CBC Massey Lectures:

Universal Human Rights,
in Fort St. John and Beyond 

The climate crisis. Wars and genocide. The rise of hate. Racism and sexism. Trade wars and the economy. Housing and affordability. These are troubling, turbulent and unsettling times, for the world, and here at home in Canada.

What is the way forward? In the 2025 CBC Massey Lectures, Alex Neve insists that the answer to the challenges we face lies in strengthening our collective commitment to human rights. Over the course of five lectures, delivered across the country, he explores that imperative through Universal: Renewing Human Rights in a Fractured World.

Alex will be in Fort Saint John on October 4th, a day when survivors, families, communities, friends and allies gather in vigils and marches across the country, to honour our Sisters in Spirit, the thousands of Indigenous women and girls who have gone missing and who have been killed in Canada. He will be joined by three local human rights leaders - including Connie Greyeyes and Angela White - for an afternoon of rich discussion.

Taking both a global perspective and bringing the conversation very close to home, they will look at how important the universal human rights promise is, globally and locally, and how deeply significant that is when it comes to reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples, including addressing violence against Indigenous women and girls.

* Alex Neve is a professor of international human rights law at the University of Ottawa and was Secretary General of Amnesty International Canada between 2000 and 2020. He has advocated for universal human rights to be respected, in Canada and around the world, for the past 35 years.

* Angela White is the Executive Director of the Indian Residential School Survivors' Society. She is xwulmuxw from Snuneymuxw First Nation on Vancouver Island. She holds a B.A. from the University of Winnipeg, with a major in History. Angela has a long history of advocating for First Nations people in BC and spent seven years with Snuneymuxw First Nation as a Negotiator and Assistant Negotiator, Communications and Community Relations, as well as working with the Te’mexw Treaty Association for 6.5 years.

* Connie Greyeyes is a Cree Woman from Bigstone Cree Nation in Northern Alberta who was born and raised in Fort St. John, BC. Describing herself as an 'accidental' activist, Connie began her advocacy work when she realized many Indigenous women in her community and surrounding area had gone missing or murdered. Connie started organizing local vigils to support the families of the missing and murdered women/She has advocated for families for nearly a decade and worked closely with Amnesty International on the report "Out of Sight, Out of Mind." She now works for Indian Residential School Survivors Society as an MMIWG Coordinator for the Northern Region.

This is a free event, but attendees must register.  

Doors open at 12:30pm, with event starting at 1:00pm