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Words create worlds. The language we use and the stories we tell shape our understanding of the world, and, in doing so, they shape the world itself.

The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed deep societal divides and challenged us to reconsider our collective sense of belonging and recognition in society. How we understand and talk about this story today can propel transformative change toward a more just, equitable and prosperous tomorrow. Will we learn from the pandemic and finally shift the conversation around equity and belonging, or will the history of exclusion repeat itself?

Join Meredith Preston McGhie, secretary general of the Global Centre for Pluralism, and Dr. Malinda Smith, PhD, vice-provost (equity, diversity and inclusion) at ²ÝÝ®ÎÛÊÓƵµ¼º½, to discuss the power of stories and language to shape belonging and better recovery.

Sarcasm and harsh humour attract attention on social media, which is useful when using the digital space to combat the spread of misinformation. But what toll does cynical discourse take on civility, and how can comedy help us respect difference without sacrificing scientific fact?

Join us to discuss the pursuit of truth through respectful disagreement with Timothy Caulfield, a legal scholar renowned for fighting the rise of pseudoscience and misinformation, and Andrew Phung, an actor and comedian who practiced finding the line separating the callous from the comedic.  

Nurturing Empathy in Uncertain Times

Explore how parents and educators can help grow empathy in children in digital environments and uncertain times.

Learning and communication technology have changed the way children develop emotional intelligence. We face a crossroads in education that requires purposeful decisions about policy and curriculum to help nurture empathy in children.  

Join educator and parenting expert Mary Gordon and Dianne Gereluk, Dean of ²ÝÝ®ÎÛÊÓƵµ¼º½â€™s Werklund School of Education, for this discussion about how parents and educators can encourage empathy in children and help them see the power of diverse views.  

Integrative Thinking in Business

Explore how combining opposing ideas can lead to truly innovative thinking and doing. Integrative thinking reveals inspiration in difference by leveraging diversity towards tremendous business success. 

Explore how combining opposing ideas can lead to truly innovative thinking and doing. Integrative thinking reveals inspiration in difference by leveraging diversity towards tremendous business success.  

Join a thoughtful conversation about pluralism and the value of the difference in business strategy with panellists Roger Martin, renowned thinker and Professor Emeritus at the Rotman School of Management, and Dr. Justin Weinhardt, PhD, motivation and decision-making researcher and Associate Professor at the Haskayne School of Business.   

When leaders regard difference as an asset rather than a threat, they reveal the opportunity to learn from one another and enrich our lives and communities with new perspectives and ideas.

Former Premier of Quebec and recognized multilateralist Jean Charest joined Provost and Vice-President (Academic) Dru Marshall to explore the power and importance of embracing pluralism in large organizations to secure peace and prosperity for future generations.