Reconciliation Forum generates thoughtful recommendations

A one-day reconciliation policy forum at SFU’s Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue in spring 2018 was a living example of SFU’s deep commitment to reconciliation and decolonization.

The forum, “Reconciliation in B.C.: When are we going to get to the hard stuff!?” attracted 132 participants. They included Chief Robert Joseph, founder of Reconciliation Canada, 50 Indigenous people from across Canada, B.C. Premier John Horgan, then federal Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould, B.C. Attorney General David Eby, and B.C. Advanced Education Minister Melanie Mark.

Sectors represented included academia, labour, industry, health, finance, arts, social enterprise, law, NGOs and non-profits.  

The forum facilitated a thoughtful dialogue to identify the policy shifts required to increase the pace, range and scope of initiatives for supporting reconciliation in B.C. and across the country.

Federal and provincial ministers discussed their priorities for reconciliation while Indigenous participants explained what reconciliation should look like from their perspective. There were also breakout sessions featuring passionate, engaging discussions that revealed the social, political and economic perspectives of all groups.

“To witness Indigenous Peoples and settlers coming together to work through complex policy issues was truly inspiring,” says Janet Webber, executive director, SFU Public Square, which co-hosted the event with SFU’s School of Public Policy. 

“From Indigenous leaders to senior government officials and academics, each and every participant played an important role and contributed to the recommendations.”

Download a PDF of the forum’s key learning points and recommendations.