The 18th Annual Celebration to mark the United Nations International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination with
Reconciling History and the Challenge of Building Community by Dr Roshan Danesh
Wednesday March 19th ~ 11:30am – 1:30pm ~
Italian Cultural Centre
*IN-PERSON*
(with recording available for viewing post-event)
REGISTRATION INFORMATION COMING SOON!
Dr. Roshan Danesh KC is an internationally renowned lawyer and educator who for over two decades has been on the frontlines of advancing Indigenous rights and reconciliation in Canada. Danesh’s reconciliation work has included representing Indigenous Nations and political organizations in complex political negotiations, serving as the special counsel on reconciliation to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, and advising the Government of British Columbia on the adoption of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
Alongside his work in Canada on Indigenous rights, Danesh has worked around the globe on issues of peace building and conflict resolution, including helping design, develop and implement cutting edge peace education initiatives involving hundreds of thousands of people as part of post-war reconstruction efforts.
Educated at Harvard Law School, Danesh has taught at universities across Europe and North America, and written or co-authored over 20 articles and books. He is the co-author with Jody Wilson-Raybould of the national bestseller Reconciling History: A Story of Canada (2024).
Drawing on his bestselling book Reconciling History: A Story of Canada co-authored with Jody Wilson-Raybould, Roshan Danesh will explore how the stories we tell ourselves about our history can perpetuate conflict or, alternatively, pave pathways to peace. Using examples drawn from efforts to rise to the challenge of reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in Canada, as well as other parts of the globe, Roshan will share how transforming conditions of injustice and conflict ultimately requires doing work from the ‘inside-out’ where individuals and groups cultivate mindsets and worldviews that reinforce connection and cohesion rather then separation and division. For Canada, such a perspective places in focus where we are in this moment in time in the work of true reconciliation and addressing the legacy of colonization, and the types of actions each of us can take to break down the visible and invisible silos and divisions that exist between and amongst us.
*NEW* Sponsorship Opportunities 2025
Zoom Workshop Series:
Throughout the year, Diversity Thunder Bay works to provide various educational opportunities to the community including our main annual event for the United Nations International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.
Recordings of most of these presentations are available below.
Please note: These recordings have been made available to the public with permission from their presenters. Their content, or any extracts are not to be reproduced without explicit consent from Diversity Thunder Bay.
For more information, please see our Media Guidelines.
2024
At the February 2024 general membership meeting, Diversity Thunder Bay heard this excellent presentation by the Regional Multicultural Youth Council’s Moffat Makuto on their Voices of Youth Report and its important recommendations.
WATCH NOW!
Read the full report here: RMYC VOICES OF YOUTH 2023 REPORT
2023
Moving Forward with Reconciliation
with
Sandi Boucher and Creating Safe Space,
November 29th, 2023
WATCH NOW!
Offering a perspective so often denied non-Indigenous Canadians, speaker, activist and author, Sandi Boucher uses Anishinaabe teachings, metaphors, stories, cartoons, her infectious humour, and her undeniable wisdom to build understanding of and respect for the Indigenous peoples she calls family, friends, and colleagues.
A proud member of Seine River First Nation in Treaty #3 territory in northern Ontario, Sandi is internationally recognized as an engaging speaker, a traditional knowledge keeper, and a best-selling author. She began her speaking career in 2009 with the launch of her first book “Honorary Indian”. Four books later, Sandi and her team are now laser-focused on healing both sides of the eagle feather she so often refers to.With thought-provoking words, she guides, educates, empowers and encourages people to actively engage in the reconciliation process. Her audiences include First Nation communities, corporations, small to medium size businesses, municipalities, hospitals, school boards, universities, colleges, and participants at countless conferences and seminars.
Designed specifically for First Nation allies, Creating Safe Space discusses the concept of a “safe space”. What constitutes a safe space”. What does it include? What isn’t part of a safe space? How do you establish and maintain a safe space?
Informative, interactive, enlightening and engaging. Provided in a safe environment from a trauma-informed perspective.
On September 27 2023, Diversity Thunder Bay held the presentation Gender Inclusive Language by member Sarah DiBiagio at the general membership meeting, to assist with the group’s education and growth in this area.
WATCH NOW!
On January 18th Diversity Thunder Bay presented
Treaties with Michele Solomon
WATCH NOW!
2022
On December 2022 DTB presentedCare and Responsibilities in Sponsorship Relationships presented by Cynthia NaultDiversity Thunder Bay member, Cynthia Nault, shared with us her presentation about the nuances of special relationships between sponsors and the recipients of sponsorship andthe continued harm being done by large corporations and their agents. She reviewed a brief history of colonization so far, why this is happening, and explored ways that everyday Canadians can interrupt this pattern of harm.WATCH NOW!
2021
Our first, Moving Forward with Reconciliation in Thunder Bay & Area, was on November 3rd, 2021 and featured a panel with Melissa Hardy-Giles, Sol Mamakwa and Wendy Landry.
WATCH NOW!
Our second in the series was entitled Canada at a Crossroads: Unmarked Graves, Laissez-Faire Racism, and Indigenous-Settler (Re)conciliation with Jeffrey Denis and was presented on November 17th, 2021.
**Trigger Warning: Some of the content of this presentation may be triggering to those who have experienced racism and oppression.**
