Critical Hope in the Public Sphere
For those that could not make the event or want to look back at the inspiring discussion, you can access the webinar recording.
Time: 9:00-10:30AM PDT
“Critical hope reflects the ability to realistically assess one’s environment through a lens of equity and justice while also envisioning the possibility of a better future (Dugan, 2017; DuncanAndrade, 2009).” -Bishundat, Velazquez Phillip, and Gore
This event aimed to spark discussion and inspiration on how we can sustain critical hope in the face of continued intersecting inequalities.
We explored the importance of (critical) hope, how we can sustain it, and how it has and could be integrated into activism work and academia. We learned from both activists and scholars.
This webinar was moderated by Antonin Lacelle – Webster, and participants had the chance to ask our speakers questions at the end.
Guest Speakers:
Andrea Reimer
Andrea Reimer is an activist for environmental, social, and economic justice with over two decades of experience. She started as a community organizer and then served on Vancouver’s City Council from 2008-2018. She is the Founder of Tawaw Strategies, a consulting firm that helps leaders act with courage on justice, climate, governance reform, and modernizing the economy.
She is also an educator at UBC and SFU, where she teaches about power, public policy, public engagement, and renewable energy transitions.
Dr. Peter Biar Ajak
Dr. Peter Biar Ajak is a scholar and prominent political activist for democracy and peace in South Sudan. He is a former political prisoner from July 2018 to January 2020, who Scholars at Risk advocated for.
He received his Ph.D. from the University of Cambridge. Dr. Ajak is the Founder and Director of the Center for Strategic Analyses and Research (C-SAR), an independent policy think-tank based in South Sudan. He is also the CEO of South Sudan Wrestling Entertainment (SSWE). He was appointed to a committee under the Office of the President of the US that is drafting South Sudan National Security Policy and Strategy.
Dr. Kari Grain
Dr. Grain is a lecturer in the Adult Learning and Global Change Master’s Program in UBC’s Faculty of Education. She is also a special research associate with Simon Fraser University’s Community Engaged Research Initiative. Her research is at the intersection of global community engaged learning, social justice, and higher education. She is interested in exploring the ethics and power relations embedded in relationships between universities and communities.
Dr. Grain is also the author of a forthcoming book titled Critical Hope with North Atlantic Books (book launch early 2022). She has also published several articles and book chapters that examine critical hope.
Moderator: Antonin Lacelle – Webster
Antonin is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Political Science at UBC. His interests are in the politics of hope and despair, democratic theory, democratic innovations, and the political thought of Hannah Arendt. He is working on a dissertation that explores the meaning and importance of hope in democratic systems.