Working working working on the Sir Ken video, although note that there will be some stipulations.
Also generally pleased that we can rest from what looks like a successful TEDx Terry talks event. If you want to see for yourself, check out here for the summary, here for pictures, and here for a review of the day.
The Equity And Diversity Strategic Plan Working Group says:
The Draft Equity and Diversity Strategic Plan can now be viewed here. The plan, which is being developed by the Equity and Diversity Working Group, has been informed by broad consultation on both campuses and outlines how the University plans to move forward on its goals to foster an environment to which all faculty, students and staff can contribute and in which all can thrive. The draft Plan incorporates many of the positive suggestions the Working Group received during consultation, and we want to thank everyone for their invaluable feedback to the process.
Carl is currently in Vancouver, and he was gracious enough to come out for drinks with us last night. This was after a great talk he gave on the how scientists have been following the evolutionary tracks of the H1N1 flu, so that folks can get a sense of (1) what it is, (2) how it’s been moving, and (3) where exactly it may have come from in the first place.
The talk was apparently filmed, so I’ll try and remember to pass on the link when it’s up, but I thought it was worth reshowing a great little video he highlighted.
As well, I double checked my notes and noticed that I had scribbled the phrase, “Darwin loved the beetles.”
Of course, Carl was referring to the insects and the whole biology angle, but now I have in my head an image of Charles Darwin hanging out with Ringo (why Ringo and not Paul or John or George, I don’t know – maybe that is a question worth debating overall).
Who would Darwin most likely hang out with if presented with the four Beatles?
This sounds like an evening filled with much awesomeness. So excited to hear him speak!
The Dr. Richard B. Splane Lecture presents Miloon Kothari, former UN Special Rapporteur on Adequate Housing, Commission on Human Rights, in a public lecture on the right to adequate housing.
When: Thursday 26 Nov 2009, 5:30 pm
Where: Liu Institute, Multipurpose Room
Bio: Miloon Kothari is a prominent international voice on human rights, especially economic, social and cultural rights. Mr. Kothari is an outspoken critic of the countries and institutions that see the neo-liberal and military/security policies as a means to achieving democracy and human rights. Formerly UN Human Rights Council Special Rapporteur on adequate housing (2000-2008), he is also the convener of the Habitat International Coalition’s Housing and Land Rights Network and a founding member of the International NGO Committee on Human Rights in Trade and Investment (INCHRITI). He has also been actively involved in works related to the human rights dimension on poverty, water and sanitation. In his work as Rapporteur he has also focused on strategies to ensure respect for human rights in post-conflict and post-disaster situations. Mr. Kothari is the author of the 2007 UN Human Rights Council Report on Adequate Housing in Canada
This event is sponsored by the UBC School of Social Work, UBC Liu Institute for Global Issues, UBC Habitat Exchange, United Nations Assoication of Canada (Vancouver Branch), and World Federalist Movement of Canada (Vancouver Branch).
This poster caught my eye as I was grabbing coffee at Sprouts today…
Author Andrew Nikiforuk and renowned photographer Ian McAllister team up to discuss the effects of a proposed Enbridge pipeline that would carry oil from Alberta’s Tar Sands to the BC coast. Their photographs and stories highlight the social and environmental costs of Tar Sands development and provide a clear call to action to protect BC’s wild coast. Discussion will follow presentation.
This is a free event hosted at the Norm Theatre at 12:30pm on 26-November. You find out more information on the Forest Ethics website, http://forestethics.org/, the non-profit organization hosting the event.
Talk number three from TEDx Terry talks. Love the part about “butter chicken.”
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Name: Azim Wazeer
Talk Title:“On the Perspectives of Global Nomads”
Notes: 4th year, Sauder School of Business.
Topic: The last five years of Azim’s life have seen him undertake undergraduate coursework in both Saudi Arabia and Canada, two vastly different spaces. What makes this story more complex is that he was also born in Sri Lankan and has been a citizen of that emerald island ever since. Having never lived (and only vacationed) in Sri Lanka, he has always been an international student in some form and he has been one in locations that are polar opposites.
It is this international student experience that Azim wishes to share with an audience. His hope is that the talk will be wrapped up by an illustration that the major differences in his experiences were by and large superficial. Global citizenship to Azim is about an understanding that we may seem bizarre to one another in our practices (and thats completely fine) but beyond that our core motivators, needs and wants are pretty much the same. Global citizenship is about a belief that we can succeed as collective group despite our varying patriotic and cultural beliefs. In fact, Azim believed that they should be celebrated as we search for our path to success.
There is nothing like the sound of hail slamming against your window and jolting you awake, to make you realise that we’ve reached rainy season here in Vancouver. (Though my umbrella is permanently in my purse and my boots are perpetually drying, I’ve been a bit in denial so far).
But I can’t ignore the weather any longer. For me, pouring rain and wind equals warm knitted sweaters, soup recipes that warm you up from head to toe and deep within, and Taboo and Risk for cold nights. And it means baking crumbly apple crisp, drinking cardamom chai in mugs the colour of the summer sky, and writing letters to far off friends on bright sunshiny paper.
And of course, it means a fresh reading list for those evenings when a warm blanket and tea is much more appealing than venturing outside.
And that’s where you come in Terry readers. Currently on my bedside table is Zeitoun by Dave Eggers. It’s fantastic so far, but I’m curious.. What have you read recently/hope to read soon? This is always one of my favourite/most referred to threads, so please do leave a suggestion in the comments below! Also, what does rainy weather make you think of?
O.K. So I use to be one those folks who took music very seriously, and even though I’m an old fart now, I still like to hear about interesting music that’s out there.
Suggest something in the comments! Maybe even let me know what that song is good for (for studying, being mellow, being forlorn-like, for parties, over dinner, etc).
Here’s my suggestion. I stumbled across “Camillo the Magician” by local band Said the Whale a few months ago. Maybe one of the catchiest tunes I’ve heard in a while.
When your involvement is very visible and public, it is easy to consider the work that you do to be momentous. Important. To think of yourself as a leader of sorts. Which doesn’t mean that one shouldn’t and one’s work doesn’t matter. But earlier this week I was sharply reminded that leadership, goal-setting, balance, courage and optimism can be found everywhere, and leading yourself first and foremost is what leads to larger change. I thought I’d share the memory to keep it vivid, and have it hopefully serve as a reminder (to myself firstly) that social change takes many forms, some more visible than others.
Talk number two from TEDxTt 2009. A great speech given by Alex Cannon on the role of gender in his life and ours.
Name: Alexander Cannon
Talk Title: “Gender Quest”
Notes: Faculty of Arts, Music, DMA in Trumpet Performance, 4th year.
Topic: Alex discusses the influence of gender in his own life in this TEDx talk, describing both medical and social perspectives of gender in our daily lives and the impact and consequences these perspectives bring to every individual.
It seems like science-inspired music is a common theme around here. Discover Magazine recently announced the winners of their “Evolution in Two Minutes” video contest. Top-pick went to this rock-anthem by Fresno, California high-school teacher Scott Hatfield.
The rest of the top-5 are here, along with a message from the contest’s judge, internet science-blog polemic PZ Myers.
Terry readers, I have a burning question. Actually that should be plural, because I have questions, and they relate to the TED talk below. (And really, please do be nice and participate. That’s one of the things that makes Terry* fun).
Back to the talk. In it, Chimamanda Adichie talks about the danger of a single story. She describes growing up in Nigeria, being surrounded by British and American literature and how as a result, her own stories featured characters talking about the weather and drinking ginger beer. (Side note: by a show of quick comments below, how many people have had this experience? For me, I read a ton of Enid Blyton/British boarding school novels in Malawi, and I completely identified with her descriptions. And like the little boy Jahangir in Rohinton Mistry’s novel Family Matters, I can almost taste roast beef, scones and cold milk when I think about Blyton’s descriptions of picnics) For Adichie, until she discovered other Nigerian writers, it didn’t occur to her that literature could feature people similar to herself, from her country, having experiences she had experienced, and foods she had actually tasted.
She goes on to say that when we show people as one thing over and over again, that is what they become. And it’s critical to understand that stories are dependent on power. Power not just to tell the story of another, but to make it the definitive story. And this matters because stories do. They have the power to rob people of dignity, but they have the power to repair dignity as well.
Really, it’s an amazing talk that’s well worth the 18 minute investment. After listening and watching though, I want to ask: what are things that you do in your daily life/experiences to protect yourself from thinking in single stories? Are there ’strategies’ (for lack of a better word) that you’ve found particularly useful in discovering the multiplicity that exists everywhere? What are challenges you face in learning about stories different from your own? Thinking back to power, how do you work through trying to be sensitive and respectful (less an issue when you’re reading a book perhaps, but more so when you’re talking to someone and trying to learn more), and knowing that one person’s experiences cannot account for a whole community, culture, city, country etc?
I realise that’s a lot of questions. But these are all questions I struggle with myself, so would love to talk and discuss all this a bit more..
People who understand and appreciate science sometimes find it difficult to communicate that sense of understanding and appreciation in a way that is accessible and interesting to others. Sometimes it’s hard not to get downright depressed about the current state of science knowledge and education (when, for example, Lawrence Krauss mentions that “half of Americans polled in a [2002] survey by the National Science Foundation did not know that Earth orbits the Sun, and that it takes a year to do so”) .
“No doubt many of you have seen Mike Gretes’ fantastic talk at TEDxTerry Talks 08. If you haven’t yet, there’s a treat in store for you! Check it out:
While I don’t have an adorable goatee like Mike does, I share his enthusiasm for increasing worldwide access to essential medicines. I also happen to be leading a student-directed seminar in the spring on this very topic.
Why are new ARVs (antiretrovirals; drugs for treating HIV) prohibitively expensive? What typically happens to drugs after they are discovered at university labs? What is UBC doing to change this model? Can pharmaceutical/biotech companies profit while not excluding people in need from accessing their inventions? (the answer is yes– and we have a case study to illustrate this!)
These, and many other questions, will be debated passionately in this seminar course. I invite you to check it out here. There are still spots left, but they’re filling up fast, so let me know asap if you’re interested!
One of the cool things I discovered this past Saturday at Media Democracy Day is Megaphone, a Vancouver street paper sold by low-income and homeless vendors that also provides them with a voice.
Street papers are a growing movement. Sean Condon, Editor-in Chief of Megaphone, explained that there are over 100 street papers worldwide. The first was created in New York in 1989 when someone came up with the idea of printing a paper to be sold by homeless people as a means of employment. It worked and now there are a number of street papers all over the world in both developed and developing countries that not only provide employment to low-income and homeless individuals, but also frequently provide them with a voice.
Ironically, street papers are also one form of media that is experiencing growth. According to the International Network of Street Papers, the number of street papers that are members of its network have doubled since 2004.
There are several different types of panhandlers in Vancouver. There’s the type of panhandler found sitting with a tin or hat and a sign saying “Homeless—need money, food or shelter”. Other panhandlers are senior citizens, people in low-paying jobs, people recently unemployed due to the recession or those on disability pension. Most are not aggressive and …
Issues contain a variety of articles ranging from a piece by David Suzuki to a profile of artist Jorge Campos, who paints brightly coloured portraits of the Downtown Eastside.
At Media Democracy Day, Monte Paulson, who frequently writes for the Tyee about homelessness, pointed out that there is a two-class media structure: online and not online. Many on the Downtown Eastside don’t have regular internet access, so they can’t even read what publications like the Tyee publish about them. Megaphone , on the other hand, contains reporting about the Downtown Eastside thats accessible to the people that live there.
We utilize it for washing and waste disposal, employ it for transportation, power generation and irrigation, use it for cooking and after all need it to live – water. Although it is essential for all life on our planet, we often forget that freshwater resources are limited and in short supply in many regions of the world. The world population, currently estimated at 6.8 billion, lives on only 1% of the of the earth’s water with the remainder being either salt water or tied up in snow and ice. Population growth puts stress on our planet’s freshwater resources, as more and more people vie for less and less water [1,2].
This inevitably raises the question if water is a “human right”: Should everyone have access to clean water? But how should water supply and consumption be regulated to guarantee both universal access to and sustainable use of this precious resource? Arguably, less water would be wasted if it were priced at market value. Would this scarce resource be better managed if water were treated as a commodity, and traded and priced accordingly?
Canada has been blessed with large freshwater resources and is often termed one of the “water-richest” countries in the world. So, why can’t we just lean back and enjoy nature’s plentiful supply? With increasing water shortage in other regions of the world, water-rich countries are brought into play as possible sources and suppliers of the Blue Gold. This raises the question if we should share our abundant supply with those who are desperately in need of water. It is not so much a question of engineering pipelines but – first and foremost – of putting adequate and sustainable governance and management systems in place to regulate water supply with all environmental foresight necessary.
What makes water so special?
We tend to think of water as something consumed, but water does not actually “get used up” – and understanding the issue of water shortage requires some counterintuitive thinking. The amount of water on our planet does not change – only its distribution. In a continuous cycle, the same water molecules evaporate from the oceans and the land surface into the atmosphere, drop onto the land as precipitation and transfer back to the sea (hydrologic cycle). Groundwater occurs in the tiny spaces between soil particles (silt, sand, and gravel) or in cracks in bedrock. In many cases, groundwater is interconnected with lakes and rivers and often resurfaces as springs. The underground areas of soil or rock where substantial quantities of water are found are called “aquifers” and provide most of the water supply in regions where the surface water is scarce or polluted. Aquifers are important sources of irrigation water and are used extensively for municipal, domestic, and industrial water supplies. Read the rest of this entry »
On Saturday November 21st, A brand new (really exciting) one-day conference is making its debut.
The Social Entrepreneurship Experience (SEE) is a unique event where students can come learn how to effect change in the local community. Leaders who have successfully started for-profit businesses that target social issues will be coming to share their insights, stories, and advice and lessons learned. Among our speakers are the founders of Potluck Cafe, Octopus Strategies, and lots more!
The speakers series will be followed by an industry panel where you get a chance to grill local leaders on the challenges and opportunities for social enterprises in Vancouver (or on anything, really.)
Lastly, and perhaps most exciting the conference ends with a Social Innovation Challenge. Attendees will be split into groups of 6-10 that share common interests or are passionate about th will then be challenged to use innovation to address an existing issue such that the solution can sustain itself. A business delegate with expertise in the field will be guiding each group through the challenge and pulling in their own experiences to make the outcome as amazing as possible.
If you’re interested, short applications will be open to everyone till November 10th and can be found at: tiny.cc/seeapplication
(These are meant to find out what you’re interested in, not to stop you from going!)
Hey all! I’ve been asked to pass on a message from Trisha, the president of MSF UBC about MSF’s Canada-wide campaign to collect donations in the form of Aeroplan miles. (Important note: donate tomorrow and Aeroplan will match your contribution!!) Here is Trisha’s message:
Donate your Aeroplan Miles to Médécins Sans Frontières (MSF)/ Doctors Without Borders. Double your impact on November 5th as Aeroplan will match every mile donated on that day, in essence doubling your donation!
Between November 5th (double impact day) and December 4th, you can donate your Aeroplan miles to Médécins Sans Frontières (MSF) in Canada. Booking flights on Miles saves MSF thousands of dollars, money that they use to deliver life-saving medical humanitarian assistance to the people who need it most.
By donating your Aeroplan Miles, you’re supporting MSF’s medical humanitarian aid work and helping us reduce the amount we need to spend on air travel. Last year, Miles were used to fly staff and volunteers to our international offices and projects to participate in strategic initiatives, including an important press conference in Republic of Congo aimed at raising awareness about the health needs of people in the region. Donated Miles were also used to travel across Canada to raise awareness and recruit committed professionals to help at the frontlines of medical emergencies around the world.
Carl is giving a free talk courtesy of the Beaty Biodiversity Museum (along with a number of partners including Terry), on November 18th, at 7pm. The lecture will be held in Rm 2 of the Woodward building (that’s the big BIG lecture hall), and is entitled, “The Origin of Species – 1859 Meets 2009″ (Free, but registration is required)
This should be a good talk for you evolution buffs, as Carl is one of the best science writers/communicators around these day. In fact, his latest book is an evolution textbook squarely aimed at the layman audience.
This fall, coinciding with the 150th anniverary of the publication of the Origin of Species, Zimmer will be publishing his next book, The Tangled Bank: An Introduction to Evolution. Richly illustrated with paintings and photographs, it is the first textbook about evolution intended for non-majors. E.O. Wilson of Harvard praises the book: “The Tangled Bank is the best written and best illustrated introduction to evolution of the Darwin centennial decade, and also the most conversant with ongoing research. It is excellent for students, the general public, and even other biologists.”
He also blogs extensively over at Discover Magazine, where his blog has particular notoriety for collecting pictures of science themed tatoos. Above, for example, is one of serotonin from Chrissy.
O.K. so maybe the title is a bit on the heavy side, but I’ve always noticed a few interesting things regarding my coffee cup, more so now with climate change being on everyone’s mindset these days.
My coffee cup
It’s like this – I’ve always found owning a coffee cup, a great way to meet new people, or strike up conversations from people you don’t know. It’s almost like it s an emblem of your character. As if the type of cup you use can offer insight into the sort of personality you are.
Or maybe not…
For example, look at mine above. Pretty much half the time I’m in a coffee line up, a stranger (male and female) will comment about my coffee cup. Usually, a “that’s a cool cup” type of comment, or “that’s cute cup.” Which is kind of strange to me, because I don’t find it necessarily “cool” or “cute.” I mean, is the cup that unique? Or is coffee cup commentary a common occurence?
I’ve also noticed that this trend of openness from strangers is even more prominent these days, and that this is presumably because my being environmentally friendly is part of that character assessment.
So, let’s see… Yes, I’m am environmentally conscious, so that works. I’ve even had this mug for over 5 years now, so I’m well in the clear for the number of uses needed for a stainless steel mug (which happens to be quite energy intensive in its production) to be more environmentally sound than the disposable cup scenario (I recall some academic telling me a goal of about 400 uses is required).
I’m a big science geek, so maybe the steel look is reflective of that. And I’m also someone who appreciates clean aesthetics, so that also works from a design perspective. I was once voted “coolest geek” from my colleagues, so even if I don’t fit the “cute” label, maybe the “cool” label works in some contexts.
Anyway, all of this makes me curious about a couple of things. And hopefully, this will allow us to start a UBC centric meme generally . That is:
1. Can you show us your coffee cup in your own blog? Or tell us about it here in the comments.
2. Can you say a few things about it? Do you think it reflects on your personality?
3. Do you have any interesting anecdotes resulting from coffee cup commentary?
