Sfu's Vancity Office Of Community Engagement

Environmental lawyer Eugene Kung joins Below the Radar’s Climate Justice & Inequality series to discuss pipeline politics in BC and the role of law in fighting the climate crisis. Eugene shares about how law has been wielded as a mechanism for enacting colonialism, and the various ways it can instead be a tool for effecting major change and upholding human rights. Eugene discusses different legal strategies to mitigate climate change — from legislation and law reform, to legal challenges against extractive energy projects that drive pollution. He speaks to a positive shift that has seen more Indigenous nations asserting their own laws and sovereignty in decision-making, as caretakers of their lands. He and Am also discuss how to decentre whiteness and Western perspectives in the climate justice movement and the importance of connecting environmentalism with other social movements and systemic issues. Episode page: https://www.sfu.ca/sfuwoodwards/community-engagement/Below-the-Radar/episodes/episodes1/ep13

Co-Director of the Climate Justice Project at the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, and senior economist, Marc Lee, joins Am Johal to discuss the successes and failures of Canadian climate policies across the political spectrum. Marc speaks about the origins of the Climate Justice Project, and conceptualizes how reaching a net-zero carbon economy can be achieved — through a fundamental restructuring of Canadian and BC systems, and the implementation of decolonizing practices. Am and Marc also discuss how approaches like carbon pricing and carbon capture systems do little to counteract climate change, and instead offer “escape hatches” for the fossil fuel industry. They explore how other government-based responses like subsidizing pipelines, or setting climate goals for the distant future, do not adequately address the imminent threat of climate change. Marc ends by discussing how we need to deal with this climate emergency with the same level of urgency that was enacted in BC’s COVID-19 response. Res

Community leader and climate justice activist Anjali Appadurai joins Am Johal for the second instalment of Below the Radar’s Climate Justice & Inequality series. Anjali is a Climate Justice Lead at Sierra Club BC, the Sectoral Organizer for the Climate Emergency Unit, as well as the founder of Padma Centre for Climate Justice. Anjali and Am talk about the growth of the climate movement, and shifting the focus from being ‘green’ to centering justice for all in the fight against climate change. They speak about lifting up the youth and Indigenous leaders at the forefront of the struggle, as well as how to get involved and make the movement accessible to all. Read the transcript:http://www.sfu.ca/sfuwoodwards/community-engagement/Below-the-Radar/transcripts/ep132-anjali-appadurai.html More in this series: https://www.sfu.ca/sfuwoodwards/community-engagement/Below-the-Radar/climate-justice-and-inequality.html Resources: - Sierra Club BC: https://sierraclub.bc.ca/ - Climate Emergency Unit: https://www.climateem

Squamish Nation Councillor and community leader Khelsilem joins Am Johal on this first episode of Below the Radar’s Climate Justice & Inequality series. In this episode, they discuss the climate crisis as a result of the colonial project, how climate change hits hardest for those already at a disadvantage, and the spaces where colonialism has existed within climate movements. Khelsilem speaks to his critique of fossil fuel infrastructure, the false narrative of individual responsibility, and the role governments play in worsening the crisis through policy decisions that favour oil and gas. We also hear about innovative affordable housing projects, such as Squamish Nation’s Sen̓áḵw Development, and how to build climate-friendly design into new housing models. Read the transcript: https://www.sfu.ca/sfuwoodwards/community-engagement/Below-the-Radar/transcripts/ep131-khelsilem.html About the series: https://www.sfu.ca/sfuwoodwards/community-engagement/Below-the-Radar/climate-justice-and-inequality.html Resour

Below the Radar dives into the call for a feminist economic recovery and a just transition with SFU School of Communication PhD Candidate Alicia Massie. Alicia is a Progressive Economics Fellow with the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives and a Research Assistant and conference organizer with SFU’s Community-Engaged Research Initiative. As a feminist political economist and community-engaged researcher, Alicia joins host Am Johal to discuss her research around an economic transition for Canada that can bring us into a more equitable and green future. They discuss pandemic recovery as an opportunity to implement long-term solutions to ongoing and intersecting issues, such as systemic racism, gender-based inequities and climate change. Alicia speaks to the value of the care economy and investing in green infrastructure like childcare, healthcare and education. She also shares some of her learnings from Fort McMurray and how the inevitable shift away from a fossil fuel-based economy must not leave resourc

Critical theorist Alberto Toscano joins Am Johal in conversation about his work and writings, as he joins SFU as a visiting faculty member with the Digital Democracies Institute in SFU’s School of Communication. In this episode, they discuss Alberto’s writing on the philosophy of fanaticism, and conflicting discourse and counter-histories around the figure of the fanatic, which historically takes many forms, from abolitionist leaders to peasant revolutionaries. Alberto and Am also dive into global and historical trends of authoritarianism, racial capitalism and the notion of ‘late fascism.’ Alberto speaks to expanding our concept of fascism, to recognize iterations outside of what could be thought of as European fascism. They also talk about neoliberal tendencies in post-secondary administration, and the workings of mechanisms that maintain or fortify power structures within institutions. Episode web page: https://www.sfu.ca/sfuwoodwards/community-engagement/Below-the-Radar/episodes/episodes1/ep129-alberto-

Javier Campos joins host Am Johal to discuss reframing the way we think about heritage. Javier is an architect and Principal Designer with Campos Studio, as well as the current president of Heritage Vancouver Society. Together, they explore what heritage means today as a living and changing concept. They discuss the dark roots of heritage, and how heritage has been deployed to erase and exclude the histories of communities who have been dispossessed and harmed by the settler-colonial project. In this conversation, Javier speaks to the idea of heritage as cultural production. Heritage should empower communities to drive change within their neighbourhoods, and to rewrite and shape their stories. Javier also speaks about taking an ecologically-minded approach to architecture, working with the critical regionalist tradition and passive design. Read the transcript: https://www.sfu.ca/sfuwoodwards/community-engagement/Below-the-Radar/transcripts/ep128-javier-campos.html Resources: — Heritage Vancouver: http://he

FoodShare’s Executive Director and lifelong anti-poverty activist Paul Taylor joins host Am Johal in this episode of Below the Radar. In this conversation, they delve into the work Paul has done in both Toronto and Vancouver with various activist organizations such as FoodShare, the Downtown Eastside Neighbourhood House, and Gordon Neighbourhood House. Paul shares his experience growing up in a low-income household and dealing with food insecurity, and the ways that traditional charity models fall short. He challenges these charity systems that place responsibility on fellow community members, rather than governments and policymakers. Together, they explore the notion of the right to food, particularly in the pandemic climate, and advocacy for greater systemic change. Paul concludes this conversation by encouraging listeners to consider a world of possibility, and come together to demand political leadership that focuses on justice. Episode page: http://sfu.ca/sfuwoodwards/community-engagement/Below-the-Rad

Community-engaged scholar, current Researcher-in-Residence with SFU’s Community-Engaged Research Initiative and food system planner Tammara Soma joins Am Johal on this episode of Below the Radar. She shares with us what drives her interest in food systems and sustainability, and their relationship to equity and justice. Tammara speaks to her experience and the process of researching in communities — where she aims to have everyone’s voices represented at the table. We hear about the impetus behind co-creating the Food Systems Lab, and how Tammara views the impact of COVID-19 on our current food systems. We also discuss issues with charitable responses to food security, and what kind of justice-centered solutions are needed in a paradoxical system where we have massive food waste, but also food insecurity and hunger. Read the transcript of this episode: TBC Resources — Food Systems Lab: https://foodsystemslab.ca/ — Supporting Sustainable Business Adaptation during COVID-19 study: https://foodsystemslab.ca/

Lawyer, climate storyteller, and founder of the UBC Climate Hub, Grace Nosek, joins host Am Johal on a mission — to publicly uncover feelings of ‘climate doom’ and ‘individual responsibility’ as narratives propelled by the fossil fuel industry. While leading this charge, Grace speaks about Exxon Mobil at the forefront of climate science — spinning its narrative web that entangles any space from broadcasting and universities, to legislation. Grace also discusses her work with the UBC Climate Hub, and the integral role that youth (as well as Indigenous and racialized people) have in this movement of anti-capitalist defiance. She and Am also speak about overcoming eco-anxieties, the importance of making a small day-to-day difference that can ‘ripple outward,’ and Grace’s belief in Pleasure Activism. They end this interview with a brief discussion of Grace’s inspiration to write her hopeful young adult climate fantasy series, Ava of the Gaia. Grace’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/GraceNosek Grace’s Instagram:

Dancer, aerialist, choreographer and producer Gabrielle Martin joins host Am Johal on this episode of Below the Radar. Gabrielle tells us how her passion for dance has taken her from spinning fire in an East Van park, to touring the world with Cavalia and Cirque du Soleil, to choreographing and producing her own works. In the episode, they talk about Gabrielle’s youth as an unschooler/alternative schooler, and how she developed a love for performance and dance through stilt walking, fire dancing, hula hooping and more. Gabrielle also shares her thoughts on the impact of the pandemic on the performing arts, her work as festival manager with the Vancouver International Dance Festival, and the making of "Limb(e)s," a feature-length show she developed with her partner, Jeremiah Hughes. Read the transcript of this episode: https://www.sfu.ca/sfuwoodwards/community-engagement/Below-the-Radar/transcripts/ep124-gabrielle-martin.html Resources: — Ci Co: https://www.companyci.com/ — Limb(e)s trailer: https://www.you

Taiko drumming enthusiast and specialist in modern and contemporary Japanese art Namiko Kunimoto, joins Am Johal on this installment of Below the Radar. Throughout this episode, Namiko explores Japanese imperialism, Olympic dissent, and the internment of Japanese Canadians; while drawing from the works of artists such as Takayama Akira and Shimada Yoshiko. Namiko and Am also critique the tendency for universities to be run from ivory towers that often overlook issues of poverty, racism and sexism. They speak about some successful bottom-up programs that have been beneficial for students of colour, and speak to the increased importance of these programs coming out of the pandemic. Namiko also explores how her familial history, and growing up as an Asian Canadian in rural BC and Alberta had led her to discover her passion for art history, and taiko drumming. Read the transcript of this episode: https://www.sfu.ca/sfuwoodwards/community-engagement/Below-the-Radar/transcripts/ep123-namiko-kunimoto.html Resourc

This final installment of the Power of Disability series highlights an unsung hero of the disability movement, Barb Goode. Host Al Etmanski is in conversation with Barb about her work around self-advocacy for people with learning and developmental disabilities. Barb speaks to the importance of plain language and the harm that comes from labelling people. She also recounts organizing efforts around a milestone legal struggle to prevent the forced sterilization of people with disabilities. In this interview, Barb is joined by her friend and colleague, Aaron Johannes. In addition to being connected through involvement with PLAN, they collaborate on consulting projects around disability and inclusion with ImagineACircle. “I think words are very powerful. If we use complicated words, you're going to leave people out of conversations.” - Barb Goode Read the full transcript of this episode: https://www.sfu.ca/sfuwoodwards/community-engagement/Below-the-Radar/transcripts/barb-goode/ **A note about the discussion

Below the Radar invites Michi Saagiig Nishnaabeg scholar, writer and artist Leanne Betasamosake Simpson into conversation about her latest album, Theory Of Ice, as a thinking through of water as a connector. She talks with host Am Johal about covering Willie Dunn’s “I Pity the Country,” and how her work aligns with, and is inspired by, a long tradition of Indigenous musicians and activists. Leanne speaks to her artistic and academic work as being underpinned by a deep love of the land, and the land as a site of knowledge production. She shares some of her experiences working with the Dechinta Centre for Research & Learning on land-based education in Denendeh. We also learn about some of Leanne’s exciting collaborative works, from artistic collaborations with filmmakers and visual artists to Leanne’s work with Robyn Maynard on "Rehearsals for Living," a book forthcoming from Knopf Canada in 2022. Thank you to Leanne for the use of her recording of Willie Dunn's "I Pity the Country," from "Theory Of Ice," for

The Power of Disability host, Al Etmanski is joined by partners and disability advocates Tim Louis and Penny Parry. Tim is a lawyer, politician, and longtime leader of the disability movement within British Columbia. Penny has worked as a university professor, artist, and youth care practitioner. Tim and Penny share stories and learnings from 40 plus years of working on social issues in their own careers and together as a couple. Tim delves into his experiences working as a lawyer under his mentor, Harry Rankin. He discusses issues with processes that keep supports and monetary assistance behind bureaucratic walls, and problematizes assumptions that disabled folks are fragile, vulnerable, or unresilient. Penny considers her experience with mentorship, reflects on her teaching and work with youth and families, and shares how she sees her art practice as a means of moving people towards understanding, questioning, and social change. Read the transcript of this episode: https://www.sfu.ca/sfuwoodwards/communi

Below the Radar explores equity and public engagement in knowledge-making and learning with community-engaged scholars from the Honors Living-Learning Community at Rutgers University-Newark (HLLC). HLLC is a transformational college access program that aims to provide equitable opportunities to those that have been systematically disenfranchised. In this interview, our host Am Johal is joined by HLLC’s inaugural Dean, Timothy Eatman, and HLLC scholar Mohamed Farge. Together, they discuss how the pandemic has affected community engagement and teaching relationships in a post-secondary context. Mohamed speaks to bringing a social justice and equity lens into the world of finance. Timothy and Mohamed also talk about the importance of appreciating and respecting the knowledge that lives outside the academy, and taking an imaginative and artistic approach to community-engaged work and scholarship. Resources: — The HLLC (Honors Living-Learning Community) at Rutgers University-Newark website: https://hllc.newark.r

Rabia Khedr, an activist, consultant, former Human Rights Commissioner and motivational speaker who ‘wears many hijabs,’ joins Al Etmanski for this Power of Disability conversation. They discuss Rabia’s advocacy and policy work within the disability community and the Muslim community; bringing a disability benefit, or basic income, to Canada; as well as the vital importance of having people disabled folks driving systems change. Rabia speaks to the significance of having what she calls a ‘hyphenated identity’ and how disability is just one facet of people's varied and intersecting experiences and identities. She shares with Al how she is working with the Canadian Association of Muslims with Disabilities to connect people to Disability Justice principles through spirituality and culture. She also sheds light on what she means when she says, “Being blind, I see things differently.” “The range of disabilities, of lived experience, needs to be reflected in the journey — at the table, making the decisions, leadi

Glenn Alteen is a writer, curator, and co-founder of grunt gallery. Having retired after 36 years in May 2020, Glenn joins host Am Johal to talk about his tenure as Program Director of grunt gallery, and his work on The Blue Cabin Floating Artist Residency. In this interview, Glenn recalls the process of founding grunt gallery in 1984, and the dynamic programming of the gallery. He discusses the focus on exhibiting work from artists at the fringes of the art scene in Vancouver: namely, the work of many contemporary Indigenous artists in the 1990s, a time when these perspectives were largely not shown. Glenn and Am also chat about life after retirement, working on the Blue Cabin Floating Artist Residency, and the need for reforming the way funding is distributed to artists. Resources: — grunt gallery website: https://grunt.ca/ — The Blue Cabin Floating Artist Residency: https://thebluecabin.ca/ — Glenn Alteen Legacy fund: https://www.vancouverfoundation.ca/glennalteenlegacyfund

Non-visual artist Carmen Papalia speaks with Al Etmanski about the rampancy of ableism across institutions — from the art world to healthcare, to the symbol of the white cane. Carmen and Al discuss how institutions can be sites of retraumatization that can often overlook and underappreciate variations in ability. Carmen also explores some key ideas central to disability justice, provides some suggestions on how to be a good ally, and considers how accessibility is dependent on the social, cultural, and political conditions of a space and the people within it. Carmen speaks about some of his works, including White Cane Amplified, Mobility Device, and Open Access, drawing out his own positions on the topic of disability, and the importance of mutual aid within the disability community. “At the heart of disability justice is the idea of mutual aid, which means building a capacity for care that isn’t otherwise available.” - Carmen Papalia Read the full transcript of this episode: https://www.sfu.ca/sfuwoodward

Theorist and author Asad Haider joins Below the Radar to discuss questions he explores in his book, "Mistaken Identity: Race and Class in the Age of Trump." Asad discusses how class dynamics cannot be separated from identity-driven movements. As well, he explores ideas of political exhaustion in the tradition of political theorists such as Sylvain Lazarus and Alain Badiou. In this interview, Asad interrogates the role of identity in politics and how it has been taken up in discourse — complicating the relationship between race and class in a context that has been defined by capital interests. Asad and Am discuss theoretical questions around frameworks for political organizing and solidarity across movements. He also speaks to our current moment as one of political exhaustion, where it’s difficult to mobilize transformative political change. — Asad Haider’s website: http://www.asadhaider.com/ — Mistaken Identity: Race and Class in the Age of Trump by Asad Haider: https://www.versobooks.com/books/2716-mis