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Issues & Experts Archive > STV, gangs, self-employment, careers - Issues, experts and ideas
STV, gangs, self-employment, careers - Issues, experts and ideas
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May 10, 2005
Issue: From election vote to confidence vote…Voters in B.C. have one more week to weigh the issues, assess the players, and make a decision about how they should elect future MLAs. Doug McArthur of SFU's public policy program can explain the Single Transferable Vote (STV) system and what it means to voters. Andrew Heard, a SFU political science associate professor who specializes in constitutional studies, political parties and elections, can also provide an assessment of the electoral system referendum. *In addition, he can look at confidence conventions and the vote of confidence being held in the federal House of Commons. He has written a timely paper on it, found at www.sfu.ca/~aheard/conventions.html and can elaborate on the process and its impact.
Issue: Dealing with Indo-Canadian gang violence…It may never get off the ground if the federal government is forced to call an election. But one criminologist says Ottawa's latest initiative to reduce Indo-Canadian gang violence is not too late. “It's important to recognize that this problem exists within only a small part of the Indo-Canadian community, and that race or ethnicity are not critical issues,” says Neil Boyd. The SFU criminologist is commenting on Ottawa's new 10-person task force to deal with the ongoing problem of Indo-Canadian gang violence on the Lower Mainland. “It is important and significant that the government has indicated a willingness to respond; the issue may be derailed by an election's outcome, but this should not detract from the importance of the support that is being offered.” Robert Gordon, director of SFU's school of criminology, can also comment.
Issue: Canadians choose to be their own bosses…Despite the risks of setting up a home business in an economic climate where interest rates are volatile and gas prices are soaring, Canadians are going into business for themselves at an unprecedented rate. David Hannah, an assistant professor of management and organization studies in SFU business, can comment on the trend that has resulted in the number of self-employed Canadians jumping by 56,000 or 2.3 per cent in the first quarter of 2005. “Since employees no longer expect security from their employers, self-employment does not seem as risky an option as it once did,” explains Hannah.
Idea: Going for gold -- in the workforce…Imagine training to job search the way you might train to compete at the Olympics. It's all about competition, say organizers of one of the province's largest career expos. More than 500 SFU business students and 50 exhibitors will converge on the Vancouver Convention and Exhibition Centre on Wednesday, May 18 to participate in career development workshops (9 a.m. - 1 p.m.) and networking. They'll hear former SFU wrestler and Olympian (1992) Greg Edgelow talk about effectively training for the work search process as if preparing for Olympic competition. Well-known speech coach and professional public speaker Margaret Hope will facilitate a session on career paths not typically thought of by business students. Exhibitors include a wide range of high profile companies, financial institutions, and even civic authorities. Media are welcome.
Idea: Citizenship and the common good....Citizenship in Canada is undergoing change, raising numerous questions related to secularism. A two-day conference on May 19 and 20 at the Harbour Centre campus of SFU Downtown will examine the role of active citizens, recent cases involving religious freedom in Canada, and the accommodation of religion in Canadian society. Participants include Paul Reed, senior society scientist with Statistics Canada; Iain Benson, executive director of the Centre for Cultural Renewal; John Russell, president of the B.C. Civil Liberties Association; Cristina Alarcon, of Pharmacists for LIFE; Joseph Ben-Ami, of B'nai Brith Canada; and Don Grayston a lecturer with SFU's institute for the humanities. Grayston says the conference will carry on the discussions from a session two years ago at McGill University on pluralism, religion and public policy. He can comment on what came from those talks and what to expect from the latest round of discussions. He can arrange interviews with the conference's featured speakers.
- Doug McArthur, 604.291.5208, doug_mcarthur@sfu.caAndrew Heard, 604.291.3043; andrew_heard@sfu.ca
Issue: Dealing with Indo-Canadian gang violence…It may never get off the ground if the federal government is forced to call an election. But one criminologist says Ottawa's latest initiative to reduce Indo-Canadian gang violence is not too late. “It's important to recognize that this problem exists within only a small part of the Indo-Canadian community, and that race or ethnicity are not critical issues,” says Neil Boyd. The SFU criminologist is commenting on Ottawa's new 10-person task force to deal with the ongoing problem of Indo-Canadian gang violence on the Lower Mainland. “It is important and significant that the government has indicated a willingness to respond; the issue may be derailed by an election's outcome, but this should not detract from the importance of the support that is being offered.” Robert Gordon, director of SFU's school of criminology, can also comment.
- Neil Boyd, 604.291.3324, 1.604.947.9569, neil_boyd@sfu.ca Robert Gordon, 604.291.4305
Issue: Canadians choose to be their own bosses…Despite the risks of setting up a home business in an economic climate where interest rates are volatile and gas prices are soaring, Canadians are going into business for themselves at an unprecedented rate. David Hannah, an assistant professor of management and organization studies in SFU business, can comment on the trend that has resulted in the number of self-employed Canadians jumping by 56,000 or 2.3 per cent in the first quarter of 2005. “Since employees no longer expect security from their employers, self-employment does not seem as risky an option as it once did,” explains Hannah.
- David Hannah, 604.291.5545, drhannah@sfu.ca
Idea: Going for gold -- in the workforce…Imagine training to job search the way you might train to compete at the Olympics. It's all about competition, say organizers of one of the province's largest career expos. More than 500 SFU business students and 50 exhibitors will converge on the Vancouver Convention and Exhibition Centre on Wednesday, May 18 to participate in career development workshops (9 a.m. - 1 p.m.) and networking. They'll hear former SFU wrestler and Olympian (1992) Greg Edgelow talk about effectively training for the work search process as if preparing for Olympic competition. Well-known speech coach and professional public speaker Margaret Hope will facilitate a session on career paths not typically thought of by business students. Exhibitors include a wide range of high profile companies, financial institutions, and even civic authorities. Media are welcome.
- Kirk Hill, SFU business career services, 604.291.5105
Idea: Citizenship and the common good....Citizenship in Canada is undergoing change, raising numerous questions related to secularism. A two-day conference on May 19 and 20 at the Harbour Centre campus of SFU Downtown will examine the role of active citizens, recent cases involving religious freedom in Canada, and the accommodation of religion in Canadian society. Participants include Paul Reed, senior society scientist with Statistics Canada; Iain Benson, executive director of the Centre for Cultural Renewal; John Russell, president of the B.C. Civil Liberties Association; Cristina Alarcon, of Pharmacists for LIFE; Joseph Ben-Ami, of B'nai Brith Canada; and Don Grayston a lecturer with SFU's institute for the humanities. Grayston says the conference will carry on the discussions from a session two years ago at McGill University on pluralism, religion and public policy. He can comment on what came from those talks and what to expect from the latest round of discussions. He can arrange interviews with the conference's featured speakers.
- Don Grayston, 604.291.3544; donald_grayston@sfu.ca