World Refugee Day: A time to reach out

According to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), a world-wide record of 65.3 million people are currently displaced from their homes by wars, persecution, violence or poverty. To shine a light on this urgent problem, the UNHCR will observe the World Refugee Day on June 20 for the 16th time since its founding. Last year, Canada…

Youth look for fulfilling careers

In December 2016, Stats Canada published Perspectives on the Youth Labour Market in Canada, a report comparing current labour statistics to those in the 1970s for young Canadians aged 15 to 24. It found that while youth unemployment levels are similar, job quality appears to have deteriorated for many young people. How can today’s youth,…

Peeking into Chinatown’s past

2017 is not just a special anniversary for Canada as a nation, but also for the Chinese Canadian community. While it is the 150th birthday for Canada, it is also the 70th anniversary of Chinese Canadians being granted full citizenship and the right to vote. To acknowledge this milestone, and to celebrate the history of…

Forging ahead with Virtual Reality

The second annual Consumer Virtual Reality Conference will show off the latest technology, but the use won’t be applicable in everyday life yet. The CVR will be coming to the Vancouver Convention Centre from May 5–7. It will have demonstrations from Secret Location, Cloudhead Games, Ydreams, Serious Simulations and many others. People who are dissatisfied…

Capturing moments through words

The art of poetry goes beyond the typical rhyming scheme taught in school and extends to using poetry as a platform to speak out against injustice, create mindful haiku, and project powerful spoken word, all forms practiced by local poets that will be highlighted during National Poetry Month. The celebration, which began in 1996 in…

Autism – Minority children need more support

Autism organizations across the world will celebrate World Autism Awareness Day April 2 with special fundraising events. Autism is now the fastest growing and most commonly diagnosed neurological disorder in Canada. According to Autism Speaks Canada, one in 68 children are currently diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. In British Columbia, one in 61 children have…

Dialogue and education as tools to end racial discrimination

The International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination is observed every year on March 21. On that day in 1960, police officers shot and killed 69 protesters in Sharpeville, South Africa. The group was protesting past laws that would further fuel the discrimination and segregation already present during Apartheid. These laws would limit the…

Women making their marks in arts and culture

Ahead of International Women’s Day on March 8, three women share their successes and challenges. Whether through music, words or fashion, each one knows her place in the world as a woman and creator. The colours and sounds in the eclectic Although from Ontario, singer Alysha Brilla’s heart always calls for British Columbia where she…

Celebrating mother languages

Linguists are increasingly realizing that more and more languages are becoming endangered. At the moment, at least 50 percent of the world’s languages look like they’re not going to make it to the end of this century. 50 per cent is a conservative estimate. “What extinct means is that when the last person who speaks…

Freedom of speech – a tool for some, a deterrent for others

Louis Jung is keen on free speech. So keen that the international student founded the University of British Columbia (UBC) Free Speech Club. Jung feels that Canada, North America and Europe are world renowned for their censorship culture. He doesn’t like that. He says that while in the military in South Korea, he could freely…

Together we stand strong

In the history books, 2016 will probably be looked at as the year a resurgent conservatism/isolationism pushed back against openness, diversity and inclusion. With Britain voting to leave the European Union, the U.S. voting into office a candidate who campaigned with divisive rhe- toric and other countries facing rising populist sentiments, it has reached the…

Two doses of medicine from the East

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and Ayurvedic medicine are forms of medicine originally from China and India, respectively, with cultural histories dating back between 2000 and 5000 years depending on the particular philosophy or medical practice.  Both TCM and Ayurveda are seen as alternatives to Western medicine that take a more holistic and preventative approach to…