A bridge in Baltimore collapsing, a door falling off an airplane and antisemitism — what do they have in common? In recent months, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) has been blamed for all three. This may seem a little baffling. In fact, when I tell this to friends who don’t keep up with these issues, they’re stunned. How, they want to know, is DEI being blamed for these issues? And why would anyone do so? They’re right to be skeptical: these explanations really are quite terrible. But there are reasons why the term DEI is leaping to the forefront of the culture war, pushed by the far righ ..read more

Canada has prided itself on being a welcoming haven for students from around the world. But beneath the surface of this inclusive narrative, a troubling resentment is brewing. A wave of anti-immigrant rhetoric has cast a shadow over international students, turning their pursuit of knowledge and cultural exchange into a complex challenge. The surge in hate crimes against South Asians in Waterloo Region aligns with the significant increase in the number of international students in Canada, especially those from India. Advocates argue that anti-immigrant sentiments, worsened by economic struggles ..read more

The rise of commercially viable generative artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to transform a vast range of sectors. This transformation will be particularly profound in contemporary military education. Generative AI will fundamentally reshape war gaming — analytical games that simulate aspects of warfare at tactical, operational or strategic levels — by allowing senior military and political leaders to pursue better tactical solutions to unexpected crises, solve more complex logistical and operational challenges and deepen their strategic thinking. The art of war gaming From its in ..read more

It remains to be seen how Saskatchewan's new Accessibility Act will affect classroom teaching and services for deaf students in the province. (daveynin/Flickr), CC BY ASL translation of this story by Alanda McLeod, sign support professional with Saskatchewan Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services. Saskatchewan recently became one of four Canadian provinces that recognize sign languages as official languages with the passing of the Accessible Saskatchewan Act or Bill 103 in December. The bill states, “Sign languages are recognized as the primary languages for communication by deaf persons in Saskatc ..read more

New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs recently mused about invoking the notwithstanding clause — Section 33 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms — when his government introduces what it calls the Compassionate Intervention Act in May. While the government has provided scant details, the new law would permit people with addictions to be detained involuntarily for forced treatment. If Higgs follows through on his veiled threat, it would represent the most blatant attempt yet by a provincial government to distort the purpose of the notwithstanding clause. It may also motivate the Supreme Court of C ..read more

On a dreary winter evening in a university building basement in March 2015, I stood before some 100 students for a dialogue on the conflict in the Middle East. University of British Columbia (UBC) undergraduates were voting in a referendum to decide whether their student union should boycott products and divest from companies that support Israel’s occupation of Palestine — part of the Boycott, Divest, Sanctions (BDS) movement. Many students present were visibly Muslim or Jewish, or had ties to the region. I thought of this recently as a group of prominent Canadians issued an open letter callin ..read more

Across the country, Canadians are worried as they look ahead to summer. Forest fires in British Columbia are expected to begin earlier and last longer this year and severe multi-year droughts are forecast for the Prairies. Other Canadians are also bracing themselves for — or are already experiencing — extreme flood conditions. In the lead-up to the federal government’s 2024 budget, there was hope for investments in water management and water-related infrastructure to help address some of these issues. However, as we examine the 2024 budget — with a particular focus on the key issues of drought ..read more

Motaz Azaiza, Hind Khoudary and Bisan Owda are all Palestinian journalists who have reported on the war in Gaza. And although Azaiza has had to leave and now reports from afar, Owda and Khoudary still remain in Gaza. They, along with several others, are providing vital information on the devastation Palestinians face everyday. This is something that many Canadian journalists have been unable to do, mainly because international journalists are not allowed into Gaza, except on controlled expeditions hosted by the Israel Defense Forces. So Palestinian journalists are providing a critical source ..read more

The Canadian government has unveiled its 2024 federal budget, with a particular emphasis on restoring what it calls “generational fairness” for Millennials and Gen Z. The government says it’s committed to addressing the unique challenges faced by younger generations, including housing affordability, job prospects and the high cost of living. Its focus on generational fairness ostensibly aims to level the playing field in the rental and housing markets, among other places. “We are moving with purpose to help build more homes, faster,” Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland said after tabling the bu ..read more

Those advocating for a green transition have, in recent years, had to contend with not just economic or political resistance, but ideological push back as well — specifically, from those adhering to the “ideology of fossil fuels.” The ideology of fossil fuels is characterized by an inability to imagine life, or progress, without petroleum products. In politics, this ideology influences the positions of left and right alike. It even encourages those on the centre-left to support oil and gas while also endorsing green energy. In Alberta, we saw this when former Premier Rachel Notley enthusiastic ..read more