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In this episode, Master of Human Rights student and host Maddy Nowosad speaks with fellow MHR student Ellie Namit and Jonny Mexico of the Manitoba Harm Reduction Network about what it means to approach harm reduction through dignity, care, and community. As Jonny explains, harm reduction is not only about safer substance use; at its core, it is about relationships, connection, and recognizing that people who use substances deserve not to die.

Their conversation explores a challenging subject with an emphasis on kindness, community, and the responsibility to care about one another. They discuss common misconceptions about harm reduction, the importance of language and framing, and the ways public narratives can either deepen stigma or create space for brave and creative responses centred on dignity, health, and care.

Ellie and Jonny also reflect on both the possibilities and limitations of law and policy. While legal and policy frameworks can protect rights, strengthen services, and support community-based work, they can also become restrictive or punitive when they lose sight of the people most affected. Throughout the episode, they return to a central question: how can communities respond to the toxic drug crisis with the full range of supports people need, while respecting their dignity, agency, and fundamental human rights.

For more information on the Master of Human Rights please visit our website.

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Annie Guglia (she/her) is a four-time Canadian national champion and the first Canadian woman to compete in street skateboarding at the Olympic Games. Through her work as a professional athlete, community organizer, and advocate, she is helping advance gender equity and the right of everyone to participate in sport and the right to play.

At eleven, Annie was fascinated by skateboarding but too intimidated to enter her local skatepark. In conversation with Master of Human Rights student Maddy Nowosad, she reflects on the people who invited her in, the importance of creating welcoming first experiences, and why grassroots organizing must be supported by policies and structures that make inclusion real.

Episode Host: Maddy Nowosad (she/her)

For more information on the Master of Human Rights please visit our website.

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Ana-Maria Costa (she/her) is a Master of Human Rights student at the Faculty of Law, University of Manitoba who is honouring her family and the thousands of other victims of the 1973 Chilean coup d'état through her thesis research. In elementary school, her teacher gifted her the book 'Underground to Canada' by Barbara Smucker, sparking a care and curiosity for the causes of human rights violations that she would carry throughout her academic career.

As Ana-Maria approaches her thesis, she sat down with Footsteps guest host and fellow classmate Maddy Nowosad (she/her), to reflect on the relational nature of human rights research, and the importance of talking with our own families and communities about the places we come from, and how those contexts shape our human rights work.

For more information on the Master of Human Rights please visit our website.