- About
- People
- What We Do
- Consulting Services
- Services
- Our Projects
- Burnaby Community Assembly
- Centering Equity and Inclusion in an Engagement Framework
- Framework for Diabetes in Canada
- COVID-19 and Public Health: The Faith and Spiritual Leaders Dialogue Series
- Burnaby Business Recovery Task Force
- CleanBC Job Readiness Workshops
- Your Voice. Your Home.
- Perspectives on Reconciliation
- Establishing a Chinese-Canadian Museum
- Citizen Dialogues on Canada’s Energy Future
- Clients and Partners
- Get in Touch
- Knowledge & Practice
- Beyond Inclusion
- Dialogue & Engagement Resources
- Dialogue Dispatch Newsletter
- International Climate Engagement Network (ICEN)
- Strengthening Canadian Democracy
- Talk Dialogue to Me Podcast
- Initiatives
- Signature Events
- Jack P. Blaney Award for Dialogue
- Award Recipients
- 2024/25: Bringing Justice Home with Judge Abby Abinanti
- 2021/22: Reimagining Social Justice and Racial Equity with adrienne maree brown
- 2019/20: Climate Change and Human Rights with Sheila Watt-Cloutier
- 2017/18: Peace, Pluralism and Gender Equality with Alice Wairimu Nderitu
- 2015/16: Climate Solutions with Tim Flannery
- 2013/14: Reconciliation with Chief Robert Joseph
- 2011/12: Twelve Days of Compassion with Karen Armstrong
- 2009/10: Widening the Circle with Liz Lerman
- 2005: Corporate Social Responsibility and the Right to Health with Mary Robinson
- 2002: Environmental Sustainability with Maurice Strong
- Nomination Details
- History of the Award
- Award Recipients
- Bruce & Lis Welch Community Dialogue
- 2024: AI: Beyond the Hype—Shaping the Future Together with Stephanie Dick and Daniel Barcay
- 2022: Facing the Flames: New and Old Ways of Co-Existing with Fire with Joe Gilchrist and Paul Hessburg
- 2021: All My Relations: Trauma-Informed Engagement with Karine Duhamel
- 2019: Power of Empathy with Kimberly Jackson Davidson
- 2019: Rethinking BC Referendums with John Gastil
- 2017: Strengthening Democratic Engagement with Valerie Lemmie
- 2015-16: THRIVE! Surrey in 2030
- 2014: Citizen Engagement and Political Civility with Dr. Carolyn J. Lukensmeyer
- 2013: Building a Culture of Participation with Dave Meslin
- 2012: Riots and Restorative Justice with Dr. Theo Gavrielides
- 2011: Growing Out of Hunger with Will Allen
- 2010: The Age of Unequals with Richard Wilkinson
- Jack P. Blaney Award for Dialogue
- Consulting Services
- Shared Learning
- News
- Give
Key Themes from Dialogue on Making the SFU Community a Safer and More Inclusive Space
As part of the Welch programming, on October 24, 2019, SFU's Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue and the Office of Vice-President Research co-hosted a dialogue with senior administrators, deans and faculty to engage in dialogue on the current state of EDI at SFU. This created a space to explore SFU’s EDI initiatives and discuss tangible ways to make the SFU community a safer and more inclusive space in which everyone feels supported to thrive.
The following is a summary of key themes that emerged from the conversation and aims to inspire ongoing dialogue on the role of empathy in Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion work in our personal and professional lives. Participants are free to use the information received, but the ideas raised are not attributed to individuals, and the identities of participants are not released to encourage candid disucssion.
Major themes raised during the dialogue are listed below to guide future EDI initiatives at SFU.
1. APPROACH EDI FROM A SYSTEMS LENS
Jackson Davidson highlighted that ensuring a systems-approach to EDI is imperative for meaningful change. Participants discussed the possibility of identifying core structures and leadership at SFU that are dedicated to advance EDI systemically, as well as measure its progress. This entails integrating accountability measures throughout various levels of the university. Ensuring this system-level commitment to EDI would improve transparency throughout the university, and also build trust between stakeholders in advancing EDI.
2. ENSURE PROACTIVITY OVER REACTIVITY
Institutional approaches to critical EDI issues can, at times, be reactive rather than proactive and intentional. To remedy this, Jackson Davidson raised the importance of anticipatory identification – whereby potential issues can be identified well in advance, and processes are put in place to respond to EDI challenges in a thoughtful manner. This requires an ongoing commitment to increase EDI training and capacity building at all levels of SFU, in order to mobilize around EDI issues when they arise, in a manner that feels safe and thoughtful to all stakeholders.
3. CENTER DIVERSE VOICES
Participants highlighted the importance of centering voices of stakeholders that represent the diversity of SFU community. Although institutional leadership is integral to advancing EDI at SFU, there must be a balance of representation in voices when discussing these issues. Similarly, the power of intentionally establishing spaces for professors and students to have their voices heard in regards to EDI initiatives and issues was illuminated. This not only creates relationships whereby a diversity of lived experience and perspectives can be shared, but fosters a sense of institutional trust whereby diverse stakeholders can feel acknowledged at SFU.
4. UNDERSTAND POWER AND PRIVILEGE
Meaningful engagement in EDI work requires humility and reflection. Jackson Davidson encouraged the group to reflect on the reality that issues are always more complicated than simply right versus wrong – rather, we all must internally reflect on our own positions which are situated in power and privilege. Jackson Davidson emphasized that this calls upon our personal and institutional vulnerability within SFU. Self-reflexivity in exploring our personal power and privilege will support collaborative engagement by acknowledging that all our positionalities are interconnected.
5. BUILD COLLECTIVE UNDERSTANDING
Participants discussed the need for a unified, university-wide vision on what EDI means to SFU as an institution. Having this clarity would improve a collective understanding of EDI within SFU and effectively support leaders to be bold in responding to ethical dilemmas. Collective vision for EDI across the university would improve ongoing awareness of EDI initiatives and ultimately work toward increasing inclusivity and accountability in EDI work.