RN, MSc

Alma Funk is currently working half time with International Needs Canada, an NGO that works in communities to eradicate injustice by empowering people and particularly advocating for Orphans and Vulnerable Children. Her role as Partnership Liaison takes her to global partners in Kenya (including Kibera slum), Democratic Republic of Congo, and Zambia. Previously she was a Community Nursing instructor at Red Deer College for 20 years and has participated in projects in a number of countries.

Blerta Luipi, is originally from Albania. She grew up experiencing communism, democracy, civil war and democracy again.

She worked as a high-school teacher, in an area of absolute poverty. She has a love of the arts, of different cultures, and is an avid reader who speaks 6 different languages.

The biggest decision of her life so far, was to come to Canada, hoping to be able to build a better life. She works as a Temporary Foreign Worker and she volunteers for Central Alberta Refugee Effort.

Director: Brooks- The city of 100 hellos

Brandy Yanchyk has created news features and documentaries for international television, radio and online for clients such as the BBC, CBC, OMNI Television and Deutsche Welle Radio, amongst others. Ms. Yanchyk is a regular reporter on BBC World TV’s travel show FAST:TRACK.

In 2010, Ms Yanchyk produced, wrote and directed the award winning documentary Brooks – The City of 100 Hellos which has aired on OMNI TV and the CBC. The documentary examines how immigration is changing and challenged the cowboy town of Brooks, Alberta.

Before forming Brandy Y Productions Inc. in 2009 Ms.Yanchyk worked as a Broadcast Journalist at BBC World TV, BBC World News America and the BBC World Service in London, England for five years. She also has been a reporter for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation in Toronto, Edmonton and London, England. In 2009 she hosted 55 episodes of the CTV/ACCESS program Alberta Primetime.

David Lavallee wears a great many different hats. He is a former school teacher, a hiking guide, and a grad student in psychology. More recently, he has become a documentary film producer and host. But above all he is a concerned citizen.

In late 2006, in response to what he saw as a lack of action on the part of society in response to climate change and responsible water management, he conceptualized the documentary film ‘White Water, Black Gold”. He set off on a journey to discover what happens to a hypothetical drop of water on the Athabasca River after it leaves the headwaters in the Columbia Icefields.

David is a graduate of the Gulf Islands Film and Television School and The Northern Alberta Institute of Technology’s Producer Emergence Program

Conversation Leader Devin Yeager is a National Representative at UFCW Canada (United Food and Commercial Workers). Devin has been involved in a wide variety of activities in relation to the labour movement including contract negotiations, organizing, advocacy, education, and outreach but his passion lies in assisting foreign workers. Devin has been involved in the labour movement for over 10 years. He is actively involved in the community and sits on the Board of Directors for the Calgary Workers Resource Centre in addition to being on the planning committee for the Memorial March for Missing and Murdered Women held every year on Valentine's Day in Calgary.

Volunteer - Christian Peacemaker Teams Palestine (CPT cpt.org)

Diane Janzen has had a team of trained nonviolent conflict intervention volunteers in Palestine since 1995 at the invitation of local Palestinian communities. Diane served full-time from March 2003 to June 2006 in Hebron and the South Hebron Hills village At-Tuwani, and as a part-time volunteer since then, including summer 2010. While serving with CPT; accompanying civilians, documenting human rights abuses, and supporting the work of Israeli and Palestinian peace makers, Diane has had the opportunity of meeting and working many individuals committed to working for peace in the region. She is also a nonviolent conflict intervention trainer through Nonviolent Peaceforce's North American program.

Canadian Program Manager – CAUSE Kids

Dusty Parker is the Canadian Program Manager for CAUSE Canada’s child sponsorship program - CAUSE Kids.

CAUSE Kids works with Canadians and overseas partners in providing advocacy and support to children in need in order to break the poverty cycle while satisfying their basic rights... education, housing, health care, food security, and freedom from fear.

Inspired by multiple trips to Africa and other parts of the world, Dusty has become passionate about championing the rights of children and women in developing countries. She has worked in the business sector for many years and feels privileged to share her skills and experience with an organization dedicated to making a positive impact in the world.

She is pleased to be speaking to this particular film because of its relevance to the CAUSE Kids child sponsorship program.

Judge at the Appeal Court in Kigali, Rwanda

Florentine Ngarambe served as a judge at the Appeal Court in Kigali, Rwanda from 2000 to 2004 and heard a number of genocide cases. She also trained the trainers of the Gacaca judges. Gacaca judges were Rwandese non-jurists selected by the population and asked to judge genocide criminals other than those with first degree charges. Flo also served at the High Court of Rwanda from 2004 to 2008. After completing her law degree at the University of Butare, Rwanda in 1996 she worked in the Justice Department and with Lawyers without Borders prior to becoming a judge.

Gerry is a retired lawyer. He practiced law in Red Deer for twenty-six years. He spends his time traveling and writing.

Greg Neiman has been a reporter, photographer, editor and columnist for the Red Deer Advocate for 37 years until August 2012, when he left full-time work. Prior to that, Greg attended University of Alberta, where he became editor in chief of the student newspaper, The Gateway.

Executive Director of Central Alberta Women's Emergency Shelter

Ian began his career in 1986 in Cape Breton NS working with young offenders. In 1994 Ian became the program coordinator of Second Chance, a program for men who batter. During his work in Nova Scotia he worked on the Nova Scotia Governments Frame Work for Action on Family Violence under the leadership of the Honourable Bill Gillis Minister of Justice.

Ian and his family left Nova Scotia in 1998 and Ian took a position as executive director of the West Central Crisis and Family Support centre in Kindersley Sk. His work there focused on domestic and sexual violence.

Ian has 16 years of experience working with perpetrators and victims of domestic and sexual violence and he currently lives with his family in Lacombe.

CARE- Public Awareness Coordinator

Jan Underwood is the Public Awareness Coordinator with the Central Alberta Refugee Effort (CARE)

Jan Underwood and Maria Mihok are from Central Alberta Refugee Effort

Jennifer Shay is from Central Alberta Aids Network Society (CAANS)

Christian Labour Association of Canada

Ken Collier is from Council for Canadians

Professor in Counselling Psychology @ UBC

Marvin Westwood, PhD is a Professor in the Counselling Psychology Program at the University of British Columbia and Associate Member of U.B.C.s Faculty of Medicine. In 2011 he was named the The Royal Canadian Legion Professorship in Group Counselling and Trauma at UBC. He is responsible for the development and evaluation of UBC’s Veterans Transition Program (VTP). Currently, his teaching and research areas focus on counseling men, group counselling, trauma repair and therapeutic applications of Guided Autobiography and Therapeutic Enactment. Invited presentations at conferences include; The U.K. Malta, Argentina, Chile, Israel, U.S.A., Australia, Indonesia, and Hong Kong.

After spending the summer of 2006 in Kenya learning about international food challenges, Mike Kozlowski brought questions about food security back to native soil. Upon completion of an English honors degree the following year from the University of Alberta, he set off on his bicycle and for the past four summers has spent time cycling to, interning on, working on, and touring dozens of farms throughout British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia. This spring, Mike will begin the first year of community-supported agriculture production on his own farm; he is excited to have an opportunity to provide healthy and naturally produced vegetables for the community of Red Deer. Notes, thoughts and photos about Mike’s agricultural project can be found at his website www.steelponytour.ca.

Ray Comeau is a medical doctor. For many years he has been involved in volunteer overseas medical missions together with his wife Deryl. He has travelled extensively throughout South East Asia providing medical care to remote villages and for Burmese refugees. He has worked with Medical Mercy Canada and a Better World in building a medical clinic in Zokhawathar on the border of Burma (on the Indian side).

Managing partner Rowanoak Law Office LLP, Sylvan Lake AB

Sharon Crooks has worked as Legal Counsel with the Department of Justice, Crimes Against Humanity and War Crimes Section from August 1992-May 1994. As a part of an interdisciplinary team, she investigated complex cases of WWII War Crimes and Crimes Against Humanity in Eastern Europe.

Sharon has also worked as a Legal Consultant with the United Nations Commission of Experts (UNCOE) from February-March 1994. She was recruited, as a legal expert to participate in the UNCOE Sexual Assault Mission conducted in the former Yugoslavia. As one of the senior legal consultants on this project she was involved in negotiations with international and local NGO’s, other special interest groups and local governments in an attempt to locate and interview victims of sexual assault and other war crimes.

Skipp Symes formally of CAUSE Canada, Currently Central Alberta Refugee Effort

Assistant Professor of Midwifery @ MRU

Conversation Leader Susan Jacoby, is an Assistant Professor of Midwifery at Mount Royal University in Calgary. She has served on the American College of Nurse Midwives (ACNM) Board of Directors as Region VI Representative and ACNM-MANA Liaison, Midwives-PAC Board of Directors, and Government Affairs Committee. Dr. Jacoby has practiced full scope midwifery for the past sixteen years. Her doctoral work was an educational program designed to teach midwives obstetrical management of women with female genital mutilation/cutting, currently in press for publication in the Journal of Midwifery & Women’s Health.

Executive Director, Central Alberta Refugee Effort (C.A.R.E)

Veena immigrated from India to Canada in 1970 and moved to Red Deer in 1989. Her own settlement challenges inspired her passion of assisting new immigrants and refugees. As Executive Director of Central Alberta Refugee Effort (C.A.R.E.) for fifteen years, Veena has initiated and expanded numerous programs and services essential for newcomers. She is an advocate for welcoming communities and social justice.