Board
Meet the WIAM Board for 2010-2011
Helen Barrette has been involved with WIAM's One World Film Festival since 2009, and is delighted to have joined the Board this year. Originally from Montreal, Helen studied management, international relations and public policy, specialising in the environment. Helen now works in humanitarian assistance with the Canadian International Development Agency, and spends the rest of her time watching films, reading books, grocery shopping, promoting fair trade and trying to learn the piano.
Emily Bishop currently works with the International Development Research Centre in the Peace, Conflict and Development program. She has Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology and International Development from Trent University, and a Master of Arts in Conflict Studies at St. Paul University and the University of Ottawa. As part of her studies, she volunteered with several organizations in Canada and Ecuador. In addition to Emily's volunteer experience, she has worked in event planning, communications, and fundraising. She has many interests, including theatre, guitar, singing, photography, baseball, hiking, kayaking and travelling. She speaks English, French and Spanish. Emily joined the WIAM board in September 2009.
Christopher Braeuel is a Senior Development Planner with the Canadian International Development Agency’s (CIDA) Afghanistan Task Force. His main interests are sustainable economic growth and environmental protection in developing countries. He has represented Canada as National Focal Point, Chief Negotiator and Bureau Vice-President to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification, and as an Advisor and Negotiator under the UN Commission on Sustainable Development and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. Chris holds a BA from l'Université d'Ottawa, an MA in Public Administration from Carleton University, and a Graduate Certification in Project Management from the Shulich School of Business. He speaks English, French, Spanish and German and has travelled extensively across the globe in a professional, volunteer and personal capacity. In his spare time, Chris enjoys community volunteering, adventure traveling and playing Afro-Latin percussion.
Carolyn Elliot-Magwood joined the WIAM Board in the fall of 2009. As a former student of English and theatre (Wilfrid Laurier University) and law, with a focus on international and public law (University of Ottawa), she is excited to be involved in an organization that marries her interests in the arts and global social justice. Carolyn currently works in the International Legal Programs Section of the Department of Justice. She has previous Board experience at Ecclesiax Church. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, photography, and quilting.
Michael Bruce Fink is a film and art enthusiast who has attended the One World Film Festival for nearly a decade. His passion for international affairs, human rights and social issues led him to Carleton University where he received a degree in Anthropology. His main interests are digital art, photography, physics, and art history. He currently works for the RCMP.
Zicky Hammud has been involved with WIAM since the late 1990s both as a Board member and a member of the One World Film Festival organizing committee. In both capacities, he has been active in developing fundraising, promotional and organizational strategies for WIAM. Originally from Nova Scotia, Zicky holds a Master's degree in International Affairs from Carleton University and works with the Federal Government as a management consultant. Zicky is multilingual, has travelled extensively abroad and is especially passionate about inter-cultural understanding.
Chantal Harvard has a degree in political science and community work. She has been involved in international development and social justice issues since her teenage years. She has travelled and worked extensively in Latin America and West Africa for the past 25 years for several Canadian NGOs . As Communication and Public Engagement Coordinator at TransFair Canada in the early 2000s, she played a key role in the promotion of Fair Trade in Canada. She currently works as a Senior Communication Officer at CIDA and is fluent in French, English and Spanish. Through her involvement in her community and with NGOs abroad, she is committed to building bridges between cultures and people. She is also passionate about the outdoors, cycling, reading, photography and her family.
Astrid Lozano
Stella Luk is a lawyer in the International Legal Programs Section of the Department of Justice, Canada. She completed her JD and MA in International Relations at the University of Toronto. In her past life, Stella has worked as an Internet Tools Developer for IBM Canada and has a BSc in Computing Science from the University of Alberta.
Leah Marchuk works as a Foreign Service Officer at the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade. She is originally from Vancouver, where she studied International Relations at UBC. Previously, Leah worked for the GLOBE Foundation, the Canadian International Development Agency, National Defence, and The Terry Fox Foundation. She also worked as a reporter for The Daily Graphic in Ghana, and for ArtsBeat in Vancouver. In addition to global issues, Leah enjoys literature, cooking, and, of course, travel.
Mira Olah became an active member of WIAM's Board in 2009 and is involved in fundraising and program development activities. Her background is in Economic Development (she holds a BSc in Economics from the University of Quebec in Montreal) and she has worked in the fields of rural and housing development and economic consulting in both Canada and South-East Asia. Her passion for art, development and education has led to her involvement with WIAM and her present employment as a Design/Project Manager to the Federal Government.
Jen Peirce is new to Ottawa and is currently an MA student in international affairs at Carleton University. She has worked with youth in global education, with small development NGOs and as a translator in Canada, Nicaragua and El Salvador. Originally from Calgary, she studied international development at Dalhousie University and has traveled and volunteered in Latin America and West Africa. On study breaks, she likes to ski and swim. She joined the WIAM Board in 2007.
Carol Ann Pilon has worked in the television and film industry since 1992. She holds an Honours BA with Specialization in Communication from the University of Ottawa. In 2000, she directed her first documentary film for television. Since then, Carol Ann has directed over 70 programs for the French-Canadian television industry. These have been broadcast on SRC, TFO, TV5, Canal vie and Bravo.
Micheline Shoebridge has worked in the screen industry for the past 15 years. She has worked on numerous documentaries, dramatic series, short films, music videos and commercials, in both English and French. Her latest documentary, *Champions grisonnants*, was nominated for a 2010 Prix Gemeau and won Best Documentary at the Milan Sports TV & Movies International Film Festival 2009. Micheline is presently producing a feature-length documentary entitled *Buzkashi!* set in Tajikistan. Micheline has taught at Algonquin College's Documentary Program and was Manager of the One World Film Festival in 2009. She was Program Director for the Canadian Screen Training Centre for over six years, a national training organization in film and television. In addition to WIAM, Micheline also sits on the Board of Directors of Creations In Vivo, an award-winning Franco-Ontarian Theatre company and is on the Executive of DOC Ottawa-Gatineau, an association for documentary makers. Passionate about community, world issues and the arts, Micheline believes strongly in the programs run by WIAM.
Tanya Zayed is currently working as Project Coordinator for the Child Soldiers Initiative. She holds a Master's degree in Conflict Studies at Saint Paul's University and an undergraduate degree in Criminology from the University of Ottawa. Prior to joining the Child Soldiers Initiative, Tanya was very active in furthering the cause of many local and international organizations such as the Control Arms campaign, War Child, Gulu Walk. Most recently, she has completed an internship with save the Children Canada in Bogota Colombia where she worked on the rewrite the Future campaign for Education in Emergencies. Tanya has also worked in Cochabamba, Bolivia in various programs dealing with at-risk children and youth. She has been a member of the WIAM Board since April 2010.