Ana-Maria Costa (she/her) is a Master of Human Rights student at the Faculty of Law, University of Manitoba who is honouring her family and the thousands of other victims of the 1973 Chilean coup d'état through her thesis research. In elementary school, her teacher gifted her the book 'Underground to Canada' by Barbara Smucker, sparking a care and curiosity for the causes of human rights violations that she would carry throughout her academic career.

As Ana-Maria approaches her thesis, she sat down with Footsteps guest host and fellow classmate Maddy Nowosad (she/her), to reflect on the relational nature of human rights research, and the importance of talking with our own families and communities about the places we come from, and how those contexts shape our human rights work.

For more information on the Master of Human Rights please visit our website.

This podcast episode features an interview with Dr. Laura Reimer, whose lifelong commitment to human rights stemmed from childhood observations of injustice and invisibility. Her career path, from political science to public administration, education, and peace and conflict studies, reflects a growing understanding of the interconnectedness of justice, governance, education and human rights-informed decision-making. Dr. Reimer emphasizes the importance of addressing identity conflicts through understanding common ground, highlighting her research in education, the experiences of Indigenous students and her early role in developing the experiential practicum, a hallmark of the Master of Human Rights program at the University of Manitoba. The interview concludes with advice for aspiring human rights advocates, stressing the need for empathy, humility, and perseverance in the face of challenging work.

For more information on the Master of Human Rights please visit our website.

In this episode, we sit down with Kira, a Master of Human Rights student at the University of Manitoba, to explore her unexpected but powerful journey into the world of human rights. Kira's story is a perfect example of how, even when we think we don’t have it all figured out, the path forward often becomes clear when we allow ourselves to explore and follow our passions.

For more information on the Master of Human Rights please visit our website.