Lois
Wilson is a groundbreaker for women and for all Canadians, opening
important
doors so others could follow her lead and, like her, work to change the
world. Dr. Wilson was the first woman President
of the Canadian Council of Churches (1976-1979), as well as the first
woman to
be Moderator of the United Church of Canada (1980-1982), and the first
Canadian
to be the President of the World Council of Churches.She was born in Winnipeg,
earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Manitoba
in 1947, and has continued on a path of lifelong learning and
achievement. The
author of several books and many articles, Dr. Wilson has received
numerous
honourary degrees in Divinity and Laws from universities and colleges
across Canada and
in the United States.
Dr.
Wilson was ordained a UnitedChurch minister in
1965,
and shared a team ministry with her husband, The Reverend Dr. Roy
Wilson, for
fifteen years. As President of both the Canadian (1980-1982) and World
Council
of Churches (1983-1990), Dr. Wilson engaged in extensive visits to
churches in
Asia, Latin America, India
and Africa. She monitored elections
in El Salvador and Mexico,
and
developed
a profound
knowledge of the challenges facing the developing world. As a leading
advocate
of international human rights, Dr. Wilson proudly represented Canada
on the
world stage. She became actively involved in Amnesty International and
with the
Canadian Institute for International Peace and Security. In addition,
Dr. Wilson
served as Chair of the Board of the International Centre for Human
Rights and
Democratic Development.
In
1998, Lois Wilson was appointed to the Senate of Canada, where she
served as an
Independent member until her retirement in 2002 at age 75. In the
Senate, she
led Government delegations to China
and North Korea,
served as Canada's
Special Envoy to the Sudan,
and
founded
the
Senate Standing Committee on Human Rights.
Dr.
Wilson won the World Federalist Peace Prize and Canada's
Pearson
Peace
Medal. Previously
an Officer of the Order of Canada,
she is one of the few Canadians to be promoted to the top rank of
Companion.
Based
in Toronto,
Dr.
Wilson
remains
as active as ever. As well as being a Senior Fellow at MasseyCollege,
University
of Toronto, and
Ecumenist in Residence at
The Toronto School of Theology, Dr. Wilson is currently Chair of the
Canada-DPR
Korea Association, which is committed to mutual understanding between
Canadians
and North Koreans. She is also a member of the Public Review Board of
the CAW
and a Director of the Canadian Civil Liberties Association. Finally,
Lois
Wilson continues to serve as the Acting President of the World
Federalist
Movement.
