Sep 28, 2009

Ms Janet Keeping, President of the Sheldon Chumir Foundation for Ethics in Leadership, will help mark Right to Know Week 2009 in Manitoba, September 28 – October 2.

Ms Keeping will be speaking on the topic, "The Struggle against Corruption: The Rule of Law and ‘Right to Know’ – an international perspective", at:

• University of Winnipeg, Eckhardt-Gramatte Hall, Tuesday, September 29, 2009, 3:45 – 4:30 p.m. Free; no registration required

Right to Know Week is a time to celebrate and scrutinize the laws and informal procedures that enable the individual to have access to records held by public sector bodies. Ms Keeping, who holds degrees in law and philosophy, is dedicated to engaging the public on issues related to diversity, civil liberties and ethical leadership in governance, rule of law and democratic institutions. Her presentation will relate the value of Right to Know to democratic participation.

Ms Keeping was the first Executive Director of the Alberta Civil Liberties Research Centre and also served as Director of Russia Programs for and Research Assistant with the Canadian Institute of Resource Law. Her resources work took her to Russia dozens of times from 1992 to 2006 and this, and other international experience, is a basis for her insight.

This keynote event has been arranged by the 2009 Manitoba Right to Know Committee, with members from: Consumers Association of Canada (Manitoba), Canadian Association of Journalists (Manitoba), Canadian Taxpayers Federation (Manitoba), Manitoba Association for Rights and Liberties, Manitoba Bar Association, Manitoba Public Insurance, Manitoba Ombudsman, Provincial Council of Women of Manitoba, Wendy Elliott, Privacy Consultant and Winnipeg Regional Health Authority. Co-sponsors are Manitoba Ombudsman, the University of Winnipeg and the Winnipeg Free Press.