Founder of War Child Canada Delivers Keynote Address in Sudbury

Dr. Samantha Nutt, one of the most original and influential voices in the humanitarian arena, was in Greater Sudbury today.  The award-winning humanitarian, bestselling author and Founder of the internationally renowned non-profits War Child Canada and War Child USA, shared her message about the impact of war around the world, what can be done about it, and what one person can do to really make a difference.


Her keynote presentation was presented by Huntington University in recognition of the upcoming World Refugee Day. The event also served as an opportunity to recognize the dedication of volunteer groups involved in local sponsorship and resettlement.


“I was honoured to have been invited to speak at Huntington University and am both moved and impressed by their dedication to promoting access to higher education for refugees,” said Dr. Samantha Nutt.


“Having dedicated much of my own personal time, resources and funds to support refugee initiatives, I am keenly aware of the challenges facing refugees and displaced people, and the need to maintain their right to human dignity,” stated Dr. Kevin McCormick, President and Vice-Chancellor of Huntington University. “We are extremely proud to present Dr. Samantha Nutt as the keynote speaker for this event in an effort to raise awareness about global refugee issues and how average citizens can help.”


Proceeds from today’s event support the newly established Huntington University Refugee Scholarship Fund.  For the inaugural year, the scholarship has been named in honour of former mayor and Member of Parliament for Sudbury, Jim Gordon and his wife Donna Gordon. As founding members of the sponsorship group Sudbury Project Hope, they led efforts in 2016 to bring a Syrian family of seven to the community. In December 2017, Sudbury Project Hope also welcomed a three-generation family to Greater Sudbury.  The trio, a grandmother, mother and daughter from Aleppo, had been living as refugees in Beirut, Lebanon for several years.


Up to two (2) Jim and Donna Gordon scholarships, each valued at $1,000, are being made available.  Individuals currently residing in Northern Ontario, who came to Canada as a refugee, and who have been accepted to an accredited post-secondary institution in Ontario, are eligible and encouraged to apply online at Huntingtonu.ca.


“Donna and I, along with numerous other volunteers, have dedicated much of our time over the past few years to aid refugees in need of safe asylum who are resettling in the City of Greater Sudbury,” said Jim Gordon, Chair of Sudbury Project Hope.  “We are humbled by Dr. Kevin McCormick’s leadership and honoured that Huntington University has established a scholarship fund to support the educational goals of young people who are starting their new lives as Canadians.”


This event is presented by Huntington University and is also supported locally by Northern Life and Sudbury.com.


About Dr. Samantha Nutt

Samantha Nutt is an award-winning humanitarian, bestselling author and acclaimed public speaker. A medical doctor and the founder of War Child Canada and War Child USA, Dr. Nutt has worked with children and their families at the frontline of many of the world’s major crises – from Iraq to Afghanistan, Somalia to the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Sierra Leone to Darfur, Sudan. With a career that has spanned more than two decades and dozens of conflict zones, her international work has benefited millions of war-affected children globally.


Dr. Nutt is a respected authority on the civilian impact of war, international aid and foreign policy. She is a regular panelist on CBC’s flagship news program, The National, and her written work has appeared in numerous publications in Canada and the USA. Dr. Nutt’s critically-acclaimed book, Damned Nations: Greed, Guns, Armies and Aid, was a #1 bestseller. She has spoken at TED Talks Live: War & Peace in New York, and her talk on the deadly impact of small arms which is featured on TED.com, garnered over a million views in just six months.


Dr. Nutt is a recipient of the Order of Canada, Canada’s highest civilian honour, for her contributions to improving the plight of young people in the world’s worst conflict zones.  She is a staff physician at Women’s College Hospital in Toronto and an Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Toronto. www.warchild.ca.


News Coverage 

CTV Northern Ontario – June 12, 2018 

Sudbury Star – June 13, 2018

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