The event aimed to increase interest and involvement of the local media in international crimes against humanity and  included presentations from various experts in the field. The themes and expert panels guiding the workshop were as follows:

• Introduction – Member of Parliament Mr. Paul Dewar
• “Conflict, Genocide and Contemporary African Politics”- Professor Rita Abrahamsen
• “Recognizing widespread tribal and cultural differences”- Ms. Alice Musabende
• “Reporting on international human rights from Ottawa”- Ms. Marie-Jo Proulx

The panellists were: Introduction – Member of Parliament Mr. Paul Dewar Mr. Paul Dewar is the Member of Parliament for Ottawa-Centre, the New Democratic Party’s Foreign Affairs Critic and the Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for the Prevention of Genocide and Other Crimes Against Humanity. Since his first election in 2006, he has dedicated himself to raising awareness about violations of human rights both in Canada and abroad. Mr. Dewar is an advocate for Canadian action in places like Darfur and the Democratic Republic of the Congo and has been a strong voice for peacebuilding.  Mr. Dewar He has travelled to Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Lebanon. “Conflict, Genocide and Contemporary African Politics”- Professor Rita Abrahamsen Dr. Rita Abrahamsen is Associate Professor in the School of International Development and Global Studies and in the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs.  She is joint-editor of African Affairs, the highest ranked journal in African studies.  Prior to joining the University of Ottawa, she was in the Department of International Politics at the University of Aberystwyth. “Recognizing widespread tribal and cultural differences”- Ms. Alice Musabende Alice Musabende is a journalist based in Ottawa and currently works as a television producer for CPAC.  Born in Kigali, Rwanda, Alice has worked as an international development worker for USAID, as well as a media fixer and freelance journalist in Rwanda.  With a Bachelor of Journalism from the National University of Rwanda and a Master’s of Journalism from Carleton University, in Ottawa, Alice has worked as a reporter for CBC Radio in Quebec city, in Ottawa and for TFO (The Ontario French Television). Alice has also worked with the Genocide Intervention Network in Minneapolis on some of their Darfur/Sudan projects. “Reporting on international human rights from Ottawa”- Ms. Marie-Jo Proulx Marie-Jo Proulx is a fully bilingual Canadian with extensive experience in a wide range of locations, media environments, and communication roles. MJ has worked as a media trainer and workshop facilitator in Sierra Leone; senior writer, asylum case interpreter, and project manager in Chicago; reporter and technical writer in Ottawa; and course coordinator and French language instructor in Manchester, U.K. MJ’s freelance work has appeared in the Montreal Gazette, Winnipeg Free Press, Embassy Newspaper, Trente Magazine, and Z Magazine, among others.