We are constantly surrounded by headlines, data, and official stories about how the world works. But how often do we stop to ask: Where do these ideas come from? Who benefits from them? What’s being left out?
That’s the thinking behind our new infographic series. Each visual guide tackles a familiar topic—how we’re governed, how accountability is dodged, how the news is told, how we understand the past, how merit is measured, or how data is presented—and invites us to look at them differently. "We wanted to create tools that don't just deliver answers but open up better questions," says Dr. Karim Wissa, Director of Policy & Programs. “There’s a lot of research on these issues, but it’s often hard to access because it takes a long time to read or use language that isn’t easy to understand. We wanted to make that knowledge easier for everyone—students, faculty, and staff—to access, so more people could have informed conversations about issues that affect their lives.”
We often think of the principles of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion as complicated and large-scale—but the work begins with small shifts in how we look at the world around us. How do we understand the issues we face, whose experiences do we take seriously, and what kinds of questions do we think are worth asking. These infographics are one way to pause, look again, and ask those questions differently—because how we frame a problem shapes what kinds of solutions we can imagine. That’s also the broader aim of our office: to show the dilemmas that affect us in clear, relevant, and non-prescriptive ways so more people are invited into the conversation and feel equipped to find approaches that work for them.
Faculty are beginning to use the infographics in their classrooms, as one professor noted, “As a department, we have taken to including these as resources in many of our online courses. They save time on background material by introducing concepts to students in advance, allowing us to move more quickly into deeper, more in-depth class discussion. We also heard that students have often passed these infographics along to friends and family that they converse with about the ideas and critiques outlined in our classes. Overall, they are super meaningful, and we hope more are developed to continue encouraging conversations about responsible citizenship in these turbulent times.”
We invite you to explore the infographic series and see how a new perspective can spark new conversations. You’re welcome to use them in teaching, workshops, or team discussions.
Our office is currently exploring new collaborations with faculty on future infographic themes. If you're interested, please email equity@uwaterloo.ca.