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‘Indigenizing the academy through relationships’ was this year’s theme at the 13th annual Indigenous Graduate Student Symposium (IGSS). Held as a public event on March 7th at SFU Harbour Centre, the day featured cultural activities and scholarly presentations. Guests gathered to explore concepts and questions, and to deliberate ways in which the academy could be…
The role of the mainstream and ethnic media will be up for discussion at the 17th annual Metropolis Conference in Vancouver from March 26–28. Organizers anticipate over 700 participants will attend the conference at the Sheraton Wall, which will also cover topics like immigration and integration policies and practices. “This conference is the place to…
Dolphins are precious and intelligent creatures. They put a smile on our faces with their happy sounds and graceful movements. Yet in places where dolphins are not a protected species or where the enforcement of protective laws is lacking, the reality is very different. Stefan Austermuhle is a German biologist who had been involved with…
On March 27, the University of British Columbia (UBC) Morris and Helen Belkin Art Gallery will host a symposium on “Spatial Politics and the City,” addressing the issues of housing and public space in Vancouver. In two panels, speakers from disparate disciplines will shed light on the politics and history of public space in Vancouver.…
A society with an educated population will find the tools and agency in itself to flourish. That’s the belief that motivates the Canadian Women for Women in Afghanistan (CW4WAfghan), a non-profit organization, to work towards the attainment of universal education in Afghanistan. For the past 15 years, Canadians in the organization have dedicated themselves to…
Friends of Simon, an award-winning Simon Fraser University (SFU) faculty of education initiative, is committed to building a brighter future for school-aged children and teenaged youth through literacy tutoring and mentoring in local communities. In 2011, the initiative received a Celebration of Community Award by the United Way of the Lower Mainland – a recognition…
Equipped with snowboards and guitars, a trio of young environmentalists went on an eight-month trip last year to northern British Columbia on a school bus that ran on vegetable oil. One day, they snowboarded their way down the majestic mountains, and the following day they sat around with local First Nations people and school kids,…
Instead of the usual formal sit-down event, Room to Read, a global non-profit organization focused on literacy, wants to start a discussion for change. To commemorate its 15th anniversary, the Vancouver chapter plans to host a series of events instead of one big one. Room to Read is aiming to reach its 10 millionth child…
Violence is a topic that surrounds our world, attacking the most vulnerable people. Shakti Society, a nonprofit organization dedicated to opening discussion about issues that affect women, children and families, believes that education is one way to prevent violence. Community cafes, where people of all walks of life cooperate and learn about a variety of…
The process of immigration begins long before newcomers first set foot in a new country. MOSAIC, a Vancouver organization dedicated to supporting immigrants and refugees, has a new online pre-arrival service to help foreign-trained women engineers immigrate to Canada. Funded by Westcoast Women in Engineering Science and Technology, the program will launch this March for…
On May 12, 2008, students at China’s University of Chengdu were struck by an 8.0-magnitude earthquake that hit Wenchuan County in Sichuan Province. The aftershocks of the earthquake impaired the ability of the university’s administrators to carry out necessary crisis management duties in order to protect students. In the absence of this top-down guidance, the…
Black History Month celebrates the contributions of black Canadians to Canadian life, including in many different forms of art. As part of this celebration, the Vancouver Public Library (VPL) has organized a series of screenings, lectures and exhibits, including the Reading Black History Symposium. Participating artists will present some of their own work, as well…
Tet Nguyen Dan (Tet), the Vietnamese Lunar New Year celebration, is a highly anticipated multiple day event that includes traditional Vietnamese foods, dance, and song, and celebrations galore. This year, the Vietnamese community is trying to involve more Vietnamese youth in the festivities. The celebrations come with a variety of events happening across the Lower…
