For those that could not make the event or want t o 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 environm ent through a lens of equity and justice while also envisioning the possibi lity of a better future (Dugan\, 2017\; DuncanAndrade\, 2009).” -Bishundat \, Velazquez Phillip\, and Gore
This e vent aimed to spark discussion and inspiration on how we can sustain critic al 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 wo rk and academia. We learned from both activists and scholars.
Thi s 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 a
n activist for environmental\, social\, and economic justi
ce 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\, clim
ate\, 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.
< p>Dr. Peter Biar Ajak
Dr. Peter B
iar Ajak is a scholar and prominent political acti
vist for democracy and peace in South Sudan. He is a forme
r political prisoner from July 2018 to January 2020\, who Scholars
at Risk advocated for.
He received his Ph.D. from t he 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 th at is drafting South Sudan National Security Policy and Strategy.
Dr. Kari Grain
Dr.
Grain is a lecturer in the Adult Learning and Global Chan
ge Master’s Program in UBC’s Faculty of Education. She is also a special research associate with Simon Fraser University’s Co
mmunity Engaged Research Initiative. Her research is at the inters
ection of global community engaged learning\, social justice\, and higher e
ducation. She is interested in exploring the ethics and power relations emb
edded in relationships between universities and communities.
Dr. Grai n 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 Lacell e – Webster
Antonin is a Ph.D. c
andidate 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 th
e meaning and importance of hope in democratic systems.