Equity, Diversity, Inclusion: A Dialogue with Human Rights and Decolonization

Oct. 28, 2020

The final segment of our two-part series, “Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and the University,” hosted by Wilfrid Laurier University, takes place on Friday, Nov. 13, 2020 from 6:30 p.m. to 8: p.m.

Titled “Equity, Diversity, Inclusion: A Dialogue with Human Rights and Decolonization,” this roundtable session asks panelists to think about how we might put EDI in conversation with the long standing Human Rights and anti-colonial struggles that have historically taken place on and beyond our campuses.

EDI has been characterized as the university’s non-critical, anti-theoretical and ahistorical answer to managing difference. EDI discourse has emerged as a hallmark of the neo-liberal university, so the conventional critique goes, precisely because of the university’s ever expanding capacity to deploy market driven logics and techniques to manage, package, bureaucratize, market and commodify dissent and social activism.

This panel addresses whether EDI discourse might be thought of as a more dynamic field of reference, one that can respond to this critique by fostering an anti-oppressive and anti-colonial ethos of critical reflection, knowledge generation and practice? Or, rather, is EDI doomed by the neo-liberal iteration of the university in and through which it emerged?

Panelists

This event will be moderated by Barrington Walker, associate vice-president of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion and professor of History at Laurier.

Panelists include:

• Sheila Cote-Meek, vice-president, Equity, People and Culture (York University)
• Stephanie Simpson, associate vice-principal, Human Rights, Equity and Inclusion (Queen’s University)
• Malinda Smith, vice-provost, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion and professor of Political Science (University of Calgary)
• Wesley Crichlow, professor, Criminology and Justice, associate dean equity chair, President’s Equity Taskforce (Ontario Tech)

Registration

This virtual Zoom roundtable takes place on Friday, Nov. 13, 2020 from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. EST, including a 30-minute question-and-answer period at the end.

Registration is open to both the Laurier community and members of the general public, but space is limited. Once registered, you will be provided with a virtual meeting link and instructions.

Note: A zoom account is required to access the webinar link.