Speeches

Welcome (Jan Nordin)

 

Ladies and gentlemen, it is my honour to welcome you to the 20th annual Wallenberg Day in Vancouver, as we honour the courageous rescue work by Corey Levine.  This event is put on by the Wallenberg Sugihara Civil Courage Society, also known as the Civil Courage Society in honour of Wallenberg and Sugihara.

 

My name is Jan Nordin, and I will mention briefly the courageous individuals for whom our Society is named.  The Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg was stationed in Budapest towards the end of World War II, where he saved tens of thousands of Jews from deportation and certain death in the concentration camps, at great risk to himself.  He disappeared on 17th of January, 1945, into Soviet captivity, never to be seen again.

 

He was made an honorary Citizen of Canada in 1985, and in 2000 the Canadian Government proclaimed that “throughout Canada, in each and every year, the 17th day of January shall be known under the name of ‘Raoul Wallenberg Day’ ”.

 

Chiune Sugihara was a Japanese diplomat who served as vice-consul in Lithuania during World War II.  He chose to act, at clear professional and personal risk to himself and his family, issuing transit visas without the approval of the Japanese government, to allow thousands of Jews to escape certain death.

 

Both Wallenberg and Sugihara have been designated by Israel as Righteous Among the Nations.

 

Our Society recognizes and honours individuals with a BC connection, who risked their personal well being to help others.  We define Civil Courage as an action which entails personal risk or sacrifice, intended to improve or save the lives of others who suffer from violence, conflict, or injustice – wrongs that may stem from any social context ranging from nations to peer groups.

 

Our Society has three main goals:

1. To honour the legacy of Raoul Wallenberg and Chiune Sugihara,
2. To recognize people who have acted with similar Civil Courage, and
3. To encourage and promote acts of Civil Courage in our midst.

 

I would like to thank all the volunteers, and the sponsors of today’s event which you’ll see listed on the back of the program.

 

Also, without your support by donations, we could not carry out this important work, so I would gently remind you that the donation table will be brought to the reception area.  There is also a donation button on our website.

 

And now I invite our Member Karen Coulter to read the City of Vanocuver Proclamation…

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Civil Courage Award Recipient Introduction (Alan Le Fevre)

 

Thank you, Karen.  And now to the Civil Courage Award…

 

We didn’t know about this rescue story until seeing it in CBC News last October.  To quote from the article (and there are many such others listed on our website),

 

“They left their country for the last time in the dark of the early morning.  Women and children crammed into a van – heads covered, and their faces masked so they didn't attract attention at Taliban checkpoints.  As former female politicians in Afghanistan, the women in the vehicle face an extraordinary threat from within their own country.”

 

Corey Levine was in the vehicle with these women and their families.

 

Since 2002, Corey, a human rights and peacebuilding consultant, had worked in war zones and been engaged with Afghanistan.  Now, she had seen the problem that The Canadian government authorities had failed to grasp – how to get these women and their families out of the country to safety.  So, she got to work – in a very much hands-on manner, including revisiting the country, by now under the Taliban government.

 

Corey, working with a group of six Canadian MPs of all parties, facilitated and expedited numerous such rescues to Canada.

 

We recognize it took a lot of courage to go into this potentially dangerous location and help people there.  Her actions struck us very clearly as civil courage.

 

So – we are very honoured today to present the 2025 Wallenberg-Sugihara Civil Courage Award to Corey Levine…

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Remarks (Corey Levine)

 

Before I start, I would like you to know that my comfort zone is always behind the scenes, rather than in front of an audience, so please bear with me and my nervousness as I deliver my remarks.

 

My first thanks goes to the Society for even thinking that I am deserving of this honour, named for 2 people who risked their lives to save others, with one paying the ultimate price.

 

Both Raoul Wallenberg and Chiune Sugihara exemplified individuals who had the compassion to care and the courage to act.  They were able to confront evil, and transform history.  Because I am not in their league, I am overwhelmed that I have been chosen to receive this award.

 

So thank you from the bottom of my heart to the Wallenberg-Sugihara Civil Courage Society Board – Alan, Jan, Vladimir, Gene, Judith, Karen, and Derek.

 

I would also like to thank the all-party group of MPs I have been working with, for believing in this initiative.  They were the ones that got the government to pay attention to the plight of the Afghan women MPs whose lives were literally on the line.  Without their assistance, I would not be here before you and none of the Afghan women MPs we have successfully brought to Canada would be safe today.

 

My great appreciation to Bloc Quebecois MP Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe; NPD MP, Heather MacPherson; Conservative MP, Alex Ruff; Liberal MPs, Marcus Powlowski and Leah Taylor-Roy; and Green Party MP, Elizabeth May.

 

This award really belongs to the 69 Afghan women who were MPs when Afghanistan fell to the Taliban, as well as all the other courageous women and girls: journalists, educators, human rights defenders, musicians, athletes, soldiers, and CEOs.

 

By definition, stepping into these roles put them at risk.  But their passion and commitment to their vocations, showed their countrymen, (and I do mean men), and the world, that they were integral to the development of Afghanistan.

 

I take pride in the fact that I have assisted a tiny number of Afghan women and girls find safety in other countries.  Besides the Afghan women MPs, I have organized 7 private sponsorships for Afghan women at-risk and their families in Victoria where I live.  I have also helped many others escape to welcoming western countries.

 

But it is the many that I haven’t been able to assist that weighs heavily on my heart.  Since August 21, 2021, when the Taliban retook the country, I have received hundreds messages from complete strangers, as well as Afghan friends and former colleagues, begging for help.  I carry the fact that I have only been able to help a small fraction of them with me every day.  There are millions of Afghan women and girls, who lives have been devastated and cut short by the Taliban.

 

During this strange, even surreal, ‘truth is stranger than fiction’ journey that I have been on for the past 3½ years I have been asked many times, why do I do this?  Why do I care?  When I first went to Afghanistan 23 years ago, I fell madly, passionately, deeply in love.  Truly, it was love at first sight!

 

There have been many times in the past 2 decades I wanted to ask for a no-fault divorce, because there have been so many obstacles and challenges to this love between myself and Afghanistan.  But since Afghan women and girls of Afghanistan have not given up on their country, how can I give up on them?

 

But ultimately, it comes down to Tikkun Olam.  This is the core of who I am, and it propels me forward every day.  Tikkun Olam is the Hebrew phrase that means to repair the world.  This is what was instilled in me as a young child – that it is our individual and collective responsibility to do whatever we can to make the world a better place – as clichéd as that may sound.

 

I take to heart what the son of the Honorable Murray Sinclair, the former Senator who chaired Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission, quoted at his father’s funeral last November: “Ultimately, no matter how we envision it, change rests with all of us.“

 

Here are some other lessons I have learned from this Tikkun Olam journey that I’d like to share with you:

1. Never, ever film the Ministry of Defence in an authoritarian state, even if it is done accidentally.
2. If the doors you knock on, slam in your face – and they will – just keep knocking on other doors.  One will eventually open – Inshallah!  But please don’t hold me to this.
3. If someone calls you crazy, or weird, or even both, please embrace it as a compliment.
4. No matter how much you try to be sensitive to the needs of others – someone will always find a reason to be mad at you!
5. This is because we all carry with us a personal trauma story – whether it’s from generations ago or from yesterday.  I have learned to appreciate that reactions – either mine or the other person’s – generally spring from this well of trauma.
6. To quote the American writer Rebecca Solnit: “hope locates itself when we don’t know what will happen.  It is in the spaciousness of uncertainty that we can find room to act – either alone, in concert with a few or several million others.”  So, I would encourage to lean into the uncertainties, the unknown and the fear that they bring with it.  You never know where they make take you and what acts of Tikkun Olam you might create with them.
7. I have developed a saying that I am trying to apply to my own life: Compassion goes well with action.  Feel free to use this quote, but please remember to acknowledge me as the originator.  It’s the only way I will likely get a Wikipedia entry.

 

On that note, let me just take a moment to speak to my family members who are able to be here today.  Hey guys, I think I have finally found the epitaph for my headstone.  “Here lies Corey Levine.  She fully committed to compassion with action!”

 

Thank you!

 

And now it is with great pleasure that I have the opportunity to premiere the extended trailer for the documentary I have made about this initiative with filmmaker Jeff Cipin, who also happens to be my cousin – we’re keeping it in the family.  He has been working almost around the clock for the last few weeks to ensure that it got here on time.  A phrase I heard often from him “I’m editing as fast as I can” has now been engraved on a nameplate and is making its way to his home in Toronto.  Thanks, Jeff for your patience and your support.

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(Film: “Left Behind”)

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Speaker Introduction (Alan Le Fevre)

 

We are privileged to welcome as our next speaker Gulalai Mohammadi.  She was the youngest MP to serve in the Afghan Parliament, encouraged to enter public life by the international community, including Canada.  After the Taliban returned to power in 2021, she faced persecution.  With help from Corey and Canadian parliamentarians, she and her family finally arrived here in BC.  We look forward to hearing your story.

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Remarks (Gulalai Mohammadi)

 

From the outset, I want to express my profound grief and sadness over the tragic loss of Mursal Nabizada, a young and brave parliamentarian, who was brutally killed in Kabul, Afghanistan.

 

Her untimely departure is not only a personal loss to those who knew her, but a grave reminder of the dangers faced by women leaders in Afghanistan.  I pray for her soul and offer my deepest condolences to her family and loved ones.

 

As a young female parliamentarian myself, coming from southern Afghanistan, I understand the immense risks and challenges that come with being a woman in politics in our homeland.  My own experience in Kabul was fraught with danger, but I am grateful that my family and I are now safe.

 

However, this safety came at a great cost, as I lost my beloved brother during our journey to freedom – a pain that continues to weigh heavily on my heart.  Today, I am privileged to have the basic human rights that are denied to Afghan women – education, work, and the ability to dream and achieve.

 

Afghan women in my homeland are banned from education and work, stripped of their fundamental freedoms.  While I now live in safety and enjoy these rights, I carry a deep sense of guilt and sadness for those women who remain in Afghanistan, enduring unimaginable suffering.  My heart and prayers are with them every day.

 

This safety would not have been possible without the unwavering support of individuals like Corey Levine.  She has been a beacon of hope, working tirelessly to help me and other Afghan parliamentarians escape to safer places.  Corey’s courage, honesty, and selflessness make her a true hero.

 

Corey, I want to extend my heartfelt congratulations to you on receiving the Wallenberg-Sugihara Civil Courage Award.  This recognition is so well-deserved, and yet I believe it represents only a fraction of the impact you’ve made in the lives of so many.  You inspire us all with your strength and dedication to justice and humanity.

 

I also want to extend my special thanks to Canadian parliamentarians who supported us during those dark times, and to Corey, who not only guided us but courageously travelled to Afghanistan in those hard situations.  She stood with us, taking us from my home in the middle of the night and helping us cross the border into Pakistan.

 

The evacuation of MPs, especially female MPs, from Afghanistan was an extraordinary challenge.  It was not an easy road, and the process was fraught with obstacles.  But it was a necessary step to preserve the voices of those fighting for justice, equality, and the future of our country.

 

As one of the young members of Afghanistan’s political generation, I hold on to hope for my nation.  I dream of an independent Afghanistan where women have the right to work, the right to speak freely, and where millions of girls can return to their schools and universities to pursue their dreams.

 

Together, we are strong.  Together, we can rebuild hope, dignity, and freedom for our people.  I am confident that we will achieve the aims and dreams we hold dear.  Let us remain united in our efforts, never forgetting the sacrifices of those like Mursal Nabizada who paved the way with their courage.

 

Thank you.

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Speaker Introduction (Alan Le Fevre)

 

We are very pleased to introduce Elizabeth May, Member of Parliament for Saanich/Gulf Islands and Officer of the Order of Canada.  As a member of an all-party coalition of Canadian parliamentarians, Elizabeth has advocated for the Afghan former MPs, in their dealings with Canadian government agencies.

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(Remarks (Elizabeth May))

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