150+ Canadians Day 78: Avi Lewis

“Avi” Lewis contributes to peace through his work as an activist,  broadcaster and documentary film producer. #Canada150

Avram David “Avi” Lewis is the creator of a number of thought-provoking documentaries and TV content on political and current issues. He is the former host of the Al Jazeera English show Fault Lines and former host of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation current-affairs programs CounterSpin and On the Map. He has served as MuchMusic’s political specialist, providing extensive special events coverage to engage youth in the political process, for which he received a Gemini Award.

He comes by his political inclinations and activities naturally. Avi is the grandson of former federal NDP leader, David Lewis, and the son of politician and diplomat, Stephen Lewis, and journalist and peace activist, Michele Landsberg. Lewis and his wife, social activist Naomi Klein, collaborate on many social justice issues through their writing and film-making.

Lewis directed the 2015 feature-length documentary This Changes Everything, which finished second in the audience voting, for the documentary category at the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival.

“Find an organization, shoot them an email, call them up, find them on Facebook and say “Hey, I want to volunteer.” And that first step could lead to a whole life of engagement. It could be a pretty exciting ride.”


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