Elisa Hategan

This is a short list of my past and ongoing projects involving the arts, anti-racism education, countering violent extremism, human rights and LGBT activism. Scroll to the bottom for a full list of my current speaking engagements. If you have an event or project to which I could contribute, please message me. 

#WeRemember - Global Awareness Campaign organized by the World Jewish Congress in commemoration of Holocaust Memorial Day, January 2019

Participated by sharing life story, photograph, and contributing to the "We Remember" awareness campaign in Israel via an interview for an article in Yediot Ahronot, Israel's largest daily newspaper, for a special Shabbat edition commemorating Holocaust Rememberance Day. "אנחנו זוכרים שהיינו נאצים - We Remember That We Were Nazis."

 Radicalshow Comic Book: "They Are Among Us". A Canada-Wide Awareness Campaign, Fall/Winter 2018

Created by the Centre for the Prevention of Radicalization Leading to Violence in partnership with the Institute for Strategic Dialogue and AVE, this comic book depicts the experiences of 3 former extremists and incorporates them into an accesible book aimed at educating youth and school kids about the dangers of extremism and radicalization. (My story is fictionalized in the main female character Jessica). To be accompanied by a teacher/educator guide and distributed across Canada. 

What If I was Wrong: a Canada-Wide Awareness Campaign, Spring 2018 

Contributed recorded video interview to a powerful worldwide educational campaign created by Montreal's Info-Radical Centre for the Prevention of Radicalization Leading to Violence in partnership with UNESCO, aimed at raising awareness in teens and young people about radicalization and violent extremism. Videos will be played in high schools and through social and mainstream media across Canada, and accompany educational workshops taught in schools. Campaign outreach is administered by five partner organizations to all five continents.

Combating White Supremacy: A Conversation on Radicalization at Rice University - Houston, TX, March 2018

Appeared a keynote speaker at Rice University in Houston, TX, and also participated in a panel discussion and research interviews with students on campus, as well as local media, as part of a campus-wide discussion on hate, white supremacy, and countering violent extremism.

Confronting Hate: A Fireside Chat at Columbia University, Feb 2018

Participated in a transformative panel on hate and extremism alongside former Taliban member Mubin Shaikh. The topic was "Ex-Taliban and Ex-white supremacist Confront Hate" - discussed strategies for combatting radicalism and political/religious extremism in the 21st century. Had daily meetings with journalists and activists in New York City as part of a collective strategic effort to mobilize a global network to combat hate.

Hadassah-WIZO Fundraiser Event, Spring 2017 - raised $5000

I was invited to headline the annual fundraising drive of a Toronto chapter of Hadassah, a prominent International Jewish Women's organization. As the guest speaker, I helped to raise over $5000 to support medical, childcare and educational programs for both Jewish and Arab women and children in Israel. 

Consultant, Researcher, "206 Carlton" Documentary, 2017

I provided expert advice, information, archival footage and photography about racist extremism and Holocaust-denier Ernst Zundel to help assist the direction and educational message of the film, produced through Ryerson University's MFA film program. Participated in the project through an off-camera interview.

Removal of anti-Semitic books from online bookstores, March 2017

In collaboration with the Canadian Jewish News, I alerted the media and assisted with the removal of several anti-Semitic and Holocaust-denial books from Chapters-Indigo's Kobo bookstore and Amazon.ca, including material authored by Ernst Zundel. 

LGBT Writers Group Jun 2007 – ongoing

I am the founder, facilitator and admin of a 200+ member Facebook group for LGBT writers in the Toronto area. I started the group over 8 years ago in order to promote, cross-market and encourage the gay and lesbian writers' community, as well as promote diversity and news of publication opportunities.

Project Changemaker Children, 2004-2009

Fundraised and worked with several small-to-large NGOs to provide basic essentials to impoverished children and families living in third-world countries. Contributed funds, awareness and fundraising campaigns for projects in India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Tibet, the Philippines, Ecuador, Colombia, Vietnam and Kenya. Highlights include:

• Contributed to the operational costs of an orphanage for girls in Pamunugama, Sri Lanka, where we funded the daily needs of girls living at the residence and helped to establish a bookstore.
• Covered the high school tuition, as well as uniforms and lunches of 8 Kenyan children living in Nairobi through their high school years. 
• Covered the middle-grade tuition, exam fees and uniform costs of 10 Dalit girls living in the slums of Mumbai. For one family in distress, we covered the partial rebuilt of their home and bought them a working oven and stove. 
• Provided quarterly/annual grocery shopping trips for several single-parent families in the Philippines, as well as biannual new clothes for the girls, new mattresses and kitchen supplies for the mothers
• Sponsored 2 Tibetan nuns who escaped persecution by fleeing over the Himalayas and seeking refuge in south Indian nunneries

Bywords Literary Journal, Sept 1998 – Jan 2000

Under the mentorship of acclaimed Jewish poet Seymour Mayne at the University of Ottawa, I participated in the editing and production of Bywords between 1998-1999. From the Bywords website: "From 1990 until 2001, the group published poetry and a literary events calendar, making Bywords the longest running publication of its kind in Canada. In addition, they published two anthologies and co-sponsored the Jane Jordon Poetry Contest."

Anti-Racist Alliance, Canadian Centre on Racism & Prejudice

From 1994 onwards I was a speaker at high schools and community groups across Canada. I participated both as keynote speaker and panelist at a variety of educational and cultural events to discuss my experiences in the Heritage Front, as well as provide insight into extremist recruiting techniques. Conducted media interviews with high-profile news organizations including the CBC, CTV, Global TV, Maclean's Magazine, Globe & Mail, The National Post, Toronto Star, Toronto Sun, among others.

Spoke at over a dozen high schools in Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia, reaching thousands of students. Participated in artistic and educational projects in classrooms across Canada. 

They Don't All Wear Sheets - Toronto Mayor's Committee on Community and Race Relations

Invited as the keynote speaker at Toronto City Hall and the subject of a documentary produced by VisionTV, which aired that prior to the mayor event. Participated in panel discussion on racist extremism and youth recruitment in neo-Nazi and white supremacist groups in Canada

Contributor, CBC Production "White Lies" Mar 1998 – Mar 1998

I am the verifiable inspiration behind CBC's 1998 film White Lies. Contributed personal experiences and story plot to CBC's production of White Lies, starring Sarah Polley as me. Provided composite sketch of main character via newspaper research, interviews and documentation by film producers (with zero compensation or credit to me). 

Hearts of Hate: The Battle For Young Minds Feb 1995 – Feb 1995
Contributor to hour-long Canadian documentary film about the white supremacist movement in Canada. Produced by CTV and White Pine Pictures. 

White Lies, a film based on Elisa Hategan's life.

RECENT SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS

March 22, 2019 - ILGA World Conference, Wellington, New Zealand

March 5 and 12, 2019 - Toronto, ON (2-part lecture series)

February 19, 2019 - Toronto, ON

November 13, 2018 - Montreal, QC

Keynote speaker, Fundraiser Event, November 1, 2018 - Montreal, QC

October 28, 2018 - Limmud Toronto 2018, Toronto, ON

Keynote Speaker, October 23, 2018 - Temple Har Zion, Thornhill, ON

October 10, 2018 - London, ON 

Speaker - DocNow Film Festival, "206 Carlton" Documentary screening, Cinecycle Cinemas - Toronto, June 2018

Speaker - EGALE Identity Conference - Toronto, May 2018

Speaker - Pegasus Global Health and Sustainability Conference - University of Toronto, April 2018

Speaker / panelist - Concordia-McGill University Colloquium on Religion and Violence, Montreal, QC, April 2018

Speaker, Police hate crimes conference, April 2018

Keynote speaker - Rice University, Houston, TX, March 2018

Workshop speaker/presenter - Limmud Ottawa, March 2018

Panel speaker/presenter - Info-Radical, CPRLV, Montreal, March 2018

Speaker - Columbia University, New York, NY, February 2018

Keynote speaker - Naamat Thornhill chapter, November 2017

Speaker/Presenter - University of Toronto, September 2017

Speaker - Beth Tikvah Synagogue Lunch & Learn Program, May 2017

Speaker / presenter - Limmud Toronto, March 2017

Keynote speaker - Hadassah-WIZO Fundaiser, Toronto, March 2017

For a complete list of my 1994-2017 speaking engagements, contact me.