BE THE CHANGE

I met Debbie for the first time, during the 15th commemoration of the 1994 Tutsi genocide, here in Windsor.   Major Brent Beardsley, (assistant to General Dallaire during the UN mission in Rwanda in 1994) recommended her to me and when I extended her the invitation to come and share her experience, both in Darfur and in Rwanda, she accepted without hesitation or conditions.  And when she spoke, it was moving and heartfelt.   Debbie is a good person, caring and she wants to make a difference in this world. This world needs more people like Debbie.

Mental Health in the Workplace” was what Debbie shared with a group of professionals recently at a Grand Valley HRPA event. The presentation was dynamic. Debbie’s honesty and personal candid approach was not only appreciated, but valued.
Throughout Debbie’s presentation we traveled with her on her voyage as a police sergeant to her time in countries such as Sudan where she worked as an investigator of Crimes Against Humanity and Genocide and experienced her challenges along the way. Her stories are chilling and impactful. Debbie’s presentation reminds us of the importance of our own personal health along with the importance of being a global civilian.

I’ll never forget Debbie’s brave, honest and vivid speech at last fall’s CMHA convention in London, where we were both featured on the program. She has lived an extraordinary story, which she tells with grace and conviction. As Debbie spoke, I shared both her life-changing struggle to reclaim her mental health and the legacy of that struggle–a determination to leave this world a better place than she found it.

Debbie has the outstanding ability to connect with her audience. She is passionate about sharing her life experiences and is truly the consummate professional.  I would definitely recommend Debbie as a conference speaker.

I first heard Debbie speak at the Tema Conter Memorial Trust symposium on Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in February 2012. Her presentation was very heartfelt, entertaining and definitely thought provoking.

My organization was fortunate to be able to have her speak at our annual fire and first aid floor warden appreciation event in May 2012 on the topics of Global Citzenship and Mental Health, including her personal reflections on her UN tours to Kosovo and Darfur. Comments from staff included “Debbie was the best speaker that we’ve had at this event”.

When planning our conference, (Criminal Intelligence Service of Ontario Conference)  we knew we wanted to address mental health of our officers but were not sure how, who or where to put it in the program.  We settled on Deb as I had heard great things about her talk.  We decided to put her presentation during our banquet.  It is heavy material so I wasn’t sure how it would be received during the “fun” night of our conference.  I am so glad I did.  I have received many positive comments and feedback from the presentation.  Deb mixes a good sense of humor with her material and kept it light when it started to get heavy.  Her presentation is very candid and raw.  One attendee commented to me, “that is the bravest thing I have ever witnessed.”  I would highly recommend Deb for your event.

I just wanted to first thank you for having such an inspiring woman come into our class to talk to us!  Now having learned more about Darfur I feel extremely ignorant for my lack of knowledge prior to the chat.  Not to mention, I find other people now extremely ignorant, especially when I mention Darfur to them and they don’t even know where it is in the world, never mind what is going on there!  If anyone makes you want to give or care it is Debbie Bodkin, it truly was amazing.

I just wanted to take the time to thank you for coming to our class today to talk about your experiences in Darfur. Not only was it eye opening, but it was also inspiring…I want to thank you for strengthening my belief that a small town girl such as myself (and you as well) can do their part to make their own community a betterplace, and restore fundamental human dignity to people both here and thousands of miles away.

Debb gives my students what textbooks and lectures can’t – a firsthand account of international events and the people behind them.  Debb is a powerful speaker because she speaks from the heart.  She gives a voice to all the people in Darfur who don’t have one.  Her experiences and stories are moving and leave students feeling inspired and empowered to motivate change in themselves and others.  The learnings from Debb’s presentations are ones that students will take with them long after they graduate from high school.

Debbie was a great at engaging the group with different media types.   She has a positive non-judgemental attitude.  Confident presenter with good interpersonal skills.

Debb should be very proud of coming to speak with the class and police in general. I found her discussion to be very refreshing and brave. More officers should be able to hear her speak as it rings true to more than will ever be known. Incredible and honest.