A crowd of 500 squeezed inside UTSC’s largest lecture theatre to hear the Honourable Louise Arbour speak on human rights last Thursday. The Montreal native, who was the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights until September, gave a speech entitled “All Human Rights for All: A Broken Promise.” Arbour, who was recently named Companion to the Order of Canada, is also a former Supreme Court judge. Her lecture takes place a few months in advance of the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
The evening began with the recount of a journey to Gaza where a factory had been attacked by an Israeli missile, killing one employee, while Arbour was at a meeting across the street. Bitter silence greeted Arbour when she visited the factory to speak to the shaken crowd, and someone threw a stone at her UN vehicle as she left. These workers, Arbour said, are among the people who feel human rights staff have failed them.
Arbour touched on how working for peace can only be done through cooperation, and how equality must be put ahead of past conflicts. Everyone, regardless of nationality, must be held accountable for his or her actions, she said.
The former UN commissioner also spoke of Canada’s reputation as a champion of human rights, and of her experiences in prosecuting war criminals from the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda. Although an overflow room with a projector was set up, scores of students chose to sit on the aisles. During the Q&A period, a student asked how well-meaning but uninformed youth can help. Arbour’s reply was greeted with a resounding applause.
“You cannot be at the forefront of every good fight. I think you have to chose one or two and make them your own,” said Arbour. “Get an education, pick a battle, and support in solidarity all those who are fighting all the other ones that you can’t.”
