Rez Rules: My Indictment of Canada’s and America’s Systemic Racism Against Indigenous Peoples

Join us virtually on Wednesday, March 13 from 12–1:30 pm for a conversation with Chief Clarence Louie, Osoyoos Indian Band and author of REZ RULES: My Indictment of Canada’s and America’s Systemic Racism Against Indigenous Peoples. In this Indigenous Speakers Series session, explore strategies for achieving both individual and shared independence, and see why Indigenous and non-Indigenous Canadians need to work together in creating a better life for Indigenous peoples.

Beyond Representation: Celebrating Black Excellence in BC Healthcare

Join Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) and the REDI Office on Wednesday, February 28 from 12–1:30 pm to learn about and celebrate the important contributions made by Black professionals in BC healthcare. During this session, the panelists will speak to their experiences navigating the healthcare work environment and speak to the importance of recognizing and promoting Black excellence in healthcare.

The virtual panel event will feature Aisha Sallad, UBC Midwifery Student Manager; Barbara Sutherland, Director of VCH Coastal and Acute Services; Dr. Oluseyi Malomo, Staff Psychiatrist at Fraser Health and Clinical Instructor; and Dr. Taru Manyanga, Assistant Professor in the Division of Medical Sciences at UNBC. The panel will be moderated by Madison Tardif, REDI Equity Advisor and Oluwaseun Ajaja, VCH Regional Manager for Anti-Racism.

Gender-Affirming Care in Action: Stories and Insights from the Frontline

Join us virtually on Wednesday, April 3 from 12–1:30 pm for a conversation with a diverse panel of healthcare professionals and individuals with transgender lived experiences. Through their stories and expertise, gain insights into the healthcare needs of transgender and gender-diverse individuals and expand your understanding of how to deliver compassionate and high-quality care to all your patients.

EDI Joint Interest Group: De-escalating Intergroup Conflicts

Are you a faculty or staff member leading equity, inclusion, decolonization, and Indigenization initiatives within your unit? Join one of our monthly EDI Joint Interest Group sessions, or sign up for the mailing list.

Our next monthly session on Monday, March 11 will feature Arun Mohan, Director of Human Rights at the UBC Equity & Inclusion Office. Arun will answer questions about what EDI leads and unit heads can do to de-escalate intergroup conflict and provide support when there are global events and tragedies that affect the learning and work environments.

Disability in the Workplace! An Interactive Workshop with Dr. Jon Breen

Deepen your understanding of disability awareness and inclusion in the workplace by joining this online workshop developed specifically for Faculty of Medicine faculty and staff.

Led by postdoctoral fellow Dr. Jon Breen, each session includes interactive discussions with participants, interviews with researchers and people with disabilities, and an opportunity to identify and analyze the many disability-related realities of the workplace.

Don’t miss this opportunity to enhance your awareness, understanding and commitment to disability inclusion in the workplace. Register for the last workshop on Wednesday, March 6.

Stories & resources

Support Learners and Colleagues during the Holy Month of Ramadan

This year, Ramadan starts on Sunday, March 10 or Monday, March 11, depending on the moon sighting. Many Muslim learners, faculty and staff will be observing Ramadan, which entails a month of fasting, prayer, self-reflection, spiritual cleansing, community building and self-improvement. Learn more about Ramadan and how to support your fellow learners and colleagues.

Black Lives Matter: REDI’s Black Authors Book List

Celebrate the voices and stories of Black authors by exploring our curated book list. These works offer profound insights into the Black experience and its impact on history, culture and society. Deepen your understanding of racial injustice and resilience, and join us in honoring the legacy of Black writers and their contributions to literature and beyond.

REDI Word of the Month: Polarization

According to the Courageous Dialogues: Moving Beyond Polarization project:

“Polarization is a complex social dynamic that occurs when an issue that involves many different people, concerns and opinions is reduced to two opposing sides — ‘for or against’ or ‘us vs them.’ It goes well beyond ordinary disagreement. In fact, it can lead us to avoid debate or consideration of others’ ideas completely. When we believe that we alone hold the truth, we may see differences of opinion, values and beliefs as threatening and intolerable. These dynamics disrupt effective patterns of home and workplace communication. Instead of working with difference and making conflict constructive, we allow polarization to create painful divisions that are hard to overcome.”

Read more & find strategies for overcoming polarization in the workplace. Administrative and professional staff (AAPS) can also register to attend a professional development session on February 23 or March 1.

Recordings

The Circle Game: Shadows and Substance in the Indian Residential School Experience in Canada

Watch a recording of our conversation with Dr. Roland D. Chrisjohn – Kanakalut, Onyota’a:ka of the Haudenausuanee. Dr. Chrisjohn is the author of The Circle Game: Shadows and Substance in the Indian Residential School Experience in Canada and Dying to Please You: Indigenous Suicide in Contemporary Canada.

In this Indigenous Speakers Series session, we explored preconceived sensibilities about Indigenous peoples, and how we begin to heal the very systems in which the work of truth and reconciliation is being done.