Wednesday, October 16th
Hosted by Manuela D'Cunha

Do you live/study/or work in Kitchener/Waterloo/Cambridge?

Join us as we discuss Land and our Interactions with it: A Look at Transport, Housing, and Access in Kitchener/Waterloo/Cambridge, specifially what we enjoy and what we would improve in the domains of transport, housing, and access to them in Waterloo.

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Manuela D'Cunha is a planning student at the University of Waterloo. She is a strong advocate for equity, having led a fundraising drive for food security in over 40 high schools spanning from Western Ontario to Prince Edward Island.

In her free time, Manuela writes poetry, reads zines, and is a melomaniac.

Sunday, October 6th
Hosted by Chris Mohan

Democratic backsliding in many parts of the world, notably the United States, should be a warning sign for Canada. For the first time since 1974, all three major federal party leaders have a -12% approval rating or worse. (All leaders are viewed unfavourably by a majority of Canadians!)) This is a sign that our democratic process is not working as best it could. In 2021, Millennials and Gen Z were the most dissatisfied with democracy in Canada according to the Environics Institute. 

We’ll be discussing changes we could make to our electoral system to strengthen our democracy, and seek common ground on the values that our electoral processes should be grounded in. Looking at examples around the world, we’ll brainstorm changes that could be made here in Canada to meaningfully improve our democracy. 

Snacks and a delicious lunch will be provided! 

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Chris (he/him) became active in the climate movement at Western University, leading campaigns calling on the university to divest from the oil and gas industry and calling on the Royal Bank of Canada to align its financial flows with climate science and Indigenous rights.

Chris currently works at Tapestry Community Capital as a Social Finance Analyst where he supports cooperatives and nonprofits to raise debt for capital-intensive projects through community bonds. Chris is a Board Member and the Youth Engagement Coordinator at Fair Vote Canada, a national non-profit advocating for proportional representation in Canada.

In his spare time, He enjoys reading, riding his bike around Toronto, and volunteering as a bike mechanic.

Hosted by Zonghua Ai

Are you interested in foraging, birding, or long walks in the park? Do you wonder about everything you see in nature? Are you passionate about the impact of accessible nature spaces? Come and chat about your experience with the Land on a walk in Point Pleasant Park in Halifax! 

All levels welcomed. Please wear comfortable shoes for dirt trails, and dress properly for the weather. Please indicate your food restrictions in registration. 

Meeting at Point Pleasant lower parking lot (accessible by #29 bus)

RSVP HERE!

Zonghua Ai (they/all) is a pop-science enthusiast, a forager, and a food scientist based in Kjipuktuk/Halifax. Zonghua is a proud RISE Cohort 10 alum. They hold an MSc in food science from Dalhousie University with a research interest on traditional plant food and medicine.

As a Chinese person and a science communicator, Zonghua believes the impact of land-based learning on food security. You can always find them talking about local plants and mushrooms.

Hosted by Cher Peng

In 2023, Ontario passed a health-reform bill to expand the private delivery of care. Canada’s wait time crisis sparks a big ethical debate with the long fight over public versus private health care. Similarly, with mental health care presenting similar systemic problems and with ongoing regulations in the works for therapists, now is the time to hear the voices of those impacted. Through group discussion over some food and art (all levels welcome), we will explore our relationship to health and access to wellness while brainstorming policy ideas to tackle wait times in Canada.

Cher (she/they) is a neurodivergent community builder passionate about mental health and social innovation. As a co-founder of Purple Lotus and two other mental health non-profits, Cher is dedicated to creating supportive spaces.

They teach piano and are in their final year of Cognitive Systems at UBC. As a workshop leader in tech and wellness, Cher values respectful dialogue that welcomes diverse perspectives and voices.

Join Clèche on August 20th for this round table topic event! Together, we will reflect on and challenge the gendered norms of leadership and how they impact individuals who self-identify as women currently in or aspiring to take on leadership roles.  This facilitated dialogue is open to anyone interested in learning, discussing, and unpacking how the gender norms of leadership impact civic engagement.

Together we will take up space, learn, and unlearn!

Food will be offered and you will have the opportunity to discuss with friends in a safe space!

Clèche is a social justice advocate, and a proud alumnus of Apathy is Boring’s RISE program. She serves as a member of the Michaëlle Jean Foundation’s Youth Advisory Committee and CanWaCH’s Youth Working Group where she served as Co-chair.

In 2022, Clèche was named one of Canada’s Top 100 Black Women to Watch for her community work, which included creating a mentorship program for students. Clèche is pursuing her law degree at McGill University as a McCall MacBain Scholar.

Hosted by Kavieya Kanagalingam

As more light is shed on the treatment of Indigenous people in Canada, Kavieya will host a round table talk on the topic of reconciliation and what we can do to engage with Truth and Reconciliation.

She will share resources, reflect on our positions, and discuss how we can be better allies. Weather dependent, this discussion will be held on Wednesday, August 7th at 6:30 pm at Parc Lahaie.

There will be food offered and you will have the opportunity to discuss with friends. Kavieya would love to see you there!

Kavieya is currently a university student in Montreal/Tiohtià:ke and is very interested in democracy and learning about contributing to society positively, while also working in the interest of youth.