The New World of Work: Thriving or Surviving?
Media + Information, 2018, Economy, Future of Work, Democracy, Summit Brave New Work
As part of its 2018 Community Summit, Brave New Work, SFU Public Square is proud to present, in partnership with Vancity, an evening with Van Jones and Anne-Marie Slaughter.
Automation, artificial intelligence, and globalization are changing the nature of work and what we do to earn a living. While some look to these changes to improve our quality of life, others foresee worker displacement and increased inequality. Many of us are struggling to understand what actions we can take as individuals and as a society to thrive, or at least survive, in the new world of work.
CBC's Laura Lynch will moderate a conversation with Van Jones and Anne-Marie Slaughter, two leading commentators on the American economy, discussing the role that citizens, governments and civil society can play in shaping the future of work. They will explore the challenges ahead, as well as how these challenges might be addressed through green jobs, emergent industries, education and public policy.
7:00 - 9:00 p.m. (PT)
Queen Elizabeth Theatre
630 Hamilton Street
Vancouver, B.C.
About Brave New Work
Van Jones
Van Jones is the President and Founder of Dream Corps, an organization that brings people together to solve America’s toughest problems. He is the host of The Messy Truth with Van Jones, a CNN political contributor, a best-selling author, and former green jobs special advisor to the Obama Administration.
Anne-Marie Slaughter
Anne-Marie Slaughter is the President and CEO of New America, a think and action tank dedicated to renewing America in the Digital Age. Slaughter is a Professor Emerita of Politics and International Affairs at Princeton, was formerly the Director of Policy Planning for the U.S. State Department, and her 2012 article, “Why Women Still Can’t Have it All,” quickly became one of the most-read articles in The Atlantic’s history.
Moderator
Laura Lynch
Laura Lynch is an award-winning journalist with the CBC. In the course of her career, she has reported from across Canada and around the world, and has won the prestigious Nieman fellowship from Harvard University, awards from the British Bar Association, the Canadian Bar Association, RTNDA (Canada and U.S.), Overseas Press Club of America, Amnesty International, RNAO and the Gabriel awards.
'Stop Wasting Genius' Say Thinkers Van Jones, Anne-Marie Slaughter in Vancouver — Alex McKeen, Metro News (March 1, 2018)
Van Jones and Anne Marie Slaughter were the keynote speakers of Simon Fraser University's Brave New Work Summit. They spoke Wednesday at the Queen Elizabeth theatre.
Workplaces of the future will have to be “anti-stupid,” a near-full audience heard Wednesday evening in Vancouver. And they need to stop wasting massive amounts of talent.
American commentators Van Jones and Anne-Marie Slaughter came together for a keynote talk at this week's Brave New Work Summit, where they offered their takes on the crucial (but often foreboding) question: what needs to change so we can have quality careers in the future?
And both thinkers turned their their attention to the ongoing housing crisis in Vancouver, addressing what cities like Vancouver and San Francisco — both struggling with housing affordability — should do to make sure they remain viable places to live for future generations.
Read More
Slaughter referred to Vancouver’s history of strong union-led labour movements, and suggested something different but of a similar scale was needed for the modern world in order to achieve employment stability, given the prominence of temporary and “gig” jobs today.
Beyond that, Jones said bright minds should be able to come together in the city to make housing options available to the workforce, including those who give cities character.
“You gotta have artists and weirdos to be able to stay in the city,” he said.
Jones, well-known for his left-wing political commentary in the U.S. and his social justice advocacy, painted a picture of an American economy he said is currently ill-equipped to harness the talent it needs.
Time, he said, is rushing toward us as technology constantly updates and changes the ways we work and interact with one another. The skills needed to tackle the future therefore, rest in people’s ability to “pivot,” problem-solve, and “hack” society’s problems.
The trouble, he said, is that the economy only rewards a small portion of the population with those skills. Black and other racialized people, poor people, and prisoners who learn to hack common problems behind bars, haven’t been able to break into the lucrative Silicon Valley model of success anywhere near the level white people have.
Think about the invention of hip-hop, Jones argued — it emerged from inner-city youth finding ways to make music without having access to instruments. Or prisoners who fashion lighters out of the meagre materials available to them.
“That genius,” Jones said, “is not being accessed by the technological elite. We’ve got to stop wasting genius.”
A key component of successful workplaces of the future, Jones argued, will be bringing together people who think differently — only “don’t call it diversity, call it anti-stupid,” Jones said.
Meanwhile, Slaughter emphasized the need to re-think the kind of work that's seen as valuable to society. For example, employment such as childcare and elder care, has long gone under-valued and unpaid, something she argued needs to change.
Watch the keynote
Brave New Work | Trailer
Thriving in the brave new world of work — Storyboard (March 1, 2018)
The Happenings: Three things to do in Vancouver on Wednesday — Harrison Mooney, Vancouver Sun (February 28, 2018)
Douglas Todd: Is Vancouver ready for full gender equality? — Douglas Todd, Vancouver Sun (February 25, 2018)
The New World of Work: Thriving or Surviving? Meet Van Jones & Anne-Marie Slaughter — Gordon Price, Price Tags (February 5, 2018)
Supporters and Partners
-
Building Your Resilience
Being a university student can be stressful. This interactive event will share key strategies for enhancing your resilience and well-being, that will support your success now and in your future career.
Read More →
-
Beyond Bitcoin: Blockchain and the Future of Work
Blockchain technology is making headlines. Enthusiastic or skeptic, the focus of this dialogue will be to better understand key concepts and to explore the wide-ranging applications of distributed ledgers and the implications for business here in BC and in the global economy.
Read More →
-
Preparing Students for the Future World of Work
This event, hosted by CACEE Canada West and SFU Career and Volunteer Services, will feature presentations and discussions on how post-secondary institutions can prepare students for the future of work.
Read More →
-
Work and Purpose Later in Life
How is the changing world of work affecting older adults? And what role should work play in our lives, anyway? This special Philosophers' Cafe will address questions of retirement, purpose, and work for older adults.
Read More →
-
Creating a Diverse & Resilient Economy in Metro Vancouver
This panel conversation event will focus on the future of employment in Metro Vancouver, and planning for the employment lands that support the regional economy. What are the trends and issues related to employment in various sectors in Metro Vancouver, and how does land use planning, regulation, and market demand affect the future of work regionally?
Read More →
-
Worker Writers and the Poetics of Labour
If you gave a worker a pen, what would they write? What stories would they tell, and what experiences might they share? Hear poetry about what it is to work in the 21st century directly from participants of the Worker Writers School at this free public poetry reading.
Read More →
-
Symposium: Art, Labour, and the Future of Work
One of the key distinguishing features of Western modernity is that the activity of labour has always been at the heart of our self-understanding. Work defines who we are. But what might we do in a world without work? Join SFU's Institute for the Humanities for a symposium on art, aesthetics, and self-understanding.
Read More →
-
Climate of Work: How Does Climate Change Affect the Future of Work
What does our changing climate have to do with the future of work? Join Embark as they explore the ways our climate impacts different industries such as planning, communications or entrepreneurship.
Read More →
-
Making Visible the Invisible | City Conversations
Are outdated and stereotypical gender roles contributing to the invisible workload? What is the invisible workload anyway? Don't miss this special edition of SFU City Conversations on intersectionality and invisible labour, presented in partnership with the Simon Fraser Student Society Women's Centre.
Read More →
-
The Urban Worker Project Skillshare
The Urban Worker Project Skillshare is a day-long gathering, bringing together over 150 independent workers to lean on each other, learn from each other, get valuable expert advice, and build community.
Read More →
-
Work in the 21st Century: Innovations in Research
Research doesn’t just live in libraries and academic papers; it has a profound impact on our day to day lives. Work in the 21st Century is a dynamic evening that showcases the SFU researchers and entrepreneurs who are leading the way in making innovative impacts in the new world of work.
Read More →
-
The New World of Work: Thriving or Surviving?
Van Jones and Anne-Marie Slaughter, two leading commentators on the American economy, will discuss the role that citizens, governments and civil society can play in shaping the future of work.They will explore the challenges ahead, as well as how these challenges might be addressed through green jobs, emergent industries, education and public policy
Read More →
-
ReframeWork: From Insights to Action!
ReframeWork is a national gathering of leading thinkers and innovators on the topic of Future of Work. We will explore how Canada can lead in forming new systems for good work and identify the richest areas of opportunity for solution-building that affects broader change.
Read More →
-
Basic Income: Progressive Hopes and Neoliberal Realities
This lecture will examine the question of basic income (BI). A neoliberal version of BI is being considered and even developed by a number of governments and institutions of global capitalism. This form of BI could enhance the supply of low-wage precarious workers, by offering a public subsidy to employers, paid for by cuts to other areas of social provision.
Read More →
-
The Future of Work in Canada: Emerging Trends and Opportunities
What are some of the trends currently defining the new world of work in Canada, and what does our future look like? What opportunities can be seized to build more competitive, prosperous, and inclusive organizations?
Read More →