Team

Léonie Roy is a master’s candidate in international political communication and democratic risks (Sciences Po Aix, UCLouvain, and Université de Sherbrooke) and holds a bachelor’s degree in applied political studies with a focus in international relations from the Université de Sherbrooke. As part of her work at the Chair, she primarily works on anti-gender discourses (antifeminism, transphobia, masculinism).

Tarik Tairi is an intercultural mediator specialized in conflict resolution, intervening in the reception and integration of immigrants at SANC Sherbrooke. He is a doctoral candidate in Contemporary Religious Studies at the University of Sherbrooke. His doctoral thesis focuses on the place of Islamic religious discourse in programs for deradicalization and the prevention of violent extremism. The research will make recommendations on how to integrate Islamic religious discourse, as a calming and tolerant alternative discourse, into a prevention/deradicalization program and strategy. 

Laurie Vaillancourt is a master’s research student at the School of Applied Politics at the Université de Sherbrooke. Passionate about security issues, she plans to write a memoir on the politicization of intelligence in Canada. As a research assistant for the UNESCO-PREV Chair, Laurie aims to develop her research skills by working on subjects such as extremism and hate speech targeting sexual minorities.

Wynnpaul Varela is the coordinator of the Innovative Social Pedagogy project. Since arriving in Montreal in 2009, Wynnpaul has worked as freelance editor, researcher, and learning experience designer. Before that, he taught English in Japan for 15 years. He holds a PhD in Education with a focus on how music students practise their instruments.