Thank you, colleague.
Mr. Chair, members of the subcommittee, thank you for inviting me to appear before you today.
My colleague began by addressing the situation of human rights defenders outside the country. I would now like to focus on those inside the country or who have been asylum seekers.
My name is Abdoulaye Bah. I am speaking to you as someone directly affected by the reality you are examining. I am a human rights defender from Mali. I came to Canada in August 2023, after being forced into exile.
For over ten years, I have dedicated my life to defending human rights in my home country. With a master’s degree in legal and political sciences, I work to promote the rights of women and adolescent girls, facilitate access to justice for the most vulnerable, support members of marginalized communities, such as the LGBTQ community, and combat a phenomenon known as descent-based slavery in the eastern Malian Kayes region. It is a deep commitment, rooted in the conviction that human dignity must be protected everywhere and for everyone.
This commitment comes at a cost, however. My activities exposed me to serious threats, forcing me into exile in Canada. I had to leave my country and leave behind my work, my family, my roots, my friends, and a part of myself.
When I arrived in Canada, I found a country that protects rights and an environment where freedom of speech can still exist. I am eternally grateful for this.
Exile also brings its share of challenges for many exiled defenders: having their professional or academic experience recognized; rebuilding a new social, professional, or community network; overcoming isolation or psychological repercussions; and finding ways to stay connected to their homeland realities.
Still, despite these challenges, we persevere. Today, I have the opportunity to work with Canadian organizations, participating in advocacy initiatives and contributing to the integration of the most vulnerable populations. My participation in training programs demonstrates the key role I can play in supporting the mechanisms that sustain the continued engagement of defenders in exile.
That has led me to observe one essential thing: with a minimum of support, defenders in exile can re-emerge as powerful agents of change here in Canada.
If I have one recommendation to make, it is that Canada must make structured and sustainable investments in exiled human rights defenders by actively supporting initiatives that build bridges between their expertise, life experiences, skills and leadership qualities and Canada’s democracy and human rights landscape—and that is precisely what Resilient Societies does.
Specifically, this involves funding programs that value lived experience, facilitating professional integration—including the recognition of foreign credentials—and building pathways to human rights, communications, advocacy and public policy sectors.
Otherwise, Canada is depriving itself of unique expertise—expertise forged in a context where rights are truly at risk—