Institute for Public Affairs of Montreal![]() |
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A Profile of the Founder and President: Beryl P. Wajsman,Esq. |
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After completing his undergraduate studies in government, history and economics, Mr. Wajsman went on to receive his B.C.L and LL.B. degrees from Starting as an organizer and Liberal executive member under Prime Minister Trudeau, Mr. Wajsman’s involvements in Ottawa have included directing a Privy Council sponsored future studies report on “Access to Justice in Canada”; membership on the Canadian Consultative Commission on Multiculturalism; service in the Ministry of Justice on regulatory policy related to finance and labor; and advisory work with the Law Reform Commission. He has also acted as Special Counsel to several Federal Ministers; participated in both Quebec Referendums on Sovereignty as a member of the Federalist legal advisory team and assisted in several projects of the Millennium Initiative under the Rt. Hon. Herbert Eser Gray. He gained international experience in urban development, social housing and public finance by consulting on important infrastructure projects in the
Bringing his experience to bear here at home, he has built his Institute for Public Affairs of Montreal into Mr. Wajsman considers that one of the Institute’s proudest boasts, and most unique achievements, is it’s success in bringing together big business and big labor in common cause with activists representing the most unempowered and disenfranchised in society. As founder and President, he began by guiding it into providing institutional assistance and advice on the critical 3-H’s of social ills—health, hunger and homelessness. He developed plans for one of the first large scale social housing programs in As demands have grown, the Institute has responded to many requests for help from social action groups such as Dans La Rue, the Committee for Justice for the Duplessis Orphans, Sister Andrée Menard’s PROMIS Refugee Organization, Femmes du monde contre la paûvreté, le Carrefour des communautés du Québec and the Montreal Holocaust Memorial Centre. Following his work http://espanaviagra.net/viagra/ on the Montreal Task Force on Municipal Mergers, Mr. Wajsman moved the Institute to form the Council on Community Conciliation with cultural and ethnic leaders such as the Rev. Darryl Gray, to combat the urban blight of racism and alienation. Working with support groups for seniors, Mr. Wajsman helped organize the first major Conference that shed light on the issue of financial abuse of the elderly. His legislative initiatives have included authoring several Private Members Bills aimed at Public Curator reform, credit collection agency oversight and combating the exploitation of vulnerable workers. In the conviction that the struggle for social justice does not stop at our borders, he created the Institute’s Centre for Democratic Development to combat the smug complacency of so many Canadians. The Centre has pressed the Federal government to take a more active engagement with our traditional allies and put aside In addition to leading demonstrations condemning the Sudanese genocide of its African population, the Institute has formed the Canadian Rescue Committee for the Children of Darfur. Working with the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, the Committee has brought together some dozen national organizations whose members are offering Canadian homes for orphaned refugee children. The Institute has also assisted the Kinderbaum Foundation of Mr. Wajsman’s views and writings have appeared in many publications ranging from Time Magazine to the National Post and he is a frequent commentator on radio and television. He is currently working on his first book entitled “Toward a Culture of Conviction: A National Agenda of Character and Conscience”. In January, the Institute will begin its own publication called Public Affairs-An Independent Journal of Politics and Power. Mr. Wajsman is a member of the University Club of Montreal and the National Press Club of Ottawa. Among his recent citations from charitable, communal and volunteer organizations are the Community Service Award from the International Academy of Law and Mental Health and the Medal of Merit from the Association for the Welfare of the Soldiers of Israel. He has also been named one of the Présidents d’honneur of UNICEF Canada’s 50th anniversary celebration.
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