Avoiding Catastrophe: Linking Armed Conflict, Harm to Ecosystems, and Public Health

Gathering experts from the medical, epidemiological, veterinary, conflict management,biodiversity conservation, climate change and political science communities, this conference will pursue an integrated understanding of the catastrophic combination of prolonged armed conflict, environmental alterations such as biodiversity loss, and challenges to the provision of public health, including emergent infectious diseases, nutrition, and mental health issues.

This event is hosted by the Loyola Sustainability Research Centre, and is funded by the Canadian Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Connections Program. Partners include: Montreal Institute for Genocide and Human Rights Studies, Doctors Without Borders, EcoHealth Alliance, Future Earth, the Human Security Institute, and the United Nations Secretariat for the Convention on Biological Diversity.

Here are the various events during the conference that are open to the public: 

WEDNESDAY, MAY 4

From 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., Room LB-125, J.W. McConnell Building (1400 de Maisonneuve St. W.), Sir George Williams Campus

Keynote Speakers event

- Keith Martin, Executive Director of the Consortium of Universities of Global Health
- Adan Suazo Morazán, Minister, Embassy of Honduras, Brazil

Keith Martin, Executive Director of the Consortium of Universities of Global Health

Dr. Martin is a physician who, since Sept. 2012, has served as the founding Executive Director of the Consortium of Universities for Global Health (CUGH) based in Washington, DC. This organization represents over 130 academic institutions from around the world, primarily focusing on improving health outcomes for the global poor and strengthening academic global health programs.
Between 1993-2011, Dr. Martin served as a Member of Parliament in Canada’s House of Commons. His main areas of focus are in global health, foreign policy, security, international development, conservation and the environment. He is particularly interested in strengthening human resources capabilities and scaling up initiatives in low-income settings that improve environmental sustainability and human security.

Adan Suazo Morazán, Minister, Embassy of Honduras, Brazil

Adan Suazo Morazán, Honduran, is a career diplomat and economist with post graduate degrees in Statistics, Project Management, Corporate Finance, and Public policy from institutions such as the Interamerican Institute for Statistics Training (Chile), the Torcuatto Di Tella University (Argentina), and Harvard University.
He has been appointed to several diplomatic positions in Canada, Japan, El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica. He served for more than 10 years as Professor in the Faculty of Economics at the National University of Honduras and has written several articles and research papers. He is an expert in Central American integration and has participated as keynote speaker at conferences and symposia in Canada, Central America, Europe and Asia.

THURSDAY, MAY 5

From 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., Room LB-125, J.W. McConnell Building, Sir George Williams Campus

Leadership Panels

Leaders from various organizations engaged in public health, environmental conservation, and conflict resolution will participate in a public roundtables exploring action and research.

• 9:15 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. – First Leadership Roundtable- “Future Streams of Research”

- Dr. Lea Berrang Ford, Associate Professor of the Department of Geography, McGill University
- Dr. Frank Chalk, Director of the Montreal Institute for Genocide and Human Rights Studies
- Dr. Peter Daszak, President of EcoHealth Alliance
- Dr. Marieme Lo, Professor, Women & Gender Studies Institute, University of Toronto
- Dr. Anne-Hélène Prieur-Richard, Future Earth Global Hub Director - Montreal

• Coffee Break
• 10:45 a.m. - 11:45 a.m. – Second Leadership Roundtable – “Humanitarian Actions amidst Structural Challenges”

- Stephen Cornish, Executive Director, Doctors Without Borders
- Dr. Braulio Dias, Executive Secretary, UN Convention on Biological Diversity
- Kyle Matthews, Senior Deputy Director, Montreal Institute for Genocide and Human Rights Studies
- Alain Roy, Director of Programs and Communications, Amnesty International Canada

From 12 to 3 p.m., 7th floor CSU lounges, Henry F. Hall Building (1455 De Maisonneuve Blvd W.), Sir George Williams Campus

NGO Fair

Various organisations will be present to showcase their mission and work, and to contribute to the broader questions being asked at the conference. This event will offer a great opportunity for NGOs to network with potential new members and/or volunteers, as well as to inform the general public about the projects they are working on.

Featuring:

• Alternatives
• Amnesty International
• Canada Tibet Committee (CTC)
• Doctors Without Borders (MSF)
• Fondation des Jeunes pour un Développement Durable (FJDD)
• Fondation Mères du Monde en Santé (MMS)
• Grandmothers Advocacy Network (GRAN)
• Mer et Monde
• Oxfam-Québec
• Social Justice Connexion (SJC)
• Solidarité Union Coopération (SUCO)
• Stories for Humanity
• Sustainable Action Fund (SAF)
   

FRIDAY, MAY 6

From 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., Room H-763, Hall Building

Presentation by Dr. Andrew Price-Smith, Associate Professor, Political Science, Colorado College (open to the public)

Register now!