A Community Uniting for Change: The LHAE Departmental Students’ Association Presents the 3rd Annual Human Rights and Equity Symposium
A warm buzz filled the СƵ Auditorium on February 8, 2025, when the Department of Leadership, Higher & Adult Education's Student Association (LHAE DSA) hosted the 3rd iteration of the Human Rights & Equity Symposium (HRES 2025). The event brought together students, faculty, educators, and human rights and equity advocates, which fostered an environment of critical inquiry and intellectual curiosity.
This year's theme, “Cultivating a Pathway to Human Rights and Equity: Navigating Intersectionality, Inclusion, and Justice in Ontario,” encapsulates the three core objectives of the Symposium: (1) delving deeper into human rights and equity concepts; (2) understanding the roles and responsibilities of educators, leaders, and scholars in upholding human rights principles; and (3) promoting equitable practices in learning and working environments.
The audience, comprising СƵ students, staff, and the wider community, was welcomed by Samantha Clarizio, Vice-President (Academic) of the LHAE DSA, who thanked everyone for their participation. She emphasized that the event is a testament to the dedication, work, and passion of the graduate student community, highlighting the collective effort that made the Symposium possible.
“Today, we gather to explore and reaffirm our commitment to the fundamental principles that uphold the dignity and worth of every individual,” she stated. “Human rights are the bedrock of a just society, ensuring that every person, regardless of their background, is treated with respect and fairness.”
Samantha also acknowledged the significance of having a diverse group of participants, including students, faculty, and esteemed guests, whose presence underscored the importance of collaboration and lifelong learning.
Showcasing Excellence
HRES 2025 fostered a diversity of thoughts, perspectives, and belief systems in a wide range of topics in the human rights and equity field. The Symposium brought together the voices of industry experts to provide their insights:
- Kien Nam Luu - Intersectionality in Human Rights: Traversing Multiple Identities
- Paul Nalli and Alethia O’Hara-Stephenson - Breaking Barriers: Addressing Systemic Racism in Ontario
- Stephanie Ellis - Disability Justice: Inclusion and Accessibility in Ontario
- Marvin Zuker - LGBTQIA2S+ Rights: Advancing Equality and Acceptance
Highlights and Key Takeaways
The Symposium, moderated by СƵ’s own Shelly Khushal, featured discussions led by knowledgeable panelists that offered critical insights into human rights and equity. Kien Nam Luu explored the complexities of intersectionality, especially so for the Chinese communities in Canada. His reflections underscored the need to recognize interconnected struggles to foster meaningful change. Paul Nalli and Alethia O’Hara-Stephenson tackled systemic racism in Ontario schools, introducing the “RAISE” framework for identifying and dismantling systemic barriers. They highlighted the importance of school leaders coming together to ensure that members of their schools and the larger community feel supported, empowered, and inspired, and that representation alone is not sufficient. Stephanie Ellis centered on disability justice, stressing the need for better models of advocacy that consider broader societal contexts. Her presentation finished with a call to action for institutions to adopt a universal design approach that benefits all. Marvin Zuker addressed LGBTQIAS2+ rights and further issued an influential warning against performative activism in the space. His insights on the need to move beyond allyship and actively support policies that protect queer communities were powerful and coupled with timely examples. Together, panelists enriched the Symposium’s discourse and provided thought-provoking insights to attendees. Following their discussions, the panelists engaged directly with the audience in a dynamic Q&A session to explore real-world applications of the topics discussed.
Acknowledgment and Appreciation
The success of this year’s Symposium is due to the incredible efforts put forward by the Human Rights and Equity Planning Committee, led by Samantha Clariziol, Vice President (Academic Affairs), and Events Coordinators Syed (Ali) Raza Jafri, Naima Khatti, Tom Young, and Lu Wang. The Committee is indebted to Shelly Khushal, LHAE PhD candidate and original founder of the HRES, for her insightful and intentional guidance throughout the planning stages, and beyond. Special recognition is also extended to LHAE DSA Executives [Henry Ssali (President), Alison D’Cruz (VP, Finance), Mandy Nelson (VP, Communications), and Marianthi Kontelli (VP, Internal)], the LHAE DSA Volunteer team (Iman Sherazi, Jasmine El-Hacha, Kristine Latincic, Wenzhe Xu, and Seo Young Lee), and LHAE Department staff Gary Cronin (Communications Specialist), for their incredible support throughout.
- All photos courtesy of Harris Hua
Samantha Clarizio is a fourth-year M.A. student at СƵ in the Department of Leadership, Higher, and Adult Education (LHAE). Samantha is also an Experiential Learning Coordinator at the University of Toronto, supporting a variety of undergraduate students in their pursuance of work-integrated learning opportunities.
Jasmine El-Hacha is a first-year M.A. student and SSHRC-CGS-M scholar in the Educational Leadership and Policy program at СƵ. Her research explores restorative justice in school leadership, critically examining how disciplinary policies impact marginalized students in urban school districts.
