Bernard Hammond

Bernie Hammond was born in Gaspé, Québec, in 1942. He earned his PhD in Sociology in 1975 from York University with a specialization in the sociology of health and illness. He continued teaching, researching and writing in this area throughout his career but, in later years, became interested in Latin American studies and specifically Canadian corporate and mining interests in South and Central America. Hammond taught at King’s University College at Western University from 1975 until 2015, where he also founded and directed the Centre for Social Concern, a centre for education around issues of international development and social justice. In 2002, he became the founding coordinator of the Social Justice and Peace Studies program, a 4-year BA program offering students the opportunity to do experiential learning locally and overseas while completing their degree. For 12 years, he supervised all students engaged in experiential learning in Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, and El Salvador. He retired in September 2015 but continues voluntary activities locally with the Unity Project for the Relief of Homelessness in London, Ontario, and more generally in the Canadian context. He has demonstrated longstanding solidarity with various countries in Latin America and continues to travel frequently to the Dominican Republic, Cuba, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua.

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