Rights & Democracy welcomes David Matas and Michael Van Pelt to its Board of Directors

MONTREAL – November 17, 2009 – Rights & Democracy is very pleased to welcome two new members to its Board of Directors: David Matas and Michael Van Pelt.

David Matas (BA, University of Manitoba, 1964; MA, Princeton University, 1965; BA [Jurisprudence], University of Oxford, 1967; and Bachelor of Civil Law, University of Oxford, 1968) has a private practice in refugee, immigration and human rights law. From 1997 to 2003, Mr. Matas, an Order of Canada recipient, was a director of Rights & Democracy. He was a member of the Canadian delegation to the Task Force for International Cooperation on Holocaust Education, Remembrance and Research (Stockholm 2000, Prague 2007, and Linz and Vienna 2008). He was also a member of the Canadian delegation to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe conferences on anti-semitism and intolerance (Vienna 2003, Berlin 2004 and Bucharest 2007). From 1991 to 1993, he served as director of Canada-South Africa Cooperation and, from 1990 to 1991, as director of the International Defence and Aid Fund for Southern Africa in Canada. Mr. Matas, a distinguished lawyer and academic, has authored a large number of journal articles, book chapters, and books on human rights and immigration issues.

Michael Van Pelt (BA [History], McMaster University, 1988) is president of the Work Research Foundation, as well as the founder and director of the Trade Corridors Initiative. He is also a consultant in land development and urban planning. From 1997 to 2000, he served as general manager of the Sarnia Lambton Chamber of Commerce and as general manager of Tourism Sarnia-Lambton. From 1995 to 1997, he was a municipal counsellor for the Town of Mitchell, Ontario. Mr. Van Pelt has authored articles on religion, trade corridors and other topics.

“We are truly pleased to welcome two new members of the calibre of Mr. Matas and Mr. Van Pelt to our Board. We look forward to their contributions and are sure to benefit tremendously from their wisdom and expertise,” said Aurel Braun, Chair of Rights and Democracy’s Board of Directors.

Rights & Democracy is a non-partisan, independent Canadian institution created by an Act of Parliament in 1988 to promote democratic development and to advocate for and defend human rights set out in the International Bill of Human Rights. In cooperation with civil society and governments in Canada and abroad, Rights & Democracy initiates and supports programmes to strengthen laws and democratic institutions, principally in developing countries.