The Conversation Piece

Maybe it was easier to avoid heated debates before we were all living under pandemic rules. Or maybe this is just the result of our small bubbles of safety, but when we have different opinions.. getting caught up in Twitter arguments or disagreeing with family members, it’s easy to forget about what the other person is going through. In this talk, Mustafa Ahmed reminds us that human rights begin w...

Something that gets brought into stark focus at a time like this is the value of things. The value of being able to hug a friend you haven’t seen in a long time. The value of being able to work from home and stay positive. The value of adapting to this new environment. Cobb spoke about the inherent value of things VS what they are financially valued at. Special thanks to the National Gallery of Ca...

Amanda Parris is a playwright and the host of CBC’s, Exhibitionists and Marvin’s Room and she spoke about her fear of being forgotten by a culture that seems to prefer to forget stories like the ones that she tells and amplifies. How does denial affect us in our individual lives, and what can we do to remedy Canada’s Collective Amnesia? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We've been talking about Inclusion and Diversity as a society for what feels like forever, with limited success in addressing either. But 2020 is shaping up to be a year of action and as Eva Greyeyes will tell you, it’s time to stop looking to the past, and focus on the future - Resurgence rather than Reconciliation. Eva Greyeyes is Nêhiyaw, from Muskeg Lake Cree Nation, and was a grade 11 student...

As Canadians from Halifax to Vancouver protest against police brutality and racial discrimination, many are asking how do we make the necessary leap from calls for justice to a tangible change in policing that saves lives? In 2019, Brittany Andrew-Amofah spoke about the power of local government that is often overlooked -- and underestimated. If cities involve marginalized communities in their sys...

Across the country, Canadians are taking to the streets, protesting police violence. And while some are calling for reforms, others are questioning the need for police altogether. Journalist, activist and author Desmond Cole recently tweeted that when he gave this talk in 2017, he was scared to propose a cop-free future in a room that included the Governor-General and members of the armed forces,...

It’s impossible to miss the common thread in the images of protest on all our screens these days. People have reached their limit. They are sad. They are angry. And despite a global pandemic, they are gathering in protest. Criticism will always follow protest, and much of the criticism is aimed at the so-called youth. Every generation seems to take issue with the young, forgetting their own journe...

Resilience can be about coming to terms with the obstacles in front of you. As we minimize touching and practice social isolation, it's starting to feel like at least part of this experience will have to become part of our forever experience. Rupi Kaur spoke about the power of resilience in her own life. Special thanks to Indspire, Enbridge and Concordia University for their support for The Walrus...

Artists can’t give you a vaccine or tell leaders how to reopen the economy. But they do give you Netflix to binge-watch, music for your daily walks and books to distract you. Janice Price, president of the Banff Centre, talks about why we turn to the arts in times of crisis.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

These are some of our Walrus Talks that remind us of the powerful role mothers play and how their love can shape our future. Writer Lisa Moore talks about conversations between mothers and daughters, musician Pierre Kwenders reflects on the power of the matriarchs in his life and with her baby in her arms, artist Lido Pimienta describes the future of the arts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privac...

Dr. Kamran Khan is the founder of BlueDot, a tech company that works with doctors, engineers, scientists and AI to predict outbreaks and track the spread of infectious disease.  Khan is a physician at St Mike’s Hospital in Toronto and the founder of BlueDot and he spoke at The Walrus Talks Disruption, presented by Concordia University.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When Margaret Atwood’s dystopic worlds begin to appear in our real lives, we know we’re in trouble. Canada’s oracular writer has written some of the scariest scenarios for our future. But she herself has hope. Something that we need when confronted with a worldwide pandemic with no end in sight. We’re not quite in Gilead, but some days, it feels too close for comfort. Hosted on Acast. See acast.co...

Physical distancing has real-world repercussions, and sometimes that comes out in expressions of fear or hate. Concordia University's Vivek Venkatesh lost his cousin in the bombing of Air India Flight 182 in 1985 so he understands why people embrace extremism and hateful rhetoric. He also understands what it takes to become accepting and compassionate. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for mo...

How well do you know your neighbours? Probably way better than you did a few months ago. According to Concordia's Jennifer Mcgrath, your neighbourhood can have a surprising impact on your health. And she should know. She's an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology and Director of the Pediatric Public Health Psychology Lab. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Christa Couture wants to turn the idea of "getting better" on its head.  Everywhere we go, we’re confronted by the language of betterment. Everything in your life needs to be optimized. Your Insta stories, your smoothies and even your days off need to be filled with wellness. But what about for those who are chronically ill, or grieving, or working from home, anxious about a spreading pandemic? Th...

Physical distancing has become our new normal —standing metres apart, avoiding public spaces and large gatherings has become crucial to flattening the curve of COVID-19. But in a time where we’re all intentionally avoiding other humans, it’s now more important than ever to be listening to each other. Shelagh Rogers is a Canadian treasure who has made a career out of listening to others. In the Tal...

We tend to think of loneliness as a state of mind. But what if we thought of it as a health issue?  Andre Picard spoke at The Walrus Talks Healthy Cities in 2016 in Hamilton, Ontario. Watch all The Walrus Talks at youtube.com/walrustelevision Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.