Search
Displaying 441 - 460 of 612
This event was a part of the Homelessness Action Week.Speakers:Karen O’Shannacery, OBC and Retired Executive Director, Lookout Emergency Aid Society Karen O'Shannacery has been a housing advocate for the homeless and disenfranchised for 45+ years. She was the Executive Director and founding member of Lookout Emergency Aid Society, creating over 1,300 minimal-barrier shelter and housing beds and serving over 10,000 people annually. In 2011 Karen was appointed to the Mayor's Task Force on Housing Affordability. She co-founded community networks including the Vancouver Urban Core Community Workers Association, Greater Vancouver Shelter Strategy and the provincial Shelter Net BC. Karen continues to advocate for people challenged by serious mental illness, addictions and homelessness. Karen has been honoured for her continuing contributions, including receiving the Order of BC and the Diamond Jubilee Medal.Bonnie Pacaud, Co-Chair FairFares CalgaryBonnie is co-founder and co-chair of Fair Fares Calgary. For 15 years Fair Fares has advocated for a Low Income Transit Pass in Calgary. Bonnie has served as Executive Director of numerous non-profit agencies including: Canadian Alliance for Self-Determination, Calgary Community Living Society, Parent Child Centre/Observation Nurseries of Calgary and Calgary Coordinated Care Society. Bonnie was a government appointee to the first board of the Persons with Developmental Disabilities Calgary Region Community Board. Bonnie received the Calgary Advisory Committee on Accessibility Award for Advocacy. Fair Fares has received both a ‘Legacy of Social Justice Award’ from the University of Calgary, Faculty of Social Work and a ‘Community Spirit Award of Distinction’ for community collaboration. Bonnie was the guardian of her sister Judy who had Down Syndrome; Judy was the driving force behind the work Bonnie has done over the years.Colleen Huston, Co-Chair FairFares CalgaryColleen has been the Coordinator of Disability Action Hall for past 15 years. Colleen has been the co-chair of Fair Fares for 15 years. Members of the Disability Action Hall continually ground and guide advocacy work with an understanding of ‘nothing about us without us’ regarding social justice, basic needs, relationships, affordable accessible housing, adequate incomes and services for all Albertans. Colleen is an artist, studied at Alberta College of Art and Design, disability studies at Mount Royal University and University of Calgary. Colleen and the Disability Action Hall have received numerous awards including: Community Collaboration Award awarded to Disability Action Hall; Social Justice Encounter Legacy Award, University of Calgary Faculty of Social Work; Lifetime Achievement Award from the Developmentally Disabilities Resource Centre; Diamond Jubilee Medal by Governor General of Canada; President’s Award issued by Alberta Council of Disability Services; Mayoral Arts Award Nominee for Colin Jackson and Arlene Strom.Mark Konecny, Project Program Manager III, King County Metro - Department of TransportationMark Konecny has worked at King County Metro Transit since 1999. Mark has served on of the Puget Sound Regional Council as a member of the Regional Reduced Fare Permit task force in support of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) since 2006 . While employed as a Customer Service lead since 2000, Mark supervised the employees selling Metro Transit products to the public, and managed the sales and tracking of the Human Service Reduced Fare Ticket Program, which serves the homeless and/or low income communities in the King County region. Mark has been managing the ORCA LIFT program since its launch in March 2015. The One Regional Card for All / Low Income Fare - Transit (ORCA LIFT) is a reduced-fare program that makes transit more affordable for those who meet the program’s eligibility requirement (gross annual income of 200 percent below the federal poverty level). Prior to his tenure at King County, Mark owned and operated a successful restaurant in the Seattle area for over 21 years.Peter Greenwell, Coordinator of Homeless Programs at Collingwood Neighbourhood HousePeter has worked as a Planner for both the City of Vancouver and Metro Vancouver. He was the Director of The Gathering Place Community Centre for many years, where he worked to expand both legal assistance and health services for local residents. Peter initiated the City of Vancouver’s Extreme Weather Shelter response in the downtown core. For many years Peter served as Chair of the Vancouver City Planning Commission an advisory body to Vancouver City Council. Currently, Peter is a PhD Candidate in the Social Dimensions of Health program at the University of Victoria focussing research on the transportation access and exiting homelessness, as well as Coordinator of Homeless Programs at Collingwood Neighbourhood House.
Author: SFU's Vancity Office of Community Engagement, Author: O'Shannacery, Karen, Author: Pacaud, Bonnie, Author: Huston, Colleen, Author: Konecny, Mark, Author: Greenwell, Peter
Date created: 2015-10-08
THE KEYNOTE | SHELDON SOLOMONSheldon Solomon is the public intellectual most associated with presenting and developing Becker's work. He is a very engaging speaker who appeals to both lay and professional audiences. Far from being abstract and pedantic, Sheldon's style is vital, rigorous, and engaging. He is a Professor in the Psychology Department of Skidmore College, NY. He and his associates have done much to empirically support Becker's theories.Another speaker associated with the Becker Foundation is David Loy, a Buddhist scholar who has published numerous books, including Lack and Transcendence: The Problem of Death and Life in Psychotherapy, Existentialism, and Buddhism. He is currently located in Boulder, Colorado, and has a keen interest in the conference's themes. ABOUT ERNEST BECKERErnest Becker was one of SFU’s most illustrious scholars. He was and remains well known for his humanistic-existential approach to psychology, especially his studies of life and death, the human condition, and human motivation. He was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction in 1974 for his book, The Denial of Death. His life and work continue to be celebrated and his ideas developed and applied to a wide range of contemporary issues, from terrorism to environmental concern. One of the most popular contemporary programs of research in social psychology, Terror Management Theory, is based on his ideas concerning the human experience of, and our reactions to, mortality. The Ernest Becker Foundation preserves and perpetuates his work, and a seven-time best documentary award winning film, Flight from Death: The Quest for Immortality was produced in 2003, a film that uses Becker’s ideas to examine humankind’s complex relationship with death on psychological, interpersonal, spiritual, and sociocultural levels.
Author: SFU's Vancity Office of Community Engagement, Author: Solomon, Sheldon
Date created: 2015-10-02
A discussion about the Controlled Drugs and Substance Act, constitutional law, and the Canadian judicial system. An expert panel lead off the discussion with a range of ideas and information on this subject. The audience heard a discussion of the role the Canadian Constitution plays regarding the law-making powers of Canadian governments, the role the judiciary plays in interpreting laws and reviewing laws for constitutionality, and how some DTES community members think the Constitution ought to be interpreted in relation to current federal drug law.Panelists•The Honourable Robert J. Bauman, Chief Justice of British Columbia•Amanda Boggan, Downtown Eastside Neighbourhood Council•Professor Margot Young, Allard School of Law, UBC
Author: SFU's Vancity Office of Community Engagement, Author: Bauman, Robert J., Author: Boggon, Amanda, Author: Young, Margot
Date created: 2015-09-30
As the war in Vietnam escalates, so does the resistance to it in North America and Western Europe; in the United States black Americans are mobilizing in ever larger numbers both against domestic segregation and repression and foreign wars in which blacks are disproportionately represented in the US conscript army. Malcolm X has been assassinated in New York. An assassin's bullet is being prepared for Martin Luther King. 1965 is a crucial build-up year to the explosions that lie ahead.Tariq Ali is a writer and filmmaker. He has written more than two dozen books on world history and politics, and seven novels (translated into over a dozen languages) as well as scripts for the stage and screen. He is an editor of New Left Review and lives in London.
Author: SFU's Vancity Office of Community Engagement, Author: Ali, Tariq
Date created: 2015-09-28
Canada is in a state of emergency and if we don’t act now, irreparable harm will be done to the environment, the economy, and the basic democratic and human rights of Canadians. The persistent failure by successive governments to address the ill effects of past and current oppression of Indigenous peoples threatens the well-being of all Canadians. The health and well-being (or lack thereof) of First Nations is a strong indicator of the health of Canada. Canada simply can’t exist without its land defenders. First Nations are Canada’s last best hope at saving the lands, waters, plants and animals for our collective future generations. The real power in any nation is in the people and Canadians, in solidarity with First Nations, have the power to take back Canada and restore the original treaty vision of mutual respect, protection and prosperity.Dr. Pamela D. Palmater is a Mi’kmaw citizen and member of the Eel River Bar First Nation in northern New Brunswick. She has been a practicing lawyer for 16 years and is currently an Associate Professor and the Chair in Indigenous Governance at Ryerson University. She comes from a large family of 8 sisters and three brothers.She has 4 university degrees, including a BA from St. Thomas in Native Studies, and an LLB from UNB where she won the Faskin Campbell Godfrey prize in natural resources and environmental law. She went on to complete her Masters and Doctorate in Law from Dalhousie University Law School specializing in First Nation law.Pam has been studying, volunteering and working in First Nation issues for over 25 years on a wide range of social, political and legal issues, like poverty, housing, child and family services, treaty rights, education and legislation impacting First Nations. She came in second in the Assembly of First Nations election for National Chief in 2012 and was one of the spokespeople, organizers and public educators for the Idle No More movement in 2012-13.She has been recognized with many awards and honours for her social justice advocacy on behalf of First Nations generally, and Indigenous women and children specifically, and most recently for her work related to murdered and missing Indigenous women. Some of these awards include 2012 YWCA Woman of Distinction Award in Social Justice, the 2012 Women’s Courage Award in Social Justice, Bertha Wilson Honour Society 2012 and Canadian Lawyer Magazine’s 2013 Top 5 Most Influential Lawyer in the Human Rights category, Canada's Top Visionary Women Leaders 2014, and most recently, the 2015 UNB Alumni Award of Distinction.Pam’s area of expertise is in Indigenous law, politics, and governance. She has numerous publications including her book, Beyond Blood: Rethinking Indigenous Identity, legal academic journal publications, magazine articles and invited news editorials. Her political blog, Indigenous Nationhood has been reposted and reprinted in numerous formats and will soon become a book. She is a well-known speaker, presenter and educator on Indigenous issues both across Canada and internationally, having spoken in Samoa, Hawaii, Peru, Switzerland and England. She is frequently called as an expert before Parliamentary and United Nations committees dealing with laws and policies impacting Indigenous peoples.
Author: SFU's Vancity Office of Community Engagement, Author: Palmater, Pam
Date created: 2015-09-24
Author: SFU's Vancity Office of Community Engagement, Author: Mba Bikoro, Nathalie, Author: Wilhemus, Willem
Date created: 2015-09-22
Author: SFU's Vancity Office of Community Engagement, Author: Gutstein, Donald
Date created: 2015-09-21
Pushed through Parliament with unprecedented haste, with opportunities for consultation and debate cut off at every turn, Bill C-51 has now become law, the Anti-Terrorism Act 2015. The most comprehensive overhaul of Canadian national security laws since 2001, C-51 is replete with numerous and very serious human rights concerns. Legal experts, human rights organizations, former Prime Ministers and Supreme Court judges, media opinion across the political spectrum and Canadians across the country all spoke out loud and clear, insisting that the Bill needed to be withdrawn or dramatically amended to ensure that human rights were not being sold short in the name of security. The very few minor changes that were made were nothing more than tinkering. This new law remains one of the most deeply flawed pieces of legislation from a human rights perspective passed in Canada in many years. Amnesty International has a long history, in Canada and around the world, of highlighting that human rights violations in the name of national security undermine both human rights and national security. Alex Neve laid out the many ways that is the case with C-51. Concerns he addressed include expressly allowing CSIS agents to contravene the Charter and ignore laws in other countries; expecting Federal Court judges to issue warrants authorizing Charter violations; undermining freedom of expression; staggering levels of information sharing; expanded powers allowing lengthier and easier detention without charge; increased secrecy in security procedures under the Immigration Act; and an unfair no-fly list appeal process. He raised concern about what is missing as well, including continuing failure to establish effective review and oversight of Canadian agencies involved in national security and a refusal to redress past cases of wrongdoing in which Canadians have suffered serious abuses such as torture due to the actions of Canadian security officials. Above all he stressed that it is time to ground Canada’s national security laws and policies in full respect for human rights.BIO:Alex Neve believes in a world in which the human rights of all people are protected. He has been a member of Amnesty International since 1985 and has served as Secretary General of Amnesty International Canada since 2000. Alex is a lawyer, with an LLB from Dalhousie University and a Masters Degree in International Human Rights Law from the University of Essex. He is on the Board of Directors of Partnership Africa Canada, the Canadian Centre for International Justice and the Centre for Law and Democracy. Alex has been named an Officer of the Order of Canada, a Trudeau Foundation Mentor and has received an honorary Doctorate of Laws degree from the University of New Brunswick.
Author: SFU's Vancity Office of Community Engagement, Author: Neve, Alex
Date created: 2015-09-17
The 2015 Grace MacInnis Visiting Scholar Lecture explored the connections and challenges of grassroots political activism and how that translated into a Parliamentary environment that is slow, bureaucratic, and resistant to change.LIBBY DAVIES: 40 YEARS OF PROUD PUBLIC SERVICEPrior to running federally, Libby Davies first ran for Vancouver City Council in 1976 at the age of 23. She ran again in 1978. She was elected to the Vancouver Parks Board in 1980 and, in 1982, Davies was elected to Vancouver City Council. She was reelected in 1984, 1986, 1988, and 1990. In 1993, she ran for Mayor of Vancouver. In 1997, Davies ran and was elected for the first of her six terms as the Member of Parliament for Vancouver East. Libby was also the Official Opposition Spokesperson for Health and the Vice-Chair of the Standing Committee on Health from May 2011 until January 2015. She is Deputy Leader of the federal NDP. Libby also served as the NDP House Leader from 2003 to March 2011.Her history as a strong community activist for Vancouver began over 35 years ago. She and her late partner, Bruce Eriksen, were key figures in the formation of the Downtown Eastside Residents' Association (DERA) in 1973. In 10 years of community organizing, Libby developed her strong grassroots approach to working with people and diverse communities. She became involved in every community issue; from protecting community services to developing affordable housing, fighting for parks and working for the elimination of poverty. Since being elected as a Member of Parliament, Libby has provided a strong voice for Vancouver East.She has consistently raised issues of concern to her constituents in Parliament, including: community safety; adequate childcare; and post-secondary education. Libby has also been a tireless advocate in Parliament for a national housing program, and has successfully forced federal governments to address this basic human right. Libby's community office has helped hundreds of residents with federal government matters such as immigration, student loans, employment insurance, taxation, pensions, and Aboriginal affairs.
Author: SFU's Vancity Office of Community Engagement, Author: Davies, Libby
Date created: 2015-09-14
Panelists:Honorary Witness Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson, City of VancouverRev. Mary Fontaine, Hummingbird MinistriesHonorary Witness David Wong, Architect, Community Activist and WriterDoug White, Director, Centre for Pre‐Confederation Treaties and Reconciliation, Vancouver Island UniversityJody Wilson-Raybould, Regional Chief, B.C. Assembly of First Nations Linda Morris, Senior Vice President, Business Development, Member and Community Engagement, VancityHonourary Witness Robbie WaismanTogether we recognize and celebrate our diverse histories and unique strengths in attempt to find a New Way Forward for Aboriginal peoples and all Canadians.
Author: SFU's Vancity Office of Community Engagement, Author: Robertson, Gregor, Author: Fontaine, Mary, Author: Wong, David, Author: White, Doug, Author: Wilson-Raybould, Jody, Author: Morris, Linda, Author: Waisman, Robbie
Date created: 2015-06-02
Author: SFU's Vancity Office of Community Engagement, Author: Rubin, Barnett , Author: Smith, Charlie
Date created: 2014-11-19
Video recording of talk with Glen Coulthard about Fanonian Antinomies.
Author: Coulthard, Glen
Date created: 2017-09-25
Video recording of talk and panel discussion of A Subtle Revoltuion: What Lies Ahead for Indigenous Rights?
Author: Lightfoot, Sheryl, Author: Phillip, Stewart , Author: Settee, Priscilla, Author: Kiiwetinepinesiik Stark, Heidi, Author: Yacaaʔał George, Rachel
Date created: 2017-09-13
Video recording talk and panel discussion of The Human Right to Housing and the Vancouver Situation.
Author: Kothari, Miloon, Author: Young, Margot, Author: Swanson, Jean, Author: Hern, Matt, Author: Seigl, sχ?emt?na:t, St’agid Jaad, Audrey, Author: Johal, Am
Date created: 2017-06-05
Author: SFU's Vancity Office of Community Engagement, Author: George Sr., Gabriel , Author: Brant, Dakota, Author: Williams, Aaron
Date created: 2016-02-04
Author: SFU's Vancity Office of Community Engagement, Author: Andrew Nikiforuk
Date created: 2016-01-28
Author: SFU's Vancity Office of Community Engagement, Author: Chief Dr. Robert Joseph
Date created: 2016-01-21