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.
Event Details:
Date and time: Friday, January 23, 2026 from 3 - 5 PM
Hybrid Event: 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! ()
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
