Equity Archives - News@91��ɫ

91��ɫ experts have got you covered for Paris Olympics

egamulin — Fri, 26 Jul 2024 17:23:22 +0000

July. 26, 2024, TORONTO – While the Olympics are a show of international friendship and athletic excellence, they are also about politics and diplomacy, tourism, social change and spectacle, and sometimes even espionage.

Hernán ��ܳ��ñ��, three-time Olympic coach and expert on the History of the Olympics, is in Paris cheering on his daughter in beach volleyball.

“The Olympics has the potential to be such a positive force for good in the world,” says 91��ɫ Faculty of Health Associate Professor , a three-time Olympic coach who teaches a course on the history of the Olympic Games and will be in Paris July 26 onward cheering on his daughter, . “Every Olympics strives to meet its ideals, and every Olympics falls short — but I am an optimist, I believe each Olympics gets better and better.”

��ܳ��ñ�� and other 91��ɫ experts are available to give comment to media on everything from nationalism in sport and why the economic pressures on athletes are getting even worse, to branding and tourism opportunities, the evolution of women’s basketball in Canada and how large sporting events intersect with sex tourism and displacement of low-income people, and more.

Hernán ��ܳ��ñ��

��ܳ��ñ��, who helped Canada secure a bronze in the Atlanta ’96 games, teaches in the Department of Kinesiology and Health Science at 91��ɫ. He was an early coach for his daughter, who along with her Canadian beach-volleyball partner and fellow 91��ɫ alumna Brandie Wilkerson, is currently ranked fourth in the world and is in Paris competing for a medal. ��ܳ��ñ�� played for the Chilean national volleyball team and came to Canada as a political refugee during the Pinochet years, a journey which he documented in his book Playing Under The Gun: An Athlete's Tale of Survival in 1970s Chile. He is available from Paris to comment on the history of the Olympics and how political and social events intersect and affect the modern games from their inception in the late 1800s to now. ��ܳ��ñ�� can also offer interviews in Spanish.

Topics he can speak to include:

History of the Olympics
Sport and nationalism
Gender issues in sport
Compensation and treatment of athletes

Parissa Safai, expert in the sociology of sport, health and social inequality.

Parissa Safai

The Canada Soccer drone-spying controversy is, in part, a great example of how much more aggressive Canada has become on the international sport scene in pursuit of wins, says , professor in the Faculty of Health and Chair of the School of Kinesiology and Health Science.

“In many ways, the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics marked a pronounced shift in Canada’s attitudes towards success on the Olympic stage and our high-performance sport system became even that much more intentional about ‘owning the podium’,” says Safai. “For an athlete, gold medal-winning performances demand not just an unconditional commitment to physical training and skill development, but presuppose disposable money and disposable time, as the financial support from governments is just not enough.”

Many athletes are highly reliant on their parents for financial support, and the costs of producing a gold-medal winning performance has gone up, adds Safai, putting more pressure on high-performance athletes, and making their finances even more precarious. Safai is an expert in the sociology of sport, health and social inequality. She is available for phone and video conference interviews and can speak to:

Sports medicine and sports related pain and injury
Sport risk-taking
Sport and social inequality and gender equity in sport
Barriers to physical activity in communities
Sport policy and governance

Danielle Howard, an expert in race, sport and performance.

Danielle Howard

In 2018, a U.S. conservative news commentator said that LeBron James should just “shut up and dribble,” after the NBA star gave his views about then-President Donald Trump in an ESPN podcast.

Those comments inspired a documentary by the same name that explored the social and political influence of NBA players through the history of the league, which in turn was an inspiration for AMPD Assistant Professor ’s latest research at the intersection of race, sport and performance.

“The documentary got me thinking, does dribbling have more to say about politics, about Black life, then we have initially given it credit for?”

Howard is working on a book called Making Moves: Race, Basketball, and Embodied Resistance that spans the twentieth and twenty-first centuries of basketball history. She examines America’s history of white supremacy and how comments like “shut up and dribble” reflect a continued dismissal of Black lives and experiences, images of the Black body on display through history from slave auctions to NBA drafts and how audience and media surveillance impacts movement. “The majority of bodies in the NBA are Black. So from a media standpoint, the majority of the media consumption we have of basketball is represented by Black bodies.”

She also looks at how Black athletes speak with their bodies, and how politics, history and social movements are embodied in athleticism, from the New 91��ɫ Renaissance basketball team to present times.

“Black performance in sport is not merely aesthetic, it has potential and purpose to be disruptive to the political and to ultimately incite change and liberation.”

Howard is available to comment on:

Race, politics and sport
Sport as performance, particularly basketball
Theatre and spectacle in the opening and closing Games
Aesthetics and virtuosity in Olympic sports such as gymnastics, diving, synchronized swimming and breaking

Vijay Setlur, expert in sport marketing and tourism

Vijay Setlur

“France is already the most visited country in the world, but hosting the Olympics would diversify the destination and its visitor economy,” says , a marketing instructor at 91��ɫ’s Schulich School of Business specializing in sports marketing and tourism marketing. “People visit the country for its museums, galleries, architecture and culinary offerings, but Paris will now be able to attract more international sporting events to capitalize on the growing sport tourism segment and elevate its status as a sports city.”

Setlur attended and gave commentary at FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 and is also a consultant for Concacaf (Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football). Setlur is available to comment on:

Canadian soccer drone scandal and how it might affect the perception of Canada Soccer and sponsorship activity
Sponsorships and the Paris Olympic Games
How the NFL and ICC are hoping to leverage flag football and cricket, making its debut at the LA28 Games, to engage younger consumers
TV ratings and viewership of the Games
Use of technology at the Olympics

Sarah Bay-Cheng, expert on the history of women's basketball in Canada

Sarah Bay-Cheng

“For me, sports is another kind of performance: It's aesthetic, it's time-based, there's an audience,” saysProfessor , dean of the School of the Arts, Media, Performance and Design at 91��ɫ and a former NCAA basketball player. “As the playwright Sarah Kane once said, the difference between theatre and a football (soccer) match is that you don't know how the football match is going to end.”

Bay-Cheng’s research focuses on the intersection of performance and media, including how digital technologies create performance conditions in museums and other cultural heritage sites. In this capacity, she is co-curating a gallery exhibition for the Museum of Toronto on the history of basketball in Toronto that will open in the spring of 2025.

“In Toronto basketball didn’t follow a linear development. Different versions of the game emerged at different times and in different places. Part of the work of preparing the exhibition has been to dig into the history of basketball in Canada and what has made Toronto such an exceptional place for the sport. As a former player, I’ve been very interested in learning more about the history of women's basketball in Canada as relation to, but also very distinctive from the history of the sport in the United States.”

Bay-Cheng is available to comment on the history of basketball in Canada, particularly the women’s game:

The American and Canadian roots of the game
How women’s basketball started among primarily white, upper-class women in the U.S., Ontario and eastern Canada, and why they were no match for a team from Western Canada that adopted a more aggressive style of play
How Title IX in the U.S. was a game-changer for women’s basketball
How both the men’s and women’s games have become more international, with training concentrated in NCAA schools
Sports as mediated performance

Amanda De Lisio, expert in sport mega-events, sex work, displacement and migration

Amanda De Lisio

During the 2014 FIFA World Cup and 2016 Olympic Games, Faculty of Health Assistant Professor partnered with researchers in Rio de Janeiro to examine what happened with sex workers during the games.

“One of the narratives that follows the sport mega event is related to the involvement of human trafficking,” says De Lisio in the School of Kinesiology and Health Science. “We work with people who are often the target of these anti-trafficking strategies to find out what is actually happening on the ground, are they being trafficked or exploited in their labour? And how their patterns of labour and migration in the city may change as a result of the mega event.”

De Lisio is working with groups in Los Angeles, which will host the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the 2027 Super Bowl, and the 2028 Olympic Games to examine what is happening on the ground there ahead of the games. Her , published earlier this month, looks at the security apparatus of the Rio Olympics, and argues that “despite the enormous investment and facade of newly militarized host communities, insecurities remained, and ‘security’ as a practice failed to be guaranteed.” De Lisio is also available for interviews in Portuguese.

She can comment on:

Understanding sex work as labour in a vulnerable sector and how displacement brought on by mega-events affects sex workers and other communities
Sport mega-event construction and the financialization of housing
Local groups in Paris decrying Olympics-related displacement of low-income people

J-Rebel (Joseph Hersco), a youth worker in the Jane and Finch community in Toronto and expert in breaking.

J-Rebel

A half century after the birth of Hip-Hop among mostly Black and Latino, working-class youth in the South Bronx, breaking makes its debut as an Olympic sport. For longtime breaker (Joseph Hersco) from the Supernaturalz Crew, who helped develop and co-taught a course on the art of breaking at 91��ɫ with AMPD dance professor Mary Fogarty, he’ll be watching the competition on Aug. 9 and 10 with a mix of emotions and criticisms.

“There is a political side of Hip-Hop — it comes out of particular socio-economic conditions, right? I think a lot of that can easily get washed out, when the focus is around just who's winning in the competition,” says J-Rebel, who lives and works in the Jane and Finch community in Toronto. “But those things are intertwined in breaking — the politics, the cultural aspects, race, class and gender.”

J-Rebel, who teaches kids breaking and has travelled the world by competing in international breaking competitions comparable to the caliber we will see at the Olympics, picked up the practice himself decades ago with peers and in community centres in Jane and Finch, Lawrence Heights and Malvern where he grew up and lived. He says that while breaking is more accessible to the youth in his community — predominantly low-income and working-class — than a sport like hockey or football, there are still barriers to who might be able to compete at the highest level due to social inequalities that are still present in many communities in Toronto.

“It's not necessarily a predetermined thing because youth from these particular places have become resilient out of necessity, but your proximity to privilege and having resources is going to give you a better chance at developing your competencies.”

J-Rebel is available to comment on:

Origins and connections of breaking to hip-hop; roots in New 91��ɫ and Black diasporic cultural expression
Why the Olympics need breaking and not the other way around
Technical, cultural and social aspects of breaking
Ensuring access to breaking and sport in low-income and racialized communities.
History of breaking in Toronto

Martin Breaugh, an expert in French politics.

Martin Breaugh

France was on shaky grounds ahead of the Olympics, politically speaking, but the ruling parties dodged a bullet in the snap election by blocking the far-right Rassemblement National (RN) party from taking power, says Professor in the Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies and an expert in French politics.

“The presence of RN ministers at the Olympics would have been an impossible situation to manage with the potential of athletes boycotting such ministers, as well as local officials and maybe even delegations from elsewhere, especially the former French colonies, doing the same,” he says.

Breaugh is available for email, phone and teleconferencing videos and is currently on Central European Time six hours ahead of Toronto. He is also available for interviews in French and can speak on:

The political situation in France in the leadup to the Olympics
How the handling of the Olympics will impact public perception of the government
History of politics in France

Satinder K.Brar, an expert in water contamination.

Satinder K. Brar

Despite France spending more than $1.5 billion in cleanup efforts to get it in good shape before the start of the Olympics, the Seine continues to experience problems with water pollution, with the men’s triathlon posted this week due to unacceptably high levels. Lassonde School of Engineering Professor is an expert in environmental biotechnology and decontamination, with particular expertise in water. Brar is also available for interviews in French, Hindi and Punjabi, and can comment on:

Cleanup efforts of the Seine
Waste water contamination and potential risks to athletes
Other pollutants sometimes found in urban bodies of water

Lyndsay Hayhurst

Lyndsay Hayhurst, an expert in community sports programming.

For 15 years, Faculty of Health Associate Professor��has been��collaborating��with��self-identified women and youth��in��Canada,��Uganda and��Nicaragua��to��investigate the role of sport for social justice and ‘development’. This includes examining cycling as a possible catalyst for achieving mobility justice and gender equity; investigating how community sport for development programs may create novel possibilities for feminist climate-justice activism; and addressing physical inactivity among marginalized youth and women (cis and trans) through the use of trauma-and violence-informed approaches.

“We're arguing that these , and that certainly flies in the face of some of the approaches to coaching and sport that we sometimes see are taken up at the Olympics,” says Hayhurst, also the 91��ɫ Research Chair in Sport, Gender and Development & Digital Participatory Research.

Hayhurst and collaborators just launched a short documentary film - - and she is available to comment on:

Sport and gender equity
Gender-diverse youth and sport
Trauma-and-violence-informed approaches to sport, recreation and leisure

Sexual and gender-based violence prevention��in/through sport for development
Climate change initiatives��and ‘greenwashing’��at the Paris Olympics
Sport for development and peace initiatives and NGO activisms
Community sport and recreation initiatives, especially cycling and soccer

Please check your inbox or online for updates to this roster.

For a list of some of the 91��ɫ-affiliated athletes and medical team members participating in the Games, .

About 91��ɫ

91��ɫ is a modern, multi-campus, urban university located in Toronto, Ontario. Backed by a diverse group of students, faculty, staff, alumni and partners, we bring a uniquely global perspective to help solve societal challenges, drive positive change, and prepare our students for success. 91��ɫ’s fully bilingual Glendon Campus is home to Southern Ontario’s Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education. 91��ɫ’s campuses in Costa Rica and India offer students exceptional transnational learning opportunities and innovative programs. Together, we can make things right for our communities, our planet, and our future.

Media Contacts: Emina Gamulin, 91��ɫ Media Relations and External Communications, 437-217-6362, egamulin@yorku.ca

About 91��ɫ

Media Contacts: Emina Gamulin, 91��ɫ Media Relations and External Communications, 437-217-6362, egamulin@yorku.ca

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91��ɫ leads as one of Canada’s greenest and most diverse employers

sandramc — Wed, 17 Apr 2024 15:00:00 +0000

Living its values. For the first time, 91��ɫ achieves two top designations as Canada’s greenest and most diverse employer for 2024.

This is the 12th consecutive year 91��ɫ has made the cut for and selected by Mediacorp Canada Inc., organizers of the annual Canada’s Top 100 Employers project.

The honour recognizes employers who lead the nation in creating a culture of awareness for the environment and whose sustainability practices have become part of their public identity. It include developing unique initiatives and programs, and successfully reducing their footprint with the help of employees.

Laina Bay-Cheng, interim vice-president of Equity People and Culture

In addition, 91��ɫ also received award announced March 4, a first for the University, which recognizes exceptional workplace diversity and inclusiveness programs across the country. Not only has 91��ɫ launched a Decolonizing, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (DEDI) Strategy, but its DEDI values are infused into its Framework and Action Plan on Black Inclusion and the .

“Being recognized as Canada’s Best Diversity and Canada’s Greenest Employers is possible because of the values and dedication of 91��ɫ employees, staff and faculty alike,” says Laina Bay-Cheng, interim vice-president of Equity People and Culture. “I hope 91��ɫ and all our colleagues can take pride in how hard we work to be a place where so many different people, all taking so many different paths in their careers and lives, can thrive and feel like they belong.”

91��ɫ continues to be a champion of sustainability. A year ago, the University hired its first chief sustainability office in its Office of Sustainability to focus more attention on its sustainability goals and actions. Since then, it has shortened its initial goal to reach net-zero emissions by a decade, now 2040. It also started a $1 million Sustainability Innovation Fund to provide funding to faculty, staff and students to pursue projects to advance climate action – which supports the United Nation’s (UN) Sustainable Development Goal 13) on 91��ɫ’s three campuses toward positive change.

“91��ɫ’s collaborative and holistic approach to sustainability has played a large part in why we continue to excel in sustainability leadership. This work wouldn’t be possible without the support of students, faculty, instructors and staff,” says Mike Layton, 91��ɫ’s chief sustainability officer.

Mike Layton, 91��ɫ’s inaugural chief sustainability officer, in front of two types of electric vehicles used at the University, including SARIT (left)

A University-wide challenge to elevate 91��ɫ’s contributions to the UN’s SDGs 17 (global partnerships for sustainable development) was also included in its University Academic Plan 2020-2025. With two TTC stops on its Keele Campus and an investment in using electric golf carts, bikes, and hybrid and electric vehicles, 91��ɫ has helped its community move away from single-occupant trips to more sustainable options. Its ZeroWaste program has increasingly diverted waste from landfill sites for more than three decades, reaching 70 per cent of waste diversion.

91��ɫ also has an Eco-Campus dedicated to teaching and researching neotropical conservation, eco-health, community well-being and sustainable livelihoods through it's 400-acres Las Nubes Forest Reserve in Costa Rica.

91��ɫ’s continued commitment to sustainability and diversity, is reflected in the 2023 Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings, where it ranked among the world’s top 40 universities out of more than 1,500 for advancing the SDGs. That includes being ranked 21st in the world for SDG 1 – No Poverty, 25th in the world for SDG 10 – Reduced Inequalities, and 12th in the world for SDG 11 – Sustainable Cities and Communities.

As Layton says, “Community adoption of green initiatives and a continued desire to support the University in expanding its impact to create a more sustainable future is integral. This recognition is a reflection of community efforts.”

It’s a commitment that will help foster a greener, more diverse future.

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Mental health needs to be a cornerstone of equity, diversity and inclusion initiatives

egamulin — Tue, 31 Oct 2023 18:26:50 +0000

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Osgoode alumni give back by establishing $1.2-million Davies Fellows Award to create positive change in the legal profession

suhasini — Wed, 01 Mar 2023 19:49:21 +0000

91��ɫ’s Osgoode Hall Law School receives transformative contribution to its No Barriers campaign from alumni working at leading Canadian law firm Davies

TORONTO, March 1, 2023 – 91��ɫ’s Osgoode Hall Law School and Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP, one of Canada’s leading law firms, jointly announced today a $1.2-million Davies Fellows Award that is designed to break down barriers to legal education.

The new bursary is created with donations from Osgoode alumni at Davies with matching funds from the law school.

91��ɫ’s Osgoode Hall Law School receives transformative contribution to its No Barriers campaign from alumni working at leading Canadian law firm Davies

Every year, the bursary will help support one first-year student in the law school’s juris doctor (JD) program, who has demonstrated financial need and exceptional promise.

The successful candidate’s personal and professional achievements will include overcoming obstacles related to financial means, racial, cultural, gender inequalities, mental health, and/or physical or learning challenges. The recipient will be known as a Davies Fellow.

The award is renewable for the student’s second and third years in the JD program, provided the student remains in good academic standing and continues to demonstrate financial need and exceptional promise.

“We count among our lawyers at Davies, individuals who have overcome obstacles to achieve excellence in the profession, and we recognize that we have an opportunity to expand access to a legal education to students from equity-deserving groups,” says Osgoode alumna and Davies senior partner Patricia Olasker.

She adds that the initiative reflects the firm’s commitment to creating a more inclusive legal profession by removing barriers that stand in the way of students of exceptional promise. “Our commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion is a core value of our firm, and the creation of the Davies Fellows Award is an impactful way for us to turn our values into action.”

Every year, the Davies Fellows Award bursary will help support one first-year student in the law school’s juris doctor (JD) program, who has demonstrated financial need and exceptional promise.

“I am so grateful for the amazing support our alumni working at Davies have given to this initiative, which will see generous alumni donations matched by Osgoode to help reduce systemic barriers to law school for students from equity-deserving groups who will, in turn, change the face of the legal profession,” says Mary Condon, dean of Osgoode. “The creation of the award is a transformative contribution to the law school’s No Barriers campaign, which aims to make Osgoode one of the most diverse and inclusive law schools in Canada.”

As the first Canadian law school to adopt a holistic admissions policy 15 years ago, Osgoode has been a leader in making legal education more open, inclusive and diverse, the dean adds.

Images from the cheque-presentation event available for download:

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About Osgoode Hall Law School

of 91��ɫ, founded in Toronto in 1889, is among the oldest, largest and most diverse law schools in Canada, with an accomplished alumni community of more than 18,000 worldwide.

About 91��ɫ

91��ɫ is a modern, multi-campus, urban university located in Toronto, Ontario. Backed by a diverse group of students, faculty, staff, alumni and partners, 91��ɫ brings a uniquely global perspective to help solve societal challenges, drive positive change and prepare its students for success.

About Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP

is a leading Canadian business law firm focused on high-stakes matters. The firm is pre-eminent across each of its practice areas, including mergers and acquisitions, securities, tax, litigation, and competition law. Davies has made equity, diversity and inclusion a fundamental component of its corporate culture and is committed to supporting diversity and inclusion initiatives both within and beyond its doors.

Media Contacts:

John Schofield, Communications and Media Relations Specialist, Osgoode Hall Law School, 416-736-5820, jschofield@osgoode.yorku.ca.

Gloria Suhasini, 91��ɫ Media Relations, 647-464-4354, suhasini@yorku.ca

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Multidisciplinary 91��ɫ U team tackles the widening digital divide

suhasini — Wed, 04 Jan 2023 16:30:00 +0000

While new technologies offer obvious benefits to humanity, concerns over who gets left behind as our world transforms need to be addressed, researchers warn

TORONTO, January 4, 2023 – From basic internet to high-end neurotechnology and everything in between, reliable access to technology is out of reach for millions of Canadians and billions across the globe, and for some equity-seeking communities this will pose new challenges, say 91��ɫ researchers, who have joined forces to tackle this pressing issue.

“Technology now influences the way we communicate with each other, and in many cases, we’re now interacting with artificial agents,” says Distinguished Research in the Faculty of Health.

Crawford is the director of 91��ɫ’s project that blends human science, computer science, humanities and arts for transdisciplinary research and applications.

As a neuroscientist, he sees how neurotechnology is implemented in medical diagnostics and rehabilitation, and as a means for direct communication between the brain and prosthetics to replace lost functions like vision and movement. He also sees how various apps and online platforms can both connect and divide us.

“These advances have many benefits for society, health, and the economy, however, they come with serious concerns,” points out Crawford, who has partnered other 91��ɫ researchers in the fields of neuroscience, technology, law, arts and social science to come up with solutions.

“For example, social media, while connecting people, is also driving them apart into bubble like 'echo chambers'. And now, with the advent of brain-machine interfaces, we face new ethical concerns that were the stuff of science fiction until only a few years ago.”

Faculty of Health , Mi'kmaw scholar from the Qalipu First Nation and a member of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, shares the same view based on his research and personal experiences.

“A lack of access to internet for Indigenous Peoples in Canada exacerbates long-standing inequities in areas such as health, employment and education,” says Hillier, 91��ɫ Research Chair in Indigenous Health Policy & One Health. He highlights the fact that while the threats posed by technology are of concern to everyone, the most impacted are low-income and rural communities. “Highspeed and reliable internet connection are not accessible to many Indigenous community members, both in rural and urban settings.”

A lack of reliable internet creates many barriers, including the inability to work from home as employees, conduct transactions within and outside of their communities as business owners, successfully complete post-secondary education, and access health-care services, whether primary care or mental health supports, particularly for those in remote locations, according to Hillier.

“How can you be examined or share your health concerns or receive counselling when you live in a household with no privacy and your internet connectivity is unstable? You will be forced into public spaces to do these calls.”

Hillier also points out there are concerns about how Indigenous sovereignty and data are presented that need to be answered. “While information flows more reliably online, what does it mean for Indigenous Peoples' traditional knowledges, how are these knowledges shared and who gets access to them and subsequently use it? How do we effectively implement principals of data ownership and control when communities do not have the recourses or expertise to oversee this?”

When it comes to Artificial Intelligence (AI), there is a lack of ethical designing, says Hillier. “AI designs are created with a western bias, so they are limited in their imagination, frameworks, and effective use of language with diverse Indigenous knowledge systems and our Peoples."

Theatre & Performance Studies , whose research focus is on digital justice for diverse groups, believes the need of the hour is to collectively conduct research to determine how social injustices are embedded in digital technologies, such as virtual reality (VR), and find impactful solutions.

“Researching barriers to access for those in historically marginalized groups around the world — from the cost of using certain equipment, to having to don normative avatars, to experiencing surveillance on various platforms — will ensure that virtual communities can assemble, self-organize, and connect, allowing them to imagine alternative past, presents, and futures,” she says.

“How these technologies — which enable new kinds of interactivity and storytelling — shape collective thinking, affective experiences, and community care, will be another aspect to explore to better understand social issues produced by interactions between humans and computers. This is especially important in the context of art and educational projects that use immersive features of VR to teach empathy,” says Levin, who is the associate dean of research at the School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design at 91��ɫ.

Levin adds that it is crucial to consider the ethical and political implications of using immersive technologies to give spectators an experience of someone culturally different from themselves (for example, experiencing a migrant’s or a homeless person’s perspective), as this can often reinforce Eurocentric, colonial, and capitalist ideologies.

Another challenge such marginalized communities face as technology evolves, shifting toward integration of AI, is access to the legal justice system.

“With the onslaught of emerging technologies, the law is ever playing catch up and many in society get left behind,” says Intellectual Property Law , who has been researching IP innovation for more than a decade. To tackle this issue, “information and services should remain available and accessible to those who need it most to empower them from the ground up, through education and access to information and resources that should be public knowledge.”

Removing monopolies on public knowledge will help foster more innovation and entrepreneurship at the grassroots level, allowing local economies to prosper and growing made-in-Canada companies to better manage and leverage their resources, says D’Agostino. “At the same time, special care should be taken to ensure that remote communities and those without stable or consistent internet access are still able to access these resources. This can work through strategic and carefully cultivated partnerships which build trust between knowledge-holders and community members.”

For her part, in 2010 D’Agostino founded the at 91��ɫ’s Osgoode Hall Law School, which helps under-resourced entrepreneurs and start-up companies to commercialize their intellectual property. “My current IP Innovation Clinic research is targeting barriers disproportionately affecting women and Indigenous communities, two of the most underrepresented among patent holders in Canada,” she says.

“Through our new AI-powered chatbot at the Clinic, we are trying to engage with organizations supporting these communities to identify barriers, research answers to their most pressing questions, and refine this AI tool to better respond to these concerns,” says D’Agostino. “Bottomline, AI will disrupt all aspects of society, so learning how to embrace and interact with it is the best way to keep up with this shift.”

The common element of all these examples is that new technologies, while providing advances in some areas, also create barriers of threats for some communities, the researchers say, emphasizing that a more proactive approach to understanding the potential consequences of novel technological perturbations.

Having this collective goal of narrowing the digital divide that is intensified by the shift in the interaction between human science and machine science, these researchers and others from research centres at the University have come together to plan programs with real-world impact, while making a positive change in the global arena.

91��ɫ is a modern, multi-campus, urban university located in Toronto, Ontario. Backed by a diverse group of students, faculty, staff, alumni and partners, we bring a uniquely global perspective to help solve societal challenges, drive positive change and prepare our students for success. 91��ɫ's fully bilingual Glendon Campus is home to Southern Ontario's Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education. 91��ɫ’s campuses in Costa Rica and India offer students exceptional transnational learning opportunities and innovative programs. Together, we can make things right for our communities, our planet, and our future.

Media Contact: Gloria Suhasini, 91��ɫ Media Relations and External Communications, 647-463-4354, suhasini@yorku.ca

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Levelling the playing field: How a trauma-informed approach can make physical activity more accessible

mlaforge — Mon, 30 May 2022 13:55:36 +0000

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Alectra and 91��ɫ’s Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change establish the Alectra Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Undergraduate Awards

sandramc — Wed, 18 May 2022 15:16:20 +0000

MISSISSAUGA, May 18, 2022 – Alectra Inc. and 91��ɫ’s Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change (EUC) announce the establishment of the ‘Alectra Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (ED&I) Undergraduate Awards’ to provide scholarship opportunities for Black and Indigenous students accepted into an EUC undergraduate program.

“We are proud to have Alectra as one of our partners and are very grateful for their sustained and active involvement with the 91��ɫ community, especially in support of students, research and transformational initiatives,” said Alice Hovorka, Dean of the Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change at 91��ɫ. “The Alectra EDI Undergraduate Awards will empower students to become champions of justice and sustainability – and will increase equitable access to post-secondary education. In EUC, we are committed to providing accessible education, embracing diversity and empowering all students as changemakers in their own lives and in the lives of others. The Alectra EDI Undergraduate Awards will ensure sustainable pathways and financial support to historically underrepresented students.”

"At Alectra, we believe that making positive change requires dynamic and diverse thinking,” said Brian Bentz, President and CEO, Alectra Inc. “We’re excited to support the efforts of 91��ɫ’s Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change to expand opportunities for under-represented students to thrive in a program devoted to addressing the serious urban and environmental challenges that are facing us today.”

Alectra will contribute $84,000 (over four years) to support two domestic undergraduate Black and/or Indigenous students with full tuition, a flex fund, textbooks and supplies for their full-time degree at 91��ɫ’s Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change.

The Alectra EDI Undergraduate Awards will create opportunities for Black and Indigenous students and create positive change in our communities and the world around us.
In 2020, Alectra began to launch a series of broad-based ED&I initiatives and has supported local anti-racism programs delivered through activism, community building and education. The partnership with 91��ɫ’s Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change is the first undergraduate scholarship program for racialized students that Alectra has sponsored.

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About Alectra Inc.
Serving more than one million homes and businesses in Ontario’s Greater Golden Horseshoe area, Alectra Utilities is now the largest municipally-owned electric utility in Canada, based on the total number of customers served. We contribute to the economic growth and vibrancy of the 17 communities we serve by investing in essential energy infrastructure, delivering a safe and reliable supply of electricity, and providing innovative energy solutions.
Our mission is to be an energy ally, helping our customers and the communities we serve to discover the possibilities of tomorrow’s energy future.

About the Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change
91��ɫ’s new Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change (EUC) has been created as a call to action to respond to the most pressing challenges facing people and the planet. We bring together world class scientists and scholars, who are producing research on the climate crisis, biodiversity loss, intensive urbanization and how these dynamics impact the most vulnerable among us. We offer academic programs empowering our students as changemakers through interdisciplinary thinking, experiential learning, and global perspectives. As a community, we believe that making positive change requires bold and diverse thinking, ambitious action, and community engagement. In EUC, we are mobilizing knowledge for a just and sustainable future.

Media Contacts:
Ashley Trgachef, Media Spokesperson, Alectra
ashley.trgachef@alectrautilities.com | Telephone: 416.402.5469 | 24/7 Media Line: 1.833.MEDIALN

Sandra McLean (she/her)
Senior Media Relations Officer, Media Relations and External Communications
C 416-272-6317
sandramc@yorku.ca | www.news.yorku.ca
Communications & Public Affairs Division | YORK UNIVERSITY

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Focused, hybrid-method survey gives clearer insight into Black experience in Canada

roshanp — Fri, 21 May 2021 13:08:27 +0000

Study lead and equity policy expert available for interviews��

��TORONTO, May 21, 2021 –��Most Black Canadians regularly experience racism, whether it is in criminal justice, education, employment, health care, or in the recently added COVID-19 pandemic scenario, a 91��ɫ-led ongoing survey reveals.

“This experience is not new, but because Black Canadians are typically classified under the larger visible minority group, their unique challenges have always been undermined,” says in the School of Public Policy & Administration, who led the study as part of the Blackness in Canada project.

Nearly 13,000 respondents – both Blacks and non-Blacks – participated in the one-of-its-kind national survey that combined traditional and modern (online / wiki survey) methods of data collection.

The was released today revealing the study results, while the online survey will be open until June 1.

Within the survey, Black Canadians gave a series of recommendations that they feel would best address systemic racism in the country.�� Among them, a call for more educational opportunities for Black Canadians, more anti-racism education in schools, and amendments to the Police Services Act to allow for independent watchdog agencies and harsher penalties for racist conduct by police.

The national survey, which began on March 21, is being conducted by 91��ɫ's Institute for Social Research that Foster leads, in partnership with the and funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council.

Foster is available to discuss the survey results, as well as comment on topics covered in the survey including:

Black experience during the COVID-19 pandemic
Racial profiling, police carding and anti-Black racism
Public policy reform and workplace diversity

91��ɫ��is a modern, multi-campus, urban university located in Toronto, Ontario. Backed by a diverse group of students, faculty, staff, alumni and partners, we bring a uniquely global perspective to help solve societal challenges, drive positive change and prepare our students for success. 91��ɫ's fully bilingual Glendon Campus is home to Southern Ontario's Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education. 91��ɫ’s campuses in Costa Rica and India offer students exceptional transnational learning opportunities and innovative programs. Together, we can make things right for our communities, our planet, and our future.��

Media Contact:
Gloria Suhasini, 91��ɫ Media Relations, 647.463.4354,��suhasini@yorku.ca

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What does it mean to be Black Canadian in a multi-racial Canada?

roshanp — Thu, 06 Feb 2020 15:30:48 +0000

91��ɫ scholar available to discuss Blackness in Canada research project

TORONTO, February 6, 2020 –��It’s no accident that Professor Lorne Foster – one of Canada’s top scholars on racial profiling and anti-racism laws – chose to kick off his research project exploring Black Canadian identity during Black History Month.

is a time to celebrate the contributions of Black Canadians and��learn how people of African descent have helped to shape Canada’s heritage and identity.

is leading a first-of-its-kind, national research project exploring what it means to be a Black Canadian man, woman or youth.

“In many communities across Canada, Black Canadians experience isolation, anti-Black racism, school disengagement, youth incarceration, racial profiling, gun violence, poor health outcomes and greater levels of unemployment and underemployment,” said Foster. A professor in the Department of Equity Studies, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies, Foster also serves as the director of 91��ɫ’s Institute for Social Research.

“To address these barriers within Canada’s Black population, and to advance racial equity in society, we need to study their first-hand-perspectives and listen to their diverse voices,” he said.

The goal of the multi-year study is to investigate the Black Canadian population as a national ethno-racial identity and explore how the experiences of Black Canadians are shaped by social, political and economic factors. The study also seeks to find the most promising ways to alleviate anti-Black racism.

Part of the Blackness in Canada project will involve a national survey of thousands of Black Canadians who will be asked about 40 questions related to several themes including: childhood upbringing, demographic characteristics, and experiences with anti-Black racism and discrimination. The results of the study and survey are expected to be released in early 2021.

The project is being done through the , the country’s largest university-based survey research centre. The $291,072 study is being funded through a $199,980 Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Partnership Grant, with additional funding from 91��ɫ’s Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies, Institute for Social Research, Multicultural History Society of Ontario (MHSO)and Canadian Race Relations Foundation (CRRF).

Foster teaches in the areas of public policy, social justice, race and ethnicity and has written more than 200 published articles, journal articles, book chapters and books, including , released in 2018.

He can comment on:

The Blackness in Canada project
Black History Month and the Black identity
Black Canadians in the human rights movement
Racial profiling, police carding and anti-Black racism
Public policy reform and workplace diversity

91��ɫ champions new ways of thinking that drive teaching and research excellence. Our students receive the education they need to create big ideas that make an impact on the world. Meaningful and sometimes unexpected careers result from cross-disciplinary programming, innovative course design and diverse experiential learning opportunities. 91��ɫ students and graduates push limits, achieve goals and find solutions to the world’s most pressing social challenges, empowered by a strong community that opens minds. 91��ɫ U is an internationally recognized research university – our 11 faculties and 25 research centres have partnerships with 200+ leading universities worldwide. Located in Toronto, 91��ɫ is the third largest university in Canada, with a strong community of 53,000 students, 7,000 faculty and administrative staff, and more than 300,000 alumni.

91��ɫ U's fully bilingual Glendon Campus is home to Southern Ontario's Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education.

��Media Contact: Vanessa Thompson, 91��ɫ Media Relations, 647-654-9452,��vthomps@yorku.ca

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Stopping the stigmatization of Chinese classmates in response to coronavirus

roshanp — Fri, 31 Jan 2020 14:49:22 +0000

91��ɫ educator is available to explain how to teach children to challenge fear

TORONTO, January 31, 2020 – Parents need to avoid transferring their own fears about the coronavirus to their children, and instead encourage them to condemn racism and xenophobia against their East Asian Chinese classmates, says , an assistant professor in 91��ɫ’s Faculty of Education.

Shah, an education expert on issues of equity and justice, is concerned that some elementary school parents are spreading misinformation to their children about the coronavirus. Instead, parents and teachers should learn the facts about the coronavirus from public health officials and empower young people with facts, she says.

“The fear and worry of parents may cause their children to unfairly blame, stereotype, and stigmatize their East Asian classmates and to treat them unfairly and��inequitably,” says Shah. “Fear and panic can often lead to racism, xenophobia, and other forms of oppression.”

While parents can acknowledge the fear they’re feeling, they must stress the facts: the risk in Canada remains low, the Canadian government is taking the necessary precautions to protect people from the spread of coronavirus, and everyone can take action by washing their hands more regularly.

“Parents and educators have a responsibility to teach young people to challenge the racist and xenophobic treatment of East Asian Chinese people through conversations and curriculum that debunk stereotypes,” says Shah. “Children should be encouraged to intervene when they hear racist comments or witness racist behaviours by calling it out and disrupting these harmful stereotypes.”

Shah was a teacher in the Toronto District School Board. Currently, she leads classes for prospective teachers, including Teaching for Diverse & Equitable Classrooms in Ontario, and teaches in the Master of Leadership and Community Engagement program.

She can comment on:

How to talk to children about the coronavirus
The best ways to stop kids from stigmatizing their Asian classmates
How to stop harmful stereotypes about Chinese people
Tips for disrupting racism, xenophobia and demeaning and derogatory comments against marginalized and minority children in schools

91��ɫ U's fully bilingual Glendon Campus is home to Southern Ontario's Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education.

Media Contact: Vanessa Thompson, 91��ɫ Media Relations, 647-654-9452,��vthomps@yorku.ca

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