Keynote Speaker: Dr. Paul Ugor, University of Waterloo

Paul Ugor grew up in Obudu, a small town in Cross Rivers State, Nigeria. He completed his B.A. in Theatre Studies at the University of Calabar in 1996 and earned an M.A. in Theatre and Film at the University of Ibadan in 2001. He obtained his Ph.D. from the University of Alberta in 2009, specializing in African and Postcolonial/World Literatures. His main areas of research and publishing include modern African literature and film, Nollywood cinema, African youth cultures, and Black popular culture.
Currently, Paul Ugor is working on a monograph focusing on the screen media output of Nigeria’s leading film director and TV producer, Femi Odugbemi. He is also involved in two edited volumes: one on the Postcolonial Bildungsroman (in collaboration with Arnab Roy of Florida Gulf Coast University) and another on Narratives of Transitional Justice in World Literatures (with Bonny Ibhawoh of McMaster University).
His research interests broadly concern new social processes in global politics, economy, information and communication technologies, cultural representations and everyday life, and the social responses these activities elicit from the public domain, particularly from marginalized groups such as racial minorities in the global north, youth, women, and disenfranchised subjects in postcolonial settings. 

Panelist: Dr. Art Miki, Winnipeg, MB:

Mr. Art Miki is an active leader in the Japanese Canadian community having served as president of the National Association of Japanese Canadians from 1984-1992. He led the negotiations to achieve a just redress settlement for Japanese Canadians interned during the Second World War. He and his family were forcibly relocated to Manitoba sugar beet farms in 1942.
Art is past-president of the Japanese Cultural Association of Manitoba and the Asian Heritage Society of Manitoba promoting cross cultural and anti-racism activities. He is advisor to the Canadian Race Relations Foundation and was on the Community Council for the Landscapes of Injustice Project with the University of Victoria.
For his efforts nationally, provincially and locally, he has received this country’s highest recognition, the Order of Canada, the Order of Manitoba and the Order of the Rising Sun from the government of Japan. He received Honourary Doctorate degrees from University of Winnipeg and St. Johns College, University of Manitoba.
He is author of a memoir Gaman – Perseverance: Journey of Japanese Canadians’ Journey to Justice (2023), The Japanese Canadian Redress Legacy: A Community Revitalized (2003) and co-author of Shaku of Wondrous Grace: Through the Garden of Yoshimaru Abe (2007).

Art is a former teacher and principal, a Canadian Citizenship Judge and a lecturer at the
University of Winnipeg.

Panelist: Chuks Ojidoh, Winnipeg, MB: 

Mr. Ojidoh is a grassroots mobilizer and community development practitioner with over 30 years of experience in international development. As the Director of Community Programs at the African Communities of Manitoba Inc. (ACOMI), he leads initiatives that foster cross-cultural partnerships and promote multiculturalism within Manitoba’s ethno-cultural communities.
Mr. Ojidoh’s extensive career spans Africa, where he has managed projects on human rights, civic engagement, youth empowerment, and participatory development in over 16 countries. His work in poverty reduction and financial empowernment has also taken him to Asia, including India, Thailand, and Indonesia.
With a strong expertise in election management, civic education, and community organizing, Mr. Ojidoh is passionate about building inclusive communities where immigrants feel a sense of belonging. He has an academic background in literary criticism and theatre for development, and enjoys reading, family time, and traveling.

Panelist: Maggie Yeboah, Winnipeg, MB:

“Maggie Yeboah was born and raised in Ghana, West Africa. She holds a Bachelor of Social Work degree from the University of Manitoba and has a deep interest in community development and family services. Maggie has been actively involved in various community and cultural organizations since she settled in Manitoba. Before moving to Canada in 1981, she was a teacher. She obtained a diploma in Early Childhood Education and Special Needs Child Care from Red River College in Winnipeg and worked in that field for 12 years. Since ACOMI’s inception in 1997, Maggie has been a dedicated member and volunteer, serving in numerous roles. As the new Executive Director, she aims to bridge cultures, connect generations of Manitobans, and further ACOMI’s aims, objectives, and successes in the wider society. With decades of experience in community leadership and development, she is dedicated to improving the lives of people of African heritage in Manitoba. Her work, among others will include promoting programs, projects, and activities that support and advance our community. Maggie has been repeatedly recognized for community contributions. She is the receipt of the Lieutenant Governor’s Make a difference Community Award; the Malayika Award, for dedication, compassion and leadership in the area of immigrant services and contributions to enhancing the lives of refugees or immigrants; the Black History Month, Wade Kojo Williams Sr. Human Rights Award; and was nominated as a Volunteer of Outstanding Merit in the Province of Manitoba by the Premier. Family and community are central to Maggie’s life. She is
married with four adult children. Outside of her professional pursuits, she enjoys cooking, sewing, volunteering, and attending church with her family.”