISAIDAT Law Review of Turin (Italy) and the Revue internationale de droit comparé in Paris.
In 2009, he was appointed Justice of the Court of Appeal of Quebec. During the last 10 years, he has rendered many judgments in various fields, such as private law, criminal law, and public law, including constitutional law.
Since 2006, he has been a Titular Member of the International Academy of Comparative Law (Paris). In 2012, the Université de Sherbrooke awarded him an honorary doctorate in law. In 2008, he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada.
The Honourable Nicholas Kasirer was appointed to the Supreme Court of Canada on September 16, 2019.
Hilary Pearson
Hilary Pearson is Chancellor of Brock University. She has enjoyed a twenty-year career in foundation philanthropy in Canada. As Founding President of Philanthropic Foundations Canada, a position she held for nearly eighteen years, Hilary worked with many of Canada's largest private charitable foundations. Many family foundations have benefited from her strategic advice and assistance in understanding the sector, establishing their goals, setting up their governance structures and defining their giving practices.
The author of numerous articles and reviews on foundation philanthropy, Ms. Pearson is a frequent speaker and workshop leader in Canada and around the world. In her role at PFC, she has published detailed guides to establishing and managing a foundation, as well as guides for foundations working with governments and universities, and involved in public policy advocacy.
Ms. Pearson has extensive knowledge of federal policies governing charities. She is co-chair of the Charitable Sector Advisory Committee, which advises the federal government on policy and regulatory issues. From 2012 to 2015, she served on the Governor General's Advisory Committee on Volunteering and Philanthropy.
In July 2018, she was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada in recognition of her contribution to the development of the philanthropic sector in Canada. Ms. Pearson has served on numerous national not-for-profit boards, including Imagine Canada, The Stratford Shakespeare Festival of Canada, CARE Canada, Inspire and the Canadian Cancer Society.
She is Chair of the Advisory Board of the Coady Institute at St. Francis Xavier University and a member of the Advisory Committee of the Master of Philanthropy and Non-Profit Management program at Carleton University. Ms. Pearson holds bachelor's and master's degrees in political economy from the University of Toronto, as well as honorary doctorates from Carleton University, the University of New Brunswick and Mount Allison University.
The author of numerous articles and reviews on foundation philanthropy, Ms. Pearson is a frequent speaker and workshop leader in Canada and around the world. In her role at PFC, she has published detailed guides to establishing and managing a foundation, as well as guides for foundations working with governments and universities, and involved in public policy advocacy.
Ms. Pearson has extensive knowledge of federal policies governing charities. She is co-chair of the Charitable Sector Advisory Committee, which advises the federal government on policy and regulatory issues. From 2012 to 2015, she served on the Governor General's Advisory Committee on Volunteering and Philanthropy.
In July 2018, she was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada in recognition of her contribution to the development of the philanthropic sector in Canada. Ms. Pearson has served on numerous national not-for-profit boards, including Imagine Canada, The Stratford Shakespeare Festival of Canada, CARE Canada, Inspire and the Canadian Cancer Society.
She is Chair of the Advisory Board of the Coady Institute at St. Francis Xavier University and a member of the Advisory Committee of the Master of Philanthropy and Non-Profit Management program at Carleton University. Ms. Pearson holds bachelor's and master's degrees in political economy from the University of Toronto, as well as honorary doctorates from Carleton University, the University of New Brunswick and Mount Allison University.
Dr. Philip Jaffé
After an initial four-year term (2019-2022) as Member of the Committee on the Rights of the Child, Professor Philip D. Jaffé has been re-elected for the period 2023-2027. His professional background is relatively complex, with postgraduate training in both Switzerland (Geneva and Fribourg) and the United States (New York and Boston). For some thirty years, he taught at the University of Geneva's Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences. In 2008, he became Director of the Institut Universitaire Kurt Bösch (IUKB) in Sion (Valais) and head of the new teaching and research unit on children's rights.
For several years, he and his team have successfully integrated the IUKB into the University of Geneva, which in 2015 created a new Center for the Study of Children's Rights (CIDE). Dr. Jaffé maintains a small private practice in clinical and forensic psychology in Geneva, which he considers essential for his teaching activities. Indeed, he still teaches legal psychology at the University of Geneva. On several occasions, he has had the privilege of being called upon to carry out humanitarian missions for major international governmental institutions in several troubled regions of the world, such as the Caucasus, Iraq or the Aceh province in Indonesia.
For several years, he and his team have successfully integrated the IUKB into the University of Geneva, which in 2015 created a new Center for the Study of Children's Rights (CIDE). Dr. Jaffé maintains a small private practice in clinical and forensic psychology in Geneva, which he considers essential for his teaching activities. Indeed, he still teaches legal psychology at the University of Geneva. On several occasions, he has had the privilege of being called upon to carry out humanitarian missions for major international governmental institutions in several troubled regions of the world, such as the Caucasus, Iraq or the Aceh province in Indonesia.
Dr. Dawn Memee Lavell-Harvard
Dr. Dawn Lavell Harvard is a proud member of the Wiikwemkoong First Nation on Manitoulin Island. She is the Director of the First Peoples House of Learning at Trent University and past president of the Native Women's Association of Canada and the Ontario Native Women's Association (2004-2015). Through her scholarly work and speaking engagements in Canada and internationally, Dr. Lavell-Harvard is helping break the cycle of poverty for Aboriginal women and their families through culturally appropriate educational reforms. She has earned numerous honors, including the 2018 “Spirit of Barbara Schlifer” Award in recognition of her relentless fight against violence experienced by indigenous women. She chairs the board of NIWEE (National Indigenous Women Entrepreneurs' Ecosystem) and sits as a board member of the Canadian Women's Foundation.
The Honourable Simon Ruel
The Honourable Simon Ruel was appointed a judge of the Quebec Court of Appeal on June 21, 2017, after serving as a judge of the Quebec Superior Court from 2014 to 2017. During his career as a lawyer, he practiced mainly in public, administrative and government affairs law. After starting his career with Grey Casgrain in Montreal, he worked as a litigator and legal counsel at the Department of Justice Canada, the Privy Council Office and the Department of Finance Canada in Ottawa. Prior to his appointment to the Superior Court, he was a partner with BCF Avocats d'affaires in Quebec City and previously with the Canadian national law firm Heenan Blaikie. As a prosecutor, the Honourable Mr. Ruel has participated in a number of federal and provincial public and regulatory inquiries, and has taught public and administrative law at the École du Barreau du Québec and evidence law at the University of Ottawa.
Chair of the Judicial Committee on Information Security ("COMSI") and of the Judges' Section of the Canadian Bar Association, The Honourable Mr. Ruel is a puisne member of the Canadian Judicial Council's Judicial Independence Committee and co-chair of the Council's Social Media Subcommittee. As counsel, he advised the Council on the reform of the disciplinary process for federally appointed judges and, as a member of the Independence Committee, participated in the revision of Ethical Principles for Federal Judges, updated in 2021. The Honourable Mr. Ruel is also interested in international law. In 2014, he took part in an international mission to assess anti-corruption measures taken by the Republic of Haiti on behalf of Transparency International/Haiti, in preparation for the review of Haiti's implementation of the United Nations Convention against Corruption. He hosts "Sous le feu", a series of podcasts prepared by the Canadian Institute for the Administration of Justice, featuring specialists in international law, the law of war, humanitarian law and international criminal law.
Chair of the Judicial Committee on Information Security ("COMSI") and of the Judges' Section of the Canadian Bar Association, The Honourable Mr. Ruel is a puisne member of the Canadian Judicial Council's Judicial Independence Committee and co-chair of the Council's Social Media Subcommittee. As counsel, he advised the Council on the reform of the disciplinary process for federally appointed judges and, as a member of the Independence Committee, participated in the revision of Ethical Principles for Federal Judges, updated in 2021. The Honourable Mr. Ruel is also interested in international law. In 2014, he took part in an international mission to assess anti-corruption measures taken by the Republic of Haiti on behalf of Transparency International/Haiti, in preparation for the review of Haiti's implementation of the United Nations Convention against Corruption. He hosts "Sous le feu", a series of podcasts prepared by the Canadian Institute for the Administration of Justice, featuring specialists in international law, the law of war, humanitarian law and international criminal law.
Dr. Bessma Momani
Dr. Bessma Momani is Associate Vice-President, International Relations at the University of Waterloo and a full professor in the Department of Political Science. She is a Senior Fellow at the Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI), a Non-Resident Fellow at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington, D.C., and a Fulbright Scholar. She previously served as Interim Assistant Vice-President, International Relations at the University of Waterloo and was a Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation Fellow (2015). She has also been a Non-Resident Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution and the Stimson Center in Washington, D.C., and a Visiting Scholar at the Mortara Center at Georgetown University. She has worked as a consultant to the International Monetary Fund, both in the communications office and the Independent Evaluation Office. Dr. Bessma Momani currently serves as an adviser to the National Security Transparency Advisory Group at Public Safety Canada.
She is currently the director of a three-year-funded Department of National Defence network called the Defence and Security Foresight Group tasked with providing policy-relevant advice to the Department of National Defence. In recent years, Dr. Bessma Momani spearheaded the Pierre Elliot Trudeau Foundation’s Pluralism Project which explored the link between Canadian diversity and economic prosperity. This has led to further work on bringing visible minority women into the Canadian economy. As a frequent media and political analyst on the Middle East, international affairs and the global economy, Bessma has written editorials in The Globe and Mail, The New York Times, Time, Newsweek, the Economist, the National Post and the Toronto Star. She is also a regular media contributor, having done thousands of live broadcast interviews, with CNN, CBC News, CTV, Al Jazeera, CGTN, TRT World and BNN Bloomberg.
She is currently the director of a three-year-funded Department of National Defence network called the Defence and Security Foresight Group tasked with providing policy-relevant advice to the Department of National Defence. In recent years, Dr. Bessma Momani spearheaded the Pierre Elliot Trudeau Foundation’s Pluralism Project which explored the link between Canadian diversity and economic prosperity. This has led to further work on bringing visible minority women into the Canadian economy. As a frequent media and political analyst on the Middle East, international affairs and the global economy, Bessma has written editorials in The Globe and Mail, The New York Times, Time, Newsweek, the Economist, the National Post and the Toronto Star. She is also a regular media contributor, having done thousands of live broadcast interviews, with CNN, CBC News, CTV, Al Jazeera, CGTN, TRT World and BNN Bloomberg.
The Honourable Denis Paradis
In 2006, the Honorable Denis Paradis, C.P., Ad.E., joined Dunton Rainville as legal counsel, where he practises mainly in the administrative, corporate and tax fields. After being called to the Quebec Bar in 1976, the Honourable Paradis practiced for nearly twenty years with the firm “Paradis et Associés”, which he founded. During this period, the Honourable Paradis also taught agricultural law at the Quebec Bar. Elected vice-president of the Quebec Bar in 1992, and Bâtonnier in 1993, the Honourable Paradis has, throughout his career, consistently demonstrated the sincerity of his professional involvement, as well as his willingness to defend and promote the influence of the legal profession.
Naturally, the Honourable Paradis' involvement in the political sphere was also evident. First at the local level, the Honourable Paradis was Member of Parliament for Brome-Missisquoi, then at the national level, he was in charge of three ministerial portfolios between 2002 and 2004: the Ministry of State for Latin America and Africa, the Ministry of Francophonie and the Ministry of State for Financial Institutions. Resolutely oriented towards the international arena, the Honourable Paradis founded the Canada-Algeria Business Alliance in 2008 and is currently its president. He has also worked for the Inter-American Development Bank and the World Bank, and prepared the Summit of Heads of State of the Francophonie in Beirut.
Naturally, the Honourable Paradis' involvement in the political sphere was also evident. First at the local level, the Honourable Paradis was Member of Parliament for Brome-Missisquoi, then at the national level, he was in charge of three ministerial portfolios between 2002 and 2004: the Ministry of State for Latin America and Africa, the Ministry of Francophonie and the Ministry of State for Financial Institutions. Resolutely oriented towards the international arena, the Honourable Paradis founded the Canada-Algeria Business Alliance in 2008 and is currently its president. He has also worked for the Inter-American Development Bank and the World Bank, and prepared the Summit of Heads of State of the Francophonie in Beirut.
Orlando Arriagada
Arriving in Quebec in the 90s, Orlando Arriagada quickly made his mark in the television industry as a producer and businessman. In 1996, he founded his first company, Al Dente Films, followed by Tutti Frutti Films in 2003, which he sold to FRV Media. In 2007, Pimiento was born, and has since produced nearly thirty unique documentaries and documentary series broadcast on Canal D, APTN, Ici Radio-Canada and Canal vie, to name but a few, in addition to numerous creations for new media. Orlando's directing credits include the documentaries Derrière le miracle, Miss inc, Au pif, the series Amérikologie, L'ADN du ceviche, selected at the 63rd San Sebastian International Film Festival in the "Culinary Zinema" category, La bataille de Nancy, and in 2021, the series Voir la musique autrement and his latest production, the unique documentary entitled “La purge, LGBT, la sombre histoire" (broadcast on September 16, 2023 on ICI Première), which attracted a great deal of attention and media interest.
Over the years, he has been involved in a number of organizations, including the Quebec Latin American Chamber of Commerce and the “Association des producteurs de films et de télévision du Québec”. Orlando Arriagada is also committed to the next generation of film and television professionals, having created the Pimiento scholarship to cover the tuition fees of some of his employees admitted to L'inis. He has also collaborated on numerous occasions with film and television festivals and organizations, most recently with Fantasia and the Montreal Black Film Festival. From 2019 to 2023, Orlando was Professor and Director of the Documentary Master's program and the Documentary Creation Lab at ESCAC (Catalonia Film School) in Barcelona.
Over the years, he has been involved in a number of organizations, including the Quebec Latin American Chamber of Commerce and the “Association des producteurs de films et de télévision du Québec”. Orlando Arriagada is also committed to the next generation of film and television professionals, having created the Pimiento scholarship to cover the tuition fees of some of his employees admitted to L'inis. He has also collaborated on numerous occasions with film and television festivals and organizations, most recently with Fantasia and the Montreal Black Film Festival. From 2019 to 2023, Orlando was Professor and Director of the Documentary Master's program and the Documentary Creation Lab at ESCAC (Catalonia Film School) in Barcelona.
Myrlande Pierre
Myrlande Pierre is Vice-President of the “Commission des droits de la personne et des droits de la jeunesse”. She is responsible for the Commission's mandate under the Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms and the Act respecting equal access to employment in public bodies. Ms. Pierre is a nationally and internationally recognized expert in the field of immigration and socio-economic integration, with a particular focus on the socio-economic integration of racialized minorities. Systemic racism and discrimination, as well as issues affecting ethnocultural and racialized minority women, form the cornerstone of her work.
A sociologist by training, her career has also been marked by her social commitment. In this regard, Ms. Pierre was appointed President of the “Table sur la diversité, l'inclusion et la lutte contre les discriminations” by the Mayoress of Montreal (March 2018 - June 2019). She was a member of an expert committee on Black communities in Canada at Statistics Canada (2018 - 2019)- This committee was called upon to define orientations and policies relating to the reality and socio-economic issues of Black communities in Quebec and Canada. Myrlande Pierre has received several awards for her involvement in advancing the rights of women and racialized minorities. In 2018, she received the “Médaille de l'Assemblée nationale”. More recently, she received the “Prix Opale Diversité” (2020). In 2001, Ms. Pierre received the “Prix Femme, politique et société” for her community involvement and contribution to advancing issues of participation and representation of racialized minority women in institutional and democratic structures.
A sociologist by training, her career has also been marked by her social commitment. In this regard, Ms. Pierre was appointed President of the “Table sur la diversité, l'inclusion et la lutte contre les discriminations” by the Mayoress of Montreal (March 2018 - June 2019). She was a member of an expert committee on Black communities in Canada at Statistics Canada (2018 - 2019)- This committee was called upon to define orientations and policies relating to the reality and socio-economic issues of Black communities in Quebec and Canada. Myrlande Pierre has received several awards for her involvement in advancing the rights of women and racialized minorities. In 2018, she received the “Médaille de l'Assemblée nationale”. More recently, she received the “Prix Opale Diversité” (2020). In 2001, Ms. Pierre received the “Prix Femme, politique et société” for her community involvement and contribution to advancing issues of participation and representation of racialized minority women in institutional and democratic structures.
Dr. Bernard Motulsky
Dr. Bernard Motulsky holds a master's degree and a doctorate (Ph.D.) in philosophy, and is the author of several books on communications. He has over thirty years' experience in the field of communications and public relations. Currently a professor in the Department of Social and Public Communications at UQAM, he began his career as an editor and journalist before becoming a communications professor at Université Laval. He subsequently held a number of positions, most notably with the Cossette Group, the Quebec government, the Montreal Stock Exchange and the Université de Montréal. He was Chairman of the Advisory Board on Administrative Governance of the “Autorité des marchés financiers du Québec” (AMF) between 2005 and 2015, and President of the “Société québécoise des professionnels en relations publiques” (SQPRP) from 2014 to 2016.
He is the recipient of several awards, including the highest honor from the Quebec Society of Public Relations Professionals, the Yves St-Amand Award, presented in 2024. Often called upon to comment on current events in the media, he is founding vice-president of the Paris-based Academy of Controversy and Sensitive Communication. He is also interested in issues of migration and identity, and in 2023 published a book on his quest to retrace his family history through the turmoil of history.
He is the recipient of several awards, including the highest honor from the Quebec Society of Public Relations Professionals, the Yves St-Amand Award, presented in 2024. Often called upon to comment on current events in the media, he is founding vice-president of the Paris-based Academy of Controversy and Sensitive Communication. He is also interested in issues of migration and identity, and in 2023 published a book on his quest to retrace his family history through the turmoil of history.
Richard Thompson Ford
n civil rights and anti-discrimination law. He has earned the reputation of an informed voice and hard-hitting author on issues of racism and multiculturalism. Combining social criticism and legal analysis, his work focuses on the social and legal conflicts associated with discrimination claims, the causes and effects of racial segregation, and the use of territorial boundaries as instruments of social regulation.
He publishes for for both popular reading enthusiasts and for academics and legal professionals. He has written for the New York Times, Washington Post, San Francisco Chronicle, Christian Science Monitor, Vox, New York Daily News, Slate and was a columnist for The American Interest. His most recent book, Dress Codes: How the Laws of Fashion Made History, has been translated into five languages and was selected as Editor's Choice Ted Talk in 2021. Two of his other books, Rights Gone Wrong: How Law Corrupts the Struggle for Equality and The Race Card: How Bluffing About Bias Makes Race Relations Worse, were awarded "Outstanding Books of the Year" by the New York Times. He is also the author of Racial Card: A Critique and Universal Rights Down to Earth. Richard T. Ford is a Fellow of the American Law Institute, a founding member of the Academic Freedom Alliance and a member of the Board of Directors of the Author's Guild Foundation. He has been a visiting professor at Harvard University, Columbia University and Yale University, and has taught in 12 countries on 5 continents.
He publishes for for both popular reading enthusiasts and for academics and legal professionals. He has written for the New York Times, Washington Post, San Francisco Chronicle, Christian Science Monitor, Vox, New York Daily News, Slate and was a columnist for The American Interest. His most recent book, Dress Codes: How the Laws of Fashion Made History, has been translated into five languages and was selected as Editor's Choice Ted Talk in 2021. Two of his other books, Rights Gone Wrong: How Law Corrupts the Struggle for Equality and The Race Card: How Bluffing About Bias Makes Race Relations Worse, were awarded "Outstanding Books of the Year" by the New York Times. He is also the author of Racial Card: A Critique and Universal Rights Down to Earth. Richard T. Ford is a Fellow of the American Law Institute, a founding member of the Academic Freedom Alliance and a member of the Board of Directors of the Author's Guild Foundation. He has been a visiting professor at Harvard University, Columbia University and Yale University, and has taught in 12 countries on 5 continents.
Nadja Pollaert
Executive Director of “Médecins du Monde Canada” since 2014, Nadja Pollaert has held varying positions of responsibility and can attest to several notable achievements. Indeed, she headed the International Bureau for Children's Rights, an international non-governmental organization in consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council. An expert in children's rights and protection, she has initiated and led projects with multiple donors and partners in over 15 countries in Africa, the Middle East and Central America. Co-chair of the Humanitarian Response Network of Canada (HRN) from 2018-2020, Nadja Pollaert was appointed to the Orientation Council of the Centre d'études et de recherches internationales (CÉRIUM) in 2009.
For several years, she also coordinated the “Comité d'aide aux réfugiés”, an advocacy organization for asylum seekers and refugees in Canada. Determined to contribute to the defense of human rights, she has been involved in several organizations as a director and volunteer, including “Maison Buissonnière”, an organization dedicated to the social development of children, the Canadian Coalition for the Rights of the Child, “Paix durable” and “Amnistie internationale - section francophone”. A political scientist by training, she holds a degree in international relations from the Institut d'études politiques de Paris (IEP). Nadja also holds a master's degree in international relations from the Université de Montréal.
For several years, she also coordinated the “Comité d'aide aux réfugiés”, an advocacy organization for asylum seekers and refugees in Canada. Determined to contribute to the defense of human rights, she has been involved in several organizations as a director and volunteer, including “Maison Buissonnière”, an organization dedicated to the social development of children, the Canadian Coalition for the Rights of the Child, “Paix durable” and “Amnistie internationale - section francophone”. A political scientist by training, she holds a degree in international relations from the Institut d'études politiques de Paris (IEP). Nadja also holds a master's degree in international relations from the Université de Montréal.
Jose Andres Egas Loaiza
Mr. Egas is the representative, UNHCR multi-country office in Panama. He joined UNHCR almost 20 years ago in Luanda, Angola. Since then, he has worked for UNHCR in more than a dozen offices in several countries, including Angola, Brazil, Colombia, Myanmar, Iran, Greece, and Panama, as well as at UNHCR headquarters in Geneva. Mr. Egas has held numerous roles including Head of various field offices, program and planning positions, administration and HR, and protection of refugees and internally displaced persons. He participated in return and repatriation processes, management of several emergencies, as well as coordination and representation of UNHCR in United Nations inter-agency processes and has worked in the private donor section of UNHCR.
Prior to arriving in Panama, Mr. Egas was Director of the Organization's Transformation Programme (BTP) at UNHCR headquarters in Geneva and, before that, he was the UNHCR’s Representative in Brazil. Mr. Egas is an Ecuadorian and Brazilian citizen, husband and has two children. Mr. Egas graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Sociology of Development from the Universidad San Francisco de Quito/Ecuador and Kalamazoo College/USA and a Master's degree in Development Studies from the Institute of Social Studies in The Hague/Netherlands. He speaks English, Spanish and Portuguese.
Prior to arriving in Panama, Mr. Egas was Director of the Organization's Transformation Programme (BTP) at UNHCR headquarters in Geneva and, before that, he was the UNHCR’s Representative in Brazil. Mr. Egas is an Ecuadorian and Brazilian citizen, husband and has two children. Mr. Egas graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Sociology of Development from the Universidad San Francisco de Quito/Ecuador and Kalamazoo College/USA and a Master's degree in Development Studies from the Institute of Social Studies in The Hague/Netherlands. He speaks English, Spanish and Portuguese.
Agnès Gruda
With a degree in Communications from Concordia University, Agnès Gruda worked for 35 years as a journalist at La Presse, where she was an editorial writer, assistant news editor, reporter and international columnist. She has reported from over thirty countries, including conflict zones such as the former Yugoslavia, the Middle East, Ukraine and Libya. She has taken a particular interest in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, migratory movements and the Arab Spring.
Since 2019, she has held an international news column on Radio-Canada radio. She has been teaching a course on international information and journalism at the University of Montreal since 2016. She has also published two collections of short stories, “Onze petites trahisons”, in 2010 (Adrienne Choquette Award, and finalist for the Governor General's Award) and “Mourir mais pas trop”, in 2016.
Since 2019, she has held an international news column on Radio-Canada radio. She has been teaching a course on international information and journalism at the University of Montreal since 2016. She has also published two collections of short stories, “Onze petites trahisons”, in 2010 (Adrienne Choquette Award, and finalist for the Governor General's Award) and “Mourir mais pas trop”, in 2016.
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