The Conversation Piece

Food insecurity among Inuit in Canada has been called one of the longest-lasting public health emergencies in Canadian history. It’s a crisis rooted in colonial policy—and one that continues to shape who has access to food, income, and self-determination in Nunavut.

Rachel Blais—former executive director of Qajuqturvik Community Food Centre—explains why the right to culturally appropriate and sustainably harvested food is critical to achieving true and lasting food security in the North.

Blais spoke at The Walrus Talks Global Hunger Crisis in Ottawa on October 18, 2022.

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Canada is racing to build the infrastructure that will shape its economic and political future. But moving faster means little unless the systems guiding that development are strong enough to be trusted.

Independent lawyer and consultant Jesse McCormick argues that making any meaningful progress with Canada’s major projects will require building trust with First Nations by prioritizing their consent and establishing regulatory systems that put First Nations behind the wheel.

McCormick spoke at The Walrus Talks Sovereign Canada in Toronto on October 28, 2025.

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The adoption of DEI, or diversity, equity, and inclusion, is often framed as progress, but for some, it functions as nothing more than corporate strategy. For journalist Pacinthe Mattar, nowhere are the limits—and failures—of DEI more stark than in relation to Palestine.

She shares how the “Palestine exception” plays out in newsrooms, schools, and other areas of public life, and underscores the importance of confronting the anti-Palestinian racism DEI has failed to name.

Mattar spoke at The Walrus Talks at Home: DEI on June 17, 2025.

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What happens to poetry—and art at large—in a world shaped by algorithms?

Poet Bardia Sinaee considers what it means to live in a time dominated by data and celebrates poetry’s ability to offer meaning where machines cannot.

Sinaee spoke at The Walrus Talks Cultural Futures on April 30, 2024.

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Teachers play a significant role in the lives of youth, shaping not just what they learn, but who they become. Yet, across Canada, schools are facing unprecedented teacher turnover due to demanding workloads, complex student needs, and the lingering effects of COVID-19.

Dr. Jan Hare, Dean of Education at the University of British Columbia, highlights the critical work teachers do, the pressures they face, and what it will take to ensure the sustainability of the profession.

Dr. Hare spoke at The Walrus Talks at Home: Public Education and Philanthropy on March 25, 2025.

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You could be forgiven, listening to the news these days, for thinking the electrification economy is dead. And yet, over the next two years, 95 percent of the world’s electricity growth demand is going to be met by renewables.

Rachel Doran, executive director of Clean Energy Canada, examines the shifting energy landscape and identifies four obstacles Canada must confront in order to seize the promise of the clean energy transition. 

Doran spoke at The Walrus Talks Power Economy in Toronto on May 29, 2025.

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Community isn’t just built through service. It’s sustained through shared purpose, trust, and care.

Cyndi Gilbert is a board member and logistics coordinator at The Bike Brigade. This special episode of The Conversation Piece features content from her presentation at The Walrus Talks: Reimagining Volunteerism, supported by The Belonging Forum, an initiative of the Samuel Centre for Social Connectedness.

Gilbert spoke at The Walrus Talks: Reimagining Volunteerism on April 15, 2025.

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Well-being can no longer be an afterthought for volunteers and non-profit workers.

Vinod Rajasekaran is the CEO and editor-in-chief of Future of Good. This special episode of The Conversation Piece features content from his presentation at The Walrus Talks: Reimagining Volunteerism, supported by The Belonging Forum, an initiative of the Samuel Centre for Social Connectedness.

Rajasekaran spoke at The Walrus Talks: Reimagining Volunteerism on April 15, 2025.

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Embracing creative, reciprocal, and culturally-rooted community-building models can help marginalized communities easily navigate the often complicated system of volunteerism.

Kassandra James is the director of programs at Volunteer Toronto. This special episode of The Conversation Piece features content from her presentation at The Walrus Talks: Reimagining Volunteerism, supported by The Belonging Forum, an initiative of the Samuel Centre for Social Connectedness.

James spoke at The Walrus Talks: Reimagining Volunteerism on April 15, 2025.

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How can organizations that rely on the labour of volunteers make the experience of volunteering more meaningful?

Suman Roy is the founder and CEO of the grassroots organization Feed Scarborough. This special episode of The Conversation Piece features content from his presentation at The Walrus Talks: Reimagining Volunteerism, supported by The Belonging Forum, an initiative of the Samuel Centre for Social Connectedness.

Roy spoke at The Walrus Talks: Reimagining Volunteerism on April 15, 2025.

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