MuneemMehidee

As a research assistant

October 2026 to present

• Information sheets on university policies

  I update the information sheets on the OHRCM website after changes to University of Manitoba policies. I also draft new information sheets in plain language.

• Research on Indigenous ways of resolving conflict

  I do research and drafting for a University of Manitoba gathering on dispute resolution. The gathering is in January 2027. The research is about Indigenous ways of resolving conflict. I drafted a handout of themes and questions for the people at the gathering.

During my practicum

May to September 2026

• Report on human rights offices at Canadian universities

  I drafted a report on eight human rights offices at Canadian universities. The report compares the eight offices with the OHRCM.

• Paper on codes of conduct for student groups

  I drafted a paper on the conduct codes of Canadian universities. The paper asks one question. The question is about the rules for conduct by student groups. The paper also looks at university rules on Indigenous spaces. The paper ends with a list of good practices.

• Briefing on generative AI, equity and human rights

  I drafted a research briefing on the effects of generative AI on equity and human rights. The briefing surveys the AI policies of Canadian universities.

• Information sheet on generative AI

  I drafted an information sheet in the format of the OHRCM information sheets. The title of the information sheet is “Generative Artificial Intelligence: Conflict and Human Rights Concerns”.

• Information sheet on social media and online behaviour

  I revised the OHRCM information sheet on social media and online behaviour. I added research on cyberbullying. I also made graphics for the information sheet. The graphics show the way to report a problem on each platform.

• Scan of third-party relationship disclosures

  I drafted a scan of the processes at Canadian universities for one kind of disclosure. In this kind of disclosure a third person discloses a relationship between a staff member and a student.

• Contact list of comparable offices

  I built a list of offices like the OHRCM at Canadian post-secondary institutions. The list gives the website and the contact details of each office. The list groups the offices by province.

• Scan of intergenerational programs

  I drafted a scan of intergenerational activities at post-secondary institutions in Canada and the United States. The scan was for the Office of Equity Transformation (OET) of the University of Manitoba.

Winter 2026

• HMRT 7200, capstone research paper

  What the ICESCR Didn’t Do in Canada: A Legal and Human Rights Analysis of Why Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights Were Not Included

  Canada ratified the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) in 1976. People still cannot enforce most of these rights directly in Canadian courts. The paper explains the reasons. The reasons include the status of treaties in Canadian law, the caution of the courts and the division of powers between the federal and provincial governments. The paper looks at housing, food, health and social security. The paper also shows the heavier burden on Indigenous peoples.

• DS 7020, History and Disability

  From Objects of Care to Subjects of Rights: A History of Disability and the Making of the Human Rights Model

  The paper follows the history of ideas about disability. Society first treated disabled people as objects of care. Society later recognized disabled people as holders of rights. The paper covers asylums, eugenics, the independent living movement and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The paper also compares the laws of the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and India.

• DS 7040, Disability and Media

  Beyond Inspiration and Pity: Disability Representation in Contemporary Media and the Struggle for Human Rights Recognition

  The paper argues one point. The way the media show disabled people is a human rights issue. The paper studies the common stereotypes in news media and entertainment media. The paper also looks at digital and social media. The paper ends with recommendations.

Fall 2025

• HMRT 7300, Human Rights Law

  The Definition of Hate Speech: A Comparative Analysis in the Context of Bangladesh’s Cyber Security Ordinance 2025

  The Cyber Security Ordinance 2025 of Bangladesh makes hate speech an offence. The ordinance does not define hate speech. The paper studies three earlier cases from Bangladesh. The paper then compares the law of Bangladesh with the Rabat Plan of Action and the Criminal Code of Canada. The paper suggests the test from the Rabat Plan of Action for the law of Bangladesh.

• HMRT 7100, Theory and Practice of Human Rights: Critical Perspectives

  Forced Sterilizations of Uyghur Women in Xinjiang (2017 - 2020)

  The paper studies the forced sterilizations of Uyghur women and other Muslim minority women in Xinjiang from 2017 to 2020. The paper uses survivor testimonies, government documents, population data and human rights reports. The paper explains the causes at three levels. The first level is the pressure on each woman. The second level is the institutions in Xinjiang. The third level is the policy of the state. The paper also explains the breaches of international human rights law. The paper ends with steps for accountability.

• DS 2040, Environment and Disability

  Disability Inclusive Disaster Preparedness in Environmental Crises

  The essay starts from one fact. In disasters the death and injury rates of disabled people are two to four times higher than the rates of other people. The essay looks at Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011. The essay studies the barriers for disabled people in evacuation, warning and shelter. The essay proposes policies such as accessible shelters, accessible warning systems and training for emergency workers. The essay uses examples from Japan and California.