Alberta is located on Treaty land. An acknowledgment of the historical legacy of hateful treatment towards the Indigenous community in Canada culminated with the federal government’s Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action in 2015. In this episode, we outline what, if anything, has changed in Alberta and how Indigenous knowledge can help us heal from historical and current narratives of hate.

What do young Albertans think about what is going on in the province? Do they see any hope in looking past the hateful noise that appears to be dividing the country? This episode will explore youth perspectives on hate, and what this demographic thinks can be done to address the issue.

In recent years, strong and polarizing views regarding immigration, refugees, and resettlement have shaped many narratives in Alberta and Canada. These narratives have fuelled hatred and misunderstanding about immigration - both online and offline. This episode explores the voices of anti-immigration in order to understand how this impacts newcomers and newcomer serving agencies in Alberta.

In an age of increasing political and social polarization, how do we understand the diverse and divisive viewpoints that are fueling the rhetoric of hate in Alberta? This episode outlines recent examples of hate in Alberta, and also speaks to groups involved on “all sides” of the debate to help us answer: What is the current context of hate in Alberta?

The final episode of this podcast will take a look at this question, drawing from the responses of all the interviewees from the series. Based on their collective response, do we have any hope of finding common ground in the face of increasing political and social polarization?

Welcome to Common Ground, a new podcast from MacEwan University that explores the narratives of hate and counter-hate in Alberta. Each episode your hosts, Irfan Chaudry and Iman Bukhari, will speak to guests and tackle challenging and polarizing issues in the province.