Breaking Boundaries Through the Arts: The Power of Poetry

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This month, Nirosha Balukamar -fourth-year undergraduate student at Queen’s- writes a powerful piece on how the art of the spoken word can be used to create connections and understandings. Nirosha sees poetry as a tool to educate, empower and engage others in the conversation by raising awareness and fostering environments for constructive dialogue.

My voice is my strength and my strength lies in my voice.

If you know me, you’ll know that one of my favourite phrases is “let’s decolonize education.” I am a huge believer in embracing the untraditional and unconventional ways of learning, of challenging the systems in place and trying to reimagine the way in which we communicate and educate. I am a spoken word artist and I use my art as a platform to advocate and empower others. Continue Reading »

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Together We Are reaches its fourth year!

Another successful year for the Together We Are blog! Thank you to our bloggers and readers who gave so graciously of their time, creativity and passion. Without your energy and support the blog would not be possible.

In 2018-2019 our blog will focus on (re)imagination. Contributors will (re)imagine the institution, space and dream for the future. Over the course of the next year you will hear from students, staff and faculty reflecting on the challenges and accomplishments of the past as well as their respective visions for the future.

Oh and don’t forget, YOU are part of this conversation as well. Together We Are all part of the Queen’s and broader Kingston community and therefore your comments and feedback are welcome.

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Being Who You Are, Inside and Out

This month, contributor Erin LeBlanc, Director, Strategic Program Development & Accreditation at the Smith School of Business and Queen’s alumnae, discusses themes of identity, authentic self, and belonging. Ms. Leblanc is an advocate for LGBTQ+ people with a focus on education, awareness, and building community for transgender people.

If I can’t be me, who am I supposed to be?

This is a question that I hear time and time again in conversations with transgender people. And with June just around the corner and communities preparing to host Pride celebrations, I am reminded of these conversations. Some people may be perplexed by this statement in that they don’t understand why there is such a great deal of stress for those who suffer from Gender Dysphoria.

They don’t understand why there is any issue with someone being transgender. Continue Reading »

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Knowing Who You Are

This month, contributor Ann Deer, Indigenous Recruitment and Support Coordinator in the Faculty of Law at Queen’s University discusses her experiences of being Indigenous within western education systems; attributing her strength and resiliency to the Mohawk women in her family who came before her.

“Go learn what the White Man knows and learn it better,” – Jake Swamp, Mohawk Traditional Chief, Wolf Clan 1942-2010

This is probably the one statement from my undergrad years at Trent University that will always stay with me. For the first time, an Elder, someone from my community was teaching me in a western setting and his words hit home. I was asked to write about my experience on campus with respect to diversity. My experiences here in the western education system go back to when I was young. A person does not experience life in a moment it is all the events that lead you to a moment that defines how you experience a situation. Continue Reading »

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Reflecting on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Today, March 21st, marks the 58th anniversary of the Sharpeville, South Africa massacre and is remembered internationally as the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. As this is a day of reflection, Dr. Sheila Cote-Meek’s piece, which focuses on memory, anniversaries, and reflection is perfect for this day.

2018 marks the 20th anniversary of the Queen’s University Equity Office. Anniversaries provide us with a good time to celebrate as well as engage in critical reflections on our mandate and progress.

Whenever I engage in critical reflection about diversity, equity and inclusion I immediately think about Indigenous peoples in Canada. I think about the gross inequities that persist that Indigenous peoples have been fighting for, for more than a century. A century, think about it!

Indigenous peoples are recognized as the original peoples of Canada and yet, on all socio-economic and health indicators we fall below national averages. Continue Reading »

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The Appeals of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

In our first blog post of 2018, we hear from Dr. Gurjit Sandhu, a Queen’s alumna and faculty member in the Department of Surgery at the University of Michigan. In this piece, Dr. Sandhu reflects upon the meanings of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

In keeping with the theme of the 2017-2018 Together We Are blog, I am in the midst of looking ahead, only to find myself looking back to my time at Queen’s University. The knowledge and understanding I developed about diversity, equity and inclusion continues to provide me with a multifaceted lens of inquiry for my current position in medical education. Although the context and content of the work may have changed, the foundational principles of equity remain the same.

While at Queen’s University, I transitioned through the roles of student, staff and faculty member; contributed to programs and policies; collaborated on training; and contemplated theory. Continue Reading »

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