Themes, Quotes and Inspiration

Inspirational images, common themes and quotes from meetings as well as links to articles, books, websites and more can be found here.

COMMON THEMES & QUOTES

Leela MadhavaRau, Director Human Rights and Equity

“Find allies – people you can trust and turn to.”

diane dupont, interim dean graduate studies

“Seek out a mentor”
They can help you learn about your strengths and weakness/ good and not so great qualities.

GERALDINE JONES, REGISTRAR

“Look out for mentors. They can be in or outside of your working environment.”

“Put your hand up. Seek out those opportunities.”

Leela MadhavaRau, Director Human Rights and Equity

“Take every opportunity to find mentors – some will understand your experience without need for explanation, others will need to hear your story but, after that, will become lifelong supporters.”

iNGRID MAKUS, DEAN, FACULTY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES / angela book, associate dean FOSS & DIANE DUPONT, INTERIM DEAN GRADUATE STUDIES

All spoke about having doubts, feeling insecure/unsure of stepping into their leadership roles. Having a trusted tribe around them – to support, encourage and nudge – made a difference.

GERALDINE JONES, REGISTRAR

“It’s okay to take a risk. Be ready to take a risk. Listen to that voice because it’s usually right. Stay in touch with people. Help support other women – that’s part of leadership. Put yourself out there.”

“Hard things are hard but also terribly worth doing. There’s a lot of value when you choose to take that leap.”

LINKS

Soul of a Citizen by Paul Loeb

  • Our efforts can do more – for ourselves and for the world – than we may ever imagine.
  • We don’t have to become saints – or wait for the perfect situation – to take action.
  • Change happens little by little, step by step.
  • We can savour the journey of engagement even though our ultimate destination is unclear.
  • The impact of our efforts will often ripple outward in ways we can’t predict.

We Should All be Feminists by Chimamanda Adichie

  • Not long ago, I wrote an article about being young and female in Lagos. And an acquaintance told me that it was an angry article and I should not have made it so angry. But I was unapologetic. Of course it was angry. Gender as it functions today is a grave injustice. I am angry. We should all be angry. Anger has a long history of bringing about positive change. In addition to anger, I am also hopeful, because I believe deeply in the ability of human beings to remake themselves for the better.

The Danger of a Single Story by Chimamanda Adichie

  • Stories matter. Many stories matter. Stories have been used to dispossess and malign, but stories can also be used to empower and to humanize. Stories can break the dignity of people, but stories can also repair that broken dignity. When we reject the single story, when we realize that there is never a single story about any place, we regain a kind of paradise.

Feel Free to Share

Have an article, image, quote, link (or other) that you would like to share with the group? We would love to hear from you!