The Conversation Piece

Amanda Parris is a playwright and the host of CBC’s, Exhibitionists and Marvin’s Room and she spoke about her fear of being forgotten by a culture that seems to prefer to forget stories like the ones that she tells and amplifies. How does denial affect us in our individual lives, and what can we do to remedy Canada’s Collective Amnesia?

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We've been talking about Inclusion and Diversity as a society for what feels like forever, with limited success in addressing either. But 2020 is shaping up to be a year of action and as Eva Greyeyes will tell you, it’s time to stop looking to the past, and focus on the future - Resurgence rather than Reconciliation. Eva Greyeyes is Nêhiyaw, from Muskeg Lake Cree Nation, and was a grade 11 student when she gave this talk.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As Canadians from Halifax to Vancouver protest against police brutality and racial discrimination, many are asking how do we make the necessary leap from calls for justice to a tangible change in policing that saves lives? In 2019, Brittany Andrew-Amofah spoke about the power of local government that is often overlooked -- and underestimated. If cities involve marginalized communities in their systems of governance, could we end police brutality in this country forever?

Brittany Andrew-Amofah is a Senior Policy and Research Analyst at the Broadbent Institute and she spoke at DIALOG Presents The Walrus Talks Wellbeing in 2019.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Across the country, Canadians are taking to the streets, protesting police violence. And while some are calling for reforms, others are questioning the need for police altogether. Journalist, activist and author Desmond Cole recently tweeted that when he gave this talk in 2017, he was scared to propose a cop-free future in a room that included the Governor-General and members of the armed forces, RCMP, and local police.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s impossible to miss the common thread in the images of protest on all our screens these days. People have reached their limit. They are sad. They are angry. And despite a global pandemic, they are gathering in protest.

Criticism will always follow protest, and much of the criticism is aimed at the so-called youth. Every generation seems to take issue with the young, forgetting their own journeys, and more importantly, closing their ears and minds to people who think speak and act differently than us.

This is Samantha Reusch, from The Walrus Talks Wellbeing.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Resilience can be about coming to terms with the obstacles in front of you. As we minimize touching and practice social isolation, it's starting to feel like at least part of this experience will have to become part of our forever experience. Rupi Kaur spoke about the power of resilience in her own life.

Special thanks to Indspire, Enbridge and Concordia University for their support for The Walrus Talks.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Artists can’t give you a vaccine or tell leaders how to reopen the economy. But they do give you Netflix to binge-watch, music for your daily walks and books to distract you.

Janice Price, president of the Banff Centre, talks about why we turn to the arts in times of crisis. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

These are some of our Walrus Talks that remind us of the powerful role mothers play and how their love can shape our future. Writer Lisa Moore talks about conversations between mothers and daughters, musician Pierre Kwenders reflects on the power of the matriarchs in his life and with her baby in her arms, artist Lido Pimienta describes the future of the arts.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dr. Kamran Khan is the founder of BlueDot, a tech company that works with doctors, engineers, scientists and AI to predict outbreaks and track the spread of infectious disease. 

Khan is a physician at St Mike’s Hospital in Toronto and the founder of BlueDot and he spoke at The Walrus Talks Disruption, presented by Concordia University. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When Margaret Atwood’s dystopic worlds begin to appear in our real lives, we know we’re in trouble. Canada’s oracular writer has written some of the scariest scenarios for our future. But she herself has hope. Something that we need when confronted with a worldwide pandemic with no end in sight. We’re not quite in Gilead, but some days, it feels too close for comfort.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.