Menno Simons College Blog

In pursuit of human rights

Posted by CMU Staff  |  Friday, February 6, 2015 @ 12:00 AM

A desire to correct injustices led MSC alumna Heather Unger (MSC '03, IDS 4–year) to pursue a career in human rights.

Since 2010, Unger has worked at the Manitoba Human Rights Commission (MHRC). Until November 2014 she held the position of Human Rights Investigator. In that role, Unger investigated complaints of discrimination and determined which cases should be recommended for mediation or adjudication. Based on the evidence that human rights investigators gather, a board of commissioners decides whether a complaint should be dismissed or sent to a mediation or adjudication process.

“On a very best day, I feel like some social wrong has been addressed,” says Unger. “Maybe someone has received an apology or a sum of money in recognition of some harm, or a policy has been revised, or changes made on a very broad, systemic level, which is fantastic.”

In mid-November, Unger transitioned to the position of Acting Manager of Investigation & Policy Development, where she’ll lead the Commission’s team of investigators. The MHRC handles human rights complaints through a variety of processes including investigation, mediation, and adjudication. It also provides human rights education through community workshops and presentations, and an annual youth conference.

Unger attributes her interest in working in the field of human rights to a combination of experiences in Botswana, Canada, Lithuania, and the United States, along with her education. When she was a child, Unger’s family lived along Canada’s west coast, in Fresno, California, and in Brandon, Manitoba.

In each of these locations, Unger was introduced to new cultures and witnessed disparities between communities of different backgrounds. These experiences “created a desire in me to see that disparity corrected,” says Unger.

Unger pursued that desire by obtaining a degree with a double major in International Development Studies (IDS, 2003) from MSC and in Christian Studies from Concord College. She holds an integrated Bachelor of Laws/Bachelor of Civil Law from McGill University. Unger completed her articling year at the Public Interest Law Centre in Winnipeg, which takes on test cases for public interest groups and low-income individuals.

Her IDS practicum placement was with an HIV/AIDS organization in Botswana. While there, she says she learned that even the best of development programs can be ineffective if the people they are designed to help can’t access them.

“At times, that [inaccessibility] was a matter of public policy—the way society was structured or the laws of society that prevent certain people from accessing services or development programs,” she says.

Of her time at MSC, she says, “What I appreciated and what I took away was the importance of self-awareness and how you impact any given situation. You don’t assume necessarily that you have the right answer for a given issue or problem—you tread lightly and in collaboration with others.”

Her advice to those wanting to pursue a career in human rights is: “Be patient and stay engaged—take opportunities as they come because they build on one another.”

Ellen Paulley is the Writer & Social Media Coordinator for Menno Simons College