NIC Panel Embraces Diversity
Join NIC’s Office of Global Engagement in welcoming a diverse group of speakers for a multi‐faith panel discussion, Tuesday, March 20 at the Stan Hagen Theatre. Doors open at 6 pm with the discussion starting at 6:30 pm. Everyone is welcome at this free, community event held the day before the United Nations International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. Events take place worldwide on this day to promote tolerance, inclusion, unity and respect for diversity.
“Conversations about diversity foster community,” said event organizer Cathy Mutis, associate director at NIC’s Office of Global Engagement. “There is a quote by Parker Palmer that I love; the more we learn about other people’s stories, the less possible it is for us to dislike them, distrust them, or dismiss them. I couldn’t say it better myself.”
Panelists include Dr. Evelyn Voyageur on First Nations perspectives, Bill Fradgley on Humanism, Geshe Yongdung on Buddhism and Shazia Anwar on Islam.
Each panelist will share a 10 to 15 minute presentation on the main philosophies of their tradition and provide an overview of how their philosophy reaches across ethnicity and language to a deeper common humanity. Retired atmospheric scientist Peter Schwarzhoff, known locally for his participation in the monthly Philosophers’ Café, will moderate the panel.
Schwarzhoff moderated a similar panel at NIC last fall, which included representatives from Unitarianism, Christianity, Wicca and Baha’i.
“The forum in the fall was great learning for me,” said NIC Elder in Residence, Dr. Evelyn Voyageur. “I heard all the speakers and learned about their beliefs, which helped me understand them better.”
Voyageur looks forward to sharing her worldview while learning from others during the next panel discussion.
“I will be speaking mostly on the Kwakwaka’wakw spirituality, which my people have always had, long before contact,” she said. “I will probably include some other nations in my talk, as I believe we all had the same beliefs, but different ways of performing our traditional ways of being.”
NIC’s Office of Global Engagement hopes to plan more events like this in the future.
“I can’t think of a better way to observe International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination,” said Mutis. “Conversations like this are a great way to learn about each other’s differences with sincere curiosity and respect.”
For more information on this free community event, contact Nadine Biggs, global engagement liaison at nadine.biggs@nic.bc.ca. For a full list of community events hosted by North Island College, visit www.nic.bc.ca/events.