This Awareness Minute is dedicated to the recently televised news in Iran. The recent murder of a 22 year old Iranian women for not covering her hair has reignited a decades long fight for the emancipation of women. There are several of us to whom this is very personal, however if you identify as a woman or a feminist, … Continue reading Woman – Life – Freedom →

This week's Awareness Minute highlights a term that many may not be familiar with yet likely have either witnessed, experienced or perpetuated unknowingly - 'Internalized Racism' - as per Karen D. Pyke, is " the internalized racial oppression by the racially subordinated". How does this develop? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBrW129hKmg https://www.ted.com/talks/daniel_juweid_internalized_racism_and_misogyny_you_re_not_who_they_say_you_are You may also be wondering how this … Continue reading Internalized Racism →

As we have seen thus far, June is an important month for celebrating and learning about the struggles on the path to equity for a number of groups of people.  If you haven't yet learned about Juneteenth (June 19th), you are not alone. Even though it is a day that has deserved recognition for over … Continue reading Juneteenth (June 19th) →

Summer is in full swing, and we hope you are having a wonderful time.   You may already know that June is National Indigenous History Month in Canada, but if you want to learn more about why this month is important and what events are taking place right here in Saskatoon – read on!   What is … Continue reading National Indigenous History Month in Canada →

As many of us are settling into new places of work, we are also learning to adapt to the various expectations these new jobs bring with them. Many of these expectations/policies are vital for staying physically safe ... while others ... appear to be more remnant of colonial practices of oppression. Here are a few … Continue reading White Professionalism →

In Canada, we are fortunate that clients encompass a diverse array of individuals that may have come from all corners of the world - folks that call this country their home and enrich it with the languages and cultures they have brought with them. This week's AWARENESS MINUTE is to honour these newcomers, their journeys and their … Continue reading Glottophobia →

This month we are doing a shout out to our Muslim friends with a brief intro into a few words you may have heard but may be unfamiliar with - Ramadan, Eid al-Fitr and Halal. In short, practicing Muslims around the world have entered a period of fasting during daylight, called Ramadan (derived from terms meaning 'scorching … Continue reading Ramadan Mubarak →

Introducing this week's topic - Norouz (spelled many different ways) or often also referred to as the Persian New Year. For those of you that are new to this - Norouz celebrations span about 13 days, starting from the Wednesday prior to the Spring Equinox with a fire jumping event called 'Charshanbe Soori', the Haft-sin … Continue reading Norouz →

https://news.usask.ca/articles/people/2020/dr.-charlotte-williams-a-passion-for-pets-and-people.php Ibram X. Kendi's (author of How to Be an Antiracist) reflection on his book and "The difference between being not Racist and Antiracist": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=doHhMjudb3c&list=PLWYxHFwPZZ3rAeLyG8Svsey8NdI3dEsUT&index=12 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=doHhMjudb3c&list=PLWYxHFwPZZ3rAeLyG8Svsey8NdI3dEsUT&index=12 https://www.ted.com/talks/ibram_x_kendi_the_difference_between_being_not_racist_and_antiracist?language=en https://www.ted.com/talks/ibram_x_kendi_the_difference_between_being_not_racist_and_antiracist?language=en https://www.sesamestreet.org/videos?vid=1736

Asadeh (Azy) Behnam-Shabahang (she/her/hers) is of Persian descent but was born and raised in Germany and immigrated to Vancouver, Canada with her family at the age of eleven. Knowing the preconceived notions that follow long middle-eastern sounding names Azy likes to share that the literal translation of her name is 'Freedom Honorable Nightingale'. Although Azy … Continue reading CPVMA 2022 SYMPOSIUM Panelist Features →