Presented by Social Justice Education
Colloquium: Abigail Bakan and Yasmeen Abu-Laban on Human Rights and the United Nations
On the afternoon of January 23rd, join us for a colloquium featuring Dr. Abigail Bakan—Professor in the Department of Social Justice Education, OISE—and Dr. Yasmeen Abu-Laban—Professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Alberta—as they discuss their co-edited volume (Routledge, 2025). The presentation will be followed by a Q&A session.
This timely volume critically examines the United Nations as a site of both promise and paradox in the advancement of human rights. Through contributions that explore issues such as statelessness, Indigenous sovereignty, racial and gender justice, and environmental rights, the book reveals how ongoing contestation within the UN produces both progress and setbacks. Dr. Abu-Laban and Dr. Bakan have collaborated on multiple works together, including their co-authored book Israel, Palestine and the Politics of Race: Exploring Identity in a Global Context (2020) and several joint articles covering anti-Palestinian racism, antisemitism, and racial politics across leading journals.
Date and time: Friday, January 23 from 3 - 5 PM
Hybrid: OISE building, Nexus Lounge (12th floor) and Zoom.
Refreshments will be provided to in-person attendees. Zoom link will be sent to all attendees.
to secure your spot!
Please contact tatjana.grabeljsek@utoronto.ca if you have any questions.
This event is part of the Social Justice Education 2026 Colloquium Series, featuring talks from respected scholars. Check out the next events in the series:
Feb 27, 2026: Dr. Beyhan Farhadi on Online Learning and the Politics of Access in Public Education
Mar 27, 2026: Dr. Nisrin Elamin on Land, Capital and Empire-making in Central Sudan
About the Speakers
Dr. Abigail B. Bakan
Abigail B. Bakan is Professor in the Department of Social Justice Education, OISE, cross-appointed to the Department of Political Science, and affiliate with the Anne Tanenbaum Centre for Jewish Studies at the University of Toronto. Her research is in the area of anti-oppression politics, with a focus on intersections of gender, race, class, political economy, and citizenship. Her publications include Theorizing Anti-Racism: Linkages in Marxism and Critical Race Theories (co-edited with Enakshi Dua); and Israel, Palestine and the Politics of Race: Exploring Identity and Power in a Global Context (co-authored with Yasmeen Abu-Laban).
Dr. Yasmeen Abu-Laban
Yasmeen Abu-Laban is Professor and Canada Research Chair in the Politics of Citizenship and Human Rights in the Department of Political Science at the University of Alberta, and a Fellow at the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research. The author or editor of nine scholarly books, she has also published over 150 articles, chapters and reviews. Dr. Abu-Laban’s research interests centre on the Canadian and comparative dimensions of diversity and representation; immigration policies and politics; multiculturalism, human rights and anti-racism; as well as surveillance, advanced digital technologies and border control. She has served as President of the Canadian Political Science Association (2016-2017), Vice-President of the International Political Science Association (2018-2021), and President of the Canadian Ethnic Studies Association (2022-2024). She is the recipient of the Killam Award for Excellence in Mentoring, as well as the Faculty of Arts Award for Excellence in Graduate Teaching and Mentorship.
