Social Justice at UVic: Creating Safer Spaces Facilitator - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Social Justice at UVic:

Creating Safer Spaces

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Facilitator Introductions

Liam Green (he/him)

• White Settler (Raised in Treaty 1 Territory; Born in Northern

England)

• Queer, Neurodivergent, Cis Male
• UVic Staff (Office of Student Life: Social Justice and Mental

Health Promotion Educator)

Nate Ponce (he/him)

• Uninvited guest
• Caddo, Lipan, and Mestizix Ancestry [Raised on Karankawa

territory (aka Houston,Texas)]

• Queer, IPOC, Cis Male
• UVSS Staff (Uvic Pride office coordinator, safer sex, harm

reduction and healthy relationships)

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Agenda

• Introduction/Key

Terms and Definitions

• Relational

Accountability

• Self-Reflections, Polls

and Icebreakers

• How to promote Equity

and Safety at UVic

• Additional Learning
• pportunities

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What are we talking about? Key Terms / Definitions

Power

Access to resources and to decision-making in order to get what you want done. Power can be visible, hidden

• r invisible and show up as power over others, power with others, and/or power within.

Privilege

Advantages that members of dominant groups have in society, whether they want them or not. When power is used to advantage someone economically, socially, etc.

Oppression

When power is used to harm someone. Oppression can appear institutionally, ideologically, interpersonally, or can be internalized.

Anti-Oppression

The process of intentionally working to disrupt, challenge and dismantle systems of power and oppression which negatively affect certain groups of people based on identity markers, life experiences and cultural histories

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Relational Accountability – 4 places to be anti-oppressive

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Land Interpersonal UVic Community Self

Honoring the land and the stewards of the land we occupy Critical Self-Location and Reflection on your positionality Consensual Allyship, Bystander Intervention and Equity in our relationships Challenging Systemic Barriers, Using Anti-Oppressive Practice when doing research

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Icebreaker – Accountability to Land– 5 minutes

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• 1. Introduce yourself (Name, Pronouns,

What you’re studying at UVic) 2. If known, name the lands that you currently live or study on 3. If known, name the lands that you were raised on 4. If you don’t know, why do you think that is? What gets in the way of knowing? 5. What’s one way that you love to connect with the natural world?

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Indigeneity

Self Our Relationship to Ourselves: Self-Awareness and Critical Self-Location

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What to do when someone says or does something concerning/problematic? – Calling Out vs. Calling In

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Callin lling I In

• When there is an opportunity to explore

something deeper, make meaning together, and find a mutual sense of understanding across difference

• When we are seeking to understand or

learn more

• Focused on reflection, not reaction
• When we want to help imagine different

perspectives, possibilities, or outcomes

Callin lling O Out

• When we need to let someone know that

their words or actions are unacceptable and will not be tolerated

• When we need to interrupt in order to

preven ent f furth ther er h harm or if ther ere i e is perceived ed

• r a

actual v violen ence o e occurring

• Will likely feel hard and uncomfortable,

but necessary

• Allows us to hit the “pause” button and

break the momentum

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What does this sound like?

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Callin lling I In –

… I’m curious. What was your intention when you said that? … Why do you think that is the case? Why do you believe that to be true? … How might someone else see this differently? Is it possible that someone might misinterpret your words/actions? … How might your own comfort level, assumptions, expectations and prior experiences be influencing your beliefs?

Callin lling O Out –

… I don’t find that funny. Tell me why that’s funny to you. … I need to push back against that. I

• disagree. I don’t see it that way.

… It sounds like you’re making some assumptions that we need to unpack a bit. … Okay, I am having a strong reaction to that and I need to let you know why.

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Questions to ask yourself when calling someone in

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Callin lling I In 1.

• 1. Do I Have t

the E Emotio ional C l Capacit ity t to Call So ll Someone i in Right N Now? (sel elf-care) 2.

• 2. Do I Ha

Have P e Privilege Over er T Tho hose se W Who ho Ar Are Ha e Harmed b by Thi his P s Per erson’s Ac s Actions? s? (positi tionality ty)

• 3. What A

Are ( (Or Were) Thei eir I Inten entions? ns? Do You T Think nk T They ey’ll C Chang nge T e Their Behavio vior? r? (capacity ty f for growth) 4.

• 4. Why E

Exactly Did T d They ey D Do This O Oppr pres essive T e Thing ng? (intent and nd i igno norance) e)

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How to respond to feedback that someone else gives you?

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Sometimes w s we’ e’re o e on n the he rec ecei eiving end o end of bei being ng c called i in

If you’re experiencing strong emotions (anger, shame, guilt, frustration, sadness, embarrassment) Try:

• “I’m getting defensive about this and I don’t want to. Can you give me a minute?”-
• Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths and/or try other grounding techniques
• If you’re having a defense reaction, try: “I want to understand what you’re saying, so I’m going to try to

not get defensive when you tell me. Can you back up so I can try again?”

Thank the person. Try:

• “Thanks for telling me that there’s a problem/thanks for telling me that you’re not comfortable with this”
• “I’m glad you brought this to my attention”
• “I appreciate your willingness to talk with me about this”

Work on building your skill set and lean on others for support (friends, family, classmates)

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Ways to engage in effective Allyship

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Com mun ity PROM OMOTE E RET ETHIN INK

Doing y your own n research a and l nd learni ning ng on racism, colonialism and oppression Asking M Margina inaliz lized pe people to educ ducate y you

• n

n the heir o

• pp

ppressio ion Amplify o

• ther

ers’ v voices es b before y e your own Thinking that 1 act ct of s

• f soli
• lidarity m

makes you

• u

an an al ally f y forever r Asking o

• the

hers ho how y you u can s n suppo upport the hem, including, when appropriate, offer ering sug uggestio ions ns. Performative A Ally llyship ip (Posting Social Media Statuses, Letting people know that you’re “outraged and shocked” Giving s something ing up up to allow a marginalized person access to a resource / program or opportunity. Assuming or promoting that there’s only 1 y 1 right way t to do do allyship hip o

• r be

be an n ally

Rem emem ember er: Ally lly is is a a verb – actions a are more p power erfu ful than w words

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Two ways too incorporate Anti-Oppressive practice into Grad school

Interrogate –

• Who’s voices am I centering?
• Are there particular groups that are being excluded from academic

discourse or literature?

• What is defined as knowledge? What is defined as intelligence?
• Who is an expert? What credentials does someone need to have to be an

expert?

Include –

• Incorporate different viewpoints into research and practice
• Seek out divergent viewpoints from your peers and classmates
• Don’t separate conversations about anti-oppression, colonialism and social
• justice. Rather, integrate marginalized voices and different ways of

learning, being and perceiving the world into all parts of your work

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Additional Learning at UVic

UVSS A Advoc

• cac

acy G y Groups

• UVic Pride
• Gender Empowerment Centre
• Students of Colour Collective
• Society for Students with Disabilities
• Native Students Union

Office o e of S Studen ent L Life ( e (OS OSL) L)

• Bringing in the Bystander: Bystander

Intervention

• Tools for Change: Sexualized Violence

Prevention

• Anti-Oppression Workshops

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Equity ty a and Hu Human R Righ ghts Of Offi fice ( (EQHR)

• Anti-Racism Workshop
• Human Rights Volunteers

Anti-Vi Violen ence e Projec ect ( (AVP VP)

• Consent Training
• Supporting a Survivor

Indigen enous, A Academ emic and C Community Engagemen ent ( t (First P Peo eople’ e’s H House) e)

• Indigenous Cultural Acumen Training

Lea earning, T Tea eaching S Support a t and Innovati tion (LTSI TSI)

• TA Modules and Learnings

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Breakout Rooms of 3 - (5 minutes) – Discuss 1 way that you could advance your learning on social justice / anti-oppression and/or 1 action that you could take to work in consensual allyship with a marginalized community?

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Thank You

LIAM GREEN

• slprogram@uvic.ca

Office of Student Life