Stories that inspire
The Maxwell F. Yalden Bursary Fund
Maxwell Yalden (1930-2015) was a distinguished human rights defender, both at home and abroad. He was the second Commissioner of Official Languages of Canada (1977-1984) and subsequently served as Chief Commissioner of the Canadian Human Rights Commission (1987-1996). Mr. Yalden was twice elected a member of the United Nations Human Rights Committee, serving from 1996 to 2004.
Throughout his career, Mr. Yalden fought for the protection and promotion of human rights. His dedication has made him an inspiration for future generations. After his passing, Mr. Yalden’s son Robert and daughter in law Pearl Eliadis wanted to create a bursary fund in his honour. In 2018, the Maxwell F. Yalden Bursary Fund at the Foundation of Greater Montréal was born.
Supporting human rights through education
Mr. Yalden was also an Honorary Board member of Equitas. This Montreal-based organization is committed to advancing equality, social justice and respect for human dignity. It does so through transformative human rights education programs. The Maxwell F. Yalden Bursary Fund was established to provide support to participants of Equitas’ International Human Rights Training Program (IHRTP). This internationally-recognized human rights education program brings together hundreds of human rights defenders from across the world, each year. It celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2019.
Participants who have been selected for the Maxwell Yalden Bursary have often worked in their respective country’s Human Rights Commission, where they developed relevant skills and knowledge to better protect, promote, and defend human rights in a sustainable manner. More recently, the Fund has also distributed bursaries to participants in Equitas’ Global Rights Connection. This 10-week online human rights training program was created in 2021 to further advance education and the defense of human rights.