Companies and communities: Building in circles
By Shara Brandt
“Everything we need to know about creating sustainable collaboration we learned before we went to kindergarten: the circle. It’s a world where decisions get made in circles around a shared space.” - Tonya Surman, Founder of the Centre for Social Innovation.
Over the last few years, there has been increasing attention brought to what is going wrong in the world – exclusionary politics, global warming, unemployment rates spiking. These things impact both the tangible and intangible parts of our lives, and have reasonably made a lot of us more anxious, and naturally, more closed off. This increased aversion to the outside world has perhaps made us feel like we are sheltering ourselves, but it has also made so many feel deeply isolated. In Canada, 52% of Canadians said they felt lonely at least once per week, and 74% with mental disabilities feel it at least once weekly. People are craving community in their personal lives, but also in the place where they statistically spend a majority of their day, at work.
So how can it be done, how can companies foster community and still thrive? In 2003, over 20 years ago, Tonya Surman was thinking about this very question when she founded the Centre for Social Innovation, CSI. She noticed that so many non-profit organizations felt disconnected from other organizations that shared their goals, and needed spaces to both work and connect with like-minded people. She began to rent out workspaces that required all organizations working within it to share resources: coffee machines, copiers, desks. In 2004, this officially became the first co-working space in Canada. She then began to build out community initiatives, like workspace-wide potlucks and group discussions to resolve the natural inconveniences of sharing a workplace, like fridge space and silly arguments about when to replace coffee filters.
Over time, something radical began to happen. People built trust with those they shared space with, and began to commit to larger acts of cross-over like idea-sharing and cross-organization collaboration. This was only possible with slow, intentional, community-oriented initiatives. Tonya’s system was simple: bring people who care about what they do to a large, metaphorical or literal round-table, and consistently encourage vulnerability, which is a radical act when considering how buttoned-up and put-together we are told to be at work. Realizing this was a cause non-profits would be willing to rally around, Tonya created the first ever Community Bond in Canada, and raised enough capital to purchase a building in downtown Toronto in 2010. Since then, CSI has been able to support over 1000 non-profit organizations, with 49% BIPOC entrepreneurs and 60% female entrepreneurs, statistics previously unheard of.
But as with everything else, COVID-19 had a massive impact on CSI’s model, forcing them to shut down a bulk of their operation, including their expansions into the American market with their New York office. Forced to downsize, Tonya returned to the root of what made CSI a success to begin with, their ability to lean on their circle. As of this year, CSI is officially bringing back their community bond, with the goal of being 100% community owned. The only way something like this was ever possible is a devotion to building a company around the communities it serves. When people are trusted to come to a shared circle and make decisions as a team, radical change is possible, and with it, a community that will hold through the difficulties of the modern world. It’s imperative now more than ever to seek out the support of others, and allow ourselves to be the support, even if it means bypassing our own anxieties. When we find our circle, we can begin to build things greater than ourselves, and that makes our workplaces a great place to be
Ubuntu - affirming care in an Afrocentric framework for black students
By Rachel Abitan
What is Ubuntu?
Ubuntu is the belief that we exist through the humanity of others. In academic spaces, this philosophy supports the need for Black-affirming, community-centred care for students, grounded in an Afrocentric framework.
The Afrocentric framework is built to:
- Use when working with black students
- For affirming black students that they’re not on their own
- Collective/ community-centred approach
Black Student Success Network (BSSN) reflected on their work as social workers, counsellors, and educators in this framework on how to provide the resources required for their students to thrive in a world of anti-black racism in a whole campus approach.
What does it mean to have a whole campus approach to mental health and well-being? Naiima Farah, a social worker who worked at George Brown College formerly as a counsellor, stated, “[A whole campus approach] means we all need to look at faith, respect and dignity, informing how we create these frameworks. So the respect within the Afrocentric framework is not only to human-to-human relationships, but also extends to how we treat the environment, even the environment entails respect from us.”
Why an Afrocentric framework?
Why does this framework exist? Unfortunately, due to the consequences of anti-black racism, the reality for black students on campus may face inequality, microaggressions, and it is about moving from a path of inequality to education towards a thriving environment.
Applications of an Afrocentric framework to motivate and provide success for black post-secondary students include:
Somatic approaches (tools to manage stress and coping)
- Land-based retreats (help with a sense of belonging)
- Writing workshops (valuing expression)
- Healing circles (building community and tools to thrive)
Reflection
The BSSN had a great impact on students’ lives. A participant during the session shared his experience: “I came to Canada as an international student, and [didn’t] have community friends, but those spaces were like a sanctuary to me. [It] was a place where I could express myself without having to explain myself every single time. [I felt] at home away from home the moment I stepped into that space. It has been like that from day one, even now that I'm done as an [alumnus], I still get the support.”
Applying principles and knowledge of Ubuntu in our daily lives and acknowledging the Afrocentric framework in educational spaces is vital. For its legacy, how will you practice and apply Ubuntu in your community and your life?
Ethics in education vs. Artificial Intelligence
By Shara Brandt
What do you think of when you hear “Artificial Intelligence”?
Do you think of rapid technological growth? Chat GPT? Climate change? Doctored images and videos posted to Facebook with thousands of reactions and comments? All of this and more would be fair game. AI is one of those hot button topics that seems to have permeated every part of our lives, seemingly overnight. At work, we worry that AI is replacing jobs, in our personal lives we may reap the benefits of having it assist with tasks we’d rather not do, and in schools we wonder what it’s doing to the students who now have AI at their fingertips. It can be very polarizing to consider the impact AI will have on future generations who grow up with it, as well as everyone today who has now been tasked with figuring out how it will fit into their lives. Like it or not, AI is here to stay. We can either choose to reckon with that, or risk getting left behind.
So how do we reckon with it? That’s a question so many researchers and academics are working on answering. In fact, if you search on Facebook, Instagram or TikTok right now, I bet you can find an educator speaking about how they’ve noticed students using Chat GPT to write their papers or answer questions in class. Even working professionals are leaning on it more than ever. With this comes the fear that this use of AI will turn into a dependency, or that it already has. Elementary school student are reading at a lower level than generations past, and post-secondary educators are noting that their students are submitting papers that sound suspiciously similar to one another, with a distinct lack of individuality coming through. In order to tackle these issues, educators like Dinuka Gunaratne, Director of Career Development at Northeastern University and Dr. Karine Coen-Sanchez, Social Scientist, have developed frameworks with which to determine if uses of AI are supporting or replacing human critical thinking.
“As educators, we need to learn and jump right in. I cannot allow myself to get lazy, because if I do, my students most certainly will.” -Dinuka Gunaratne
Here are 4 major tenants of AI ethics to think on, and some important questions to reflect on:
1. Transparency: Can you explain how the AI program works? If not, what pieces of information are missing and what resources are available to fill in those gaps? We cannot empower ourselves to use AI if we are not willing to do the work to create a baseline understanding of it.
2. Fairness: As in all other aspects of life, there will always be issues of equity in who is designing AI and then who can use it. How can we support those who are not in the demographic of people designing AI? What about those whose first language is not the same as the one the AI they’re using is? Creating strategies to bridge those gaps will make sure everyone can reap the benefits.
3. Human-Centric: When working with AI, what is the goal of the output? Is it being used to think for you, or is it adding to and colouring in the existing creativity and original thoughts of the user? AI can help us build on what we create, but it cannot invent ideas for us. A great exercise that Dr. Karine Coen-Sanchez does with her students is to have them write assignments without AI, then prompt AI to write the same assignment, and finally have students present all the reasons the two versions of the assignment are different from one another. This encourages deep reflection on the ways in which AI helps, as well as falls short.
4. Privacy: Are the privacy policies of AI programs clear about how user data is being used? If not, it’s important to be cautious about the kind of information being input to the AI, to ensure that personal privacy boundaries are maintained. Using these guiding pillars, we can build structure around an issue that often feels too big to tackle. Further, it re-centers the value of human thought, which AI can help extend and grow. There are many fair criticisms to be made about how AI is being used currently in all its iterations. Nonetheless, if we hold those who are designing the algorithms accountable, as well as ourselves, we can begin the tremendous endeavor of entering the next phase in the world of technology, ethically and equitably.
Let the liberal arts students work!
By Shara Brandt
Let’s face it, liberal arts degrees have gotten a pretty bad rep. There’s a running gag that goes something along the lines of, “What are you even going to do with an English/history/philosophy major when you graduate?”, with the implication being that these degrees are worth less because they do not have a clear job track, or at worst that people who get these degrees are unemployable. Even more so if someone were to even get their master's or, God forbid, their PhD in the arts. But this isn’t fair, and it’s definitely not truthful.
Higher education, especially master's and PhD programs provide people with an opportunity to explore their passions in an meaningful, in-depth way. Some would say this makes for a less versatile job candidate, but that would ignore the core competencies that come with the territory. These programs help students hone their ability to focus, bringing their attention to a specific area they feel passionate about. The process of research teaches them care and patience, and helps them develop a strong work ethic. One that carries them through, even when their passion for the subjects they study ebbs and flows. It also helps them become masters of their craft, bringing a wealth of highly specialized information to their field. Not to mention the fact that the arts tap into our hearts and minds in a way no other subjects can. They allow us to humble ourselves and tap into centuries of wisdom, and reflect on ourselves in a way that helps us become more healthy, balanced people. Name another subject that provides insight to the human mind and soul the way history, psychology and philosophy can, I’ll wait.
Despite all this, employers are hesitant to hire those with lengthy academic portfolios when they come from arts backgrounds. The reasons for this are numerous. For one, the previously mentioned perceptions about a lack of academic value in studying the arts. For another, there are parts of a job that institutions simply cannot teach, as said by Andrew Bieler, director of partnerships and experiential learning at the Business & Higher Education Roundtable, BHER: "Employers are looking for students with human skills, and that's just not often taught in graduate programs. We need to get students out into the workplace, where they can really immerse themselves and build that institutional to professional bridge.” This is unfortunate, but true. Keeping your nose in the books brings a lot of utility in the form of knowledge, but it does little to build social skills, which is also critical in building professional relationships. All it takes is that first job to get an academic’s resume started, and for them to start building a truly sustainable career for themselves.
But there seems to be a gap in how many masters and PhDs are ready and able to work, and how many employers are willing to bring them on. This is where organizations like BHER come in. Their mission is to understand and bridge this gap, and they’ve made massive strides in making this happen. In their work with universities and employers across Canada, they’ve been able to help so many students get connected with workplaces relevant to them. Through collaboration between institutions and companies, they work to provide the necessary resources for a mutually beneficial relationship. Of those in the BHER program, 90% of students said they feel optimistic about achieving success in the workforce, and 85% of employers report having a strengthened partnership with a postsecondary institution.
This is a huge win-win scenario, but as with anything else —it’s going to take much more work to reverse the years of bad marketing that the arts, and students who study them, have gotten. Liberal arts students are ready, willing, and able to contribute so much to the workplace, and deserve the opportunity to prove it. So here’s to the arts, and to those fighting to give them the opportunity they deserve to shine.
Navigating free expression: Lessons from exile, censorship, and divided communities
By Mahmoud Shabeeb
How do we foster open, respectful dialogue in an era marked by polarization, censorship, and social tension? At PEN’s panel discussion: Freedom of Expression in Tumultuous Times, three remarkable voices; Luis Najera, Tala Motazedi, and Gordana Icevska shared hard-won insights from their lives and careers navigating the boundaries of free expression. Moderated by Professor Paula Applebaum, the discussion offered a candid, honest, and profound look at the challenges and possibilities of democratic dialogue today.
Luis Najera, a crime reporter and novelist from Mexico, described his unexpected journey from aspiring sports journalist to crime analyst and police spokesperson. Sent to shadow police officers on the US-Mexico border, Najera witnessed firsthand the complex, sometimes dangerous relationship between law enforcement and the communities they serve.
“I started out writing about basketball, but when I followed the police on a night shift, I saw the realities of crime and corruption up close. That experience changed me, and it changed my reporting. It taught me that being close to the story means understanding the human side, not just the headlines.” —Luis Najera
Najera’s reporting often put him in harm’s way, but it also reinforced the importance of truth-telling and the risks journalists face in countries where organized crime and state power intersect. His co-authored book with Peter Edwards, The Wolfpack, explores these themes and is available through Toronto Public Library.
Surviving censorship: Tala Motazedi’s perspective
For Tala Motazedi, a queer screenwriter and novelist from Iran, the struggle for free expression is deeply personal. Motazedi recounted the “dark ages” of censorship she endured under Iran’s Islamist regime, where speaking out about identity or human rights could mean imprisonment—or worse.
“In Iran, we lived in darkness. They censored everything—films, books, even conversations. Friends of mine were jailed or killed for their work. I couldn’t talk about my true identity, but I was still persecuted merely for speaking the truth and demanding justice. Coming to Canada felt like stepping into the light. Here, I can speak freely, and that’s something I’ll never take for granted. I tell people ‘it’s unbelievable how safe we are here!’ they’re surprised and say that’s normal. Not for me, it still does not feel normal.” —Tala Motazedi
Motazedi’s films, once banned in Iran, now reach audiences worldwide. Her journey highlights both the resilience of artists under repression and the transformative power of finding a safe space to create and share stories. For more on the realities of censorship in Iran, see PEN America’s resources.
Bridging divides: Gordana Icevska’s reporting across borders
Gordana Icevska, an investigative journalist from the former Yugoslavia, shared a poignant story from her days reporting in Macedonia. Alongside an ethnically Albanian colleague, she set out to cover stories in each other’s communities—an effort to bridge the gap between Macedonian and Albanian populations whose media and lives antagonized one another.
“We thought we knew our country, but when we visited each other’s villages, we faced suspicion and prejudice. People’s only knowledge of the ‘other side’ came from TV. It was a wake-up call about how little we truly understand one another—and how important it is to tell each other’s stories.” —Gordana Icevska
Their reporting, published by the Institute for War & Peace Reporting, aimed to challenge stereotypes and foster empathy across entrenched divides.
Education as empowerment
Throughout the discussion, the panelists agreed: education is key to empowering people to express diverse opinions, ask difficult questions, and participate fully in democratic life. But they also acknowledged the barriers—political correctness, self-censorship, and systemic inequality—that can limit whose voices are heard, as well as growing challenges that come with technological evolution, most notably with Artificial Intelligence and the threats it brings along.
As Professor Applebaum noted, programs like George Brown’s PEN Writer-in-Residence help students and educators alike navigate these challenges by bringing real-world experience into the classroom.
Looking forward
The panel closed with clear calls to action: to keep pushing for open dialogue, to listen across differences, and to protect the rights of those whose stories are hardest to tell. In a world where freedom of expression is never guaranteed, their experiences remind us that the fight for open, democratic conversation is both urgent and ongoing.
For further reading on freedom of expression and supporting writers at risk, visit PEN International and Canadian Journalists for Free Expression.
Explore a preview to the upcoming EvolvED - Intentionally Evolving Together: Challenges, Inspiration, and Possibilitieshosted by George Brown College.