NEWS

Canadian Somali Congress names Professor Ed Morgan and prominent community leader Mark Persaud as Honourary Patrons

The Canadian Somali Congress (CSC) is pleased to announce that prominent Canadians, Professor Ed Morgan and Mark Persaud have accepted our invitation to be Honourary Patrons of the organization. Both Professor Morgan and Mr. Persaud have a long history of community involvement and public interest work.

The CSC is pleased to have the experience and support of these two distinguished Canadians. Their biographies are set out below:

Professor ED MORGAN was called to the Ontario bar in 1988. He teaches in the fields of international law and constitutional law. He has a B.A. from Northwestern University, an LL.B. from the University of Toronto and an LL.M. from Harvard Law School. He was a law clerk to Madam Justice Bertha Wilson of the Supreme Court of Canada in 1984-85. He started teaching in 1986, and from 1989-1997 practiced civil litigation at Davies, Ward, Phillips & Vineberg in Toronto. He has written International Law and the Canadian Courts (Carswell, 1990). His book The Aesthetics of International Law, published by University of Toronto Press, is forthcoming in 2007. He has also written numerous law journal articles, case comments, and book chapters dealing with international and constitutional law issues. He is also a regular contributor to national newspapers on issues of international law. He is a co-director of the joint degree program in Law and Literature.

He has appeared at all levels of Canadian courts as well as the Inter-American Court of Human Rights and the Decolonization Committee of the United Nations, and has provided expert evidence on international law to numerous U.S. federal and state courts. He has represented Canadian Jewish Congress, the Law Society of Upper Canada, the Assembly of First Nations, PEN Canada, the Writers' Union of Canada, the Epilepsy Association of Toronto, NORML Canada, the African Canadian Legal Clinic and other public interest groups in numerous constitutional, international human rights and public interest cases. He has been national legal counsel for Canadian Jewish Congress (1998-2001) and Chair of CJC Ontario Region (2001-2004). In May 2004 he became national president of Canadian Jewish Congress.

Professor Morgan has a strong interest in Africa and African Diaspora communities and has travelled to Africa including East Africa.

Mark M. Persaud, LL.B., LL.M. held a broad range of positions with the Department of Justice as a prosecutor, counsel to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police ( RCMP - Integrated Proceeds of Crime Unit), and civil litigation counsel. He is currently thePresident and CEO of the Canadian International Peace Project. He studied political science at York University and obtained his law degrees from Osgoode Hall Law School. He also did studies in urban community economic development at Harvard University. He has contributed extensively to community development work and has been an advocate for disadvantaged communities. He has worked extensively with African Canadian communities in Canada for over two decades. His work in international peace, security and development  has included projects in Afghanistan, the Middle East and East Africa.  He has been a friend of the Canadian Somali community for many years and has played a pivotal role in assisting the Canadian Somali community in engaging the Canadian government to assist Somalia. He has been a mentor to members of the Canadian Somali community in general and the Canadian Somali Congress in particular.

Earlier this year, he was appointed as the Special Advisor to The Hon. Jason Kenney, P.C., M.P. , Secretary of State for Multiculturalism and Canadian Identity. He has been actively involved in Canadian politics at all levels as a political organizer. He co-chaired political campaigns and was twice elected to the National Executive of a federal Canadian political party. He is also founder of, and board member, advisor and volunteer with numerous organizations.

He has won many awards and recognitions for his extensive community service including a nomination for the prestigious 2006 Seoul Peace Prize.