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SHIFT Centre for Social Transformation
August 2025
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Humans have been weavers since time immemorial. From baskets to textiles to even relationships, weaving is a practice all societies have had in common. We have used whatever resources we have available to craft something beautiful and functional. And yet, what we weave is as impermanent as we are, and requires that we take great care for it to last as long as possible.
In Deepa Iyer’s social change ecosystem map, weavers identify through-lines of connectivity between people, places, organizations, ideas, and movements. Though essential to social change, the work of weaving is impossible without disrupters, healers, builders, frontline responders, and all the roles necessary for justice and solidarity. There’s no shortage of work when it comes to social transformation, and there’s a deep need for a diversity of approaches and roles.
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Events at our space
Launch of The Transformative Hub
Wednesday, August 20 @ 1 - 6 p.m.
Join Concordia's Simone de Beauvoir Institute and Éduconnexion for the launch of the Transformative Hub, a research hub dedicated to creating popular education resources and tools to support community organizations in the fight against gender and sex-based violence. Come celebrate the collective work and the development of several educational tools as we bring together the community partners who have supported this project, and officially present these tools. These resources would help strengthen the capacities of underfunded community organizations in Montreal in applying intersectional prevention approaches focused on cultural safety and empowerment in terms of gender and sex-based violence.
VOICE from Global South: Community Based Practices to Support Children with Incarcerated Parents
Wednesday, August 20 @ 6 - 7:30 p.m.
This public event raises awareness and fosters community dialogue on supporting children with incarcerated parents. It features short videos—including Global South Voices from international and Canadian advocates—real-life stories from Canadian youth, and guided reflection based on the art project Feel the Bars, Fill the Gaps. Participants will engage in interactive discussions to share insights and explore community-based solutions. Reflections will be documented to highlight local perspectives, and relevant justice-focused literature will be available through partnering publishers.
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"Bye Bye DEI": Less Work, More Play
"Play and experimentation are direct challenges to the capitalist design of work. In your organization, are you working towards systems change? If yes, then why does your internal culture look so different from the world you’re trying to see?"
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Kids learn about the world around them, their interests, and their talents through exploration and play; why can’t grown-ups do the same thing? In the second piece in our "Bye Bye DEI" series, Richenda explores how integrating more play into the workplace can be a first step towards shifting work culture.
Read the article >
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Montreal's Chinatown: a historic neighbourhood of the future
"JIĀ (家) means both family and home in Mandarin. The words jiā rén (家人) mean “family members” while huí jiā（回家) means “to return home”. Rooted in neighbourhood-based activism, JIA Foundation has been working across the fields of heritage conservation, urban planning, and cultural programming to forward an equitable and community-led vision of Chinatown."
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Past cycles of displacement and resistance shape many Montreal neighbourhoods today, including Chinatown. As displacement continues into the present, community-led collective actions like the JIA Foundation are intervening to support new development models rooted in equity, collective ownership, and the right to remain.
Read the article >
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Paid internship positions are open!
The Office of Community Engagement and SHIFT are hiring student interns for Fall 2025 and Winter 2026 to work with our community partners.
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Are you a Concordia University student passionate about social change, community care, and real-world learning?
Our community-based internships connect students with organizations leading social change across Tiohtià:ke/Montréal. More than placements, these experiences offer students a chance to build relationships, contribute meaningfully and grow through shared learning.
Our partners include Indigenous and Black community organizations, as well as other organizations committed to social transformation.
Be sure to apply before August 10!
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Submit your content to the SHIFT Newsletter
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We send out a newsletter every 4-6 weeks, and are happy to promote our wider community's activities & opportunities that are aligned with SHIFT's values, and benefit students, Concordians, and/or SHIFT's wider community members.
Send your requests through this form.
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Au revoir, DEI: Moins de travail, plus de jeu
"Le jeu et l’expérimentation vont directement à l’encontre de la conception capitaliste du travail. La raison d’être de votre organisme est-elle d’œuvrer à un changement systémique? Si c’est le cas, pourquoi votre culture interne est-elle si différente du monde que vous essayez de bâtir?"
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Les enfants découvrent le monde qui les entoure, leurs centres d’intérêt et leurs talents par l’exploration et le jeu; pourquoi les adultes ne pourraient-ils pas faire de même? Dans le deuxième article de notre series "Au revoir, DEI", Richenda discute comment intégrer davantage le jeu dans le milieu professionnel peut être un premier pas vers un changement de culture d'entreprise.
Lisez l'article >
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Le Quartier Chinois De Montréal : Un Quartier Historique Tourné Vers L’avenir
"JIĀ (家) signifie à la fois famille et chez-soi en mandarin. Les mots jiā rén (家人) se traduisent par « membres de la famille », et huí jiā（回家) par « rentrer chez soi ». Enracinée dans la mobilisation militante du quartier, la fondation JIA intervient dans les domaines de la conservation du patrimoine, de l’urbanisme et de la programmation culturelle afin de promouvoir une vision équitable et communautaire du quartier chinois."
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Les cycles de déplacement et de résistance ont façonné de nombreux quartiers de Montréal aujourd'hui, notamment le quartier chinois. Alors que les déplacements se poursuivent encore aujourd'hui, des actions collectives menées par la communauté, telles que la Fondation JIA, interviennent pour soutenir de nouveaux modèles de développement fondés sur l'équité, la propriété collective et le droit de rester.
Lisez l'article >
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Nous recrutons des stagiaires rémunérés !
Le Bureau de l'engagement communautaire et SHIFT recrutent des stagiaires étudiants pour l'automne 2025 et l'hiver 2026 afin de travailler avec nos partenaires
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Êtes-vous un étudiant de l'Université Concordia passionné par le changement social, l'aide communautaire et l'apprentissage dans le monde réel ?
Nos stages communautaires mettent les étudiants en relation avec des organisations qui mènent des changements sociaux à Tiohtià:ke/Montréal. Plus que de simples stages, ces expériences offrent aux étudiants la possibilité de nouer des relations, d'apporter une contribution significative et de s'épanouir grâce à un apprentissage partagé.
Nos partenaires comprennent des organisations communautaires autochtones et noires, ainsi que d'autres organisations engagées dans la transformation sociale.
N'oubliez pas de postuler avant le 10 août !
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Soumettez votre contenu à la newsletter SHIFT
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Nous envoyons une lettre d'information toutes les 4 à 6 semaines et sommes heureux de promouvoir les activités et les opportunités de notre communauté élargie qui sont en accord avec les valeurs de SHIFT et qui profitent aux étudiants, aux Concordiens et/ou aux membres de la communauté élargie de SHIFT.
Envoyez vos demandes par le biais de ce formulaire.
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