board

Jordyn O’Dunn-Orto is a current Project Administrator for the Career Exploration Program within the Winnipeg School Division; she is responsible for the Career Intern Program, a program which provides the twelve WSD high schools as well as their Adult Education Centre with career advisors who assist students in their career understanding, education and development. She has a degree in Conflict Resolution Studies from the University of Winnipeg in Affiliation with Menno Simmons College and has a passion for youth education and empowerment. She began her involvement with MARL as a judge for the High School Ethics Bowl seven years ago and is eager to begin her work behind the scenes as a new board member.

Torin Proulx is an Occupational Health and Safety Professional who has been working with vulnerable workers in Manitoba for the past 14 years. This work is fueled by his passion for youth advocacy, and supporting those just entering the Canadian workforce by ensuring that the present and future generations of the workforce are kept safe, employed in healthy workplaces, and are aware of their rights as workers. Torin has been volunteering on numerous not-for-profit boards and safety initiatives for over 16 years and brings a wealth of leadership experience and collaborative expertise to the MARL board. He is excited to add his voice and energy to the Board of Directors and support the phenomenal work done at MARL.

Alex Rana is a student at the University of Manitoba going into his final year of a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and Linguistics with a minor in German. Within his degree, he is particularly interested in the areas of critical theory, queer literature, and sociolinguistics. At the U of M, he enjoys serving as Co-President of the Rainbow Pride Centre, Vice President of the Arts Student Body Council, and an executive on the Racial Equity and Inclusion Alliance. Outside of campus, he organizes with the MB 2SLGBTQIA+ Student Action Coalition and Prairie Asian Organizers, and volunteers as Sustainability Coordinator for Pride Winnipeg. He looks forward to becoming more involved with MARL to share his passion for queer and racialized advocacy and advance human rights in Manitoba. 

Rominpreet Kaur is from the Punjab and came to Canada in 2017. She is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree at the University of Manitoba. She has worked in the childcare industry for the past seven years taking on various roles within the field, which helped her acquire valuable experience in fostering a nurturing a stimulating environment for children. This hands-on experience has enabled her to develop a deep understanding of the needs and rights of children, and she is passionate about advocating for their well-being and growth. Rominpreet is deeply committed to children’s rights and liberties and continuously striving to raise awareness and create positive change in this area. Every child deserves a safe and supportive environment that enables them to develop their full potential. 

Dimitar Tomovski is a Master of Arts student in Philosophy at the University of Manitoba. The focus of his research is the metaphysical justification of rights and the extent to which moral rights can be attributed to non-sentient entities such as coral reefs and works of art. Dimitar has had a fascination with rights and liberties since his undergraduate degree when he began taking courses in moral philosophy, legal philosophy, and normative ethics. He has held positions in the Philosophy Student Association at the University of Manitoba such as Ethics Centre Student Association President, Philosophy Student Association Vice-President, and, most recently, Philosophy Student Association President. 

Anna Le is a fourth-year Science student at the University of Manitoba, looking to pursue a postgraduate career in pharmacy or anthropology. In their daily life, they try to place emphasis on solidarity and community. They are passionate about trying to create safe spaces for people to exist in and have open discussions in. In their free time, Anna enjoys volunteering with elderly folks and youth, as well as engaging with the community around them. They were first affiliated with MARL as a participant in the Provincial and National Ethics Bowls. They look forward to becoming more deeply involved with MARL and helping it facilitate spaces for people to gain perspective and grow. 

Larry Paetkau is a retired school teacher whose career took him from Thompson, MB to Chongqing, PRC in the 80s, to College Pierre-Elliott-Trudeau, where he taught English Language Arts, History, and Global Issues for 25 years. During his career he organized social justice clubs and activities, and served as Lead Teacher for the school’s UNESCO project. He was responsible for regular trips to Bolivia, where his Global Issues students met, studied, and worked with national NGOs. He participated in writing the Global Issues: Citizenship and Sustainability curriculum and was an educational consultant for ERIM’s project for countering radicalization to violence in Manitoba schools. He currently volunteers  at IRCOM putting his teaching and carpentry skills to use. 

Elizabeth Aluk Andrea lives in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada where she co-founded Manitoba Women for Women of South Sudan (MW4WSS) and serves as its current president. She holds a degree from the University of Winnipeg in Urban Inner-City Studies and Conflict Resolution Studies. Using her Con-flict Resolution education, she and a group of diaspora women and men initiated local peace dialogue among the ethnic communities in Rumbek, South Sudan. Supported by UNMISS, the dialogue had good participation by politicians, youth, men, women and religious leaders from Lakes State. It has had the positive benefit of reducing violence. In November 2016, MW4WSS hosted a Women’s Peace Table Campaign on South Sudan in Winnipeg. In October of 2016, she made a presentation to the Su-dan/South Sudan Mission of the Presbyterian Church (USA) on the status of women in the conflict in South Sudan. She is a member of Dialogue for South Sudan, a volunteer organization based in Winnipeg which promotes dialogue among South Sudanese and is a former representative of women in the Winnipeg Chapter of the Sudan Peoples’ Liberation Movement.

Jennifer is a social justice advocate at heart and endeavours to incorporate the values of inclusivity, equity, and authenticity into her life and work. Jenn is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in labour studies with an Indigenous studies minor at the University of Manitoba and has over ten years of human resource and labour relations experience in the private and public sectors. When she isn’t studying or spending time with loved ones, Jenn supports her community through volunteerism. She holds a position on the Manitoba League of Persons with Disabilities (MLDP) board, is President of the Labour Studies Students’ Association, and is a refugee resettlement advisor. Additionally, Jenn is a Burns Leadership Institute Fellow and has studied multilateral diplomacy and leadership at the United Nations. She hopes that through her role on MARL’s board, she can learn from and be of service to Manitobans facing human rights barriers.

Jordan Anglin-Reimer, aka “Jordy,” is a proud transgender woman with roots from the Saint-Boniface area. She currently pursues her academic passions in history and anthropology at the University of Manitoba as well as at the Manitoba Museum. Committed to positive change within her community, Jordan engages in various organizations for activism. She is notably a member of the Prime Minister’s Youth Council, advising on policy at the federal level, and a leading member of the Manitoba 2SLGBTQIA+ Student Action Coalition. As a vocal advocate for social justice, Jordan utilizes her platform to organize protests, lead seminars, contribute to publications, mobilize support through signature campaigns, and raise awareness on pressing issues. Beyond her activism, Jordan channels her passion for heritage preservation into both professional endeavours and volunteer work. With a diverse array of roles in archives and museums, she works to preserve history. Her work has particularly focused on western Canada, including indigenous and francophone heritage. Driven by a commitment to equity, Jordan endeavours to positively impact her world.