Émilie Lemieux

Bio

Émilie has a long-standing interest in Canada’s international development policies, in particular how they can advance human rights and respect the needs and priorities of marginalized communities. At home, she has worked on a number of public education campaigns such the Development and Peace campaign on corporate social responsibility (CSR) of Canadian mining companies operating internationally. As well, working at SUCO’s (Solidarité, union, cooperation) headquarters in Montreal, she managed their public education program to increase Quebeckers’ awareness of international development issues.

Overseas, Émilie has worked on preventative health as a volunteer in Peru with SUCO in an important mining exploitation zone in the rural Andes. Her work with civil society organizations to develop a nutrition and health promotion program helped to strengthen local capacities to provide health care to the poorest people of the region. She has also worked as a volunteer in Rwanda, in the city of Butare, with the Quebec-based civil society organization l’AMIE (Aide internationale à l’enfance), where she was in charge of interns responsible for language instruction for underprivileged children.

Émilie Lemieux holds a degree in International Studies and Modern Languages from l’Université Laval, and is pursuing a certificate in journalism at l’Université de Montréal. Émilie speaks French, English and Spanish.

Issue of Investigation

As a recipient of the 2009 Gordon Global Fellowship, Émilie will explore the role and social responsibilities of the Canadian mining industry in the context of bilateral free trade agreements. Using Columbia and Peru as case studies, Émilie will analyze the political issues and social impacts of Canadian mining activities overseas, with a view to developing policy recommendations.