The Honourable Ratna Omidvar

C.M., O.Ont.

Century Initiative
Board Member
Contact

About

The Honourable Ratna Omidvar is an internationally recognized voice on migration, diversity and inclusion.  She came to Canada from Iran in 1981 and her own experiences of displacement, integration and citizen engagement have been the foundation of her work. Ms. Omidvar is a Director at the Samara Centre for Democracy, a Councillor on the World Refugee and Migration Council, a Founding Committee Member of Lifeline Afghanistan and Chair Emerita for the Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council.

Previously at Ryerson University, Ms. Omidvar was a Distinguished Visiting Professor and founded the Global Diversity Exchange. She was appointed to the Order of Ontario in 2005 and became a Member of the Order of Canada in 2011, with both honours recognizing her advocacy work on behalf of immigrants and devotion to reducing inequality in Canada. She is the co-author of the book Flight and Freedom: Stories of Escape to Canada (2015).