Sheila Watt-Cloutier will be speaking on the Right to Be Cold on Friday, March 27 at 12:30 pm in Convocation Hall. Watt-Cloutier just released her first highly-anticipated book that shares the title of her lecture. This event is presented by UWinnipeg’s Richardson College and will be followed by a Q + A. It is free and open to the public.
Watt-Cloutier is no stranger to UWinnipeg. In 2006, she was honoured with an Honorary Doctor of Laws for her tireless efforts as an environmental activist, humanitarian and ambassador of the North.
Dr. Ian Mauro
UWinnipeg’s geography professor Dr. Ian Mauro has worked with Watt-Cloutier for many years and was instrumental in bringing her to speak on campus.
“This is an excellent opportunity for faculty, students and the public to engage with one of the world’s leading indigenous and environmental thinkers”, says Mauro. “Sheila’s story is compelling and important, putting a human face on the issue of climate change, and showing that by protecting the Arctic we can heal the entire planet”.
Sheila Watt-Cloutier is one of the world’s most recognized environmental and human rights advocates. In 2007, she was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for her advocacy work in showing the impact global climate change has on human rights, especially in the Arctic. In addition to her Nobel nomination, Watt-Cloutier has been awarded the Aboriginal Achievement Award, the UN Champion of the Earth Award, and the prestigious Norwegian Sophie Prize. She is also an officer of the Order of Canada. From 1995 to 2002, she served as the elected Canadian president of the Inuit Circumpolar Council (ICC), and in 2002, she was elected international chair of the council. Under her leadership, the world’s first international legal action on climate change was launched with a petition to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.
UWinnipeg’s Richardson College is establishing itself as a centre of excellence in applied research and policy in the area of climate change, including climate change mitigation and adaptation. Working in co-operation with government, industry and leading environmental organizations, faculty and staff associated with the Richardson College are attracting research funding for projects that lead to relevant policy development and real world solutions.
