Events

Conflict Engagement

Conflict Engagement

The UBC Office of Equity and Inclusion’s Conflict Engagement Initiative defines conflict as “a difference that matters.” When conflict arises within a group or team, it can be either constructive or destructive. When destructive, it can create division, shut down communication, and lead to resentment. Recognizing the signs of destructive conflict is key to addressing and preventing them. Ultimately, conflict engagement skills encourage reframing conflict as constructive—a pathway to innovation and stronger relationships—rather than a recipe for division and blame.

“The road to inclusion, collaboration and innovation is paved with conflict.” (Differences that Matter)

Conflict engagement skills are a set of interpersonal competencies and priorities that support constructive outcomes. These include, but are not limited to, the following interrelated skills:

  • Assertive communication
  • Active listening
  • Emotional intelligence, emotional regulation, and compassion
  • De-escalation techniques
  • Setting and respecting boundaries
  • Positive relationship cultivation and maintenance
  • Problem-solving under pressure
  • Feedback and critique delivery
  • Inclusive and equitable collaboration
  • Finding common ground
  • Building consensus
  • Negotiation and compromise
  • Knowing how and when to seek additional support

“The best things in life are on the other side of a difficult conversation.” (Kwame Christian)

REDI Conflict Engagement Services

The REDI team offers group education sessions designed to help departments, teams, and groups proactively build and strengthen their conflict engagement skills. These sessions enhance communication skills for effective conflict engagement. Learn more.

In addition to proactive education, REDI provides real-time support for high-conflict, responsive situations following an incident. This support includes services such as one-on-one Conflict Coaching, Mediation, and Group Restorative Processes for affected parties. These responsive services aim to bring people together to address specific conflicts or challenges, repair relationships, and support groups in healing—ultimately helping them move toward proactive and positive action.

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Submit Your Unit’s Content to the REDI Newsletter

Nawh whu’nus’en – We see in two worlds: Trauma sensitive practices for collectively healing in relationship

A Tribute to the Honourable Justice Murray Sinclair: Champion of Justice and Reconciliation

A Tribute to the Honourable Justice Murray Sinclair
Photo credit: Archkris 

With deep respect and gratitude, we honour the life and legacy of the Honourable Justice Murray Sinclair, Mazina Giizhik (One Who Speaks of Pictures in the Sky), who passed away on November 4, 2024. Mazina Giizhik’s legacy extends across generations, communities, and sectors, leaving an indelible impact on Indigenous rights, justice reform, and reconciliation in Canada.

The Canada flag (at Flag Pole Plaza) and the BC, Musqueam, and UBC flags on the UBC Vancouver campus, and the Canada, BC, Okanagan Nation Alliance and UBC flags at UBC Okanagan were lowered from sunrise to sunset on Sunday, November 10, 2024 for the national commemorative ceremony held in memory of the Honourable Justice Murray Sinclair, C.C., O.M., M.S.C.

Born on St. Peter’s Indian Reserve near Selkirk, Manitoba in 1951, Justice Sinclair rose from challenging beginnings and a childhood marked by racism to become a powerful advocate for Indigenous rights and justice. As one of Canada’s first Indigenous lawyers, he specialized in representing Indigenous communities in land claims and criminal defense. His early career experiences exposed him to the harsh realities of systemic racism, including being mistaken by a judge as the accused rather than the advocate. These encounters inspired him to publicly confront injustices within the legal system, advocating tirelessly for Indigenous rights and the fair treatment of Indigenous peoples.

Justice Sinclair was Manitoba’s first Indigenous judge, and Canada’s second. Over his distinguished career, he tirelessly advocated for Indigenous communities, fought systemic racism, and built vital bridges between Indigenous knowledge and Western institutions. Recognized with numerous honours, including the Order of Canada and nearly two dozen honorary degrees, Justice Sinclair was a steadfast champion of justice and reconciliation.

As Chair of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), he led Canada in confronting the painful legacy of residential schools, producing 94 Calls to Action that continue to pave the way toward justice, healing, and understanding in all sectors. His leadership with the TRC has set a foundation that informs our ongoing commitment to justice, inclusion, reconciliation, Indigenization, and decolonization within the Faculty of Medicine and beyond.

In honour of his vision and enduring contributions, we encourage our community to reflect on the principles he championed and to continue the work he began. Justice Sinclair’s life and leadership remind us that reconciliation is an ongoing journey, calling for our collective commitment and action. As we remember and celebrate his legacy, let us work to build an inclusive and compassionate society that honours his vision for a just and equitable future.

May his memory continue to inspire meaningful change within our communities.

Famous Quotes for the Honourable Justice Murray Sinclair

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Postponed | Through the Lens: Portraits of Who We Are and Where We Come From

*** Event postponed due to unforeseen circumstances, our apologies *** Join us on Tuesday, Nov 26th, 2024 from 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM (PST), for “Through the Lens:  Portraits of Who We Are and Where We Come From.” In this Indigenous Speakers Series session, we will have a conversation with Melody Charlie, a Nuu-Chah-Nulth photographer and guest curator of the Matriarchs Seen and Unseen exhibition at the Bill Reid Gallery. In this discussion, you will hear from an unapologetic photographer and First Nations health advocate as she shares her thoughts on the processes of truth, reconciliation, and redress.

Join us virtually on Tuesday, Nov 26th, 2024 from 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM (PST), for “Through the Lens:  Portraits of Who We Are and Where We Come From.” This virtual event is presented by the Indigenous Speakers Series. 

Register

Speaker Bio

Melody Charlie,
Photographer,
Guest Curator | Matriarchs Seen and Unseen, Exhibition, Bill Reid Gallery, March – June 2023

Melody Charlie is a mother first, a professional photographer second, and a passionate health advocate third. Having spent her entire adult life healing personally and working in the health field professionally, she is committed to the health and well-being of Indigenous peoples.

As an artist, Melody uses photography to expose unapologetic truths about this so-called country that claims freedom. With years of experience in healing & the health field, she has heard countless stories and secrets of this country and its Christianity, which somehow seeks to forgive all sins committed on stolen land. Like many others from her generation, she is not nearly as forgiving as her grandparents, and thankfully so.

She proudly calls Ahousat home and is learning to keep a better balance between the never-ending fires and fights, while remembering to tend to the waters with unity.

Moderator

Derek Thompson

Derek K Thompson – Čaabať Bookwilla | Suhiltun, Director, Indigenous Engagement

Description 

When I asked Melody to be a speaker for this year’s series, she said, “I’m not sure if I am a fit because I got s#@t to say and it ain’t pretty.” I replied, “Awesome. We want to hear what you have to say.”

I am fascinated with the photography of Melody Charlie, and I am equally captivated by Melody Charlie as an unapologetic co-conspirator who speaks up for all of those people in our communities who are challenged by some disadvantage because of a neo-colonial force. She is a force of advocacy and determination to strengthen both individual and collective resolve for our people to heal, to be good to each other, to be kind to those less fortunate and caught up in some kind of addiction, and to embrace adversity in our communities with love and compassion.

John Webber was an artist on the expeditions of Captain James Cook in the mid-1700s, and he created a body of work capturing historical images of first contact with Nuu-chah-nulth people along the west coast of Vancouver Island. From those pictures, you can be confident that our people weren’t merely surviving but were, in fact, thriving. From those very same images, you can also see what’s missing—what we do not see in any of those historical contexts is our people managing Type 2 diabetes, our young people taking their own lives due to some form of social pressure or opioid addiction, or our girls and women marked with the bruises of domestic violence, rape, or murder. I often think about what kinds of images would be taken today inside our communities and what stories they would tell in relation to our health and the connection to our identity, culture, language, and sense of belonging.

Melody has worked tirelessly in the arenas of photography and First Nations health, and we’re fortunate to have her as a speaker to share her unique perspectives and experiences. Her own sense of vulnerability, purpose, and determination are captured in the photos she’s taken inside our communities, and we’ll take an intimate look at what she thinks about the processes of truth, reconciliation, and redress.

Topic: Through the Lens: Portraits of Who We Are and Where We Come From

Date: Tuesday, Nov 26th, 2024

Time: 12:00 – 1:30 PM (PST)

What Will I Learn?

You will learn about a unique perspective on the processes of truth and reconciliation.

Continue Learning

“The time to make things happen is now. The time to seek out our individual and shared power is now.”

Learn more about REDI’s Indigenous Initiatives here

Discover more about REDI’s Indigenous Initiatives Speakers Series here

Find REDI’s Indigenous-Specific Resources here

Building Networks for Lasting Impact: An Affinity Lunch for Indigenous & Black Staff, Faculty, & Clinical Faculty in the FoM

Indigenous and black staff, faculty and clinical faculty within the Faculty of Medicine are invited to an affinity lunch on Wednesday, Oct 30th, 2024 from 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm (PDT). This gathering, facilitated by REDI Equity Advisor Madison Tardif, offers a unique opportunity to engage in meaningful dialogue, exchange insights, and develop collaborative networks that can drive sustainable change. Connect with colleagues across the Faculty, share your valuable perspectives on future REDI initiatives, and strengthen professional relationships that foster both personal and professional growth. Come ready to inspire and be inspired, and leave with actionable ideas and expanded networks across the Faculty.

Building Networks for Lasting Impact:An Affinity Lunch for Indigenous & Black Staff, Faculty, & Clinical Faculty in the FoM

This event is specifically for Faculty of Medicine (FoM) staff, faculty and clinical Faculty who identify as Indigenous, Black, Afro-Indigenous, or of Afro-Caribbean descent. For more on the importance of dedicated spaces for IBPOC communities, read this article by Kelsey Blackwell. We appreciate your understanding and support. For questions or concerns, please contact REDI at redi.office@ubc.ca

Register for October 30th

Lunch and light refreshments will be provided.

Facilitator

Madison Tardif (She/Her/Hers), Equity Advisor,
Office of Respectful Environments, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (REDI), Faculty of Medicine

Topic: Building Networks for Lasting Impact: An Affinity Lunch for Indigenous & Black Staff, Faculty, & Clinical Faculty in the FoM

Date: Wednesday, Oct 30th, 2024

Time: 12:00 – 1:30 PM (PDT)

Audience: Faculty of Medicine (FoM) staff, faculty and clinical faculty who identify as Indigenous, Black, Afro-Indigenous, or of Afro-Caribbean descent.

Location: In person on Vancouver campus near UBC Hospital. Exact location TBD.

What Will I Gain?

You will have the opportunity to connect with colleagues across the Faculty, be inspired, and leave with actionable ideas and expanded networks that empower sustainable change.

Increasing awareness and understanding of disability in the workplace

Faculty/Resident Development Initiatives Grant (FRDIG)

Unbroken: My Fight for Survival, Hope, and Justice for Indigenous Women and Girls

Thank you for joining us on Wednesday, Oct 23rd, 2024 from 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm (PDT), for “Unbroken: My Fight for Survival, Hope, and Justice for Indigenous Women and Girls.” In this Indigenous Speakers Series session, we hade a conversation with Angela Sterritt, an award-winning investigative journalist, TV, radio, and podcast host, and national bestselling author for her book Unbroken. Angela is from the Wilp Wiik’aax (we-GAK) of the Gitanmaax (GIT-in-max) community within the Gitxsan (GICK-san) Nation on her dad’s side and from Bell Island, Newfoundland on her maternal side. In this conversation, we learnt more about the missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls within the context of truth, reconciliation and redress.

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Speaker Bio

Angela Sterritt,
Journalist, Author, & Motivational Speaker.
Unbroken was nominated for the prestigious 2023 Hilary Weston Writer’s Trust Award

Angela Sterritt is an award-winning investigative journalist, TV, radio, and podcast host, and national bestselling author. She is from the Wilp Wiik’aax (we-GAK) of the Gitanmaax (GIT-in-max) community within the Gitxsan (GICK-san) Nation on her dad’s side and from Bell Island, Newfoundland on her maternal side. Sterritt worked as a television, radio, and digital journalist at CBC for more than a decade. She also hosted the award-winning CBC original podcast Land Back.

Her book Unbroken, published by Greystone Books, is part memoir and part investigation into the murders and disappearances of Indigenous women and girls. It became an instant national bestseller in May 2023. Unbroken was nominated for the Governor General’s Literary Awards, one of Canada’s oldest and most prestigious literary prizes. It was also nominated for the prestigious Hilary Weston Writer’s Trust award for best non-fiction book in Canada.

In 2024, Sterritt announced her second book, BREAKABLE, which will investigate how racism and colonialism cultivate harmful behaviors in men and how Indigenous men and communities are breaking cycles of unhealthy notions of masculinity. Greystone Books will publish Breakable in the spring of 2026. 

In 2021, Sterritt won an Academy Award (Canadian Screen Award) for Best Reporter of the Year in Canada for her coverage of an Indigenous man and his then 12-year-old granddaughter who were arrested while trying to open a bank account at BMO. Sterritt also won a national Radio Television Digital News Association award for the same reporting. In 2020, Sterritt was named in Vancouver Magazine’s Power 50 list of the city’s 50 most influential people.

In 2020, the Canadian Screen Awards nominated her for best local reporter for her reporting on Indigenous babies apprehended by the Ministry of Children and Family Development. In 2019, Sterritt’s documentary on the complexity of Indigenous support for and challenges against the TransMountain Pipeline expansion project won an RTDNA award for best long feature.

As a motivational speaker, Sterritt talks about overcoming adversity, breaking stereotypes, and creating change and relationships in Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities, such as her Ted Talk about smashing stereotypes of Indigenous people.

In 2017, Sterritt accepted the Investigative Award of the Year from Canadian Journalists for Free Expression for coverage of missing and murdered Indigenous women. She was awarded a prestigious William Southam Journalism Fellowship at Massey College in Toronto and was the first known First Nations person in Canada ever to receive the award in the school’s 60-year history. She has taught as an instructor at the University of British Columbia, Western University, Simon Fraser University, and Thompson Rivers University.

Moderator

Derek Thompson

Derek K Thompson – Čaabať Bookwilla | Suhiltun, Director, Indigenous Engagement

Description 

Written by Derek K Thompson – Čaabať Bookwilla | Suhiltun

Unbroken:  My Fight for Survival, Hope, and Justice for Indigenous Women and Girls is the groundbreaking publication by award-winning journalist and author – Angela Sterritt.

Before the book starts there’s a solemn memorial to honor Indigenous and non-Indigenous women and girls who were murdered or went missing in British Columbia along the Highway of Tears—the stretch of Highway 16 between Prince George and Prince Rupert—and along the adjoining Highway 97 or 5. It also includes women who went missing in Greater Vancouver or whose DNA was discovered on the property of serial killer, Robert Pickton. The memorial begins with Rose Roper of Secwepemc and Tŝilhqot’in lineage, a young girl of only 17 years who went missing in 1967, and who was ultimately found to be murdered. The list ends in 2004 with Sharon Abraham from Sagkeeng First Nation in Manitoba, whose DNA was discovered on the Pickton farm. The list continues to multiply.

Unbroken is a sobering and unflinching narrative that highlights an urgency for all of us to begin to come to terms with each other. As the author suggests, “to understand their stories—of those who have suffered and for those who cannot share—[we] have to begin at a time that has been erased or warped by the colonials, a time when Indigenous women were revered as the backbone of our communities.”

Unbroken is also an inspiring and hopeful book filled with stories of resiliency and confidence, and “That we can have the space and time to use our imagination, be curious, and wonder what it’s like to live the way our ancestors did, with an abundance of love for each other, our children, and future generations.”

Please join me for a meaningful and profound conversation with journalist, author and motivational speaker Angela Sterritt. This important dialogue will underscore the context and urgency to really get at the processes we know as reconciliation and redress between Indigenous peoples and Canadians, and to get to work on the telling of many truths and to have those truths legitimized with sincerity and action.

Topic: Unbroken: My Fight for Survival, Hope, and Justice for Indigenous Women and Girls

Date: Wednesday, Oct 23rd, 2024

Time: 12:00 – 1:30 pm (PDT)

What Will I Learn?

You will learn about the context of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls within the context of truth, reconciliation and redress.

Continue Learning

“The time to make things happen is now. The time to seek out our individual and shared power is now.”

Learn more about REDI’s Indigenous Initiatives here

Discover more about REDI’s Indigenous Initiatives Speakers Series here

Find REDI’s Indigenous-Specific Resources here

REDI Best Practices: Mitigating Cognitive Biases in Awards Adjudication