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SHIFT Centre for Social Transformation
Newsletter – January 2024
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Meet our newest Steering Committee members
Bringing new expertise & perspectives into SHIFT's work!
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Constance, May, Prem and Amy (absent: Danièle-Jocelyne)
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We are thrilled to introduce you to the five members who have recently joined our Steering Committee!
Join us in extending a warm welcome to:
- May Chui, a family mediator and longstanding community activist who currently seats on the Chinatown Roundtable.
- Constance Lafontaine, the Associate Director of Concordia’s ACT Lab who facilitates collaborations across diverse stakeholders.
- Danièle-Jocelyne Otou-Nguini, co-founder of New Room Group, who specializes in accompanying leaders and teams through organizational change.
- Amy Poteete, a scholar who focuses on social ecological and political ecological issues, particularly in responsive governance, commons and commoning.
- Prem Sooriyakumar, a documentary filmmaker and a Knowledge Broker at Concordia, deeply committed to inclusive storytelling and public access to academic knowledge.
Their unique expertise and perspective, and shared passion for societal change make us really proud to welcome them aboard. We look forward to their contribution to guiding SHIFT’s strategic vision.
Welcome aboard!
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SHIFT funds two collaborative efforts
A $40k investment in underfunded community movements
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The Advocacy and Action Fund (AAF) was launched in the fall of 2023. With this new program, SHIFT aims to provide funding to groups undertaking the challenging task of confronting systems and institutions in ways that are under-supported by the philanthropic sector. Each selected group received $20k to advance their work.
We are happy to welcome:
- Comité d’Action Parc-Extension (CAPE), which is working alongside the Parc-Ex Anti Eviction Mapping Project and Concordia’s Office of Community Engagement (OCE) to fight the effect of gentrification impacting low-income immigrants and racialized people.
- Comm-Un, a collective that aims to combat the profound injustice facing Indigenous, Inuit, and other unhoused communities in Montreal’s Milton Park neighbourhood. The collaborative includes the Collectif Comm-Un, Syndicat de Locataires Autonomes de Montréal (SLAM-MATU), Indigenous Support Worker Project (ISWP), Comité des Citoyen(ne)s Milton Parc (CCMP) and Concordia's Art Hive.
About the selection process
Each of the 20 applications we received was evaluated by our jury (1 Concordia faculty member and 2 community members) and against SHIFT’S selection criteria, with a particular emphasis on solid partnerships.
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The winter season of the Lunch and Learn kicks off!
Let's talk collective trauma and collective healing in larger social transformation
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Join us for our upcoming Lunch and Learn: Learning Community Showcase featuring Community Healing Days and the Collective for Social Change in Black Communities.
In conversation, members of both teams will share their understanding of the effects of systemic trauma, and in particular how internalized trauma can impede communities from working together for social change. They will also share their perspectives on the role of collective healing in larger social transformation.
Mark your calendar: February 6, from 12 – 2 p.m. Bring your own lunch or snack on what we have!
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Upcoming events at SHIFT
All events are free - Registration may be required
See more events
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