Courageous Conversations
Highlights from the National Skillshare Series Launch with Eternity Martis
In her book They Said This Would Be Fun, Eternity Martis writes, "Our voices can join a legacy of stories that have changed the world, that create quiet revolutions and roaring revelations." She adds that “we did not put ourselves in this current cultural climate, but we are responsible for getting each other out." Her words are a powerful call to action and a thoughtful reflection on what it means to have the courage to act.
On January 13th 2021, courageous voices from across Canada participated in the launch of Courage to Act’s National Skillshare Series on Addressing and Preventing Gender-Based Violence at Post-Secondary Institutions in Canada. This was Canada’s first national conference to address and prevent gender-based violence on campuses.
Parliamentary Secretary Gudie Hutchings joined to say a few words on behalf of Minister Monsef and Women and Gender Equality Canada (WAGE). She shared some reasons to hold onto optimism despite the devastating sobering trends on gender-based violence (GBV) that impact individuals at post-secondary institutions (PSIs) across Canada. She reminded us that our efforts to address GBV builds on decades of tireless advocacy by student leaders, activists, frontline workers, the provinces, the territories, and post-secondary institutions.
Courage to Act Project Co-Directors, Farrah Khan and CJ Rowe, led a meaningful conversation with student leader Vatineh Magaji and award-winning journalist Eternity Martis. Together, they reflected on the impact of race, sexuality, gender, and other lived experiences on students who experience gender-based violence while attending post-secondary.
Eternity shared, “I think when it comes to being a survivor or a Black woman, any time you say anything about your discomfort, someone tells you you're entitled. You're angry. It's not that bad. You're a student. You should be having fun. Then it gets repressed. So there’s generations of young women, of racialized people who are feeling that right now.” You can watch the whole Skillshare Session on the Courage to Act website.
The National Skillshare Series takes place between January 2021 and August 2021. Featuring immersive sessions, can’t miss conversations and a wonderful line-up of speakers, the National Skillshare Series will showcase a wide array of cutting-edge tools developed by the Courage to Act network to address and prevent gender-based violence on campus. If you are involved in the gender-based violence or post-secondary sector in Canada, you won’t want to miss this free professional learning opportunity. Supported by CACUSS, these skillshare sessions are also a recognized learning opportunity. Attendance at ten or more live webinars in our National Skillshare Series will count towards an online certificate. Register here.
For more information and to register for any of the Skillshare sessions, please visit www.couragetoact.ca/skillshare or email hello@possibilityseeds.ca.
The Courage to Act project is made possible through generous support and funding from the Department of Women and Gender Equality or WAGE, Federal Government of Canada.
National Skillshare Presentation
Watch the presentation and download the full transcript below or on our Education page.
Download the transcript here.
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Suggested Citation: Courage to Act. (2021, January). Courageous Conversations. Courage to Act. www.couragetoact.ca/blog/eternitymartis