Presented by Mark Sandler, Chair of the Alliance of Canadians Combating Antisemitism (ALCCA) and the Honourable Harry LaForme, Canada’s first Indigenous appellate judge
Date: Thursday, March 6th, 2025
Time: 5:00 pm PT / 6:00 pm MT / 7:00 pm CT / 8:00 p.m. ET
Webinar length is approx 75-90 min, ZOOM link will be sent to those who registered a few days before the event
This webinar will discuss the exponential growth of antisemitic hate activities in the aftermath of the October 7, 2023 atrocities, and how these activities may be addressed through a combination of advocacy, education and respectful dialogue. Our presenters will focus on topics such as the interplay between protected freedom of speech and assembly and prohibited hate speech, the conflicting views on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the Jewish community, the building of alliances between the Jewish and non-Jewish communities, and on how to create respectful dialogues in environments poisoned by mistrust and demonization. Mr. Sandler will bring the perspective of a Jewish advocate who has fought antisemitism and other forms of hatred for over 40 years. Mr. LaForme will bring the perspective of an Indigenous leader and explain the importance of Indigenous teachings to the fight against antisemitism and against the denial of Israel’s right to exist.
Mark Sandler, LL.B, LL.D (honoris causa), the Chair of the Alliance of Canadians Combatting Antisemitism, is widely recognized as one of Canada’s leading criminal lawyers and pro bono advocates. He has been involved in combatting antisemitism for over 40 years. He has lectured extensively on legal remedies to combat hate and has promoted respectful Muslim, Jewish, Sikh-Jewish and Black-Jewish dialogues. He has appeared, most recently in 2024, before Parliamentary committees and in the Supreme Court of Canada on multiple occasions on issues relating to antisemitism and hate activities. He is a former member of the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal, a three-time elected Bencher of the Law Society of Ontario, and recipient of the profession’s highest honor, the G. Arthur Martin Medal, for his contributions to the administration of criminal justice.
The Honourable Harry LaForme; LL.B. O.C. & I.P.C. is Anishinaabe and a member of the Mississauga of the Credit First Nation. He is a board member of the Alliance of Canadians Combatting Antisemitism. He is 1977 graduate of Osgoode Hall Law School. Shortly after being called to the Ontario Bar he commenced his own practice specializing in Indigenous law. LaForme served as: co-chair of the independent National Chiefs Task Force on Native Land Claims; Chief Commissioner of the Indian Commission of Ontario; Chair of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Land Claims; and taught the "Rights of Indigenous Peoples" at Osgoode Hall Law School. In January 1994 LaForme was appointed a judge of the Superior Court of Justice and in November 2004 he was appointed to the Ontario Court of Appeal and is the first indigenous person to be appointed to an appellate court in the history of Canada.
As a judge LaForme authored many decisions that impacted and developed the law in regards to criminal, Indigenous and constitutional cases including the Halpern; the equal marriage decision and Wakeford; the medicinal, marihuana decision. LaForme has written and published on Indigenous law and justice. He speaks frequently on many topics that include Indigenous issues, Indigenous law, criminal law, constitutional law and civil and human rights.
LaForme retired from the Court in October 2018 and assumed the position of Senior Counsel with Olthuis Kleer Townshend LLP. In March 2021 LaForme was appointed by Canada’s Attorney General and Minister of Justice to co-lead consultations with international and domestic experts, practitioners and exonerees about wrongful convictions and on November 1, 2021 the report was delivered to Canada containing numerous recommendations about what such a commission could look like. LaForme was one of the plaintiffs’ lead counsel in the pan Canada class action lawsuit against Canada that sought to address the lack of clean water on numerous First Nations in Canada.
Mr. LaForme has received many awards in recognition of his contributions to social justice. He has been honoured with numerous Eagle Feathers; the National Aboriginal Achievement Award in the area of Law & Justice; a Talking Stick carved by Git’san artist Ya’Ya, Chuck Heit; a bursary created in his name for Indigenous first year law students by the University of Windsor Faculty of Law; and honourary Doctor of Law and Education degrees from five universities. LaForme sponsors an annual bursary for a first-year law student members of the Federation of Asian Canadian Lawyers. On April 3, 2024 York University awarded LaForme with the Alumni Award for Outstanding Contributions. On November 7, 2024 the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal honoured him with an allyship award at their Spirit of Hope Gala event.
Enough is Enough: Jewish and Indigenous Perspectives in Addressing Antisemitism
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