Staff

Dr. Mohammed Moniruzzaman is a PhD student in a joint Geography and Environmental Studies Program at the University of Waterloo and Wilfrid Laurier University. His talk about ‘Migration and Development’ during our INDEV 101 lecture was primarily focused on migration and food security linkages, more specifically the impact of migrants’ remittances on household food security in Bangladesh.

Rural Development in an Increasingly Urbanized World

When asked if we can ever truly achieve peace, peace was compared to health by Nathan Funk, an associate Professor at Conrad Grebel University College in Peace and Conflict Studies. He illustrated peace as health, in that we need to always be striving towards it, always seeking to be better and to not give up on it. Nathan, during his presentation to the INDEV 101 class, presented the traditional African practices to illustrate his view of peace and conflict. Traditionally, many cultures have peace rituals to resolve conflict and to promote peace.

INDEV 101 had the opportunity to hear from Michaela Hynie, a professor at York University. We had the pleasure of hearing her lecture on Culture and Development, and how it relates to her studies on mental health. Michaela Hynie is an accomplished professor at York University’s Faculty of Health, having received her Ph.D. at Mcgill University. She applies her studies of Psychology not only in her teaching, but in an upward of 30 publications and influential research.

Here in southern Ontario, people have the luxury of having access every day, year round, to affordable food. People have the luxury of choosing where to buy food, at the prices they want to pay. There are tens of grocery stores in town, over three local farmers markets and almost every small corner convenience store sells milk, eggs and nonperishable food. With so many options available, it is easy to find food that meets the budget. Unfortunately, this is not the case all over Canada and in many northern indigenous communities, where limited access to food is a serious problem.

Salmon Confidential is a documentary released in 2013, both written and directed by Twyla Roscovich. It was received with mixed reactions and given a 7.6 rating on IMBD (“Salmon Confidential (2013) - IMDb,” n.d.). The film followed biologist Alexandra Morton as she traveled throughout British Columbia (BC), hoping to solve the issue as to why there had been such a drastic decline in wild salmon in the province.