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Our guest speaker today was Debbie Bodkin. Laureen introduced the members to this remarkable and inspiring women. Deb is a retired from the Waterloo Region Police after 25 years of service having attained the position of Sergeant. While working as a police officer, Deb became interested in using her investigative skills on the world stage in some of the most difficult and tragic conflicts zones in the world at the time. This list includes the following: - Aug-Sept 2000 - Kosovo - working as a Scenes of Crime officer she worked with forensic teams compiling evidence as a scribe during autopsies for the International Criminal Court. - 2004 - working for the Coalition for International Justice Deb went to Chad to interview families and victims of the crimes occurring in Darfur (Sudan). - 2004-2005 working for the U.N., Deb was sent to Sudan to continue her investigative work into war crimes and genocide. It should be noted that many of the people Deb interviewed were women who demonstrated incredible strength and courage and who had suffered immensely. - 2009 - Deb was invited to visit Rwanda celebrate women and their contributions to the country after the genocide committed there. - Bangladesh - Deb joined other mental health trainers to help with investigations regarding the Rohingya refugee crisis. - Canada - More recently Deb was an investigator with the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (note that there have been 1000-4000 women missing and murdered since 1970). Needless to say, this was an interesting and disturbing presentation about these world and national crises and Debbie's motivation to help. Debbie now spends her time as a public speaker, wellness advocate, mental health instructor and yoga/meditation fanatic (her words). |
NO QUESTIONS TODAY !!!