Mr. Speaker, members may be aware that the World Peace Forum will take place in Vancouver later this month, with attendees coming from over 90 countries around the world to participate in this prestigious event.
Unfortunately, the forum will be missing one participant. Myrian Nahimana is a young woman from Burundi, who was invited to attend by the women's working group of the peace forum. She cannot attend because she has been refused a visa by the Canadian Embassy in Nairobi.
Myrian has so much to offer to the forum and to Canadians. Among other issues, she is due to speak about the impact of war and violence on women and girls in Burundi and the experience of young people living with HIV and AIDS. These are such important issues and ones which affect so many citizens, not just in Burundi but around the world.
The decision to deny a visa to this young woman will deny us the incredibly important contribution she has to make. I strongly urge the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration to reconsider this decision and allow Myrian the chance to share with us her valuable insight and experience.