Speaker Series

Freedom of Expression and Inclusive Engagement

We invite you to attend our first panel discussion of 2025 entitled, ‘Freedom of Expression and Inclusive Engagement.’ We will explore the tensions between freedom of expression and protection from harm, and the antagonisms inherent in drawing expressive limits. Discussion will focus on the possibility of having a principled approach and on how centres charged with doing equity, diversity, and anti-racist work can be empowered to help us better understand what rests at the core of an institution's duty of care.

Dr. Laura Mae Lindo (she/her/elle) is a respected activist and educator who holds both a Masters and PhD in Education. Committed to centering the most vulnerable in all she does, Dr. Lindo's work is enhanced by her acute knowledge of how to put anti-oppression theories into practice. A courageous public speaker, Dr. Lindo is known to take on issues often left unaddressed by the mainstream. From philosophy to politics, and from the academy to the community, Dr. Lindo grounds her practices in gratitude and love. She is an Assistant Professor of Philosophy at the University of Waterloo.

Dr. Dax D’Orazio is a SSHRC Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Political Science at the University of Guelph, a Research Associate with the Centre for Teaching and Learning at Queen's University, and a Research Affiliate with the Centre for Constitutional Studies in the Faculty of Law at the University of Alberta. His research is focused on three different areas: the law and politics of freedom of expression in Canada, the system of police oversight in Ontario, and the scholarship of teaching and learning. In addition to academic research, he is also a podcaster, occasional journalist, and commentator. 

Dr. Emmett Macfarlane is a political scientist whose research focuses on the intersection of governance, constitutional law, and public policy, with a particular focus on rights and institutions. Among his ongoing projects is an analysis of the regulation of online hate speech in Canada, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. Among his recent books is a co-authored book titled Legislating under the Charter: Parliament, Executive Power, and Rights (University of Toronto Press, 2023), and the edited collection Dilemmas of Free Expression (University of Toronto Press, 2022). In 2023, Professor Macfarlane served as a member of the University of Waterloo Task Force on Free Expression and Inclusive Engagement.