Conversations That Matter

Ep 237

Guest:  Hailey Cheema

Headline:  Organ Donation

 

The impact we make on life is determined by our responses to the events that affect us. Do we crumble, do we rise up, do we determine to change the way of the world to improve the lives of others?

 

That brings us to our guest today, who as a teenage girl, experienced the slow deterioration of her grandfather’s life due to failing kidneys. Sadly his life was cut shorter than it needed to be, robbing Hailey, her family and all of us of the incredible contributions he still wanted to make.

 

In response, Hailey was determined to change the lives of thousands of people affected with kidney disease. She became an organ transplant crusader. She started by talking to anyone who would listen. Now she is leading the charge to introduce the issue of organ transplantation into the high school health curriculum.

 

She says it is important that we all appreciate the gift of organ transplantation along with the legal obligations required to ensure your wishes are fulfilled. For example, did you know that your family can deny the donation of your organs upon your death even though you have completed an organ donation card?

 

We invited Hailey Cheema to join us for a Conversation That Matters about the myriad details associated with organ transplantation.

 

Simon Fraser University’s Centre for Dialogue presents Conversations That Matter. Join veteran Broadcaster Stuart McNish each week for an important and engaging Conversation about the issues shaping our future.

Please become a Patreon subscriber and support the production of this program, with a $1 pledge https://goo.gl/ypXyDs

Ep 236

Guest: Nancy Kotani  

Headline:  Community Paramedicine

 

Life on the frontier in British Columbia is fantastic so long as you’re healthy. Get injured or worse suffer from a chronic condition and up until now, health care was usually a sirens-blaring ambulance trip to a hospital more than 100 kilometers away.

 

It was a problem – a big problem – for many reasons. Then one day, a solution emerged: members of the Ambulance and Paramedics Union came up with a way of creating sustainable employment of ambulance paramedics in remote communities and at the same time dramatically improve the well-being of the people they served.

 

The community paramedicine program came to life and now provides high-level care for elderly patients in 99 remote and rural communities throughout the province. The benefits include but are not limited to: aging in place for seniors; families remain united; health outcomes are improving; and paramedics are now assured a stable job.

 

This is a made-in-BC solution to a BC health care challenge – a remarkable success story.

 

We invited Nancy Kotani of the Chief Transformation Office of BC’s Emergency Health Services to join us for a Conversation That Matters about the remarkable success story that is improving lives in remote and rural communities in BC.  

 

Simon Fraser University’s Centre for Dialogue presents Conversations That Matter. Join veteran Broadcaster Stuart McNish each week for an important and engaging Conversation about the issues shaping our future.

Please become a Patreon subscriber and support the production of this program, with a $1 pledge https://goo.gl/ypXyDs

Ep 235

Guest:  Bethany Edmunds

Headline:  Technology: The Great Equalizer

 

We hear about technology all the time to the point where the focus has shifted from good for us to bad. Tech, both loved and feared: is it taking over our lives? It has reams of data on us, it knows our habits and predicts what we want to buy or do next.

 

We’re asking ourselves: are we slaves to our devices? Search the topic, “Has Technology Ruined Our Lives?” and you’ll be bombarded with search page after search page connecting you to articles, videos and talks all telling you that technology has robbed us of the joy of life.

 

Not so fast, says Bethany Edmunds, a computing sciences instructor, who says technology has changed the lives of all of us for the better and even more so for the disenfranchised. Technology, she points out, is the great equalizer – first in its ability to navigate life for everyone and especially for those with challenges. At the same time it has also taken away physical barriers to jobs and careers.

 

We invited Bethany Edmunds to join us for a Conversation That Matters about how technology is accessible coupled with a path tech careers for non-nerds – a path she says is within our reach.

 

Simon Fraser University’s Centre for Dialogue presents Conversations That Matter. Join veteran Broadcaster Stuart McNish each week for an important and engaging Conversation about the issues shaping our future.

Please become a Patreon subscriber and support the production of this program, with a $1 pledge https://goo.gl/ypXyDs

Ep 234

Guest: John Gastil

Headline: Honesty in Referendums

 

Referendums and initiatives are strange instruments in a democracy. They present as  opportunities for the public to make a decision on a matter of great importance. In some cases, they are fundamental to our system of governance; at other times they are so red hot, the government simply doesn’t want to own the issue.

 

In each case, you as the voter are asked to make a decision, one that will change laws. How, then, do you make an informed decision? Where do you get information that is detailed yet comprehensible? Who can you trust?

Take electoral reform in BC for example.  In 2018, it was a mess. The authorship of the question was poorly crafted, it was never appropriately explained and the whole thing was all done in a rush. Then the campaigns of interested parties began. The “never in a million years” side did a great job of exploiting the poor authorship of the question and instilled distrust in the entire process.

 

The level of discourse only went down and the actual merits of electoral reform virtually disappeared as opposing sides went tooth and nail. The losers in this titanic battle were voters who were deprived of a balanced and thoughtful exchange of the facts or the merits of the issue.

So, what if we could establish a method of examining the facts in a thoughtful and deliberative way? What would that look like?

 

Enter deliberative democracy, a communication model that would mirror the process of weighing the facts, the way a jury does in a court of law. It is possible in small groups and it could potentially serve as a guideline for future referendums.

 

We invited John Gastil of Penn State University to join us for a Conversation That Matters about a way of creating a structure and process that will allow voters to make informed decisions on referendum questions.

 

Simon Fraser University’s Centre for Dialogue presents Conversations That Matter. Join veteran Broadcaster Stuart McNish each week for an important and engaging Conversation about the issues shaping our future.

Please become a Patreon subscriber and support the production of this program, with a $1 pledge https://goo.gl/ypXyDs

Ep 233

Guest: Marc Rauch

Headline: Ethanol - The Forgotten Alternative Fuel

 

Ethanol – the clean alternative fuel that got shoved aside through a series of unfortunate events. It was THE fuel the Model T was designed to burn. It was THE fuel that all auto manufacturers designed engines to run on. It burned far cleaner than kerosene, cleaner than oil, it was in demand and it was abundant.

 

The US government, however, saw it as a cash cow when it was in need of a tax plan that would help pay for the Civil War – a tax that increased the price of ethanol to more than $2 in 1864, kerosene was taxed at 10 cents.  Then in 1920, prohibition banned the production of ethanol for any use because it is alcohol.

 

Despite burning cleaner, despite solving what is known as engine knock and despite cleaner emissions, ethanol has languished as a fuel. It’s a solution that is readily accessible and frequently overlooked.

 

Marc Rauch, a car lover, Vice-President of the Auto Channel and an accidental environmentalist is leading the charge to invigorate a passion for ethanol, a fuel he says “is the answer we’re looking for. It’s the answer to our energy needs, it’s the answer to self-sufficiency, it’s the environmental solution that already exists.”

 

We invited  Marc Rauch to join us for a Conversation That Matters about a why ethanol gets so little respect as a fuel and why we need to learn to love it.

 

Simon Fraser University’s Centre for Dialogue presents Conversations That Matter. Join veteran Broadcaster Stuart McNish each week for an important and engaging Conversation about the issues shaping our future.

Please become a Patreon subscriber and support the production of this program, with a $1 pledge https://goo.gl/ypXyDs

Ep 232

Guest: Stephen Garrett

Headline: On Death and Dying

 

“Death the Final Stage of Growth” by Elisabeth Kubler-Ross details the fact that we are a death-denying society. That may be the case but as Stephen Garrett points out, there are more than 900,000 people in British Columbia over the age of 65 who are going to die – and pretty soon.

 

Garrett says, “We’re woefully under-prepared. We’re under-prepared emotionally, psychologically and sociologically for the inevitable.” He says that means people are going to be angry, scared, alone and frequently unattended to by health care services that will be overwhelmed.

 

He has a clear idea about you can do to come to grips with passing on and doing so in a responsible manner. Coming to grips with death, he says, “is one thing. Being prepared emotionally, financially, legally and attending to your health needs – well, that’s another and it’s your responsibility to address these issues.”

 

We invited Stephen Garrett of the Memorial Society to join us for a Conversation That Matters about heading off over the horizon without regrets and having your affairs in order.

 

Simon Fraser University’s Centre for Dialogue presents Conversations That Matter. Join veteran Broadcaster Stuart McNish each week for an important and engaging Conversation about the issues shaping our future.

 

Please become a Patreon subscriber and support the production of this program, with a $1 pledge https://goo.gl/ypXyDs

Ep 231

Guest: Jamie Levchuk

Headline: Why are Rugby Sevens so much fun

 

The Rugby Sevens are coming. Look out and get ready to have fun.  

 

The Sevens, as they are affectionately known, are a hot sports entertainment property. The game is a shortened and intense version of Rugby. While the Sevens look like rugby, that’s because there are players attempting to move the ball down the field and across the goal line, utilizing the same rules as the full blown game on the same field, but that’s where the comparison ends.

 

The Sevens condense everything from the number of players per team – seven – to the number in a scrum, three per team, and just five substitutes. There are two seven-minute halves and everything on the field happens faster. When one game is over, the other starts. It’s a snap, snap, snap tournament.

 

The fun seeps off the field and into the stands. Fans dress in costumes, wave flags, jump up and down, paint their faces and thrill in the excitement both on the field and in the seats.

 

We invited Jamie Levchuk, the managing director of the HSBC Canada Sevens to join us for a Conversation That Matters about the sporting phenonium that is sweeping the globe.

 

Simon Fraser University’s Centre for Dialogue presents Conversations That Matter. Join veteran Broadcaster Stuart McNish each week for an important and engaging Conversation about the issues shaping our future.

Please become a Patreon subscriber and support the production of this program, with a $1 pledge https://goo.gl/ypXyDs

Ep 230

Guest: Kim Fournier

Headline: Emergency Prep through Self Sufficiency

 

Amid the myriad emergency preparation programs, an old idea emerges – namely self sufficiency, the ability to feed and house yourself without the support of electricity or gas. It’s a radical idea, one that brings with it an appreciation for the power of nature and our place in it.

 

According to emergency preparedness expert Kim Fournier, if you know how to create a source of energy for cooking and warmth, where to find water and sanitize it, where you can find edible food and you know how to keep yourself dry and warm, then you can survive the aftermath of tragedies. In other words, start camping, get good at it and keep your gear in good repair.

 

Fournier shares insights from her career in the Canadian military on how to survive – paramount among them is looking after one another: “The people most likely to live following a tragic event are the ones who belong to a neighbourhood that looks out for one another.”

 

Along the way, you’ll gain insights into the impact we all are having on Mother Earth. Fournier says, “Self-reliance is about creating a life that has a minimal environmental impact because you have no choice. You have to source locally.” And that, she points out, is what preparedness in large measure is about.

 

We invited emergency preparedness expert Kim Fournier to join us for a Conversation That Matters about living a life that prepares you every day for life threatening sudden changes.

 

Simon Fraser University’s Centre for Dialogue presents Conversations That Matter. Join veteran Broadcaster Stuart McNish each week for an important and engaging Conversation about the issues shaping our future.

Please become a Patreon subscriber and support the production of this program, with a $1 pledge https://goo.gl/ypXyDs

Ep 229

Maya Kollman

Surrendering to Love

 

Is the answer to a successful relationship found in your ability to surrender to love? If it is, wow, that requires a lot of trust. Obviously we’re willing to try because we are driven to couple up, yet connecting is extremely difficult.

 

According to relationship guru Maya Kollman, “loving somebody, really loving somebody and surrendering to loves forces us to face our deepest fears which are ‘they’ll leave me or they’ll die.’”

 

Kollman says that love – that connection – is the key to our very survival as individuals. She says we are really good at finding “the” partner who can fulfill us and help us actualize who we are.

 

Living with those same people, however, isn’t easy. Kollman points out, “This is where a respectful and appropriate communication strategy is required” – a strategy she insists exists.

 

We invited Imago relationship specialist Maya Kollman to join us for a Conversation That Matters about a deep, meaningful and loving communication model for couples.

 

Simon Fraser University’s Centre for Dialogue presents Conversations That Matter. Join veteran Broadcaster Stuart McNish each week for an important and engaging Conversation about the issues shaping our future.

Please become a Patreon subscriber and support the production of this program, with a $1 pledge https://goo.gl/ypXyDs

Ep 228 Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper

Astronauts – From Midwest Gal to MIT Grad to Astronaut

 

How do you become an astronaut? It turns out there isn’t a straight line from here to outer space, but the good news is it doesn’t matter much where you start. What does matter is your desire to be exceptional at what you do – and what you do needs to be in line with the needs of the space program.

 

For example, let’s say you apply to study engineering at MIT – an education you couldn’t afford but thanks to a ROTC program, you can go to school, get your education and then join the Navy. Then let’s say you become a naval diver where your days are spent in an artificial breathing environment working on the hulls of ships.

 

Then one day, you learn that NASA needs dedicated people who can function comfortably in a spacesuit fixing the International Space Station. And before you know it, you are one of 12 out of 18,000 who applied for the job of astronaut who gets hired.

We invited NASA astronaut Captain Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper to join us for a Conversation That Matters about what going to space is like and why she wants her career in space to inspire young women to achieve their dreams.

 

Simon Fraser University’s Centre for Dialogue presents Conversations That Matter. Join veteran Broadcaster Stuart McNish each week for an important and engaging Conversation about the issues shaping our future.

Please become a Patreon subscriber and support the production of this program, with a $1 pledge https://goo.gl/ypXyDs