Centre for Human Rights Research

09/01/2026

Join us for the Miskwaagamiiwi-ziibi Water Walk on September 23, 2026. The walk will begin at sunrise (7:15 am) with an opening ceremony at the Southwood Circle Dock. We will walk approximately 30 km to the Main Street Boat Launch. A map that shows our location in real time will be made available on our website. Swipe to learn more about water walks and what to expect ➡

Water Walks are based in Anishinaabe Ceremonial Water Teachings. We walk to honour all Nibi (water) and to share our good words, prayers, songs and intentions with the water spirits so that there will be healthy rivers, lakes and oceans for our ancestors and the generations to come.

Learn more about the water walk at https://chrr.info/event/winnipeg-water-walk/

08/31/2026

What is oral history? 💬🔍

Oral history is conversation, but is not just a recorded conversation. Oral history is a method of historical and social scientific inquiry and analysis that includes life histories, storytelling, narratives, and qualitative research. Swipe to learn more ➡

In June 2026, the Centre for Human Rights Research hosted a webinar on oral history methodology with Dr. Janis Thiessen (University of Winnipeg). Created from this workshop, this infographic introduces oral history as a research method, including key definitions, steps, and procedures necessary to oral history.

Download the full infographic at https://chrr.info/resource/what-is-oral-history-an-infographic/

08/28/2026

This month's emerging researcher is Krista Pilz. Krista Pilz is a PhD student in Peace and Conflict Studies (PACS) at the University of Manitoba, with more than 15 years of experience in the non-profit sector. Her PhD research, Naturalizing Intersectional Gender-Based Analysis Into Conflict Transformation and Peacebuilding Strategies, builds upon already existing transdisciplinary foundations within Peace and Conflict Studies.

Krista’s research focusses on developing methodologies and research protocols which identify, and address inequity and marginalization produced by and through everyday power and resource systems. More specifically, her work is concerned with centralizing the intersectional lived experiences of women, self-identifying women and Two-Spirited individuals in order to naturalize intersectional gender-based analysis into sustainable systems change. Her areas of study and research include critical and feminist theory, environmental and animal ethics, non-violence, and gender-based institutional and systems analysis.

Krista's advice for other emerging researchers and students is to "find an art form you love and explore it".

Learn more about Krista's work through https://chrr.info/current-projects-2/emerging-research-highlight/

08/26/2026

In June 2026, the CHRR hosted a webinar on oral history methodology with Dr. Janis Thiessen (University of Winnipeg). Dr. Thiessen provided an overview of oral history methodology that addresses a number of crucial questions, including: What is oral history? When should scholars use this methodology (and when should it be avoided)? How should an oral history be conducted? How should archived oral histories be used and interpreted?

Watch a recording of the webinar at https://chrr.info/resource/methods-mediums-oral-history-methodology-with-dr-janis-thiessen/

08/25/2026

On October 30, 2025, the University of Manitoba’s Just Waters project, Institute for the Humanities - University of Manitoba (UMIH), and Department of History hosted Dr. Shannon Stunden Bower for a talk titled, “Refusing to Harness a River: A Study of Dryland Farmers Resisting Irrigation in mid-20th Century Saskatchewan.”

This talk focused on dryland farmers from Saskatchewan’s Outlook-Broderick area in their efforts to resist the Saskatchewan government’s attempts to compel them to irrigate.

Watch a video of the talk at https://chrr.info/resource/refusing-to-harness-a-river-a-study-of-dryland-farmers-resisting-irrigation-in-mid-20th-century-saskatchewan/

08/21/2026

The deadline for the Just Waters fellowship for Indigenous and racialized graduate students is only 10 days away!

This interdisciplinary fellowship is designed to support Canadian Indigenous and Racialized Graduate Students pursuing master’s or doctoral programs at the University of Manitoba, with a research component of their degree program with a focus on issues of water and justice.

Recipients must be self-declared as a First Nations, Métis or Inuit person from Canada or identify as racialized, have achieved a minimum grade point average of 3.0 in the last 60 credit hours of studies, and be in good standing with the Faculty of Graduate Studies. Must be a full-time UM student registered in the 2026-2027 academic year.

Value: $7,500

To apply students should submit the following to Sarah Deckert at [email protected] by August 31, 2026:
- One-page CV
- One-page cover letter describing their research

Learn more about the opportunity at https://chrr.info/just-waters/get-involved/

08/19/2026

On Monday, student researcher Majestic Moerland took us along on a day in her life as a student researcher with the Just Waters project. Swipe along to see what her day looked like!

Interested in working with us? Visit https://chrr.info/about/employment-and-internship-opportunities/ to learn more about current opportunities at CHRR.

08/19/2026

08/14/2026

This week’s researcher of the week is Dr. Jeongmin Kim, an assistant professor in the Department of History, Faculty of Arts. Dr. Kim is a historian of modern Korea and transnational Asia with a focus on investigating gendered and racialized experiences of US wars and occupations in twentieth-century Asia-Pacific.

Her first monograph, Black Market Intimacies: The Transpacific Sexual Economy of the Korean War, was recently published with Stanford University Press (July 2026). Black Market Intimacies reveals the untold story of how illicit exchanges of money and commodities involving sexual encounters between Korean and Japanese women and US soldiers provided the material foundations of the trans-regional economy across the US, Korea and Japan during the Korean War.

Learn more about her book, Black Market Intimacies: The Transpacific Sexual Economy of the Korean War, at https://www.sup.org/books/asian-studies/black-market-intimacies

Use discount code JEONGMINKIM20 to get 20% off!

In 2026, Dr. Kim was named an inaugural recipient of the Rh Chrysalis Awards for Exceptional Early-Career Recognition at UM!

08/13/2026

The CHRR is looking to hire a Student Researcher for the 2026 Fall term. This is a temporary, part-time position from September 2026 – December 18, 2026. The position will be approximately 8 hours per week.

The Student Researcher will assist the CHRR in its project “Calling for Justice and Reimagining Governance: The Rematriation of Indigenous Women’s Human Rights and the Obligations of All Governments.”

We are looking for a graduate student to support research exploring government reports, inquiries, and recommendations as they relate to issues of colonialism, reconciliation, human rights violations, resistance, and justice. Experience in archival research is an asset. Salary range is $22.00 – $24.00/hour depending on qualifications. Eligible applicants must be enrolled at the University of Manitoba.

To apply for this position, please submit your resume and a cover letter telling us a little about yourself, your research interests, and why you would like to apply to this position. Full applications can be emailed to [email protected]. Please add “Calling for Justice” in the subject line. The deadline for applications is August 28th at 12noon.

Learn more about the position at https://chrr.info/about/employment-and-internship-opportunities/