Preceded by Charles Caccia Preceded by Tony O'Donohue Preceded by first councillor Party Liberal Party of Canada Succeeded by Andrew Cash | Constituency Davenport Constituency Ward 3 (Brockton) Education University of Toronto Residence Toronto, Canada | |
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Constituency Ward 20 (Trinity-Niagara) Office Member of the Canadian House of Commons since 2004 Books State Legitimacy and Failure in International Law | ||
Mário Silva (born June 11, 1966) is a Canadian legal scholar and former politician. Silva served as a Canadian Member of Parliament from 2004 to 2011. He began his political career as a Toronto City Councillor from 1994–2003. He then moved to federal politics, being elected for the Liberal Party of Canada in the 2004 election in the Toronto riding of Davenport. He served as the Official Opposition Critic for Foreign Affairs (Americas) after having served as Critic for the Treasury Board and Labour. In 2007, the President of the French Republic bestowed him the title of Knight of the Order of the Legion of Honour (Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur). He has also been awarded the Order of Merit of Portugal. and the Order of Rio Branco from Brazil.
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Silva holds a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Toronto, a "Certificat de Langue Francaise" from Paris-Sorbonne University, and a master's degree in International Human Rights Law from University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. Silva holds a Ph.D. in the Faculty of Law at the National University of Ireland, Galway. Silva's Ph.D. thesis is titled "Failed and Failing States: Causes and Conditions." On December 15, 2011, Prime Minister Stephen Harper appointed him to chair the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (formally the Task Force for International Cooperation on Holocaust Education, Remembrance and Research (ITF)) in 2013. He also serves as the honorary chair of the International Forum of Rights and Security (IFFRAS).
Local politics
Born in the Azores, Portugal, he was first elected to city council in 1994 after defeating veteran councillor Tony O'Donohue by 15 votes. Silva received a high grade from the Toronto Environmental Alliance for his support of environmental initiatives, and has strong support from the Labour Movement. Silva is of Portuguese background and is popular in the local Portuguese Canadian community. Silva served on several boards including: Vice-Chair, Toronto Transit Commission; Chair, Exhibition Place; Board of Directors, Mount Sinai Hospital; Vice Chair, Toronto Hydro Company; Board of Directors, Canadian Opera Company; 2013 Chair, Brazil Carnival Ball and Chair of the Brazil Institute of Canada.
Federal politics
Silva's move to federal politics saw him claim the Liberal nomination in Davenport instead of Liberal incumbent Charles Caccia. An ally of new Prime Minister Paul Martin, Silva was seen by the party as a preferable candidate to Caccia.
As a Member of Parliament Silva served on several committees including the Environment Committee and the Canadian Heritage Committee. He has championed several human rights and environmental issues including being the first MP to back the Canadian Boreal Initiative, and an outspoken critic for the defence of undocumented workers.
Silva chaired the inquiry panel of the Canadian Parliamentary Coalition to Combat Antisemitism (CPCCA), a multi-partisan group of MPs which conducted investigations into antisemitism in Canada. He was vice-chair of the CPCCA's steering committee, which organized an international conference on antisemitism in Ottawa in 2010.
Silva was the first Portuguese-Canadian Member of Parliament.
Silva retained the seat in the 2006 election and was the only GTA Liberal MP to increase his voter margin but was defeated in the 2011 election, losing his seat to Andrew Cash. Silva assumed the role of chair for the Task Force for International Cooperation on Holocaust Education, Remembrance and Research (ITF) in 2013. Silva was also appointed by the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) as a director.
Academic career
Silva obtained a PhD in International Law from the National University of Ireland, Galway. He has held positions in Ryerson University and McGill University where he is currently a visiting professor. Silva is a fellow at the Montreal Institute for Genocide and Human Rights Studies at Concordia University. Silva was appointed a Distinguished Visiting Professor at Ryerson University. He hold a certificate in Humanitarian Law from United Nations University and a certificado de la Lengua Española, Universidad De Salamanca in Spain.