Charisma Grace Walker joins Saint Mary’s as full-time African Nova Scotian and Black student liaison

Charisma Grace Walker, African Nova Scotian/Black Student and Community Liaison at Saint Mary’s University (Photo credit: Mary Ellen Beazley).

Saint Mary’s University is pleased to announce the hiring of Charisma Grace Walker who will serve as the university’s first African Nova Scotian/Black Student and Community Liaison.

“Building on Saint Mary’s commitment to inclusion, diversity, and intercultural learning, this role will support and empower students of African descent while engaging with the local African Nova Scotian and Black communities,” said President Robert Summerby-Murray.

Overall, Walker will play a meaningful role drawing from her past experiences and expertise.

“It is amazing that Saint Mary’s has chosen to be part of the change that is happening across Canada and the world at large. I am happy to be part of this,” said Walker.  “Being able to support students in their unique needs and to be their advocate will make a difference in the lives of Black students on campus. The creation of this position is timely given this is the United Nations International Decade for People of African descent. I am excited to meet and connect with our African Nova Scotian community and form collaborative networks with faculty and staff.”

Key priorities in her role will be:

·         providing support to current African Nova Scotian and Black students through campus programming, cultural advising, and student-advocacy;

·         building relationships with local Black communities to develop pathways and opportunities for Black students to access and pursue post-secondary education; and

·         working collaboratively with the university’s Diversity & Inclusion Advisor and the university community to participate in university policy reviews and development.

“A lot of thought and development went into designing this role to ensure it is impactful for our students and community,” said Tom Brophy, Senior Director of Student Affairs and Services. “With Charisma’s experience, I am confident she will be a leader in supporting African Nova Scotian and Black students during their studies, while also engaging with local communities to help students see themselves reflected at Saint Mary’s.”

After receiving a Bachelor of Science in Nursing in Jamaica, Walker obtained a Bachelor of Arts from Dalhousie University. She graduated with combined honours in Social Anthropology and Psychology.

Aside from her academic experience, Walker’s background involves working with youth of African descent. In 2018, she attended a pan-African youth conference in Ghana, sparking her interest in studying the diaspora of African peoples. Walker’s honours thesis explored the disconnection between identity and nationality of displaced African people.

Moreover, Walker has worked as a health coach with Diabetes Canada to help improve the health and wellness of African Nova Scotians. Recently, she completed work with Alzheimer’s Canada where she created awareness material and education within the African Nova Scotian community.

Walker joined Saint Mary’s University this week.

Rahaman appointed as new Associate Dean

Dr. Mohammad Rahaman has been appointed as the Associate Dean, Strategic Partnership & Community Engagement for a 5-year term from January 1, 2020 – December 31, 2024.

"I am pleased to announce that Dr. Mohammad Rahaman has been appointed as the Associate Dean, Strategic Partnership & Community Engagement for a 5-year term from January 1, 2020 – December 31, 2024,” said Dr. Harjeet Bhabra in an email announcement.

“In this new role Dr. Rahaman will assist in providing strategic direction and operational oversight of the external facing priorities of the Sobey School of Business,” he said. “These include the expansion and strategic repositioning of the Executive Professional Development Programs, governance and oversight of externally donor sponsored initiatives, and greater integration of the activities of the Entrepreneurship Centre with the Sobey School.”

Dr. Rahaman holds the Canada Research Chair (Tier II) in International Finance and Competitiveness.  He currently also serves as the Co-ordinator of the Global Business Management major.

Congratulations to Dr. Rahaman on his new role!

Archival resources on campus for reparations research

(l-r) Dr. Rachel Zellars, Marcus Marsman, Sylvia Parris-Drummond, and Dr. Lynn Jones at public discussion held last week about reparations for historic and systemic wrongs against African Nova Scotian communities.

A public discussion on reparations for historic and systemic wrongs against African Nova Scotian communities drew a full house to the Halifax North Memorial Public Library on February 5. Saint Mary’s Department of Social Justice & Community Studies hosted the African Heritage Month event, Reparations: Exploring a Basis for a Claim, in partnership with Halifax Public Libraries and the Global African Congress-NS Chapter.

Thanks to “radical community archivist Lynn Jones,” the university has an excellent resource for anyone doing reparations-related research in Nova Scotia, noted Dr. Val Marie Johnson, Chair of the department. The Lynn Jones African-Canadian & Diaspora Heritage Collection is housed in the Saint Mary’s University Archives. It documents the lives of Dr. Jones, her family including brother Dr. Burnley “Rocky” Jones, and more than 50 years of African, African Diasporic and African-Nova Scotian history. Nearly 20 “remarkable boxes” offer archival materials such as news clippings, programs, reports and more.

“As a young girl, I noticed that our stories weren’t being told,” said Jones, explaining why she started snipping articles and collecting artifacts as a child. A passionate champion for reparations, she hopes people will make use of the Collection in developing the case, not just here but across Canada.  

The evening began with a presentation by Dr. Rachel Zellars, an assistant professor with Social Justice & Community Studies, who used items from the Collection to illustrate her talk. She asked the panellists to imagine what the case for reparations in Nova Scotia could look like, considering such harms as environmental racism, denial of land ownership, and the historical representation and treatment of Black children.

“At its simplest, reparation means to make amends, offering atonement, giving satisfaction for a wrong or an injury,” she said. “Reparation is about repairing or restoring. It is a formal acknowledgement and apology, and a recognition that the injury continues in the present.” 

Joining the conversation were special guests Sylvia Parris-Drummond, CEO of the Delmore Buddy Daye Learning Centre; Carolann Wright-Parks, the Halifax Partnership’s Director of Capacity Building and Strategic Initiatives for African Nova Scotian Communities; and law student Marcus Marsman.

Marsman, whose great grandfather owned property in Africville, said he struggles with the idea of looking to courts and government as the only direct path to reparations, since neither adequately reflects the community. The issues are challenging to resolve legally, since the concept of reparations doesn’t come up much in Canadian case law. He also spoke about multigenerational trauma, and how one might repair that kind of harm.

Delvina Bernard, who is working toward a PhD in International Development Studies at Saint Mary’s, said the discussion needs to go beyond compensation.

“What I think we ought to be adding to this debate is a guiding theoretical framework that looks at reparations as a model for social change. A lot of us see it as a model for compensation. I see it as a model for moving the needle in terms of how we live our lives as humans,” said Bernard. “Otherwise, we might just be looking to be compensated. And part of that is that we are really asking just to be included in the same capitalist economy that put us in the situation that we’re in in the first place.”

The community conversation continues on Saturday, February 29 with a full-day forum at the Halifax North library, From Enslavement to Reparations: Community Engagement. Follow updates on the Facebook event page. The upcoming forum aims to boost public awareness of the historical contributions of African ancestry in building North American and European societies, and to show the context and history of calls for reparations for African people throughout the world. It will also consider ways to strengthen and support the participation of young African Canadians in the educational, social, economic, and political fabric of society.

Further reading:

Community meeting explores the case for reparations to African Nova Scotians; Nova Scotia Advocate, Feb. 6, 2020

-        Marla Cranston, Faculty of Arts

Chemistry student wins national award

Fourth year chemistry student Maddison Eisnor

Fourth year chemistry student Maddison Eisnor has won the Chemical Institute of Canada’s CIC Analytical Chemistry Division Undergraduate Travel Award in Honor of Dr. Nick Toltl. This award will allow Maddison the opportunity to talk about her 2D-LC (Two-Dimensional Liquid Chromatography) research on polyphenols at the 103rd Canadian Chemistry Conference and Exhibition in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Maddison also won her trip to attend the Leaders Overcoming Gender Inequality in Chemistry (LOGIC) retreat, a Canadian Women in Chemistry event, that takes place just before the CIC weekend:  https://cwicnetwork.com/logic-retreat/

Congratulations Maddison!

Dr. Jean-Blaise Samou launches new filmfest to celebrate African history

Dr. Jean-Blaise Samou with Shawna Murphy, SMU Outreach and Engagement Librarian, at his book launch on February 4.

When celebrating African Heritage Month here in North America, it’s vital to remember that African history goes back much farther than the diaspora. Dr. Jean-Blaise Samou aims to highlight this in Kemet Udjat, a new film festival he’s launching February 24 to 26 at Saint Mary’s.

“The history of Black people started in Africa,” says Dr. Samou, Assistant Professor of Francophone & Intercultural Studies in the Modern Languages & Classics department.

“So it’s good to celebrate African Heritage, but if we cannot trace it to its African roots, then it would only be a partial history. It’s important for us to see what Black people are doing in the diaspora but also what they are doing in other places in the world, and especially how they have contributed (or are contributing) to the history of the world.”

Loosely translated, the name Kemet Udjat indicates “the eye of Africa”, and refers to a different perspective on African heritage, says Dr. Samou, who hopes to make it an annual event.

Here’s the lineup:

Thomas Sankara: The Upright Man (52 mins, 2006) – A documentary about “the African Che” Thomas Sankara, former president of Burkina Faso; directed by Robin Shuffield
Monday, February 24, 5:00-7:30 pm, Loyola L188

Lumumba (115 mins, 2000) – A film about Congolese leader Patrice Émery Lumumba, at the time Congo-Kinshasa achieved independence from Belgium in 1960; directed by Raoul Peck
Tuesday, February 25, 5:00-7:30 pm, Loyola L188

“The history of urbanism and racism in Halifax, 1880–2010” – Presented in French via livestream, this talk by Dr. Ted Rutland of Concordia University is taking place at the Alliance Française conference in Toronto.
Wednesday, February 26, 8:00-10:30 pm, Atrium AT101

Both films put the spotlight on revolutionary African leaders from the recent past who are not very well known here on this continent, says Dr. Samou. Dr. Rutland’s lecture will examine how 20th century planning and modern urbanism have affected racialized communities here, drawing from his 2018 book, Displacing Blackness: Planning, Power, and Race in Twentieth Century Halifax.

“‘Africa’ as a concept refers not only to the African continent, but more broadly to the African diaspora, and to African cultures,” says Dr. Samou. He has been in touch with the Halifax Black Film Festival to discuss ways the two events can complement and support each other going forward.

Born in Cameroon, and a graduate of the University of Calgary, Dr. Samou arrived at Saint Mary’s last summer, after working as a faculty member at the University of Alberta and Director of the Global Studies program at Ripon College in Wisconsin, USA. On February 4, the Patrick Power Library hosted a launch for his new book, African Cultural Production and the Rhetoric of Humanism (Lexington Books, 2019), which he co-edited with the late Dr. Lifongo J. Vetinde of Lawrence University, in Appleton, WI.

In the book, scholars from different disciplines focus on representations of humanistic ideals and communal solidarity in African art and culture. In their examinations, the contributors call for a return to the traditional African vision of humanism also known as “Ubuntu”, which was more prevalent in precolonial times.  

Dr. Robert Summerby-Murray appointed to second term as President of Saint Mary’s University

Dr. Robert Summerby-Murray, President and Vice Chancellor, Saint Mary’s University

Board Chair Lawrence (Larry) Freeman, Q.C., announced today the appointment of Dr. Robert Summerby-Murray to a second five-year term as President of Saint Mary’s University, effective July 1, 2020.

Freeman noted that the Board’s decision was based on a comprehensive review, including community and stakeholder consultation, leading to a unanimous recommendation of a Presidential Review Committee struck in 2018. He noted: “During Rob’s first mandate he established a bold Strategic Plan, and under his leadership we have made significant progress in implementing the Plan.  We have set new benchmarks for research funding and innovative student programs, increased investments in student financial support and services, and advanced our commitment to intercultural learning and global connectedness. We are particularly impressed with Rob’s ability to forge and strengthen important external relationships, locally, nationally and internationally.”

Born in Christchurch, New Zealand, President Summerby-Murray received his PhD in Geography from the University of Toronto in 1992. A respected educator, he has received the Tucker Teaching Award, the AAU Distinguished Teacher Award and a 3M Fellowship.

President Summerby-Murray is an Elected Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society. In May 2018, he was named one of Atlantic Canada Business Magazine’s Top 50 CEOs.

Developing comprehensive mental health services for those attracted to minors

As a researcher and psychologist, I’ve always had a strong interest in violence prevention, particularly the prevention of sexual violence against children. Although it is a difficult subject that impacts many, we must conduct research on the causes of childhood sexual abuse if we want to reduce its occurrence.

Risk for sexual abuse can never be explained by one single factor, and we need a multi-pronged approach to prevent it. An example of one risk factor is a sexual interest in children; however, research shows that this is not the same as child sexual abuse. Not everyone with a sexual interest in children offends against children or is destined to do so.

The area my team and I have focused on is individuals with a sexual interest in children who reside in the community and are not involved in the criminal justice system. While it’s not common knowledge, there are people with a sexual interest in children who desire mental health services. It bears stating that there are others who are not struggling, are coping with this reality, and live offence free lives.

Of those interested in treatment, some seek support to help them avoid offending. Others would like treatment to address various mental health concerns.  Both treatment needs are important. Helping people to develop healthy coping strategies is vital so that people can live meaningful and offence free lives. Unfortunately, outside of the criminal justice system, there are significant barriers to accessing mental health services for this group.

My research has more recently focused on understanding treatment needs and barriers to treatment. The aim is to develop mental health programs for people with a sexual interest in children who are not involved in the criminal justice system. One of the areas that have been identified as a significant barrier for people who may desire these services is concern about negative attitudes that influence their desire to seek treatment and how these attitudes might impact their care.

We are currently conducting a survey to determine how to accurately measure the attitude of the general public on this topic. This survey is part of an unfunded study conducted by myself and two students. We hope that this will advance research in the area.

We can create an environment where people who are dealing with a sexual interest in children and want mental health services can access those services. I believe we have a moral and ethical responsibility to help anyone who wants these services, regardless of their identity.

I recognize that this topic evokes strong emotions in others, which is understandable given the nature of this matter. Sadly, strong emotions can prevent the tough conversations we must have if we hope to develop effective responses that can prevent sexual abuse.

Written by Skye Stephens, Ph.D. R.Psych, a psychologist and Assistant Professor at Saint Mary's University.

SMU welcomes The Honourable Bernadette Jordan to campus on International Day of Women and Girls in Science

As we proudly acknowledge International Day of Women and Girls in Science, we were honoured to welcome The Honourable Bernadette Jordan, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard to campus to learn about the some of the innovative research taking place.

While here, Minister Jordan met with Dr. Danika Van Proosdij about her work on restoring coastal areas through nature-based climate change adaptation strategies. To learn more about this important work, visit https://communityreport.smu.ca/protecting-our-coasts, or watch the video below.

Coastal communities and their preparations for climate change at heart of new short film

The coastal community of Clare, Nova Scotia, that is featured in the film.

A new short film about coastal communities and how they are preparing for the impacts of climate change and other hazards from the sea was released today, Feb. 11. The film, Coastal Communities… At the Ready, combines global perspectives with the experiences of two communities on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of Canada. 

“Most of the world’s people live by the sea and are under the threat of a variety of marine hazards,” said Dr. Tony Charles, a professor at Saint Mary’s University and the director of the Community Conservation Research Network.  “Marine hazards are not new on the coast but they are becoming more common and more intense under the pressures of climate change. Where the sea meets the land in coastal communities, developing good responses to the impending threats is vitally important.” 

This 13-minute film is important for all those concerned about our oceans and coasts, our communities and the impacts of climate change and ocean hazards. This includes communities and community associations, citizen organizations, governments and policymakers. The film also serves as a starting point for climate change discussions in school and university classrooms.

The film was produced by the Marine Environmental Observation, Prediction and Response Network (MEOPAR), the Community Conservation Research Network (CCRN), and Saint Mary’s University, with support from the Networks of Centres of Excellence Canada.

The film is available at:

• www.communityconservation.net/coastal-communities-at-the-ready

• https://meopar.ca/news/watch-it-now-coastal-communities-at-the-ready

New Nova Scotians cook a community meal to celebrate International Development Week

A celebration of newcomers,  diversity, and tradition through food will take place this Friday, February 7, from 12:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.  At the event, ten refugees from around the world who are now living in Halifax will prepare dishes from their home countries as part of a community meal.

‘Taste of the World’ aims to break down barriers and build understanding through something that is universally shared: food. For the cooks, it is an opportunity to showcase their traditions and cultures to a broader audience. For the public, it’s a chance to connect with newcomers and sample delicious dishes. The event is free and takes place at the Halifax North Memorial Public Library, 2285 Gottingen St. in Halifax.

“As an immigrant, I have firsthand experience of how difficult it can be to start a new life in a different country,” said Leena Roy Chowdhury, co-president of Enactus Saint Mary’s and this event’s co-organizer.  “We are working with newcomers to Canada, and helping to inspire them as entrepreneurs so that they can build a career using their incredible cooking skills. This event is the perfect occasion to celebrate diversity and entrepreneurship with food that will captivate your taste buds!”

 ‘Taste of the World’ is being held as part of International Development Week (IDW). IDW celebrates Canadian community and international development efforts by showcasing work being done across the country. 2020 marks the 30th anniversary of IDW, which will run from February 2nd-8th. As the signature event for the Atlantic, ‘Taste of the World’ will be live-streamed to a national audience.

This year’s theme for IDW is ‘Go for the Goals’, referencing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The SDGs are 17 universal, aspirational, and interconnected goals introduced by the United Nations in 2015. The ‘Taste of the World’ event seeks to address goal no.2: Zero Hunger, no. 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, no. 10: Reduced Inequalities, and no.17: Partnerships for the Goals.

To learn more about the SDGs, click here: https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/?menu=1300

Funding for this event is provided by the Atlantic Council for International Cooperation (ACIC), on behalf of Global Affairs Canada (GAC). The event is being hosted by the Global Shapers – Halifax Hub, Enactus Saint Mary’s, and Hope Blooms.

Huskies embrace the growing Red Tape movement

An important new tradition launched at Saint Mary’s on January 22, during a “Red Tape Game” between the SMU Huskies and the Acadia Axemen. Players for both teams put red tape on their hockey sticks, in a show of support for Logan Prosper of Whycocomagh First Nation, and as a symbol aimed at ending racism in sport.

“I wear red tape on my stick every time I go out. I make sure I’ve always got red tape and everyone on my team has it,” Prosper said at the pre-game reception at the Dauphinee Centre, where a Mi’kmaw flag now hangs permanently by the rink’s scoreboard.

The 16-year-old forward for the Cape Breton West Islanders faced racial taunts in a Midget A hockey game in December. He considered quitting hockey altogether, but instead started the Red Tape initiative with his father Phillip to create awareness of racism in hockey, and to encourage players to take responsibility for combatting racism. The movement is receiving widespread support as far as Ontario and New York State, and Hockey Nova Scotia has formed a task force to address discrimination. Several former NHL players, including Cody McCormick, have reached out to Logan directly with encouragement.

Saint Mary’s hosted its first Red Tape Game to promote inclusion in sport and to celebrate Indigenous students and athletes. (The Huskies won, 4-2.) The event was held in partnership with the provincial Office of Aboriginal Affairs, Treaty Education Nova Scotia, and the 2020 North American Indigenous Games (NAIG) Host Society.

“While everybody loves a great game of hockey, events like this have great significance for the university, the Indigenous community and for youth,” said Scott Gray, Director of Athletics & Recreation. “For the hockey community, it is important for us to highlight the fact that racism exists in sport. And there is still work that we must do in order to combat this racism.”

Opening the event with a traditional Mi’kmaw prayer was George “Tex” Marshall, President of the 2020 NAIG Host Society and a member of the Bear Clan in Cape Breton. Marshall recalled his own days of playing hockey from the 1970s to the early 1990s.

“Back then, there was a lot of racism within the sport here in Nova Scotia,” he said. “People don’t like to acknowledge or hear that, so this gathering affirms and acknowledges that those issues are still here today, they’re alive and kicking. The fact that we can come together in a collective to educate, to promote and prevent incidents that hurt people is a great thing.”

Before the hockey got underway, Logan Prosper took part in a ceremonial puck drop along with Erin Denny, an outstanding young hockey player from Eskasoni First Nation who will be joining the Huskies next season. She currently plays forward for the MacIntyre Chevy Panthers of the Nova Scotia Female Midget AAA Hockey League, and represented Nova Scotia at the 2019 Canada Games. Then Eskasoni’s Trevor Sanipass performed the Mi’kmaw Honour Song. An Indigenous Liaison Officer with the provincial Department of Justice, Sanipass also has a new CBC Information Morning column called Aknute'n (translation: "tell us a story").

President Dr. Rob Summerby Murray thanked all of the special guests, who also included more officials from the 2020 NAIG Host Society: Fiona Kirkpatrick Parsons, Chair; Melissa Labrador, the artist who created the NAIG 2020 Logo; and John Rogers, CEO of the Host Society and Chair of Acadia’s Board of Governors. Saint Mary’s will be a key venue for the Games, which are expected to bring more than 5,000 participants to Kjipuktuk (Halifax) and Millbrook First Nation this summer.

Members of the Saint Mary’s Board of Governors in attendance included current Chair, Lawrence Freeman QC, and former Chair, Bob Belliveau. Dr. Summerby Murray also applauded Ryan Francis, the new Indigenous Visiting Fellow in the Faculty of Arts, for bringing the Red Tape movement to Saint Mary’s and organizing the game with Athletics & Recreation. (For more background on the Red Tape movement, see this recent CBC-TV interview with Francis, starting at 3:33.) The President also paid tribute to Dr. Margaret MacDonald, Dean of Arts, and Associate Dean Dr. Peter Twohig, for recognizing the power and potential of bringing sport and recreation together in a learning community.

“Sport brings people together,” agreed Gray. “That’s why we’re so honoured here to start off this recognition game. It will continue to be on our Huskie schedule. Acts like Logan’s can change the world as we combat racism in sport.”

Bridget Brownlow receives World Peace Tartan

Bridget Brownlow, Conflict Resolution Advisor at Saint Mary’s University and President of Peaceful Schools International, is the 2020 recipient of the World Peace Tartan award. The award, presented by the Celtic Cultural Society of Nova Scotia, comes as recognition for Brownlow’s work with the Northern Ireland Peace Education Program.

The World Peace Tartan was created in 2011 by Victor Spence, President of the Edinburgh Interfaith Association. The unique blue-based plaid stands as a symbol of global peace and harmony. Previous recipients include Malala Yousafzai, the Dalai Lama and, more locally, Halifax Mayor Mike Savage and the Hon. Mayann Francis, BA'72, LLD'12.

“It is with great humility and gratitude that I accept this award. It would not have been possible without the support, encouragement and efforts of students, faculty and staff at Saint Mary's University and Peaceful Schools International; as well as all of our partner schools in Halifax and Belfast, Northern Ireland. Along with our donors, it is these people and children who deserve the real credit for their many contributions to peace education over the past fifteen years,” said Brownlow.

The Northern Ireland Peace Education program is a partnership between Peaceful Schools International and Saint Mary’s University. Each year, students are selected to travel to elementary schools in Northern Ireland to run conflict resolution workshops.

“In my three years as a university student, nothing else has been as transformative as taking part in this group and traveling to Belfast,” said Ryan Mackenzie, a Saint Mary’s political science and history student who took part in the program in 2019.

“The whole experience of our trip: working in the schools, speaking with Loyalists and Republicans, speaking with the Belfast locals and seeing the beautiful scenery of County Antrim was a transformative experience for me. [It] changed my perspective on Northern Ireland,” he said.

The program is one that has built and strengthened ties between Saint Mary’s University and the international community. Former president of Ireland and honourary Saint Mary’s Doctorate recipient, Dr. Mary McAleese, was a student at one of the partner schools in Belfast and is a staunch supporter of the program. Yale University has also recently partnered with Saint Mary’s, allowing students at Yale to Skype into the classrooms and meetings in Northern Ireland and in Halifax on the Saint Mary’s campus.

February, 2020 will see another group of 19 SMU students from all faculties returning to Belfast and Londonderry/Derry, Northern Ireland to represent their school, provinces and countries. For the fifteenth consecutive year, they will be working with elementary students to promote conflict resolution and peace education at schools in the respective cities.

You can stay up to date with Peaceful Schools International on Twitter and Facebook, and the Northern Ireland program on Facebook.

Read more: Halifax university professor honoured with World Peace Tartan for work in Northern Ireland