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What’s New for April 2016
Recap: 2016 IDERD Campaign
The Anti-Racism and Cultural Diversity Office (ARCDO) in partnership with First Nations House and Rotman’s School of Management held the 5th annual University of Toronto International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (IDERD) Ceremony. This year’s theme History, Legacy and Reconciliation: Indigenous Education and the Role of the U of T spoke to the Canadian Truth and Reconciliation Report’s Calls to Action. This year’s IDERD Ceremony, on March 21, 2016, was an opportunity to recognize individuals and programs engaged in anti-racism work at U of T. Vice-President and Provost Cheryl Regehr’s opening remarks spoke to the need for courage when addressing equity issues at the University and commended the award recipients for their important work.
The Ceremony closed with a powerful panel made up of Lee Maracle — Author and Instructor in Aboriginal Studies U of T, Eve Tuck — Associate Professor at OISE/U of T, Megan Bertasson — PhD Candidate at OISE/U of T, and Faye Mishna — Dean of the Factor-Inwetash Faculty of Social U of T. The panel was moderated by Jonathan Hamilton-Diabo — Director of First Nations House. The presenters thoughtfully made links between the residential school system and the ongoing challenges Indigenous people face and the role of indigenous education to address these challenges.
The 2016 IDERD Awards and panel discussion provided both the opportunity for celebration and contemplation as we consider the ongoing challenge of anti-racism work. The ARCDO would like to congratulate all of the award recipients for their exceptional work!
Photo: left to right – Navita Singh, Meena Bhardwaj, Anjum Sultana
IDERD Scarborough
University of Toronto Scarborough hosted a session called “Talking about Race on Campus Today” for IDERD 2016. Over 150 staff, faculty and students participated. Dr. Thembela Kepe, Department of Human Geography UTSC, delivered the keynote for the lunch and shared his experiences living in apartheid South Africa and his work as a political activist. It was a raw and detailed account about survival and resilience. The audience was moved by what he shared, which resulted in a powerful and open dialogue with and between attendees.
The lunch was followed by three incredible performances from diasporic and Indigenous artists. Through the support of the Principal’s Office, the Cultural Liaison and Dean’s Office, and the Equity and Diversity Office the Scarborough campus held a weeklong series of events including theatre, dance and music performances, and a powerful final performance centred on the Black Lives Matter movement.
Affinity group for racialized U of T staff and their supporters
In her opening remarks at the 2016 IDERD Ceremony, Vice-President and Provost Cheryl Regehr, announced the launch of Connections and Conversation: an affinity group for racialized U of T staff and their supporters. This new tri-campus initiative is staff-driven and it offers discussions, support and network for racialized staff to flourish at U of T. The group’s steering committee has been focused on creating an open and empowering environment for racialized staff to celebrate their accomplishments and contribute their unique ideas and talents to the University through networking, mentoring and other activities.
Read more about the affinity group.
More Events
(If you wish to request that your event be included in our monthly newsletter, please submit requests to antiracism@utoronto.ca at least one week prior to the beginning of the new month.)
March 18 – April 9, 7 Hart House Circle: The 2016 University of Toronto MVS Studio Program Graduating Exhibition. The Art Museum at the University of Toronto is pleased to exhibit the graduating projects of the 2016 Master of Visual Studies graduate students: Gillian Dykeman, Elisa Julia Gilmour, Daniel Joyce, and Fraser McCallum.
April 6, 7 pm – 9 pm, 93 Charles Street West, Isabel Bader Theatre: Sport, Sex and Identity Symposium. How can sport act as a platform to promote human rights and break down barriers? How can it reflect and define our cultural identity and shape gender roles? Join us for a free public symposium, where leading experts from the Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education will discuss the importance of equity, diversity and inclusion in sport and physical activity. This event is generously sponsored by U of T Affinity Partners MBNA and TD Insurance.
April 6, 2 pm – 4 pm, 6 Hoskin Avenue, Trinity College Combination Room: Institute for the Advanced Study of Religion – Social Preservative on Global South and Homosexuality conflict in Anglican Communion. Speaker – Christopher C. Brittain, at Aberdeen holds the Chair in Social and Political Theology. He is a graduate of Trinity and the Toronto School of Theology, taught at the Atlantic School of Theology, and is an ordained minister in the Anglican Church. His publications include: Plague on Both Their Houses: Liberals VS Conservatives and the Divorce of the Episcopal Church USA (T&T Clark, 2015); “Homosexuality and the Construction of ‘Anglican Orthodoxy’: The Symbolic Politics of the Anglican Communion,” Sociology of Religion 72.3 (2011); Religion at Ground Zero (Continuum, 2011); Adorno and Theology (T&T Clark 2010).
April 7 – 9, 9 am – 7:30 pm, 100 St Joseph Street, Father Madden Hall: Italy and China, Europe and East Asia: Centuries of Dialogue. This is the first conference focused on Italian-Chinese cultural crossings in North America. Over 50 academics will present their papers. In addition, three public events are scheduled in the evening (a public lecture, a film screening and Q/A with the filmmaker, and a music recital). See italychinaconference.wordpress.com for detail.
April 13, 12 pm – 2 pm, 214 College St., Career Centre: Applying for Work (Masters, PhDs & Post-Docs)? Students will learn about applications outside of academia, including how to structure an effective cover letter and translate their CVs to resumes that effectively communicate the relevance of their graduate experiences.
April 14, 2:30 pm – 4:30 pm, 33 St George Street, Centre for International Experience Room 102: Post-Graduation Work Permit Information Session. Are you going to finish your degree requirements soon? Would you like to stay in Canada after your graduation to work? You may be eligible for an open work Permit (Post-Graduation Work Permit) valid for up to 3 years. The Immigration Advisor at the Centre for International Experience will be giving sessions about the Post-Graduation Work Permit.
April 20, 1 pm – 4 pm, 41 Willcosks Steet, Faculty Club: School of the Environment Research Day. Join us as we celebrate Earth Day and hear about some of the research conducted by faculty and graduate students of the School of the Environment. The program will include four research talks, followed by a presentation of graduate students’ awards and refreshments. Topics include assessing emerging energy technologies, interdisciplinary studies of energy and the environment, deforestation in Latin America, and climate change and rising sea levels. Register for free here or email m.elhaddad@utoronto.ca.
Disclaimer: This newsletter may contain links to non– Anti–Racism & Cultural Diversity Office (ARCDO) websites. These links are provided solely as convenience to you. The ARCDO is not responsible for the content of any non–ARCDO websites and does not endorse the information contained therein.