This symposium on April 14, 2023 marked Thompson Rivers University’s (TRU) inaugural graduate conference on Human Rights in the Indo-Pacific. This symposium sought to unpack the human rights dimensions of Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy (IPS) which has been defined as a ‘once-in-a-generation global shift that requires a generational Canadian response’.
“Today we seek to unpack the human rights dimensions of Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy which has been defined as a ‘once-in-a-generation global shift that requires a generational Canadian response’. While the Indo-Pacific Strategy offers a broad framing of both political risk and economic opportunity for Canada, the region also faces serious threats to human rights brought on by great power rivalry, emboldened authoritarianism, and weak rule of law. Human rights issues in the Indo- Pacific present stakeholders with serious challenges on how to navigate one of the world’s most dynamic regions.”
Dr. Robert Hanlon
The conference was further supported by TRU’s Canada and the Asia Pacific Policy Project’s (CAPPP) which is an interdisciplinary and collaborate partnership between Thompson Rivers University, the University of British Columbia Okanagan, and the University of Northern British Columbia.
A special thank you to Dr. Richard McCutcheon, Dean of the Faculty of Arts and the diligent work of Kate Hawkins, Practicum Coordinator for TRU’s Master of Arts in Human Rights and Social Justice program whose support for this event has made our meeting possible.