|
SHIFT Centre for Social TransformationMarch 2026 |
|
Mercifully, the days are getting longer; there's a warm glow of sunlight at the end of the tunnel. The fog of winter begins to lift, and, hopefully, some clarity sets in: on our shared pathway towards liberation and social transformation. Communities have long answered the question of what must be done, and to that end, we at SHIFT ask how... to support, to resource, to help foster an evolution of strategy... through convening, through research, through capacity-building? To not only imagine alternative ways of working and living together, but to actualize it, is a constant, co-creative process. This month, as winter softens and birds begin to sing again, the SHIFT Centre has much to offer and we hope you’ll stop by to help in that process of illuminating the path towards justice. |
|
|
All aboard: Toward fare-free transit through research and advocacy |
|
|
Tuesday, March 10 @ 12-2 p.m., LB 145 (SHIFT Centre) While grassroots organizations—expected to do everything from fundraising to policy research, to coalition-building, to political advocacy and beyond—have clear visions for how systems could change, they often lack the capacity to see those visions come to life. SHIFT’s Research and Advocacy Program (RAP) is designed to place Concordia graduate students in year-long research collaborations with community organizations designed to resource them and serve their systems-change goals. Through power structure mapping, policy analysis, and case studies, this program has been playing a pivotal role in turning existing popular support for Climate Justice Montreal’s free, expanded, and accessible transit campaign into concrete wins. Join us for a panel with Nicolas Chevalier of Climate Justice Montreal (CJM), RAP Fellow Hope Moon, and Dr. Craig Townsend as we examine the policy steps involved in achieving the campaign's long-term goals of a free, expanded, and accessible transit network in Montreal. |
|
Other events at our space Roots to Riches: Growing Black Wealth Together Thursday, February 26, 2026 @ 5:30 – 8:30 p.m. Join us for an empowering evening dedicated to exploring the past, present, and future of Black wealth in Montréal. Roots to Riches: Growing Black Wealth Together brings entrepreneurs, professionals, and community members into a guided conversation on financial literacy, entrepreneurship, and the systems that shape our economic realities. This event blends historical context with practical financial strategies, offering a space to learn, reflect, and build toward long‑term prosperity. The People's Server Workshop with Marina Johnson-Zafiris Saturday, February 28 @ 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Ready to push against surveillance-driven corporations profiting on stolen land, stolen resources and your stolen data? Join us for a free, two-part beginner-friendly workshop that breaks down the mysteries of servers and guides you through the benefits and basics of building your own at-home in-community server. Community Centred Knowledges (CCK): Fostering Black Wellness in Montreal Saturday, March 7 & Sunday, March 8 After three years of deep, community-centred research, this two-day gathering brings together Black thinkers, organizers, artists, practitioners, and community members to reflect, imagine, and move toward more sustainable and equitable approaches to Black wellness in Montreal. Roots & Recipes 2nd Edition Book Launch Monday, March 9 @ 11:15 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. This book launch celebrates the second edition of Roots & Recipes, a community-driven cookbook that brings together food, culture, health, and sustainability through personal storytelling. Developed through contributions from Concordia students, staff, and faculty, the cookbook highlights recipes that reflect cultural traditions, lived experiences, and sustainable food practices. Disability Justice and Building Accessible Communities Tuesday, March 10 @ 6 - 8 p.m. Join us for an interdisciplinary panel that will balance experts and community members with lived experience to engage the broader Concordia community in understanding diversity within disability and some of the barriers people face regarding post-secondary education, and building inclusive, accessible communities for all around educational fulcrums. Contemporary Feminist Movements Across Geographies Wednesday, March 11 @ 9:45 a.m. - 5 p.m. This workshop brings together feminist scholars and activists from Argentina, Iran, India, Turkey, and Québec to explore the contemporary landscapes of feminist politics and the resonances that emerge across distinct geopolitical contexts. Through comparative dialogue, the workshop aims to illuminate how feminist movements articulate their agenda, demands, and navigate political constraints in contemporary times. Learn Indigenous History: Interactive Exercise Thursday, March 12 @ 6 - 8 p.m. Using participatory Indigenous methodologies, the KAIROS Blanket Exercise builds understanding about our shared history as Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in Canada by walking through pre-contact, treaty-making, colonization and resistance. Design Your Ultimate Balcony Garden Tuesday, March 17 @ 3 - 5 p.m. Learn all about vertical gardening and optimizing your small balcony space for a productive garden! Empower yourself with new skills to make your ultimate accessible ecological balcony garden. |
|
|
Intergenerational Resistance: A discussion with Kelechi Okafor Wednesday, March 18 @ 12 - 2 p.m. In this discussion, Jade Almeida (Harambec) will engage Kelechi Okafor in a conversation about intergenerational knowledge, healing, and resistance, drawing inspiration from Kelechi’s work and experiences. As Harambec continues to shape spaces for Black women and non-binary people in Montreal, this exchange will explore what can be learned from Kelechi’s multidisciplinary approach to storytelling, movement, and advocacy. |
|
Artist Round Table (Black History Semester) Thursday, March 19 @ 7 - 9 p.m. This round table discussion will showcase Black artists within different art practices and shine a light on each artist's journey through the arts, while also exploring the difficulties facing them with racial prejudice, stereotypes and systemic racism. Contemplative pedagogy and practices in the classroom launch Friday, March 27 @ 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. Join us to celebrate the launch of the Centre for Teaching and Learning’s new open educational resource (OER) collection on Contemplative practices and pedagogies in the classroom. This collection of resources was co-created with the Centre’s faculty interest group on the same topic in 2025, with contributions from instructors, staff, students and guest speakers from our Contemplative Practices Summit series in 2025. In the spirit of community, contributors shared testimonials, insights and practices that are free to access and adapt for the Concordia community and beyond. |
|
University of the Streets Café Telling our stories: How does storytelling and writing shape activist movements? Thursday, February 26 @ 7 - 9 p.m. Activism is often associated with protesting, being out in the streets and calls to action. But what about the creative work that accompanies activist movements? Can storytelling and writing bring people together? What can it teach us about the causes we are fighting for? In this public conversation, we will explore how writing and storytelling informs us and sets the tone for our activism and resistance. We will discuss how they can offer release, a way to find joy, and so much more. Thursday, March 12 @ 7 - 9 p.m. Whether we are fighting for the recognition of our rights or raising awareness about sustainable practices in the fashion industry, mobilization begins with individuals who come together, nurture ideas, and grow a collective movement. Taking inspiration and learning from the Idle No More movement and Growing A.R.C, a non-profit dedicated to sustainable agriculture and its transformative potential, this conversation will explore what mobilization looks like in practice. We will explore the strategies, challenges, and successes behind building movements that create lasting changes. |
|
|
Love letters to home, place, and land |
|
|
|
|
Where Care Begins: A Thursday Morning at Studio 414 by Millie Tresierra |
|
|
It’s a brisk Thursday morning on the Plateau Mont-Royal, and the street is bustling outside 10 Pine West. Inside, the Community Healing Days team is preparing to welcome members into a space anchored in creating belonging, and a possibility of integrated whole-human care. |
|
Let's stay in touch!
|
|
|
|
Version française : |
|
|
Tous à bord : vers des transports en commun gratuits grâce à la recherche et à l'action collective |
|
|
mardi le 10 mars @ 12 à 14h, LB 145 (centre SHIFT) Les organisations locales, qui sont censées tout faire, de la collecte de fonds à la recherche politique, en passant par la création de coalitions, la défense des intérêts politiques et bien plus encore, ont une vision claire de la manière dont les systèmes pourraient changer, mais elles n'ont souvent pas les moyens de concrétiser cette vision. Le programme de recherche et d’action collective de SHIFT est conçu pour permettre aux étudiants diplômés de Concordia de participer à des collaborations de recherche d'une durée d'un an avec des organisations communautaires afin de leur fournir des ressources et de les aider à atteindre leurs objectifs de changement des systèmes. Grâce power-structure mapping, à l'analyse des politiques et à des études de cas, ce programme a joué un rôle essentiel dans la concrétisation du soutien populaire existant en faveur de la campagne de Justice climatique Montréal pour des transports en commun gratuits, étendus et accessibles. Joignez-vous à nous pour une table ronde avec Nicolas Chevalier de Justice climatique Montréal, Hope Moon, boursière du programme, et le Dr Craig Townsend, afin d'examiner les mesures politiques nécessaires pour atteindre les objectifs à long terme de la campagne, à savoir un réseau de transport en commun gratuit, étendu et accessible à Montréal. |
|
Autres événements dans notre espace Des racines à la richesse : accroître ensemble la richesse des Noirs jeudi le 26 février @ 17h30 - 20h30 Atelier « Le serveur du peuple » avec Marina Johnson-Zafiris samedi le 28 février @ 10h - 15h Community Centred Knowledges (CCK): favoriser le bien-être des personnes noires à Montréal samedi, le 7 mars et dimanche le 8 mars Lancement du livre Roots & Recipes, 2e édition lundi le 9 mars @ 11h15 – 12h15 Justice pour les personnes handicapées et création de communautés accessibles mardi le 10 mars @ 18h - 20h Mouvements féministes contemporains à travers le monde mercredi le 11 mars @ 9h45 - 17h Apprendre l'histoire autochtone : exercice interactif jeudi le 12 mars @ 18h - 20h Concevez votre jardin de balcon idéal mardi le 17 mars @ 15h - 17h |
|
|
Table ronde d'artistes (semestre de l'histoire des Noirs) jeudi le 19 mars @ 19h - 21h Lancement de la pédagogie et des pratiques contemplatives en classe vendredi le 27 mars @ 10h - 12h |
|
Université autrement: dans les cafés jeudi le 26 février @ 19h - 21h L'activisme est souvent associé à des manifestations, à des rassemblements dans les rues et à des appels à l'action. Mais qu'en est-il du travail créatif qui accompagne les mouvements activistes ? Le storytelling et l'écriture peuvent-ils rassembler les gens ? Que peuvent-ils nous apprendre sur les causes pour lesquelles nous nous battons ? jeudi le 12 mars @ 19h - 21h Qu’il s’agisse de lutter pour la reconnaissance de nos droits ou de sensibiliser le public aux pratiques durables dans l’industrie de la mode, la mobilisation commence par des gens qui se rassemblent, nourrissent des idées et font grandir un mouvement collectif. S’inspirant et tirant les leçons du mouvement Idle No More et d’A.R.C. en croissance, un organisme sans but lucratif consacré à l’agriculture durable et à son potentiel transformateur, cette conversation explorera ce à quoi ressemble la mobilisation dans la pratique. Nous examinerons les stratégies, les défis et les succès menant à la création de mouvements porteurs de changements durables. |
|
|
Where Care Begins: A Thursday Morning at Studio 414 by Millie Tresierra |
|
| 6 smiling people all huddled together on the floor. Behind and above them are lush green ferns. |
|
C'est un jeudi matin frais sur le Plateau Mont-Royal, et la rue est animée devant le 10 Pine West. À l'intérieur, l'équipe des Journées de guérison communautaire se prépare à accueillir les membres dans un espace axé sur la création d'un sentiment d'appartenance et la possibilité d'une prise en charge intégrale de la personne. |
|
Restons en contact !
|
|
|