Design to better authenticate citizen journalism

Citizen journalism has become more and more prominent in the era of social media, where sometimes news is being disseminated real-time on the spot through eyewitness reports before they even reach mainstream media. And perhaps there is no better phrase than ‘the revolution will be tweeted’ to capture the critical role of citizen journalism in…

Changed behaviour needed for reconciliation

“Canada, by existence, is racist in that it exists because it was able to frame Indigenous peoples as primitive, non-political subjects incapable of owning land,” says Eva Jewell associate professor of Sociology and research director at the Yellowhead Institute, a policy think tank located at ‘X University,’ formerly Ryerson University, in Toronto. “This is used…

How to bake a financier

Be whisked away on a European adventure full of class, elegance and dainty desserts all from the comfort of your own home. Betty Hung, co-owner and head pastry chef of the French-inspired Beaucoup Bakery, is reaching new heights with not only her delicious pastries but by sharing her love of baking with children through UBC’s…

Beyond the buzzwords: conversations on diversity, equity and inclusion

“Over the past year, the Black Lives Matter movement [and] the Indigenous movement have both created an opportunity to publicly acknowledge systemic racism and have deeper conversations on it,” says Sangeeta Subramanian, founder of Chetana Consulting, a firm specializing in equity, diversity and inclusion. There have been conversations around diversity and inclusion in Canada for…

When digital citizens meet internet memes

Why do people use and create internet memes? Can you trace the impact of internet memes offline? How does an internet meme circulate and evolve into different versions? Should we set a boundary on internet memes? Bonnie Tulloch, a doctoral student at the iSchool at UBC, has been exploring the answers to some of these…

Ubuntu: a philosophy of care and community

Trophy Ewila and Lady Dia believe that Ubuntu – seeking a community where members each have space to shine their own light without diminishing another’s light – is key to rejecting the cultural norms of White supremacy. Ubuntu will be put into action with the upcoming workshop, “I Am Because You Are vs I Am…

Cultivating social trust at the intersection of race and sexuality

“Art and love are powerful mechanisms that impact change,’’ says Jen Sungshine, co-creative director and founder of Love Intersections. Sungshine, a queer Taiwanese interdisciplinary artist and activist, says Vancouver’s Love Intersections is a media arts collective dedicated to collaborative filmmaking and relational storytelling. “We are not single-issue people who lead single-issue lives,” says Sunghine. “As…

Difficult but necessary conversations

Devika Pandey believes that constant conversations about anti-racism are the key to a more equitable future for marginalized communities in Canada. She says the events of 2020, such as the murder of George Floyd and the inequities related to COVID-19, thrust the discourse about race firmly into the spotlight. A manager with the Canadian Centre…

Jane Jae Kyung Shin – A journey of chance encounters and pivotal moments

Jane Jae Kyung Shin, Vancouver Community College’s VP, Students and Community Development, was recently nominated for YWCA’s Women of Distinction Award in the Education, Training & Development category. Shin, who was also named one of Canada’s Top 25 Immigrants 2019, says that she is both surprised and humbled to be nominated for the award. Defining…

Climate change is already affecting the city

Angela Danyluk’s work and research has given her a clear picture of how environmental changes will impact residents of Vancouver, and the local effects of climate change cannot be avoided much longer. As a senior sustainability specialist in the City of Vancouver, Danyluk states the impact of climate change on Vancouverites will go beyond merely…

Gender inclusion in the workplace starts with they

In 2019, Merriam-Webster – America’s oldest dictionary – declared the word “they” its word of the year and added a new definition: used to refer to a single person whose gender identity is non-binary. Despite what some language skeptics might think, the use of “they” as a singular pronoun in English goes way back, even…

Urban resilience: the idea of a city for its people

“The pandemic has rendered useless many of the urban resilience plans that have been made over the past decade,” says Simon Fraser University (SFU) professor Meg Holden (PhD), director of the Urban Studies Program. “It presented us with the kind of emergency that our cities were unprepared for,” she adds. She will be co-panelist on…