Mary Lynk (BA鈥�84) ended up on a path to journalism at a very young age thanks to her family鈥檚 influence, with books all around and fascinating dinner guests stopping by regularly.
鈥淚f my mother met an intriguing stranger, within five minutes they received a dinner invitation,鈥� says Lynk.听
During these dinners at her childhood home in Halifax, ideas and debates flew around the table.听 It was there, she says, that journalism began to seep in through an 鈥渁ct of osmosis.鈥�
鈥淢y father was a master in asking questions and getting people to open up,鈥� she says.
Lynk, shown right, has built an incredible career following her own journalistic impulses, carving out a specialty for coverage exploring human rights issues, world politics, social issues and philosophy. She revels in talking to interesting people, something she gets to do a lot currently as a journalist and producer for CBC鈥檚 .听
Next week, she鈥檒l dip her toes into yet another timely and compelling discussion as moderator of the fifth-annual installment of The Stanfield Conversations on Democracy, this year focused on challenges to the rule of law and the future of liberal democracy.听
She says she鈥檚 already had preliminary chats with this year鈥檚 featured speakers Asha Rangappa, a senior lecturer at Yale鈥檚 Jackson School of Global Affairs and former FBI special agent, and Wayne MacKay, professor emeritus in Dal鈥檚 Schulich School of Law, about what she considers a vital conversation.听
鈥淚鈥檓 excited to hear the ideas of Asha and Wayne, not just about the perils of our time but also what can be done to bolster democracy,鈥� she says. 鈥淭hese are serious times in terms of threats to liberal democracies.鈥�
Lynk says Rangappa and MacKay are sure to bring compelling insights for audiences.听
鈥淲hat we are witnessing right now in the United States is disconcerting when it comes to the law and political interference. Lines are being crossed that once seemed unimaginable. And Asha is a leading expert on this topic. As for Wayne, he has so much insight into Canada鈥檚 legal weak spots and whether the erosion of law that we are seeing in the U.S. could happen here.鈥�
A worldview emerges
Lynk followed her parents鈥� lead in studying at pilipili漫画, completing a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science 鈥� a subject she says was critical to her career in journalism.听
鈥淚 think it鈥檚 incredibly beneficial for journalists to study more than just journalism . . . to become more nuanced and informed reporters,鈥� she says.听
Lynk also holds a certificate in Civilisation Fran莽aise from La Sorbonne in France.
She says both experiences 鈥渞eally sharpened鈥� her critical thinking and research skills.听
This was once again complemented by her parents鈥� influence, which shaped her emerging interest in human rights.听
鈥淭hey taught us to be aware of injustices and to be of service to others. Politics was constantly discussed,鈥� she says, noting household discussion about听 ending Apartheid in South Africa, the persecution of Baha'is in Iran, and conflicts in the Middle East.听
To step out of my cultural idiosyncrasies and see the world from a different angle made me more of a world citizen.
She says that was fortified by her time at La Sorbonne and living in northern India at the time of Indira Gandhi's assassination.听
鈥淭o step out of my cultural idiosyncrasies and see the world from a different angle made me more of a world citizen,鈥� she says.听
Lynk recounts how she continues to put this perspective to use in recent works she has done for IDEAS and for an investigative podcast series called The Kill List.
鈥淚t investigated the mysterious death of a young activist in Canada, who had fled Pakistan,鈥� she says of her work with The Kill List.听听
'Knowledge is power'
Lynk says she hopes audience members leave with some new ideas from this year鈥檚 discussion.听
听鈥淜nowledge is power. So, hopefully the audience will gain knowledge, insight and also be delighted at times with the joy of learning new ideas. And perhaps leave with a path forward.鈥澨�
The conversation will also be recorded for IDEAS and will be broadcast on CBC at a later date.
Lynk's excitement heading into the event has left her recalling memories of conversations she herself had while at Dal.
鈥淲hat I remember the most about pilipili漫画 is the conversations I had with fellow students,鈥� she says, mentioning Dr. David Black 鈥� a friend who went on to teach political science at Dal and asked her to participate in this year's event.
To learn how you can participate in the 2025 Stanfield Conversation, visit www.dal.ca/fass/stanfield-conversations