The Conversation Piece

It feels like branding and marketing goes in cycles of themes, from earnest to snarky to authentic to sarcastic. At the beginning of the pandemic it all felt very earnest: that banding together, we’re all one human race, let’s get through this together. But as often happens, the cycle … cycled, and we started to get the juicy sarcastic stuff again. A few years ago, Terry O’Reilly, gave his Walrus Talk about vice -- are we cycling back up to marketing vice again? Is that even possible in isolation? It was time for an update from the master of advertising himself.

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It’s hard, separated from each other, living under the threat of a pandemic, witnessing unrest and argument, to feel empowered. But the truth of us is that each of us has power. Over ourselves for sure. Over our situations, often more than we think. If you’re feeling at the low-end in terms of empowerment, Sandy Hudson - organizer, writer, and the founder of Black Lives Matter Toronto - is about to give you the boost you need.

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Most of the discussion when it comes to education these days is whether students should be in classrooms or learning virtually, but who they are learning from is an ongoing issue, one that needs to be fixed at the root level. Or it will continue to effect both learners and teachers post-pandemic. Who is teaching? Who gets to go to University? Who gets tenure? And who is leading academia? Deb Saucier is the President and Vice-Chancellor of Vancouver Island University and she spoke at The Walrus Talks Inclusion in 2019.

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We all decide how we want to show ourselves to the world. But who gets to define who you are? In her talk, Samra Habib wants us to own our identities--even if it means not always being accepted by the greater community we belong to. As a queer Muslim woman, she’s reimagined her community to go beyond geographical borders. And at a time where we’re online more than ever, community connections linking people to distant places in the comfort of their own homes, have become commonplace.

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Everybody has their own origin story. Whether that was crossing a sea, or moving around Turtle Island, we each have our own beginning that brought us here. So why we do we make anyone feel like an outsider? In her Talk, Carol Off urges us to take a step back and look at where we came from. In this time when we can’t get on a plane, travel to see loved ones, or start our next adventure, we can stay connected by sharing stories from different times and different places. To identify with a stranger and help make life a little easier. Carol Off is a journalist and host of CBC’s As It Happens.

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In a world obsessed with instant gratification, Teva Harrison reminds us that there is potential in the quiet moments, the ones without goals or deadlines. She urges us to look at nature and appreciate the small successes of each day: the kindness of a stranger, a chance to do a good deed, a laugh shared with a friend—these are all achievements. Harrison compares the realization of our potential to flowers that grow after the snow melts away, our actions determining when we will blossom. Teva Harrison, was an award-winning writer and graphic artist and she spoke at The Walrus Talks Success in 2018. Though we lost her to cancer in 2019, she continues to inspire with her words and her art.

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Is there a straight line between healthcare and housing in Canada? Andrew Boozary is a primary care physician who has an on the ground perspective on healthcare in Canada as we navigate this pandemic. In his Talk, he has a lot to say about that line, where we fall short and the magnification of these failures when faced with a pandemic. Boozary is also the Executive Director for social medicine and population health at the University Health Network.

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As the weather outside becomes snowier and the holidays approach, it gets easier to recognize privilege - right in front of our eyes. The warm home, family gatherings (no more than 10), the ability to give gifts. But, what's not so easy to see are the full shelters, the nursing homes that can’t have visitors, and long lines for the food bank. At a time when we’re all suffering at different levels, do we have capacity to dig deeper for those that are suffering more? Valérie Plante is the mayor of Montreal and she spoke at The Walrus Talks at Home at the Broadbent Institute's 2020 Progress Gala in November.

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Canadians represent 0.48% of the global population, and we’re on track to get even smaller on the world’s stage. In her talk, Shari Austin proposes that Canada’s population needs to triple in less than 100 years. If it doesn’t the country could be facing an onslaught of economic problems. So what do we do? Shari Austin is a consultant and former CEO of Century Initiative, she spoke at The Walrus Talks Disruption in 2018.

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It wasn’t that long ago that cannabis was illegal in Canada. To many detractors, it was seen as a drug that promotes laziness and was more popular among youth rather than a legitimate medicine that can reduce suffering. But tens of thousands of Canadians have regained their ability to function because of medical marijuana. People who were once bedridden are now going outside, playing with their kids, and sleeping at night. So called "normal" activities are made possible again through legal use of medical marijuana. Hilary Black is the Chief Advocacy Officer at Canopy Growth.

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