Welcome to the premier edition of WYREZ, a new feature e-magazine of the Manitoba Association for Rights and Liberties - Youth and Education Program (MARL-YEP).  WYREZ is dedicated to discussions about human rights and civil liberties.  We hope WYREZ will be a home for debate about human rights and social justice issues. It is intended to be informative and thought-provokng, with an emphasis on youth and education.

Each edition will feature interviews in the following four areas: Thinking Globally- thought provoking ideas from people working internationally in the area of human rights; Acting Locally – dialogue with a Winnipeg organization working to address human rights; Tales Out of Class – Winnipeg teachers who demonstrate how they integrate human rights into their curricular area; and Youth Activists - Winnipeg students actively engaged in being the change they wish to see. Our first edition feature interviews include:

Thinking Globally- Diarmuid O’Murchu is a Catholic priest and social psychologist who has worked laterally with homeless people and refugees. He challenges us to expand our thinking about rights and education. As a workshop leader and group facilitator he has worked in Europe, the USA, Canada, Australia, the Philippines, Thailand, India, Peru, and several African countries. Diarmuid has authored several books, some of which have drawn controversy. His experience is certainly global, and his vision extends to include all of creation.

Acting Locally – Lloyd Kornelsen, former acting director of Global College, has an advanced degree in Adult Education and many years of experience teaching high school. He is currently on sabbatical and is pursuing a Ph.D. in Peace Studies at the University of Manitoba. Lloyd has been involved locally on the Human Rights City Task Force, and he engages with us in a dialogue about global citizenship and transformational learning.

Tales Out of Class: - Zane Zalis, an internationally recognized composer and producer, and the music teacher at Miles Macdonell Collegiate discusses the story leading up to his “I Believe” concert and demonstrates the power of music in teaching for human rights. Zane founded the music production program at Miles Mac, and has been involved in the development of music education curriculum in Manitoba. He produced a CD titled Remember, which has been promoted by the departments of education in British Columbia and Manitoba as a springboard for teaching about Remembrance Day. Zane also directs at the Murau Music Summer Festival in Austria, an event sponsored by the Austrian-Canadian Society whose goal is to improve bilateral relationships between the two countries.

Youth Activists –- Students from the Maples Collegiate Unity Group, which has been active for many years, remind us of the importance of young people standing up for what they believe in, speaking truth to power, and being the change they wish to see in the world. Sixty members strong, the unity group is “part of the culture of the collegiate”, and is involved in school and community groups in many ways. Their assemblies involve the entire student body.