HartHouseAnnualReport-2017-18

March 2018: Personal Strategies for
Promoting Peaceful Pluralism
Scene Setters: Rima Berns-McGown,
Max FineDay
HANCOCK LECTURE
“From its inception, the Hart
House Lecture has inspired
debate about visions of our
place in the world.”
– Margaret Hancock, Hart House Warden 1997–2007
Organized by students and open to the
public, the annual Hancock Lecture
ignites public conversation and debate
about issues important to the evolution of
Canadian society as seen through the lens
of young adults. The lecture was named
in honour of Margaret Hancock’s decade
as Warden of Hart House, which ended
in 2007.
2018 Topic: Black & Educated?
Unveiling the Contradictions and
Redesigning the Future
The 17th Annual Hancock Lecture
took place on January 23, 2018. It was
delivered by Chizoba Imoka, a Ph.D.
candidate in the Educational Leadership
and Policy program at U of T’s Ontario
Institute for Studies in Education (OISE),
and moderated by Dr. Kofi Hope, a
noted community activist and youth
advocate. The lecture explored how
within an education system based on
Western values and knowledge, Black
students often go through school feeling
alienated and risk graduating ill-equipped
to bring about transformative changes
in their communities. Chizoba advanced
an alternative vision of education
that acknowledges colonial history, is
responsive to socio-political concerns and
enables a new generation of social justice
leaders to make real change.
Accompanying the lecture was a Talking
Walls exhibit, “In Their Own Words”, that
sought to reveal the Black experience at
U of T. Students from all three campuses
were interviewed and their responses
were captured in a rich and thoughtful
exhibit with the goal of generating
dialogue, reflection and a sense of
kinship. Other programming included
a screening of the film The Hallmark of
Tolerance, a radio interview with Chizoba
Imoka, and a workshop ,“Lessons in Selfcare
for the Black Soul”, led by lecture
moderator Kofi Hope.
HART HOUSE DEBATES
AND DIALOGUE COMMITTEE
EVENTS
Every year, some of the most engaging
conversations held at Hart House are
convened by the student-run Debates
and Dialogue Committee. In 2017–2018,
their passion, creativity and curiosity
about the world inspired them to organize
a compelling series of topical events that
were enjoyed by both the University and
the broader community. Some highlights
included:
Marie Henein
The Hart House Debates & Dialogue
Committee presented Marie Henein, one
of Canada’s most prominent litigators, in
Below (clockwise from left): Marie Henein speaking at Hart House; Global Commons discussion with universities from around the
world; Chizoba Imoka and Dr. Kofi Hope at the 2018 Hart House Hancock Lecture
conversation with Kim Stanton, a lawyer
at Goldblatt Partners LLP and former
Legal Director of the Women’s Legal
Education Fund.
The sold-out event held on February 14,
2018 garnered a lot of media coverage
for its timely discussion of the #metoo
movement. Ms. Henein called the
movement a wakeup call that obliges
us to ask hard questions, examine our
conception of “normal” behaviour and
question the underlying patriarchal
structures that try to put women into
neat boxes. For her part, Dr. Stanton
called attention to the many murdered
and missing Indigenous women and girls
from across Canada, and challenged
both governments and the public to
recognize the systemic issues facing all
Indigenous people.
Premier Kathleen Wynne
On March 1, 2018—four months before
the most recent provincial election—
the Hart House Debates and Dialogue
Committee invited the then-premier of
Ontario, Kathleen Wynne to deliver a brief
keynote address on issues of concern to
students. Almost 400 people filled the
Great Hall to take part in a Q & A session
with the Premier moderated by Debate and
Dialogue Committee Chair, Aceel Hawa.
Topics included the province’s controversial
minimum wage increase to $15 by January
2019. Wynne said the change would come
closer to proving a living wage for workers.
Another topic of discussion was mental
health. Wynne said that more government
investments would be made in order to
provide more services on campus and in
the community.
Rule of Law in an Age of Fear/Freedom
of Speech
On October 18, 2017, the Hart House
Debates & Dialogue Committee hosted
Mr. Dennis Edney, the defence lawyer
for former child soldier Omar Khadr in
a discussion about Canada’s political
and legal systems in light of Mr. Khadr’s
internment and conviction on terrorismrelated
charges. Mr. Edney spoke in front
of a sold-out crowd. In fact, the event
proved so popular that it had to be moved
outside of Hart House to an even larger
venue. The wide-ranging discussion
that followed examined the effects of
Islamophobia, American geopolitics, the
news media and the culture of fear on
democracy and the rule of law.
The Future of Canadian Mental Health
Moderated by The Honourable Michael
Wilson, former Canadian Minister of
Finance and Chancellor of U of T, this
January 2018 panel discussion examined
the current state of mental health in
Canada. Speakers deliberated on the
shortcomings of the system, lack of
options available and the need to focus
on marginalized communities. The roles,
both positive and negative, of technology
in mental health were discussed as was
the ability of social media to spread
awareness, alleviate isolation and provide
information on accessing services.
The panel was introduced by Dr. Andrea
Levinson, Psychiatrist-in-Chief, University
of Toronto and included Dr. David Wiljer,
Associate Professor, Institute of Health
Policy, Management and Evaluation;
Dr. David Goldbloom, OC, Professor of
Psychiatry, University of Toronto; Dr. Carol
Hopkins, OC, Executive Director of the
Thunderbird Partnership Foundation; Ms.
Louise Bradley, President, Mental Health
Commission of Canada; and Dr. Catherine
Zahn, CM, President, Centre for Addiction
and Mental Health.
Top (clockwise from left): Free Speech on Campus: Expression or Oppression a National Conversation with the Canadian
Race Relations Foundation; Global Commons; Rule of Law in an Age of Fear
12 HARTHOUSE.CA
13