Q&A: Insights on Community, Activism and Changemaking
On March 14, we’re pleased to host “Lead, Succeed, and Inspire: Join Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould for an Evening with Changemakers” in recognition of International Women’s Day and the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.
Ahead of that event, our panelist Cicely Blain – writer, facilitator, activist, artist, founder, Black Lives Matter Vancouver, and UBC alum – shares their thoughts on activism, community, and creating change. Cicely graduated in 2016 with a degree in Modern European Studies and a minor in Russian language.
Many students at UBC are trying to make their activism more impactful & effective. What activism have you been involved in that brought a productive response? Any tips or insights?
I’ve been involved in activism for as long as I can remember. I used to go on marches with my grandma to stop gentrification in my home town, a suburb of London. It was instilled in me for a long time that some systems are broken and you have to fight to fix them. When I was 15 I became involved in a youth group and we advocated for more educational and leisure opportunities for disadvantaged youth. We won $8 million from the British government.
My passion continued at UBC. The first protest I went to was in my third year when we campaigned against the rise in tuition fees. And to celebrate my 22nd birthday I organized an event in solidarity with students of colour fighting institutional racism. This inspired me to found Black Lives Matter Vancouver when I graduated. I would encourage people who are passionate about change and frustrated with injustice to channel their energy into something positive. Through BLM I’ve been part of creating so many amazing spaces, hosting events for 1000s of people, making people feel seen and celebrated, and making people smile.
What are some lessons you have learned from being a founder of Black Lives Matter Vancouver?
I’ve learnt a lot of lessons but mainly that community is what keeps us going. Sometimes the world seems scary and you feel helpless when thinking about systemic issues but if you focus more on local change and building communities and helping people around you, it’s very impactful and very rewarding.
You’ve recently launched Cicely Blain Consulting. What motivated you to focus on building safe & inclusive work environments?
Being an activist and having my name know around the city, lots of people asked me to do workshops and educate them on being better allies. I’ve always looked for a way that I can make these things my main thing in life while still surviving capitalism. I want to make change in schools, nonprofits and businesses so that everyone feels more included and safe.
UBC Celebrates International Women’s Day
Today we recognize the incredible and diverse women that shape UBC – and our lives and communities.
International Women’s Day
International Women’s Day is an opportunity to celebrate and recognize women – and call for progress. At UBC, we continue our efforts to build a more inclusive community for all.
This year International Women’s Day is aiming to draw attention to the experiences and activism of rural women. Rural women make up almost half of the agricultural work force and are central to global food security. However, they often lack both decent work and social protection, and are more vulnerable to the effects of climate change. This year we encourage you to learn about the work rural women are doing to claim their rights and improve their livelihoods and wellbeing.
Stories from Women at UBC
Women are bringing new perspectives to the skilled trades. Hear from one of UBC’s newest journey-level steamfitters.
Dr. Jennifer Love, Senior Advisor on Women Faculty shares how she creates positive change at UBC.
Events
Looking for ways to engage, learn and celebrate?
Structural Oppression: Male Privilege with Harley Eagle
March 8 @ 10:00 am
NSERC Presents: Initiatives to Advance Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Research Excellence
March 8 @ 11:00 am
Feminist Time: Remembering the Suffragette and the Work of Suffrage Fiction
March 8 @ 4:00 pm
Luminescence: Chanteuse to the Power of Three
March 8 @ 7:00 pm
YWiB UBC International Women’s Day Banquet
March 8 @ 6:30pm
March 14 @ 6:30 pm
Spotlight on Diversity and Creativity in the Skilled Trades
International Women’s Day is on March 8th. We hear from one of UBC’s newest journey-level steamfitters on why she chose her career path and what keeps her busy at UBC.
“One of the proudest things I can say is ‘I built that,’” says Nikki Gaulton. Nikki just completed her apprenticeship at UBC and has now been hired on as UBC’s newest journey-level steamfitter – adding to a growing number of women in skilled trades at UBC.
Steamfitters, in short, are the skilled trades who ensure the delivery of heat to buildings at UBC. At Energy & Water, through access holes and tunnels, they work on the last bits of the old steam and new Hot Water District Energy Systems. At Building Operations, they work inside the buildings where the steam or hot water systems meet heat exchangers and transfer heat to a building’s internal heating and domestic hot water systems.
Nikki started out not knowing that the skilled trades were an option for her. During her school years she joined her peers and did the usual retail and customer service jobs. “I enjoy working,” says Nikki, “but none of those jobs really played to my strengths. I didn’t know what my future was, but I knew I needed something that would be a creative outlet.”
Then, when she was 18, Nikki’s friend invited her to help out as a dry wall installer during the construction of the new Mountain Equipment Co-op in North Vancouver. “I got to try everything, boarding, insulation, taping, mudding,” says Nikki. “I remember standing back, looking at the finished rooms and thinking ‘WOW I did this! Look at these rooms. I made those. I was part of this.’”
Less than a year later, Nikki’s dad saw an ad in the paper for the Trades Foundation program with the Piping Industry College. During her four-week government-supported program, Nikki got to try her hands at the piping trades: plumbing, sprinkler fitting, welding, and steam fitting. “I loved it. I immediately signed up for the 16-week foundation course,” says Nikki.
“I was drawn to the complexity of steam fitting. The photos I had seen of job sites and projects blew me away with the precision and layout of the piping. The tradespeople I met amazed me with their ability to think through complex 3D problems and design fluid, beautiful solutions.”
Within a few years, Nikki joined UBC as a third-year apprentice and, after writing her exams in November, became UBC’s newest journey-level steamfitter.
The gender balance of the traditionally male construction worksite never concerned Nikki. For her, being in the trades is all about creativity. “As a woman, I was able to bring different perspectives, different ways of working, and new approaches,” says Nikki.
“There’s always a new outlook, a new way of seeing that breaks through and allows us to build new and more complex things. Everyone has endless knowledge. That diversity is only going to make the world better. I can shine in different ways and the balance of women and men in a workplace opens interesting opportunities to solve things in new ways.”
Interested in following Nikki into the skilled trades? “My best advice to other women considering a career is the trades is: DO IT! There has never been a better time,” laughs Nikki. “The trades organizations, employers, labour unions, and government are all opening doors for women to join the skilled trades. It will open your eyes and you’ll see how the things around you actually work. A little bit of knowledge can let you go a long way.”
Get Involved
Join us, the Honourable Jody Wilson-Raybould, and alumni UBC for an evening of inspirational engagement on March 14th. Hear insights from women and people of colour championing race and gender equality.
This event is organized in recognition of International Women’s Day and International Day for Elimination of Racial Discrimination.
Lead, Succeed and Inspire: An Evening with Changemakers
Wednesday, March 14 @ 6:30PM
Robert H. Lee Alumni Centre
Creating Positive Change for Women Faculty
In celebration of the International Women’s Day, Dr. Jennifer Love shares insights into her life and career and how her work is helping enhance the work environment and opportunities for women at UBC.
Q: What’s your role at UBC?
As a Senior Advisor on Women Faculty, I work closely with the deans, Human Resources, Faculty Relations, the Equity & Inclusion Office and other units around policies and practices that promote equity for women faculty, providing advice and serving as a resource to UBC’s academic leadership on matters of significance to women faculty.
I am a Professor in the Department of Chemistry.
Q: What are you hopeful for in terms of your work?
Universities thrive with diversity of ideas. A major contributor to diversity of ideas is one’s identity and personal experience. We cannot achieve excellence without diversity.
On this basis, I applied for the position of Senior Advisor on Women Faculty. I want to develop evidence-based recommendations for positive change for women faculty. I strongly believe that any improvements in working conditions and equity for women also have a positive effect on everyone.
Q: Who inspires you?
Sally Ride [external link] and Stephen Hawking [external link] particularly inspire me. They both faced significant hardships in their careers and personal lives, and yet have long-lasting influence on science and society.
Q: On International Women’s Day, what advice do you have to women and all individuals seeking to create change?
Just because something has been done in a particular way for many years does not mean that it’s the best way to do things. If you want to change something, you have to develop good arguments.
Listen to people who disagree with you and work to convince them. You won’t reach 100% of people, but you will reach a majority. It takes a long time to convince people to change; just don’t give up.
Q: How do you integrate your work – life balance?
I have realised that I need to take time for myself and my family, even with a backlog of work. If I don’t take time off, everything suffers – work, relationships, health. You have to be able to say no to continued pressure to work more. You have to prioritise. You will disappoint some people, which is difficult to do.
Q: Anything else?
Yes! I’m hosting an evening dialogue on March 14th as a way to celebrate International Women’s Day and International Day for Elimination of Racial Discrimination.
The Honourable Jody Wilson-Raybould will be making opening remarks and a number of UBC and community changemakers will be sharing their efforts to bring about positive change. Hope you join us!
Get Involved
Hear insights from women and people of colour championing race and gender equality.
Lead, Succeed and Inspire: An Evening with Changemakers
Wednesday, March 14 @ 6:30PM
Robert H. Lee Alumni Centre
This event is organized in recognition of International Women’s Day and International Day for Elimination of Racial Discrimination.
Pink Shirt Day at UBC
In 2007, two teens in Nova Scotia distributed pink shirts as part of a school-wide protest after a student was bullied for wearing pink on the first day of school. Through a simple act of solidarity, the rest of his classmates effectively silenced the bullies and made their school a welcoming space for everyone.
Pink Shirt Day was founded as a way to raise awareness of bullying and promote anti-bullying action. This year, Pink Shirt Day is on February 28th and the campaign focus is on cyberbullying.
Join us as we take a moment to consider how we can ensure a respectful environment not only on our physical campus, but also in our online learning spaces and communities.
Bullying does not only occur in K-12 schools, but can also take place in workplaces. It is a form of harassment that can often take many forms, including for example racism, homophobia, and ableism. At UBC, we are committed to providing a respectful environment for students, staff and faculty – from classrooms to workspaces.
This Wednesday, show support by wearing pink and consider what you can do to stop not only cyberbullying, but all forms of bullying and harassment.
Get Involved
Stop by the Faculty of Education Pink Shirt Day pop-up event for activities, practicum resources, button making, treats and more:
- Teacher Education for All Pink Shirt Day Booth, 12:00 – 1:30, Scarfe Building Foyer.
Attend a participatory workshop and learn to leverage online engagement spaces in a more productive and meaningful way:
- The New Public Domain: Digital Space as Extension of Community Space, March 20, 10:00 – 1:00, Irvin K. Barber Learning Centre
Familiarize yourself with UBC policies and guidelines:
Explore online resources, including:
- An article from Inside Higher Education on bystander behaviour in response to cyber-bullying, and its connection to online courses;
- Part 1 and Part 2 of an academic paper on cyber-bullying and incivility in the online learning environment, including a discussion of how we can promote student success in the virtual classroom.
Learn how you can take active steps to make a difference:
UBC Community in Action
Equity Enhancement Fund Info Session + Showcase
Join us as the 2017 Equity Enhancement Fund winners share their projects and learn what it takes to apply. Sara-Jane Finlay, Associate Vice-President, Equity & Inclusion will make opening remarks and give an update on equity and inclusion at UBC.