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Edna Batengas-Chow
OFFICER, EVENTS, COMMUNICATIONS, MARKETING
Areas of Focus: Events, Communications, Engagement Strategy
Pronouns: she/her
Email: ebatenga@sfu.ca
Edna Batengas (she/her) is a storyteller, creative strategist, and humanitarian communicator of Tanzanian and Ugandan heritage, now based in Vancouver, Canada. A global citizen at heart, she has led communications and community initiatives across East Africa, Canada, the United States, Australia, and New Zealand, using creativity and dialogue to bridge cultures and drive social impact.
Before joining SFU’s Centre for Dialogue, Edna worked in education, healthcare, and marketing, leading campaigns that amplified underrepresented voices and strengthened community engagement. She holds a double degree in Communication and Digital Publishing from Simon Fraser University and brings nearly a decade of experience spanning public, private, and nonprofit sectors.
At the Centre, Edna supports events, communications, and marketing initiatives that bring the story of dialogue to life and highlight how conversation, collaboration, and creativity can spark meaningful change. Outside of work, she mentors emerging creatives and supports initiatives that empower women, youth, and BIPOC professionals to share their stories and step into leadership.
WHAT IS YOUR ROLE AT THE CENTRE FOR DIALOGUE?
I help tell the story of dialogue through events, storytelling, and creative communications that bring people together. My work focuses on shaping how our community experiences dialogue — whether through an event, a campaign, or a story that highlights real impact. With a background in humanitarian work, education, and marketing across East Africa and North America, I see communication as a form of care. At the Centre, I help amplify how dialogue shows up in community and how it can create lasting change.
WHAT DOES DIALOGUE MEAN TO YOU?
Dialogue, to me, is an act of generosity. It means slowing down, listening, and creating space for others to be heard. Growing up between Tanzania and Uganda taught me that conversation and storytelling are how we connect, learn, and make meaning. Dialogue reminds me that even in disagreement, there is room for empathy and understanding. It’s not always easy, but it’s always transformative when done with openness and care.
WHAT IS A COMMON ASSUMPTION YOU'D LIKE TO DEMYSTIFY?
A common assumption I’d like to challenge is how quickly we form opinions about people, what they do, where they’re from or how they communicate. So much of our understanding gets filtered through assumptions before we even listen. To me, communications and dialogue are about unlearning that. They are about slowing down, asking better questions and making space to see people beyond titles, accents or origins. Dialogue is not about being right, it is about being real, curious and human.