According to Governor General David Johnston, it's the best time in history to be a scholar, as knowledge becomes ever more accessible to world citizens. But providing access to knowledge is still a challenge, and that's something he wants Canadian academics to change.

On the opening day of Canada's largest annual gathering of scholars, the 2012 Congress of the Humanities, he laid out a five-part plan for the way Canadian scholars could lead the charge to build a smarter, more caring nation. Have a listen.

Three-time Juno Award nominee and Métis musician Jani Lauzon believes in the power of story. In this podcast, she gives a talk on storytelling and embodied knowledge at the Democratic Dialogue Via The Arts Symposium held at the University of Ottawa. In the process, she shares tidbits of wisdom from her past mentors and winds up telling a story of her own.

Muna Mire interviews Kim Crosby -- an award-winning multidisciplinary artist, community activist and queer survivor of sexual assault.

Their conversation is centred around the process of opening up the space of Slutwalk for racialized women and transpeople. Is there privilege in calling yourself a slut? Can women of colour and transpeople afford to name themselves sluts in protest? Listen to hear more.

Celebrated professors and authors Cornel West and Frances Fox talk about the future of the Occupy movement, and their opinions on a changing America during the 2012 Left Forum, held at Pace University, in New York City in March.

Speaking as the keynote for the Left Forum at Pace University on March 17, 2012, Michael Moore, the filmmaker responsible for such documentaries as Bowling for Columbine and Capitalism: a love story, talked hopefully about fundamental changes he sees taking place in America.

The podcast was recorded by Kim Elliott.

The aboriginal law conference in Vancouver B.C. brought together Bruce Granville Miller, who has written about oral tradition in the courtroom, Sophie McCall, an associate professor of English at SFU who has written about aboriginal storytelling and Darlene Johnston, a professor of law at UBC who has been recognized by the Indigenous Bar Association.

They discussed how to go about respecting aboriginal culture in the courtroom.

Winona LaDuke, the the executive director of Honor the Earth and the White Earth Land Recovery Project, was in Winnipeg on Feb. 24, 2012 to talk at the Growing Local conference.

During her lecture she talked about the importance of sustainability, indigenous knowledge and independence.

Pat Mooney is the author and co-author of several books on the politics of biotechnology and biodiversity, and the award-winning director of the ETC Group. This week he spoke about whether we should trust the system that broke our planet to fix it.

• The 2014 Health Accord will set out the national plan for our health care system and play a key role in determining the direction for health care in Canada. The Federal government has already revealed plans to cut federal health transfers.

• On January 16-17, 2012 Premier Christy Clark hosted premiers from across the country to discuss health care and fiscal arrangements with the federal government related to the 2014 Health Accord.

• The Council of Canadians and the BC Health Coalition joined together to hold this townhall meeting. Following are the opening remarks by three researchers and advocates for health care, who say now is the time for Canadians to speak out to protect our public health care system.

• Rachel Tutte, the co-chair of the BC Health Coalition, introduced the series of three lectures:
• Mike Luff, NUPGE Director of Communications, dispells the notion that health care is not affordable or sustainable - "a triumph of economics", and outlines the principles for building a new accord.

• Diana Gibson, Parkland Institute researcher, takes on the Conservative discourse that demonizes taxes, government, and public services. She "channels" US conservative lobbyist Grover Norquist whose goals was "get government small enough to drown it in a bathtub" - and whose methods appear to be closely followed by the Harper government. Maude Barlow, chairperson of the Council of Canadians, reminds listeners of the times before public health care, pointing out that there has been no greater threat to public services than what we are in now. Quoting her favorite Occupy sigh, "If you won't let me dream, I won't let you sleep", she calls on Canadians to speak out for public health care, and what makes Canada... Canadian.