Meet Our Speakers.
Dr. Ira Helfand
Ira is the immediate past president of the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War - the recipient of the 1985 Nobel Peace Prize, and co-founder and past president of Physicians for Social Responsibility. Ira has tirelessly worked to educate the public about the medical consequences of nuclear war, with published works in leading medical journals and lectures across the globe.
His contributions to the field of nuclear disarmament culminated in his instrumental role at the UN Open Ended Working Group in 2016, which led to the negotiation of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.
As a Harvard-educated physician and internationally recognized peace advocate, Dr. Helfand embodies the summit's commitment to fostering an informed, engaged, and empowered generation to carry forward the mission of nuclear disarmament
Hon. Marilou McPhedran
Marilou is a human rights lawyer, professor and activist, appointed as an Independent Senator in the Parliament of Canada by Governor General David Johnston on the recommendation of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in November 2016.
Marilou was one of the most influential leaders of the 1981 Ad Hoc Committee of Canadian Women on the Constitution conference - the grassroots social movement of women across Canada resulting in stronger equality rights in the constitution.
She attended the ICAN Nuclear Ban Forum and the First Meeting of States Parties to the TPNW in Vienna and continues to strongly advocate for the Canadian government to sign the TPNW.
Dr. Paul Sherman
Paul Sherman is Chair and professor in the Community Social Services Program at the University of Guelph-Humber, Toronto, Canada. He is also founding director of the university’s Soka Education Research Initiative on Global Citizenship (SERC-GC). Prior to entering higher education as a profession, Paul worked in various roles as a clinician and senior administrator in non-profit community mental health settings for over 30 years. He earned his undergraduate honours degree in psychology from York University (Toronto), his postgraduate diploma in child assessment and counselling from the University of Toronto, and his PhD in Education and Social Justice at the University of Lancaster, U.K.
His main research interests include soka education and global citizenship education, and his research on these and other topics has been published in numerous peer-reviewed journals. Paul has taught undergraduate level courses on global citizenship at the University of Guelph-Humber and Soka University Japan, and has developed and led short-term study abroad courses to Sweden, Japan, Italy, and Austria.
Melissa Chan
Melissa Chan is an Ontario Certified Teacher based in Markham and a Regional Education Coordinator at Elections Canada. At ALPHA Education she developed and facilitated anti-racism workshops and contributed to historical research on World War II in Asia. Melissa is pursuing her MEd in Social Justice Education at OISE and serves as a director at OHASSTA, supporting inclusive history education across Ontario. She is passionate about empowering youth to become engaged, informed change-makers in their communities.
Her passion for peace education aligns with the goals of the Youth Nuclear Peace Summit, where she continues to inspire young people to think critically, act with purpose, and imagine a future without nuclear weapons.
Eunice C. Der
Eunice C. Der 谢绍君 (she/her) is an Education Museum Associate at the WongAvery Asia Pacific Peace Museum (APPM). She completed her HBA at the University of Toronto, where she majored in English and double minored in Material Culture and Semiotics and East Asian Studies. Eunice is an award-winning researcher; her work on the heirlooms of Chinese Canadian soldiers in the Second World War highlights the importance of localized perspectives of history. Her research has focused particularly rewriting the standard historical narrative to include marginalized people and stories. Eunice is also a published author.
She is passionate about using education and storytelling to advance peace and inclusion, and continues to explore how public history can empower communities and challenge dominant narratives.
Seth Shelden
Seth Shelden is General Counsel and United Nations Liaison for the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize-winning coalition working to prohibit and eliminate nuclear weapons. As General Counsel, he leads ICAN’s internal legal affairs and provides guidance on a wide range of legal matters. As UN Liaison, he represents ICAN in promoting universalization and implementation of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), and assists governments in signing and ratifying the treaty.
Seth is also a partner at the law firm of Farkas & Neurman and an Adjunct Professor at the City University of New York (CUNY) School of Law. He previously held visiting professorships at the Cardozo School of Law, the University of Latvia (as a Fulbright Scholar), and Toyo University (as a Fulbright Specialist). He holds a J.D. from the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law, a B.A. with Honors and Distinction from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and a certificate in International Nuclear Safeguards Policy from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies. He also serves on the Board of Directors for the Lawyers Committee on Nuclear Policy.
Marianne Cerilli
Marianne Cerilli works at the intersection of education, community development, and politics. Her social innovation tools on three themes; The Politics of Unity, Healing for Change and Community as Classroom, bring trauma informed, conflict resolution skills and practices to help us move away from oppressive, colonial procedures and structures in organizations of all kinds.
Before she was 30, Marianne was a sports, health and recreation champion, led a youth work experience program with the Manitoba government, was a high school guidance counsellor and elected MLA. Since three terms at the Manitoba legislature, she has taught at U Winnipeg, U Manitoba and Red River College, was an advocate/mentor at an inner-city women’s center and community animator at Winnipeg Social Planning Council. Her peace activism has ranged from regulating violent video games, reducing military budgets, and ethical journalism in war coverage.