Retired OPP Chief Superintendent Rick Philbin of Penetanguishene has returned from 20 months in Africa where he trained police in international human rights law in six countries.
Working for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the mission was to protect civilians affected by conflict and armed violence.
“I was the link between the gendarmes (police and security forces) and the ICRC in Kenya, Somalia, Djibouti, Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Republic of Congo," Philbin explained.
His job was to train police leadership about civilian human rights and how to protect them during conflict or public demonstrations. Lessons to police would include using restraint when people are peacefully demonstrating, for example.
Measuring success in missions is difficult because there is so much going on, Philbin said.
There is a large number of police officers in the six countries.
“Our focus was getting to the leadership and ensuring that the leadership were aware of their human rights obligations and that would cascade down to the officers on the road,” he said.
“In various training sessions I participated in, you could see senior leadership are very well aware of their human rights obligations.”
Locally, Philbin is known for being the detachment commander of the Southern Georgian Bay OPP, for five years, until 2011.
But, he has done police work internationally over a span of more than 20 years.
Through the OPP, he worked in Kosovo, post-conflict in 1999 and 2000, helping set up the Kosovo Police Service.
Seconded by the RCMP, he worked in South Sudan on a development mission. He also worked in Jerusalem on the West Bank occupied territory.
In all his work, Philbin was training police in ensuring the rule of law was steeped in human rights.
His work included not only police training but also that for corrections officers and the judiciary.
Philbin said he would like to encourage others who are interested in international work to reach out and find out where they could be of benefit.
The ICRC is a ‘huge organization’ with more than 21,000 people doing work in more than 100 countries. The ICRC is a neutral, independent organization that takes action to protect victims of war. It has been operating for the past 160 years.
The focus is on family reunification, looking after detainees and the most vulnerable of society during a conflict, Philbin explained.
“Having worked for an organization like that, it really opens my eyes to the importance of human rights law and how we should all understand how people suffer from conflict.”
Philbin said his work has brought him in contact with other Canadians working for the betterment of humanity.
“Canada does have a presence and they support programs on the rule of law, gender diversity and inclusion.”
Philbin said his work taught him that it takes continuous effort on the part of institutions to protect human rights.
“The rule of law is fragile. . . . Democracy is fragile.”
Canadians are fortunate to live in a country where people feel safe at home, but we must work to maintain our rule of law and democracy, he said.
“We have to participate in elections, stay current on what’s going on in the world and get involved,” he said.
Now that he’s home, Philbin is joining the board of directors for the Huronia Community Foundation.
Anyone interested in doing work for the ICRC or wanting to make a donation should visit its website at icrc.org/en.
