June Callwood Lectures
Honouring the life, work and legacy of June Callwood. The annual June Callwood Lecture honours the life, work and legacy of journalist, author and social activist June Callwood (1924-2007). It provides a platform for the exploration and discussion of contemporary social justice issues.
You can support the annual June Callwood Lecture with a gift to the June Callwood Endowment Fund through the Toronto Public Library Foundation.
Upcoming Lecture
2012 - "The Power of Advocacy: Fighting for Social Justice" by Stephen Lewis
Former Politician and Diplomat
Stephen Lewis has been a tireless champion of social justice his entire life. Mr. Lewis is the former UN Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa. He is currently a Distinguished Visiting Professor at Ryerson University, and serves as board chair of the Stephen Lewis Foundation, which is dedicated to turning the tide of HIV/AIDS in Africa.
Past Lectures
2011 - "Dying for a Home: Fighting for Our Social Programs" by Cathy Crowe
Street Nurse, Co-founder and Executive Director of the Toronto Disaster Relief Committee (TDRC)
Cathy Crowe has worked in the area of homelessness since 1988. Crowe follows the pulse of health issues affecting homeless people including shelter conditions and inadequate housing, the return of tuberculosis and even bedbugs. Along with remarkable colleagues, homeless activists and friends she has fostered numerous coalitions and advocacy initiatives. She co-founded the TDRC which declared homelessness a National Disaster. She is a frequent commentator and writer on issues related to homelessness.
Books by Cathy Crowe
Read and view photos from the lecture
Watch the lecture
2010 - "A Canadian in the Making" by Ratna Omidvar
Advocate for Settlement and Integration
Ratna Omidvar is President of Maytree, a private foundation that promotes equity and prosperity through its policy insights, grants and programs. Under Omidvar's leadership, the foundation has gained international recognition for its expertise in developing, testing and implementing programs and policy solutions related to immigration, integration and diversity in the workplace, in the boardroom and in public office. Omidvar also serves as a director of the Toronto City Summit Alliance, and is a member of the board of the Tamarack Institute. She was the first executive director of the Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council and is currently the chair of its Board of Directors. Omidvar is a Fellow of Centennial College, and received an honorary diploma from George Brown College. In 2006, Omidvar was appointed to the Order of Ontario.
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Watch the lecture
Watch guest speaker, musician and author, Dan Hill
2009 - "Moral Courage" by Sally Armstrong
Human Rights Activist, Documentary Filmmaker, Journalist, Author
Sally Armstrong is a member of the School of Peace and Conflict Management Advisory Board. Armstrong was editor-in-chief of Homemakers magazine and is a contributing editor at Maclean's magazine. She has covered stories about women and girls in zones of conflict all over the world. She received the Amnesty International Media Award in 2000 and 2002. In addition she was a member of the Board of Directors of the Canadian Institute of Strategic Studies and of the Pearson Peacekeeping Centre. She is a Member of the Order of Canada.
Books and documentaries by Sally Armstrong
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Listen to the lecture, part 1:
Listen to the lecture, part 2:
2008 - "Justice Denied: The Wrongfully Convicted in Canada" by James Lockyer
Lawyer, Founding Director of the Association in Defence of the Wrongly Convicted
James Lockyer has been involved in exposing several wrongful convictions in Canada, including three homicide cases in which post-conviction DNA testing resulted in exonerations. His tireless efforts have contributed to the exoneration of Guy Paul Morin, David Milgaard, Clayton Johnson, Gregory Parsons, Steven Truscott, William Mullins-Johnson, James Driskell, Romeo Phillion and Robert Baltovich. Lockyer is best known for his work in the Ontario Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court of Canada but he also does a considerable amount of trial work. His other positions include being a member of the Board of New Leaf, an agency that provides homes for the developmentally disabled.
Read and view photos from the lecture
Listen to the lecture:
Lyrics to 'God Pt. III', music performance by Jon Brooks at the lecture
2007 - Inaugural "Surprised by Goodness" by Mary Jo Leddy
Human Rights Activist, Peace Activist, Author
Mary Jo Leddy delivered the first June Callwood Lecture in April, 2007. Leddy, a close friend of June Callwood, is the founder of Romero House, a community centre in Toronto that has provided housing, settlement and advocacy services to more than 4,500 individuals and families. Leddy is active in human rights issues and the peace movement. She is a writer, a teacher and an advocate for many. She is a Member of the Order of Canada.
Books by Mary Jo Leddy
Read and view photos from the lecture
Support the annual June Callwood Lecture with a gift to the June Callwood Endowment Fund.
