Suicide intervention, challenging Islamophobia and recognizing Indigenous knowledge will be among the many topics highlighted in a new speaker series hosted by Brock’s Office of Human Rights and Equity Services.

The Equity in Post-Secondary Speakers Series begins Thursday, March 1 and will continue throughout the month with several speaking engagements focused on diversity and inclusion.

“Our office felt it was important to have a dialogue on equity and inclusion issues on campus,” said Milé Komlen, Senior Advisor, Human Rights and Equity. “This is a great way for us to bring together a number of perspectives that will help in fostering that dialogue on campus, and encourage greater awareness of a whole range of equity issues.”

The series aims to “draw from different equity communities, and share various perspectives, inclusive language and inclusive practices,” he said. “It’s intended to highlight that people who are in the speaker series are also representative of members of our campus community.”

All events are free and open to the public.

“When we look at the type of campus community we want to develop at Brock, making sure we have inclusion and are able to speak freely about various identities is an important way of weaving that community together,” Komlen said.

The speaker series is part of ongoing efforts to implement recommendations made last year by Brock’s Human Rights Task Force.

“The series is one of the ways we can engage in awareness raising and work towards a broader dialogue about diversity and inclusion on campus,” Komlen said. “The hope is that this will spur other ideas and may encourage other members of the campus community to develop their own speaker series or their own platforms for generating ideas and viewpoints.”

The first lecture, called At the Intersections of Race/Gender/Faith: The Challenges of Challenging Islamophobia, will feature Khadijeh Rakie, an equity and inclusion educator at McMaster University. The event will be held Thursday, March 1 from 5 to 7 p.m. in the Student-Alumni Centre (Isaac’s).

Other speaking engagements include:

• Anushay Irfan Khan — Tales of a Transnational Woman of Colour: Race, Racism and Resistance in Higher Education. Friday, March 16 from 1 to 3 p.m. in the International Centre, Room 207.
• Stephanie Morningstar — Bridging Western and Indigenous Knowledges: Culturally Safe Ethnobotany. Thursday, March 22 from 1 to 3 p.m. in TH 147.
• Tai Jacob — Gender Blender: Discussing Trans Inclusion in the Academy. Wednesday, March 28 from 5 to 7 p.m. in the Student Justice Centre (TH 252).
• Carly Boyce — Suicide Intervention for Weirdos, Freaks and Queers. Wednesday, March 28 from 1 to 4 p.m. in the Fireplace Lounge of Alan Earp Residence.

For more information on these events or for accommodation requests, contact Michelle Poirier at x6859 or humanrights@brocku.ca

The speakers series is in partnership with Brock University Graduate Students’ Association, BUSU Advocacy, BUSU Student Justice Centre and Brock University Faith and Life Centre.