(Ex)clusion

Alex Valorso brings with her a wide variety of skills as an accomplished humanitarian professional with experience in disaster management and gender. Alex holds a BA in International Development with a focus on community development, a master’s degree in Disaster and Emergency Management with focus on gender and disaster, and certificates in Shelter and Settlement Coordination in Emergencies, Addressing Gender-Based Violence in Emergencies, and International Humanitarian Law. Her most recent accomplishment includes GenderPro, a specialized technical program at George Washington University. Alex volunteers as the VP of her local Women's Resource Centre and has recently spearheaded a Women in Leadership initiative for her community. Dedicated to working with communities, Alex has extensive practitioner experience in emergency management throughout BC, and during various responses in Canada. She is currently a Senior Advisor at EMBC (Emergency Management British Columbia), and is a Gender Equity Advisor through the Gender Equity Office. Prior to joining EMBC, Alex provided technical support as a Gender Specialist with Cuso International in Guyana, participated in an emergency mission for the refugee crisis in Tanzania with MSF, and provided expertise during various responses as a coordinator with the Canadian Red Cross.

Please note: that Alex speaks from her experience and not for the Government of BC.

Resources:
- https://www.brookings.edu/research/disaster-risk-management-a-gender-sensitive-approach-is-a-smart-approach-chapter-4-of-the-year-of-recurring-disasters-a-review-of-natural-disasters-in-2012/
- https://www.iucn.org/content/how-natural-disasters-affect-women
- https://www.preventionweb.net/publications/view/61526
- https://www.buzzsprout.com/281024/3308290-episode-19-edi-in-times-of-crisis-with-special-guests-kathrine-o-neil-from-ywca-edmonton-and-jake-stika-from-next-gen-men
- https://canadianequality.ca/covid-19-is-gendered/
- https://canadianequality.ca/dr-kristen-barber-gender-in-disaster-response/
- https://www.thelily.com/this-state-says-they-have-a-feminist-economic-recovery-plan-heres-what-that-looks-like/
- https://wellbeingeconomy.org/how-iceland-is-already-using-its-wellbeing-framework-in-tackling-the-covid-19-crisis
- https://www.chrc-ccdp.gc.ca/eng/content/statement-canadas-social-and-economic-recovery-efforts-must-take-feminist-approach

Our guest, Kimberly Girling –  is the Interim Executive Director of Evidence for Democracy, a Canadian non-profit organization promoting the transparent use of evidence in government decision-making. Kimberly holds a PhD in Neuroscience from the University of British Columbia and is an alumnus of the Mitacs Canadian Science Policy fellowship, a program connecting scientists to policy issues in the Canadian government. She worked for several years as a policy analyst in the Canadian public sector.

Our discussion includes the use of scientific evidence in the current pandemic crisis, and how we can use transparent evidence based science moving forward when writing current and future government policies.

Evidence for Democracy: https://evidencefordemocracy.ca/en/about
- Report Evidence in Action: An Analysis of Information Gathering and Use by Canadian Parliamentarians  www.bit.ly/evidenceinaction
- Upcoming Q&A on the role of the science community in responding to COVID19 https://evidencefordemocracy.ca/en/content/register-our-latest-webinar
- ipolitics piece on EDI: https://ipolitics.ca/2020/04/23/leading-with-a-quiet-voice-the-irony-of-womens-influence-during-covid-19/

Note: We are aware that policies are changing rapidly and that discussion within the podcast may already be out of date.

Child Care must be part of re-opening strategy
https://thestarphoenix.com/news/local-news/we-do-need-that-extra-care-experts-say-child-care-needed-in-reopening-plans

COVID-19 amplifies existing challenges for undocumented workers, experts say

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/covid-19-undocumented-workers-alberta-report-1.5553203


Episode Recording on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3fVLRsX2QIA&t=15s

EDI in Times of Crisis
https://www.feminuity.org/blog/dei-in-crisis?fbclid=IwAR3cEYEkUN8_Fdj3uswqVq5oCF9yFIm99pFej0lJHPqFmA7u7KZwjpWbzFQ

Gendered Impacts
https://canadianwomen.org/blog/gendered-impacts-of-coronavirus/?fbclid=IwAR35ZSSmyuw8u6in68dJ3BIoXls4sl3paO8vnuPmB5dopIeZwgMXNiZF9ak

https://www2.unwomen.org/-/media/field%20office%20americas/documentos/publicaciones/2020/03/enbriefing%20coronavirusv1117032020.pdf?la=en&vs=4511&fbclid=IwAR0uGhxOPkApQ0cjcGuCXZlZKS-bVAEOPmbxIlLjrSskcAhNCa-oqD8tyGE

http://behindthenumbers.ca/2020/03/20/covid-19-crisis-response-must-address-gender-faultlines/

https://calgaryherald.com/pmn/health-pmn/countries-must-tackle-horrifying-domestic-abuse-surge-amid-lockdowns-un-chief/wcm/1da8a911-b261-42ce-b6da-2a411989947c/?fbclid=IwAR1nMsCFvts-xJGDaElLgA7qJkAo38Os3I50N8RRus1xRLH3i_rq8qi5j_w

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/12/us/women-coronavirus-greater-risk.html?smid=fb-share&fbclid=IwAR09ewlJFMTO4R7Aojpp2HBBtyoB5hJI30kIng74VKGXguO0DOTLiPIAQWI

Leadership
https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2020/04/01/the-faces-of-the-covid-19-fight-across-canada-are-female-heres-why-that-matters.html?fbclid=IwAR3Q3KLwrI5nCmIANRJsQMabT21Bb8639FfDwU7Z8DZbXxgAV2HYhCLQKbM

https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/04/women-female-leadership-gender-coronavirus-covid19-response/

Non-Profit Sector
https://globalnews.ca/news/6747825/coronavirus-charities-canada/?utm_source=GlobalNews&utm_medium=Facebook&fbclid=IwAR1pFG2YKpS-sLoPnwB4ieDRT-ilqZWVVCJY8ozunLCAkMWxug7DFSWVqXk

https://globalnews.ca/news/6778731/coronavirus-womens-indigenous-assault-centres/?utm_source=GlobalNews&utm_medium=Facebook&fbclid=IwAR1LNbB3lmEsrnayvckZjGlFl2MlnEGXEqI2ORqwncUTVaGur99Mzi7B3Qo

Redefining Essential Services
https://policyoptions.irpp.org/magazines/march-2020/covid-19-crisis-shows-us-childcare-is-always-an-essential-service/?fbclid=IwAR3rSZcRUUXKAPofcI41DDTj0DNPfB_JJ_N2JTtgH-Ta7Gl6tWiWgaZJwZs

Melissa, CEO of Lamson Consulting, has a Masters in Intercultural Relations. Melissa is an experienced speaker and media personality with more than 20 years of experience in human resources, leadership, manager training, and global workforce development. She has founded companies in Europe and the US, has clients and projects in over 40 countries, and has authored 6 books. She has offered companies such as 3M, LinkedIn, SAP, and Siemens the leadership tools and insights to build successful management and project teams in every corner of the world. She understands that individuals and organizations must upskill their management techniques and training to respond to an increasingly decentralized and multicultural workforce, yet time and again - she sees leadership approaching diversity and inclusion all wrong. 

Melissa is the author of a new book called THE NEW GLOBAL MANAGER: Learning to Manage Well in a Complex Business Environment, the book is a daily resource for managers -  providing practical tools, frameworks, strategies, and tips for successfully managing teams face-to-face and virtually.

Through our interview, Melissa will help listeners understand common mistakes, learn the strategies that have the greatest impact, discover ways to get buy-in for Diversity and Inclusion initiatives and increase employee engagement.

Resources:
https://lamsonconsulting.com/
https://www.youtube.com/user/mlamson1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwRW3k7zIJU
https://www.instagram.com/melissa_lamson/
https://twitter.com/melissa_lamson1
https://www.facebook.com/lamsonconsulting/

Happy International Women's Day!
On today's episode, your hosts Alicia and Marcie will discuss how careers no longer follow the traditional 'ladder' model, instead they are more like 'jungle gyms'!

Alicia and Marcie will discuss their own career paths, those who have inspired them, and their hopes for the future in terms of their own careers and societies they work in. 

Resources mentioned:

Alicia Bjarnason

•  https://bjarg.ca/about
• https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/calgary-geologist-alicia-bjarnason-stars-of-alberta-volunteer-inspiring-girls-science-1.5393006

Marcie Hawranik 

• https://canadianequality.ca/about/
• https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/alberta-women-launch-fashion-line-madame-premier-to-promote-gender-equality-in-politics

Feminist Geography and Feminist Science Studies

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feminist_geography
• https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/feminist-science/

GeoWomen Links

•  https://geowomen.org/
•  https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/jocelyn-keith-asante-geowomen-stem-minerva-alberta-women-1.5395590

Doreen Massey

• https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14649365.2016.1192673

Marilyn Waring

• http://www.nfb.ca/film/whos_counting/
• https://www.ted.com/talks/marilyn_waring_the_unpaid_work_that_gdp_ignores_and_why_it_really_counts?language=en 
• https://www.mother.ly/news/the-value-of-unpaid-care-work-by-women-is-10-8-trillion

International Studies, Political Science, Justice and Human Rights 

• https://www.maxwell.syr.edu
• http://www.umanitoba.ca/colleges/st_pauls/mauro_institute/
• https://www.hrw.org
• https://www.ohchr.org/en/hrbodies/upr/pages/uprmain.aspx

Hillary Clinton

• https://thehill.com/people/hillary-clinton

Jacinda Ardern

• https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jan/07/charismatic-new-zealand-pm-jacinda-ardern-named-pacific-person-of-the-year

Sanna Marin

• https://www.forbes.com/sites/carmenniethammer/2019/12/12/finlands-new-government-is-young-and-led-by-women-heres-what-the-country-does-to-promote-diversity/#347d824f35aa

Today’s Guest:
Robyn Hanson is a communications professional who thrives when stepping out of her comfort zone. She holds a Public Relations diploma, a Bachelor of Professional Arts in Communications degree, and a Masters of Education. Robyn is committed to educating others on ADHD to help reduce the stigma attached to the condition.

Resources:
YouTube
Essential Ideas for Parents: Dr. Russell Barkley (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCAGc-rkIfo)

How to ADHD: YouTube personality JessicaMcCabe (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-nPM1_kSZf91ZGkcgy_95Q)

Websites
ADDitude (https://www.additudemag.com/)
Children and Adults with ADHD (https://chadd.org/)
Totally ADD (https://totallyadd.com/)

Podcast
ADHD for Smart A** Women (https://www.tracyotsuka.com/podcast)

Tips for Workplaces.
Workplaces can...

• allow employees to wear headphones for listening to music or white noise
• offer swing spaces for conversations or deep reading where there are no distractions
• employ scheduled blocks of uninterrupted time during the day where the phone is set on do not disturb and e-mail notifications are blocked 
• offer sit stand desks
• encourage exercise during lunch hours
• encourage doing tasks that are mini movement breaks, like walking to a co-workers desk rather than picking up the phone and using the stairs rather than the elevator
• encourage people to write notes during meetings  to reduce impulsive interrupting
• employ Post-It planning to map out ideas visually 
• partner employees for projects

Notable People with ADHD
Richard Branson - Founder of the Virgin Group

Jim Carrey, Zooey Deschanel, Ryan Gosling, and Emma Watson - Actors

Michael Phelps and Simone Biles - Olympians

Adam Levine - Musician

Ed Hallowell - Harvard Psychiatrist

Lisa Ling - Journalist

Unconscious Bias has been the most popular equity, diversity and inclusion training over the last couple of years. However, if the training is not designed correctly, the efforts have been known to actually resulted in more harm than good and in a backlash amongst participants and between employees. 

The last thing companies want to do is introduce an EDI topic to their organization - where people are already pretty hesitant to accept EDI – and then end up amplifying or accelerating biases!

In this week's episode, your hosts Alicia and Marcie will be discussing basics on the topic as well as what to look for in a good training package.

If your company is looking for Unconscious Bias training, please contact us. We would be happy to support you. Our training includes a proven tool kit and customized case studies to help companies find a way for the training to work for them!

Resources:
- https://canadianequality.ca/
- https://bjarg.ca/
- https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/canada/takeatest.html
- https://www.the519.org/education-training/glossary
- https://www.thehrsource.com/post/5-types-of-unconscious-bias-in-the-workplace
- https://www.ciphr.com/features/unconscious-bias-in-the-workplace/
- https://builtin.com/diversity-inclusion/gender-bias-in-the-workplace

Today's discussion includes unique career journeys, the power of networking and crisis leadership with Gitane De Silva. 

Gitane previously served as Alberta’s Deputy Minister of International and Intergovernmental Relations, she also worked in Canada’s Foreign Service for over a decade specializing in Canada-U.S. relations. She had held various posts in the U.S. including Consul General of Canada in Chicago and Head of the Environment and Fisheries section at the Canadian Embassy in Washington. She has also worked as Director of Canada-U.S. Advocacy and Mission Liaison and Director of U.S. Transboundary Affairs at Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada in Ottawa. In January 2016, Gitane was appointed Alberta’s Representative to the U.S. in Washington, D.C. where she led Alberta’s trade and diplomatic work in the U.S. and led Alberta’s Washington Office. Gitane is now back in Alberta, based in Calgary, Advising the Department of Energy.

A discussion with Gillian Hynes

Gillian is a Senior HR leader at Shell Canada with Talent Strategy expertise, and has worked, lived and travelled throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia. In her current role as a Global Manager Talent, Downstream for Shell she is responsible for delivering world-class outcomes for leadership development, expertise in Future of Work, and the creation and implementation of innovative Talent and D&I Strategy. Her forward-thinking and innovative approach results in robust people and business performance.  In addition to Shell, she is involved in several community initiatives. With the belief that the Future of Work is deeply rooted in STEM, Gillian is on the Board of Directors for the Alberta Science Network helping to make science fun and meaningful for kids of all ages. As an Ask Her Association Board Member, she supports and empowers women, helping to increase the number of women on Calgary’s City Council. Gillian is al passionate about advancing the HR profession and have recently joined the board of CPHR Alberta. Gillian has an MBA from Queens University, a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Calgary and a Certificate in Social Impact from Queens University. She also holds her CPHR designation. Gillian is also a recent award winner of the Young Women in Energy Awards to recognize and reward Albertans who go above and beyond to change the face of energy.

Resources:

• https://www.shell.com/about-us/our-values/_jcr_content/par/toptasks_217404475.stream/1475835460355/8263dd520583639d7a2b5c38b4dee1e2475cc7b2/diversity-and-inclusiveness-at-shell-driving-progress-through-people.pdf
• https://www.shell.com/careers/about-careers-at-shell/we-are-one-team/diversity-inclusion.html

We have heard many debriefings on last weeks federal election, but none have been through an EDI lens. 
We will discuss topics including: 
- Who were the target audiences of each federal campaign 
- What topics were missed, such as women and indigenous concerns
- How can we increase the female presence in all levels of politics
- What is the difference between being an Ally and a Saviour 
- What is Wexit and who's voices are being forgotten
Resources on topics discussed:

• https://www.elections.ca/home.aspx
• https://2019.liberal.ca/
• https://www.conservative.ca/
• https://www.greenparty.ca/en
• https://www.ndp.ca/
• https://www.peoplespartyofcanada.ca/
• https://www.re-electjodywr.ca/
• https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-limited-gains-for-diverse-candidates-prompt-calls-for-changes-to/
• https://calgaryherald.com/opinion/columnists/opinion-i-bet-you-didnt-think-domestic-violence-was-that-bad
• https://mashable.com/2016/01/10/ally-to-people-of-color/
• https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/entry/what-is-wexit-western-separation_ca_5db2317ae4b0b9ba5c48e1dd
• https://www.cbc.ca/news/indigenous/first-nations-weigh-in-on-quebec-sovereignty-debate-1.2577550
• https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/protesters-against-quebec-s-secularism-law-say-they-re-not-giving-up-1.4657818