I am fortunate to be in an occupation where lifelong learning is not just a good idea but a necessity. Lawyers in Alberta need to file their continuing professional development (CPD) plans annually. If we do not, administrative suspension results. “Administrative” may not sound too serious but you immediately cannot practice law unless and until you remedy the situation so suspension is suspension.
Luckily, when the Law Society of Alberta, my governing body, imposed common sense CPD as a legal requirement for continuing to practice, it did not create extra work for me as I already prioritized this as a necessity since leaving law school. Other lawyers (hopefully not many) apparently need the imposition of a rule, and thus the way too many laws and regulations that make life too complicated. Even lawyers need lawyers just to try to keep up with what we need to do to legally move forward in life. General practitioners, be you doctors or lawyers or auto technicians, I admire your fortitude (though might occasionally question your sanity).
I always like my education (CPD) to include something untraditional so I do not become too siloed by my occupation, even though it can seem like one can barely keep up with that these days. This month that included attending the World Diversity in Leadership Conference (WODIL) in Calgary. We have but one world so a global conference makes sense. I am not sure if Elon Musk planning to populate Mars is his Plan B (hope so), but for us mere earthbound folks, having the opportunity to meet and hear from Nelson Mandela’s eldest daughter Makaziwe Mandela was incredibly inspiring. She has a wise, resilient and commanding nature.
Her advice to young people: refuse to live in perpetual fear and be permanently optimistic, otherwise you will be swallowed by everything. Enjoy simple things like reading and supper with family. She spoke of her father and his belief in the power of unity. Economic exclusion, she noted, is one of the most important grounds of exclusion to overcome. I concur. “We cannot say we are tired, we have to continue the fight.”
“Keep moving forward by having clarity about the society we desire” was another message. This seems to be particularly applicable in the case of the attendees and presenters representing Rwanda.
I recall back in the 90’s attending at the Main Stage at what is now Red Deer Polytechnic and listening to Roméo Dallaire, Canadian General and UN Peacekeeper, recount his history and PTSD as a result of the failed mission he led in Rwanda and the genocide. Of RDP’s phenomenal speaker series over the years, this one ranks among the top. The recent Canadian astronaut was up there too, I am sure Elon would agree.
Back to earth. In 1994, within 100 days, nearly one million ethnic Tutsi and moderate Hutu were brutally murdered and tortured before our eyes in Rwanda while the UN peacekeepers were helplessly standing by. And we think our jobs are hard…
I often represent clients who seek to overcome PTSD as no matter your strength and resiliency, we can all be overcome by trauma at various periods in our lives from unexpected events.
At the WODIL conference, almost 30 years after the genocide, we heard that Rwanda dealt with the politics of division by removing ethnic identity and having a government focused on national unity.
On the gender violence front, Rwandans use the Bandebereho approach: “Men Working with Women to Promote Gender Equality” with fatherhood as an entry point. After a child is born is a highly motivational time to engage men with their families. The data on their rates of success in many areas, including reducing intimate partner violence and involving women in decision-making, were impressive.
Although, while not negligible, it seems that no matter where you go in the world, efforts to have men take on more “domestic” work have little success. Let’s perfect those housecleaning robots and grocery-delivering drones first, please. On our way to a better world, that might be the easiest route.
Donna Purcell, K.C., (aka Lady Justice) is a Central Alberta lawyer and Chief Innovation Officer with Donna Purcell QC Law. If you have legal questions, contact dpurcell@dpqclaw.com.