Rule out racism at UBCO

Photo: Contributed

UBC Okanagan has launched a week-long series of events to spawn greater conversation about race and racism in the Valley.

A panel discussion on Canadian racism and its complexities will be moderated by the Alden Habacon, UBC director of intercultural understanding. Habacon will be joined by six panelists who range from students in nursing to PhD Candidates.

There will be a booth with information about Rule Out Racism Week and, today and Thursday, photos will be displayed by creative studies students. The "I, Too, Am UBCO" is a photo campaign aimed at celebrating diversity on campus. Use the hashtag #itooamubco on Instagram, to check out photos online.

An indigeneity panel will take place Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. at the UNC 200 ballroom and will feature research presentations by indigenous graduate students.

An anti-discrimination training program titled ‘The Really? Campaign’  will be held Thursday at the Aboriginal Collegium. The program aims to empower individuals to respond to discriminatory comments or situations.

Two separate discussions involving race relations in the Okanagan will be held Friday and Saturday.

On Friday, Kamilla Bahbahani and Taban Leggett will host ‘Becoming Home: The Welcoming Okanagan, a discussion drawing on their local research – from 2008 and 2014 – in order to generate further insights into how we can become a more welcoming, vibrant and supportive region.

Saturday, the community group RAMA (Radical Action with Migrants in Agriculture) will host a conversation inviting people to consider the role of borders, citizenship, migration, race and the law in shaping the experiences of seasonal workers in the Okanagan and beyond. This event is free and open to the public and will take place at Okanagan College at 7 p.m.

For more information on the events click here.