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<title>APPOINTMENTS TO BOARD OF DIRECTORS OFRIGHTS AND DEMOCRACY</title>
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<p><font size="+1"></font><font size="+1"><strong>July 10, 2001 <em>(2:00 p.m. EDT)</em> No. 102</strong></font></p>
<p align="CENTER"><font size="+1"><strong>APPOINTMENTS TO BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF</strong></font></p>
<p align="CENTER"><font size="+1"><strong>RIGHTS AND DEMOCRACY</strong></font></p>
<p>John Manley, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today announced the appointments of
Michèle Rouleau, Vitit Muntarbhorn and Sofia Macher to the Board of Directors of Rights and
Democracy (International Centre for Human Rights and Democratic Development). The
appointments are for three years.</p>
<p><strong>Michèle Rouleau</strong>, a commissioner on the Quebec Human Rights Commission, has worked
actively to raise awareness of both Aboriginal and women's issues over the past 20 years. She
brings a wealth of experience and a broad, multi-disciplinary background to her new position,
having worked as a journalist and researcher, government advisor, workshop facilitator, and
major event organizer. She hosted the news-magazine show <em>Nations</em> from 1995 to 1996, which
was televised on Télé-Québec and RDI. In 1994, Ms. Rouleau was involved with the Women's
March Against Poverty. She is the former President of the Quebec Native Women's Association.
She currently works as a meeting facilitator and consultant on Aboriginal affairs and continues to
be involved in First Nations organizations.</p>
<p><strong>Vitit Muntarbhorn</strong>, a professor in the Faculty of Law at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok,
Thailand, and a barrister of the Middle Temple in London, has taught at a number of human
rights institutions around the globe, including in the United Kingdom, France, Canada,
Switzerland, Denmark and Austria. He has worked for several United Nations agencies,
conducting studies, and acting as special rapporteur, advisor and committee chair, mostly in the
area of children's and women's rights. Mr. Muntarbhorn wrote Thailand's first report for the UN
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. He has produced
human rights and children's rights educational materials, and is the former Executive Director of
Child Rights ASIANET, which collaborates closely with UNICEF. In 1992 he was spokesperson
for Thailand's Campaign for Popular Democracy. He has published extensively on the sexual
exploitation of children, and on democracy and human rights.</p>
<p><strong>Sofia Macher</strong>, the Executive Secretary of Peru's National Coordinating Committee for Human
Rights, is a sociologist who has worked with human rights and socio-economic non-governmental organizations over the past 15 years to modernize management systems and to
promote socio-economic human rights and democracy. She has been closely involved with
Amnesty International since 1987, and was that organization's Vice-President of the International
Board of Directors. Ms. Macher is currently a member of the Consultative Committee of the
International Human Rights Internship Program, based in Washington, D.C.</p>
<p>Rights and Democracy is an independent body established by an Act of Parliament in 1988. It
provides individuals and organizations in other countries with training, consultation and research
services to promote the observance of human rights and the full participation of all citizens in the
democratic process. The organization's Board of Directors is made up of 13 members, including
three from countries other than Canada. Its President is Warren Allmand. More information on
Rights and Democracy can be found at <a href="https://bac-lac.wayback.archive-it.org/web/20070220202107/http://www.ichrdd.ca/">http://www.ichrdd.ca</a>.</p>
<p align="CENTER">- 30 -</p>
<p>For further information, media representatives may contact: </p>
<p>Sanjeev Chowdhury</p>
<p>Press Secretary</p>
<p>Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs </p>
<p>(613) 995-1851</p>
<p>Media Relations Office </p>
<p>Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade </p>
<p>(613) 995-1874</p>
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