Cultural Intelligence – A new life skill

Progressive organizations across Canada engage employees through diversity and inclusion programs. “The business community is motivated to develop intercultural competency (IC),” says Taslim Damji, an intercultural practitioner and core developer and facilitator for MOSAIC, Multi-lingual Orientation Service Association for Immigrant Communities. Understanding cultural diversity and learning to empathize and embrace different behaviours is key to…

Fostering connection through art and culture

In the 18th century, salons allowed individuals to come together and discuss ideas. Salimah Ebrahim will be speaking about her work as a journalist and her start-up Artery at Vancouver Playhouse Theatre’s next Public Salon on June 7. “The idea is for people to connect to the real culture of a place and use Artery…

Indigenous groups turn to Chinese medicine

In Olivia Jim’s deep memories, there’s a garden where her grandmother grew plants. “My late grandma used to make her own medicines out of the dandelions in the backyard garden,” says Jim. “She had her own medicines, made her own tea.” As a member of the Wet’suwet’en First Nations, Jim grew up outside of Smithers,…

Post-graduation migration: non-binary for international students

A new study from the University of British Columbia (UBC) is shedding light on the post-graduation plans of international students: migration plans correlate with concepts of home. Cary Wu, PhD candidate in the department of sociology, conducted the study when he realized there was little research done on where international students go after they graduate.…

Sharing Jewish culture through dinners and podcasts

For anyone curious about Jewish food, The Chosen Supper Club can satiate. The Jewish Museum and Archives of B.C. (JMABC) will be hosting 10 dinners at the museum on various Sundays from April to September. As part of the JMABC 2017 public programming series Feeding Community, these dinners, along with corresponding podcast The Kitchen Stories,…

Education with a touch of empathy and compassion

In Dar es Salaam, the largest city in Tanzania, Alim Fakirani met with a local teacher during his work at the Aga Khan University-Institute for Educational Development. Although from different cultural backgrounds, a sense of understanding gradually sparked between them. “Even though we came from different contexts, we were still able to relate to one…

The Irish community – feeling at home and celebrating

Vancouver’s Irish community has established itself on many platforms through Facebook, websites and real-life events that coexist in the great diverse cultures found in the city. According to Statistics Canada, approximately 250,000 Irish Canadians live in Vancouver. To Irish residents, the annual CelticFest, which runs from March 10–18, may sound like familiar name. The festival,…

A milestone year for Canada

As Canada celebrates 150 years since Confederation, Amnesty International Canada calls on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau this year to take decisive action on human rights at home and abroad. Significantly, 2017 is also the 35th anniversary of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the 40th anniversary of the Canadian Human Rights Act. Don…

Gender equality initiatives support minority women

MOSAIC, one of the largest settlement organizations in Canada, is currently holding gender equality training workshops for young women. Chany Chea, is the project coordinator for innovative projects at MOSAIC. Her work covers a variety of areas such as domestic violence counseling, victim services work and relationship violence prevention. While completing her Master’s degree in…

Historic tour of Gastown details roots of Jewish community

Organizers of a historic tour, focusing on the Jewish community who lived in Gastown, hope people will walk away with a better understanding of how culturally diverse Vancouver has been from its earliest days. “This is not to say that it has always been accepting of diversity. That’s definitely something that has improved over time,…

Yazidi Discussion Circle hopes to affect change

All levels of government should do more to help the Yazidi women and children heal and recover from trauma, say the Remember Our Sisters Everywhere (ROSE) organization. The Yazidi Discussion Circle will be held at VIVO Media Arts Centre (Feb. 24). “If you don’t care for people, you can hurt them for seven generations. There’s…

A neglected history: Hogan’s Alley

Hogan’s Alley has played a significant part in Vancouver’s history, yet is one aspect of this city’s past often ignored that goes unacknowledged by its citizens. The documentary, Secret Vancouver: Return to Hogan’s Alley, will be showcased by the Simon Fraser University (SFU) Seniors Lifelong Learning Society at SFU’s Vancouver campus on Feb. 18. Secret…