Local activists honoured for their support
A local-based national campaign in support of two University of Regina students who faced deportation to Nigeria is among those honoured with Global Citizen Awards.
Stop UR Deportations and three Regina residents were winners of the awards presented this week in the city by the Saskatchewan Council for International Cooperation (SCIC).
“The individuals that got involved in this campaign were inspired by Victoria (Ordu) and Favour (Ihuoma Amadi),” Michelle Stewart
“PEOPLE COME IN CONFLICT AND COME IN CONTACT WITH THE LAW FOR
A WHOLE HOST OF REASONS, AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN THAT HAPPENS, THE BEST
SUPPORTS ARE THERE.”
MICHELLE STEWART
said in an interview Friday. Stewart, an assistant professor in justice studies at the U of R, and activist Muna DeCi man accepted the award on behalf of hundreds of people who got involved.
“The fact that (the students) spent 486 days in sanctuary really drove a lot of us to continue to figure out the best ways to support them — whether that’s in Nigeria or if they decide to return to the U of R. And if they return here, of course the doors are open,” said Stewart.
The students, who came to Canada in 2009, worked at a department store for two weeks in 2012 — unwittingly contravening their student visas. Facing deportation, Ordu and Amadi found refuge in a Regina church while hoping for a reprieve. After two years of fighting the order, they ultimately left the country in October.
DeCiman said everyone involved in the campaign was elated to have those efforts for social justice recognized and proud that people from so many walks of life participated.
“The girls made up their minds to leave. They were not deported ... The mere fact they dared to be in sanctuary for 400-plus days, it gives us the hope that we shall carry on the campaign,” she said. DeCiman hopes the young women might one day return to complete their education, giving them an opportunity to contribute to the development of their homeland.
In lauding Stop UR Deportations, SCIC’s executive director Vicki Nelson noted the campaign eventually led to the federal government revamping the off-campus work policy for international students.
It also sparked the creation of a legal defence fund to assist U of R students.
“People come in conflict and come in contact with the law for a whole host of reasons, and we want to make sure that when that happens, the best supports are there,” said Stewart.
Also receiving Global Citizen Awards were: Florence Stratton, who has stood in downtown Regina every Thursday for almost seven years handing out information with the Making Peace Vigil; Lori Latta, who has dedicated her life to international co-operation and antipoverty work; and Bev Maxim, a dedicated advocate for the co-operative movement in Canada and around the globe.
In Saskatoon, awards were given to Idle No More and to Mark Bigland-Pritchard.