On September 26, the annual HeForShe IMPACT Report was released at the United Nations in New York City.
Looking for extra-curricular opportunities for students to create tech for good at Waterloo? Join the launch celebration for Concept on Thursday, October 10 from 1:00-3:00 PM in the Student Life Centre.
It is striking to see how widespread critical reflections on technology have become. Over breakfast last Thursday, I read about Ryan Gariepy’s take on efforts to regulate lethal autonomous weapons systems in the pages of the Waterloo Region Record newspaper.
I spend a lot of time thinking about the role that institutions and systems play in the development and impact of technology, and the ways that our technologies come to shape these institutions and systems, not to mention our norms, cultures, and the way we think. At the same time, I also believe that individuals can make a difference through the choices we make and the ways we participate in our institutions and systems. I’ve had several reminders of this in recent weeks!
The short answer to this questions is: Lots of people! One of the points of this blog is to highlight various news items and events that demonstrate the growing interest in reflecting critically on technology, and in applying technology to peacebuilding.
One of the most exciting times of the year in the Kindred Credit Union Centre for Peace Advancement is when a new exhibit is installed in the Grebel Gallery. In addition to inspiring reflection and conversations among members of our campus and surrounding community, these exhibits also contribute to the creative energy of participants in the Centre. The view outside my office door is always interesting, but our latest exhibit is particularly provocative.
For those of us who work and study in universities, there are distinct rhythms to each semester, and right now we are entering a time of endings. Classes are wrapping up, major projects are coming due, and exams are looming. Meetings and publication deadlines that some of us have managed to put off are starting to pile up. And, right on cue, the University of Waterloo is providing a dizzying array of opportunities for aspiring entrepreneurs to test and showcase their efforts.
As a PeaceTech Peer Leader, I am excited to share what I have learned about inclusion and diversity in the last few weeks.
War terminology is commonplace in the way the media and governments describe perceived threats: war on poverty, war on drugs, war on terror, and now, war on COVID-19. Aspenia Online, The Guardian, the University of Nottingham, and Higher Education Strategy Associates have all published blog posts or articles that explore the appropriateness of using this comparison, but have neglected to provide alternative language.
Friday September 30 marks the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, also known as Orange Shirt Day, an occasion to publicly commemorate and re-commit to the important work of building towards reconciliation with the diverse First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples who have called Turtle Island home since time immemorial. As a citizen of the settler state, living, working, and studying here, I am reminded on this National Day of Remembrance of the progress made but also of the distance we still have to go as we continually work to meaningfully address the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action published in 2015.