My name is Saad Hammadi. I am a proud member of Amnesty International Canada and a passionate human rights advocate. When I mention passion, it must be driven by means whether in case of an individual such as myself or an organisation like Amnesty International. I currently lead the Policy and Advocacy Initiatives at the Balsillie School of International Affairs in Waterloo, Ontario, where I manage key pillars of the technology governance. I am a graduate of Global Governance from the University of Waterloo.
I have served on the staff of Amnesty International’s international secretariat, where I led campaigns and advocacies on the right to freedom of expression, on key civil and political rights, indigenous rights and refugee rights to name a few in South Asia, a region where human rights successes are not easy to come by. Yet, I am pleased and proud to share that I have had successes in the some of the campaigns that I led. Through global campaigns, we secured access to education for nearly half a million Rohingya children who faced one of the worst exoduses of the decade. The host country Bangladesh was reluctant to do anything more than the minimum out of fear that the Rohingya people will not want to return to their homes. That was still a success, thanks to the support extended by sections like Amnesty International Canada.
I have engaged sections and mobilised campaigns in my capacity as a South Asia Campaigner at Amnesty International. In November 2020, I testified before the Canadian House of Commons Subcommittee on International Human Rights about the plight of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh during the COVID-19 pandemic and the need to ensure their right of participation in the decisions that affect their lives.
In 2023, I served as the Communications Adviser to the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Opinion and Expression Irene Khan. Between January and May 2024, I was a Research Fellow at Project Ploughshares, a Canadian peace and arms control research institute, where I focused on advocacy initiatives to stop Canada’s arms exports to Israel, in the face of horrific war crimes being committed in Gaza, the human rights violations, challenges, and considerations in the use of technologies in conflict and day-to-day law enforcement.
Human rights successes have become harder to come by, with the charter for international human rights and rules based international order being constantly flouted and the transition of power and leadership in some of the most powerful countries having adverse effect on the entire world. I have been on the staff of Amnesty International and on the frontiers of human rights movement. I have engaged directly with sections and members of Amnesty International, supporting fundraising movements for Amnesty USA, Australia, Canada and the UK.
Given an opportunity I would like to serve on the Board of Directors of Amnesty International Canada’s English-Speaking Section. I want to see that the human rights priorities of Amnesty International, the global movement and the section align with the interests and aspirations of the members and rights holders. It is important draw new and young members to this movement of 10 million. I think a key concern of the movement is that the human rights membership largely rests with a population that is 40 and above. An important work for the section and the movement is to reach out to the younger population through the platforms and media that they prefer, take on issues and rights that matter to them and encourage their participation. Human rights work must have the impact that is gratifying to the members who make generous contributions to this movement. I would like to contribute to the Board by examining and suggesting ways that can make the section and the global movement feasible and sustainable.
