Shows
Below the RadarRacial Equity in Policy Making — with Véronique SioufiIn this episode of Below the Radar, our host Am Johal is joined by Véronique Sioufi, the Researcher for Racial & Socio-economic Equity at the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives BC Office, and a doctoral candidate in geography at Simon Fraser University.
Am and Véronique discuss what brought her to her doctoral work and her interest in issues of labour inequality, as well as how her position at the CCPA was created in order to look at structural racism in BC and fill in major data gaps. They also talk about how she and her colleagues in the CCPA ap...
2025-01-1435 min
Below the RadarArt Mamas — with Damla TamerIn this episode of Below the Radar, our host Am Johal is joined by Damla Tamer, a visual artist and sessional lecturer at UBC whose work explores the affective conditions of labour under late capitalism, and the evolution of forms of civil protest within the contemporary political history of Turkey. Damla is also a founding member of the Art Mamas artist collective, which aims to create support networks for artist caregivers, while critically exploring the place of motherhood and care work within the dominant culture of art production.
Am and Damla discusses her recent exhibition at Access gallery, which explored...
2024-12-1727 min
Below the RadarOn Crystals, Vampires and Tennis – with Mena El ShazlyIn this episode of Below the Radar, host Am Johal sits down with Mena El Shazly, a visual artist specializing in moving image creation, curation, and programming. Her practice speculates on notions of presence and transcendence in the digital world, exploring how processes of decay provide alternative forms of transformation and regeneration. They discuss her approach to time-based media, how the collaborative Death Spells project explores the ancient Egyptians afterlife obsessions, the Sudanese Crystalist movement, and how a teenage visit to Dracula’s castle unexpectedly waylaid her tennis career, steering her toward a life in art.
Full episode details: https://ww...
2024-12-0336 min
Below the RadarTheory of Water — with Leanne SimpsonLeanne Betasamosake Simpson, renowned Michi Saagiig Nishnaabeg scholar, writer, and artist, joins us on this week’s episode of Below the Radar. Am Johal and Leanne chat about her creative process, the significance of Nishnaabeg thought and practice in her work, and some upcoming projects including her newest book Theory of Water, set to be published in Spring of 2025.
Full episode details: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/episodes/253-leanne-simpson.html
Read the transcript: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/transcripts/253-leanne-simpson.html
Resources:
Leanne Betasamosake Simpson: https://www.leannesimpson.ca/
Leanne Simpson: Listening in Our Present Moment: https://www.yo...
2024-10-0824 min
Below the RadarInfinitely Yours — with Miwa MatreyekOn this episode of Below the Radar, we’re joined by Miwa Matreyek, an animator, designer, performer and Assistant Professor in Theatre Production and Design at SFU’s School for the Contemporary Arts. Am and Miwa discuss how she got into making interdisciplinary artwork and some of her recent projects that combine animation and live performance.
Full episode details: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/episodes/252-miwa-matreyek.html
Read the transcript: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/transcripts/252-miwa-matreyek.html
Resources:
Miwa Matreyek: https://miwamatreyek.com/
SFU Theatre Production and Design: https://www.sfu.ca/sca/programs/theatre-production---design.html
Infinitely Your...
2024-10-0132 min
Below the RadarThe Politics of Love — with Michael HardtThis week on Below the Radar we’re joined by Michael Hardt, political theorist and Professor at Duke University. Am and Michael discuss the political concept of love, Michael’s research on revolutionary movements in the 1970s, as well as his past writing with the late Tony Negri, and how they continue to think together.
Full episode details: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/episodes/248-michael-hardt
Read the transcript: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/transcripts/248-michael-hardt
Resources:
Michael Hardt: https://scholars.duke.edu/person/hardt
The Subversive Seventies: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/the-subversive-seventies-9780197674659
Michael’s Talk at SFU: h...
2024-08-2757 min
Below the RadarPLACE: SCA Re-Orientation Day 2023This episode of Below the Radar is a special live recording from SFU School for the Contemporary Arts’ 2023 Re-Orientation Day, an all-day event designed to welcome SCA students, faculty, and staff back to campus for the fall semester.
The 2023 theme was on “Place,” and the Vancity Office of Community Engagement convened a panel of speakers across the arts, academia, and community engagement to speak on community engaged practices in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside.
Our host Am Johal is joined by Wendy Pedersen of the Downtown Eastside SRO Collaborative, SFU Professor of Geography Nick Blomley, musician and facilitator Khari Wendell McLelland, dancer...
2024-08-201h 16
Below the RadarGroundwork of Phenomenological Marxism — with Ian AngusOur host Am Johal is joined by Ian Angus, Professor Emeritus from the Department of Global Humanities at Simon Fraser University. Together, they chat about Ian’s academic career, his engagement with the work of Husserl, and his most recent book, Groundwork of Phenomenological Marxism: Crisis, Body, World (Lexington Books, 2021).
Full episode details: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/episodes/244-ian-angus.html
Read the transcript: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/transcripts/244-ian-angus.html
Resources:
Ian Angus: https://www.sfu.ca/globalhumanities/human-dir/emeritus/i-angus.html
Groundwork of Phenomenological Marxism: Crisis, Body, World: https://rowman.com/ISBN/9781793640918/Groundwork-of-Phenomenological-Marxism-Crisis-Body-World
Ian’s work...
2024-06-1844 min
Below the RadarCommunity-Centred Curating — with Moroti GeorgeCurator, writer, and educator Moroti George joins our host Am Johal on this episode of Below the Radar. Moroti is the curator at The Black Arts Centre in Surrey, BC and the Director/Curator of Gallery Gachet in downtown Vancouver. Together, they chat about how Moroti became interested in the arts, their experience working in two different art spaces, and their approach to curating in Greater Vancouver.
s
Full episode details: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/episodes/237-moroti-george.html
Read the transcript: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/transcripts/237-moroti-george.html
Resources:
Gallery Gachet: https://gachet.org/
Gallery Gachet’s...
2024-03-1243 min
Below the RadarHow to Live at the End of the World — with Travis HollowayThis week on Below the Radar, we are joined by Travis Holloway: a poet, translator, Assistant Professor of Philosophy at SUNY Farmingdale, and author of the book How to Live at the End of the World: Theory, Art, and Politics for the Anthropocene (Stanford University Press, 2022). Am and Travis discuss noticing patterns in contemporary art making during the climate crisis. Travis also shares about translating the work of philosopher Jean-Luc Nancy, the importance of friendship with all living beings, and the process of publishing a book.
Full episode details: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/episodes/233-travis-holloway.html
Read the...
2024-01-3045 min
Below the RadarSee How We Run! Conversations with Arts and Cultural WorkersWelcome to See How We Run! An original Below the Radar mini-series featuring conversations with arts and cultural workers in Vancouver. In this first episode, co-hosts Julia Aoki, Kathy Feng, and Samantha Walters introduce the series and what’s to come. In each episode, they’ll speak to artists, consultants, administrators, and advocates about how art and culture is made and sustained in Vancouver.
Full episode details: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/series/see-how-we-run/227-see-how-we-run.html
Read the transcript: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/transcripts/227-see-how-we-run.html
Resources:
Gallery Gachet: https://gachet.org/
Hives for Humanity: https://www.hive...
2023-11-2119 min
Below the RadarThe Reason for Reason — with Samir GandeshaThis week on Below the Radar, we're joined by Samir Gandesha, Professor in the Department of the Humanities and the Director of the Institute for the Humanities at Simon Fraser University. In this conversation, Samir and Am discuss the importance of challenging ideas in academia, how family trauma has impacted his perspective, and the long history of the Institute for the Humanities–leading up to the celebration of the Institute's 40th anniversary in October 2023.
Full episode details: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/episodes/224-samir-gandesha.html
Read the transcript: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/transcripts/224-samir-gandesha.html
Resources:
Samir Ga...
2023-10-2444 min
Below the RadarPlatforms, Power, and Politics — with Bruce MutsvairoBruce Mutsvairo, Professor of Media and Culture Studies at Utrecht University, and a 2023 SFU CERi researcher-in-residence, sits down with Am Johal to discuss his journey from journalism into academia and the state of journalism in Africa. He and Am also discuss the complexities of citizen journalism in relation to influencers, especially in the context of transparency, misinformation, and inequality.
Full episode details: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/episodes/223-bruce-mutsvairo.html
Read the transcript: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/transcripts/223-bruce-mutsvairo.html
Resources:
Bruce Mutsvairo: https://www.uu.nl/staff/bmutsvairo
Introducing Bruce Mutsvairo: https://www.sfu.ca/ceri...
2023-10-1738 min
Below the RadarNasty Performances — with Ryan TacataThis week on Below the Radar, our host Am Johal is joined by Ryan Tacata, Assistant Professor of Performance at SFU’s School for the Contemporary Arts. Together, Am and Ryan discuss his performance residency at the Libby Leshgold Gallery, and methods of designing pedagogy for contemporary performance education. Ryan also shares how he started in live performance and some of the various artists who have inspired him.
Full episode details: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/episodes/220-ryan-tacata.html
Read the transcript: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/transcripts/220-ryan-tacata.html
Resources:
Ryan Tacata: http://www.ryan-tacata.com/about/
Sc...
2023-09-2649 min
Below the RadarLate-Fascism — with Alberto ToscanoCritical theorist Alberto Toscano sits down with Am Johal to discuss the emergence of critical theory alongside fascism's rise in the 1920s and 30s. He speaks of Georges Sorel as a politically radical figure from the time period, highlights the role of political violence in the emergence of fascism, and delves into contemporary American currents of fascism – particularly focusing on the racialized form of state terror present in the United States.
From there, Alberto discusses the concept of fascism and its continued relationship to settler colonial formations, its association with extreme neoliberalism, and the importance of figures like Aimé Césair...
2023-09-051h 03
Below the RadarBuilding Bridges, From Vancouver to Rwanda — with Lama MugaboOn this episode of Below the Radar, our host Am Johal is joined by Lama Mugabo, founding director of Building Bridges with Rwanda, a campaign manager with the BC Poverty Reduction Coalition, and a member of the Hogan’s Alley Working Group. Together, they discuss local training and advocacy programs for people with lived experience of homelessness and other marginalizing barriers, Hogan’s Alley Society’s advocacy in Vancouver’s historically Black neighbourhood, and Lama’s capacity building and educational work in Rwanda.
Full episode details: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/episodes/213-lama-mugabo.html
Read the transcript: https://www.sfu.ca/van...
2023-05-0920 min
Below the RadarChoreographing: Motion, Material, and Parallel Living — with NiNi DongnierThis week our host Am Johal is joined by NiNi Dongnier, an interdisciplinary choreographer and dancer, and Assistant Professor in Dance at SFU’s School for the Contemporary Arts. Together they discuss NiNi’s training and artistic experiences across Inner Mongolia, Beijing, New York, and now Vancouver. Am and NiNi also talk about interdisciplinary collaboration and pedagogy.
Full episode details: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/episodes/209-nini-dongnier.html
Read the transcript: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/transcripts/209-nini-dongnier.html
Resources:
SFU School for the Contemporary Arts: https://www.sfu.ca/sca.html
SFU Dance: https://www.sfu.ca/sca...
2023-04-1140 min
Below the RadarEnchantment, Criticism, and the Activation of Art — with Yani KongThis week on Below the Radar, our host Am Johal is joined by writer, editor, and SSHRC Doctoral Fellow of Contemporary Art at SFU’s School for the Contemporary Arts, Yani Kong. Am and Yani discuss Yani’s graduate research exploring enchantment and how she got into her work writing arts criticism. They also talk about Canadian art at the 2022 Venice biennale and the relationship between public art and real-estate development in Vancouver.
Full episode details: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/episodes/207-yani-kong.html
Read the transcript: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/transcripts/207-yani-kong.html
Resources:
Yani Kong: http...
2023-03-2830 min
Below the RadarStrange Joy — with Erika LattaArtistic co-director and co-founder of the WaxFactory, and Assistant Professor in Theatre Performance at SFU’s School for the Contemporary Arts, Erika Latta, sits down with Am Johal to explore her journey as a theatre-maker – from her memorable experiences touring throughout Europe, pushing platforms in the mud for site-specific work with Begat Theater, or now, working with SFU theatre performance students on their upcoming production of Strange Joy.
Erika also speaks about growing up in the woods in Oregon with artistic parents, pushing artistic boundaries in university, and co-founding WaxFactory.
Full episode details: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/episodes/206-eri...
2023-03-2147 min
Below the RadarUkraine: Dispatches from the Place of Imminence — with Svitlana MatviyenkoOur host Am Johal is joined this week by Dr. Svitlana Matviyenko, Professor of Critical Media Analysis in SFU’s School of Communication and Associate Director of The Digital Democracies Institute. Svitlana talks about her experiences living in Ukraine over the past year, documenting a rising militarization and being attentive to the social changes that war imposes. Am and Svitlana also discuss the asymmetrical cases of misinformation between Ukraine and Russia, as well as how the invasion has merged her research interests of media and cyberwar. This episode was recorded on February 21st, 2023.
Full episode details: https://www.sfu.ca/va...
2023-03-0755 min
Below the RadarSupporting Indigenous Self-Determination Through Research — with Cliff AtleoThis week our host Am Johal is joined by Cliff Atleo, a scholar and professor in SFU’s School of Resource & Environmental Management. Am and Cliff discuss prioritising Indigenous communities' wants in environmental and economic movements, Cliff’s past work with the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council, and Iron Dog Books. Together they consider how to navigate institutional and governmental bureaucracy in matters of Indigenous governances, resource management, and research.
Full episode details: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/episodes/203-cliff-atleo.html
Read the transcript: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/transcripts/203-cliff-atleo.html
Resources:
Cliff Atleo: https://www.kamayaam.com/
SFU's Scho...
2023-02-2837 min
Below the RadarRacial Justice, Community Building, and Data — with June FrancisOn this episode of Below the Radar, our host Am Johal speaks with June Francis, a professor, researcher, and advocate for anti-racist and decolonial practices in universities, businesses, and governments. They discuss how gathering data about racism can be an important step toward equity and racial justice. June also describes her work in connecting Black and African Diaspora communities with institutions and legislators to enact systemic change.
Full episode details: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/episodes/201-june-francis.html
Read the transcript: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/transcripts/201-june-francis.html
Resources:
Beedie School of Business: https://beedie.sfu.ca/
...
2023-02-1437 min
Below the RadarLive Recording: Voices of the Street Podcast at HorizonsIn the summer of 2021, Megaphone Magazine piloted its first podcast mentorship series, inspired by the writings and themes of the 2021 edition of the Voices of The Street anthology, “INSIDE we are all the same.”
This special episode of Below the Radar is a live recording of a conversation between our teammate Paige Smith, Megaphone Magazine’s Julia Aoki, and Megaphone vendor and storyteller Yvonne Mark, as they discuss the creation of the Voices of the Street podcast, which was featured on Below the Radar the previous year. Julia, Yvonne and Paige discuss the goals of the podcasting project, the power of aud...
2023-01-1733 min
Below the RadarThe Climate Imaginary: Earth Ethics, Spirituality, and Social Justice — with Karenna GoreOn the seventh and final episode of The Climate Imaginary, a Below the Radar series, Am Johal is joined by Karenna Gore, the founder and executive director of Center for Earth Ethics at Union Theological Seminary. In their conversation, they discuss the intersection of environmental ethics and theology, the wisdom contained in tradition, and the need for a new relationship between humans and nature – one not based on domination. Through the contemplation of faith and ecological responsibilities, this episode puts forward alternative ways to resist the climate crisis.
Full episode details: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/series/the-climate-imaginary/198-karenna-gore.ht...
2022-12-1349 min
Below the RadarThe Climate Imaginary: Planning for Community Resilience — with Andréanne DoyonOn the fourth episode of our Below the Radar series: The Climate Imaginary, our host Am Johal is joined by Dr. Andréanne Doyon, Assistant Professor at the School of Resource and Environmental Management at Simon Fraser University. They talk about sustainability versus resilience, Andréanne’s journey from being a planning practitioner to an academic, and Andréanne’s research around climate planning. They also discuss the role of researchers and planners in the climate emergency, looking at alternate methods of sharing research and how to engage with a community’s specific knowledge and needs.
Full episode details: https://www.sfu.c...
2022-11-2235 min
Below the RadarThe Climate Imaginary: Beneath the Poetry, the Barricade — with Stephen CollisThis episode of Below the Radar is a special live recording from SFU School for the Contemporary Art’s Re-orientation day 2022: Contemporary Arts + Climate Change on September 8th, 2022. It’s also the first episode of our new series: The Climate Imaginary.
Stephen Collis is an award winning writer and a professor in the English department at SFU. Stephen joins our host Am Johal for a discussion on the relationship between art and environmental activism; They look at what art and writing can offer, but also the moments when you need to put down the pen and engage and take action in o...
2022-11-0129 min
Below the RadarScience Fiction & Social Justice — with Walidah ImarishaSituated within the current context of police brutality, for-profit prisons, and excessive incarceration rates, Am Johal sits down with educator, writer, and public scholar, Walidah Imarisha.
Walidah describes her creative works involving ideas and futures of police and prison abolition, including her book Angels with Dirty Faces, and her current work developing Space to Breathe – a film that looks back on our present moment of the abolitionist movement from a future where police and prisons have been abolished. She also shares her collaboration with adrienne maree brown in the creating the Octavia's Brood, an anthology inspired out of their desire to...
2022-09-1326 min
Below the RadarThe Trip Diary: A City in Transit — with Peter V. HallOn this second episode of The Trip Diary, Steve Tornes speaks with Dr. Peter V. Hall about the Employer Transit Subsidy Study, a research project which examined the factors that encourage people to switch from driving to public transit and who, even if you made transit free, would still not use public transit.
Compared to our last episode on equity, this research is quantitative and numbers based, and yet, even though it involved big data, it still cares deeply about equity. Peter further discusses how the study was used to inform collective bargaining questions and was designed with a social...
2022-07-1235 min
Below the RadarThe Trip Diary: Geographies of Identity — with Lori Macdonald and Sadia TabassumOn this first episode of The Trip Diary, Steve Tornes speaks with Lori Macdonald and Sadia Tabassum about their research on transit-based mobility through an equitable lens. Lori discusses how recent migrants to the City of Vancouver learn and familiarize themselves to a new public transportation network, while Sadia describes how transit spaces affect women of colour in different ways, pushing back against the concept of the “universal transit user”. Both Lori and Sadia discuss their research methods and how they approach the study of personalized experiences. The episode ends with a series of policy recommendations.
Full episode details: https://www...
2022-07-051h 01
Below the RadarForced Labour, Modern Slavery and the Global Supply Chain — Genevieve LeBaronGenevieve LeBaron is a new Professor and Director of the School of Public Policy at Simon Fraser University, and the Principle Investigator of the ReStructure Lab. In this episode, Am and Genevieve discuss her research work on forced labour and the global market forces which incentivize those practices. They also discuss the new role for public policy in solving real-world solutions as well as the unique context of the School of Public Policy at SFU and its broader impact.
Full episode details: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/episodes/178-genevieve-lebaron.html
Read the transcript: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast...
2022-06-2831 min
Below the RadarFrom Dialogue to Action — with Shauna SylvesterShauna Sylvester is the former Executive Director of the SFU Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue and is moving on to be the Executive Director of the Urban Sustainability Directors’ Network. Shauna has also been involved in various organizations, such as the Social Planning and Research Council of B.C., the Institute for Media, Policy and Civil Society, Canada’s World, among others. This episode explores the impacts and changes made through these organizations, as well as how Shauna developed an interest for promoting community dialogue.
Am and Shauna also discuss Shauna’s concerns with Canada’s changing place in the worl...
2022-06-0735 min
Below the RadarA Conversation About Urban Choreography — with Justine A. Chambers, Alana Gerecke & Annabel VaughanThis episode of Below the Radar is a special live event recording from “A Conversation About Urban Choreography,” presented in-person at SFU’s Vancouver campus on November 9, 2021.
Taking gesture as a point of entry, Justine A. Chambers and Alana Gerecke extend their collaborative exploration of the everyday choreographies that are built into an urban experience. Combining artistic and academic research, they index the various bodily orientations cultivated by the built and social structures that shape everyday spaces. By tracking an archive of everyday gestures that are prompted by various components of built and social space, they insist on the lasting and vi...
2022-04-191h 12
Below the RadarHonouring Indigenous Children & Motherhood — with Angel Gates and Eva TakakanewContent Warning: The stories in this series deal with difficult and sometimes traumatic topics. This episode in particular discusses substance use, family separation and residential schools. Please practice self care, stop listening, and seek help if you need to. Scroll down to find links to available supports.
For the final installment of the Voices of the Street podcast series, host Angel Gates invites Megaphone author Eva Takakanew into conversation about her powerful writings.
As longtime friends, Angel and Eva share and discuss pieces of writing that shine a light on the traumatic histories and ongoing impacts of the Indian Residential...
2022-03-2220 min
Below the RadarVoices of the Street: Empty Inside — with Angel Gates and Peter ThompsonContent Warning: The stories in this series deal with difficult and sometimes traumatic topics. Please practice self care, stop listening, and seek help if you need to. Scroll down to find links to available supports.
Storyteller, actor and activist Angel Gates invites Megaphone author Peter Thompson into conversation about his poem, “Empty Inside.” Peter’s piece, published in the 2021 Voices of the Street anthology, is a poetic contemplation of loneliness and isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic.
They discuss feelings of anxiety and longing for simple connection and interaction during lockdown. Peter also speaks to the devastating wildfire, fueled by climate change...
2022-03-1517 min
Below the RadarVoices of the Street: My Mother’s Comfort — with Nicolas Leech-Crier and Eva TakakanewContent Warning: The stories in this series deal with difficult and sometimes traumatic topics. This episode in particular discusses substance use, family separation and residential schools. Please practice self care, stop listening, and seek help if you need to. Scroll down to find links to available supports.
The fourth episode of the Voices of the Street podcast series features a conversation on Indigenous honour, healing and empowerment, with your host, Nicolas Leech-Crier.
Nicolas interviews Voices of the Street contributor Eva Takakanew about her written piece, “My Mother’s Comfort,” a deeply personal poem and reflection on drug use and the interg...
2022-03-0816 min
Below the RadarVoices of the Street: Without Prejudice — with Yvonne Mark and Dennis GatesContent Warning: The stories in this series deal with difficult and sometimes traumatic topics. Please practice self care, stop listening, and seek help if you need to. Scroll down to find links to available supports.
For the third installment of the Voices of the Street podcast, we have a candid and heartful conversation between host Yvonne Mark and Megaphone writer Dennis Gates in response to his piece “Without Prejudice,” published in the 2021 Voices of the Street anthology.
In his piece, Dennis writes about his experiences of anti-Indigenous discrimination and injustice within the court system and the deep-felt impact of incarceration on h...
2022-03-0112 min
Below the RadarVoices of the Street: The Din from Within — with Jules ChapmanContent Warning: The stories in this series deal with difficult and sometimes traumatic topics. Please practice self care, stop listening, and seek help if you need to. Scroll down to find links to available supports.
Be transported into the soundscapes of two different poems. This installment of the Voices of the Street podcast is produced by Jules Chapman, a writer and peer support worker who is deeply involved in the Downtown Eastside community.
Jules reads from the Voices of the Street anthology, sharing Elaine Schell’s “The Din from Within” and the original poem that Jules was inspired to write in res...
2022-02-2206 min
Below the RadarVoices of the Street: Why I Choose to Stay — with Nicolas Leech-Crier and Mr. EssentialContent Warning: The stories in this series deal with difficult and sometimes traumatic topics. Please practice self care, stop listening, and seek help if you need to. Scroll down to find links to available supports.
The Voices of the Street podcast makes its debut on Below the Radar! Over the next six weeks, follow along as Megaphone storytellers weave tales and read from the 2021 Voices of the Street anthology. In this first installment, we hear from poet, writer, actor, research tech and overdose responder Nicolas Leech-Crier, in conversation with your host for this episode, Mr. Essential.
Nicolas shares his journey...
2022-02-1512 min
Below the RadarRussian Influence in Eastern Europe — with Rumena FilipovaWriter, researcher, and Chairperson of the Institute for Global Analytics, Rumena Filipova joins host Am Johal to discuss her latest book, Constructing the Limits of Europe: Identity and Foreign Policy in Poland, Bulgaria, and Russia since 1989. Rumena speaks to how dominant conceptions of national identity have shaped the foreign policy behaviour of the Balkan states, Hungary and Russia. She explores the internal politics of European Union member states, the competing regional forces of Europeanization and their impact on traditions of national identity.
Am and Rumena discuss the rise of right-wing populism worldwide and how climate change could exacerbate existing geopolitical...
2022-02-0340 min
Below the RadarTerror Capitalism and Uyghur Dispossession — with Darren BylerSociocultural anthropologist and assistant professor at SFU’s School for International Studies, Darren Byler joins Am Johal to speak about his latest book, “Terror Capitalism: Uyghur Dispossession and Masculinity in a Chinese City.” Darren describes how China surveilles and dispossesses Uyghur populations through a mass digital surveillance system, connecting it to the war on terror. Darren and Am also discuss the similarities and differences between the colonialism of China with India, Israel, and other Western countries.
Finally, the conversation goes into how Uyghur men protect their wellbeing by developing anti-colonial friendships. The conversation also highlights how many Han Chinese people are bu...
2022-02-0140 min
Below the RadarBadiou, Universalism and Racial Politics — with Elisabeth PaquetteContinental philosopher and assistant professor of Philosophy and Women Gender Studies at the University of North Carolina, Elisabeth Paquette, joins Am Johal to speak about her latest book, Universal Emancipation: Race Beyond Badiou.
Elisabeth speaks about some of her transformative moments as a continental philosopher, including an essential question posed to her by Paget Henry, and her experience joining the Black Lives Matter Charlotte Protests in 2016. Her and Am also speak about the important questions surrounding ideas of justice, how justice can be emancipatory, and the ways that states fail in enacting justice — due to its deep foundations upon race an...
2022-01-2523 min
Below the RadarExperimental Pedagogy & Art — with Alessandra PomaricoIn this episode, we spoke with Alessandra Pomarico about creating collaborative art for social change, both before and during the pandemic. The show begins by talking about friendship and different collectives in Italy and New York, before moving on to new ways of thinking which combine resistance and existence (re-existence). Centring re-existence in Latin American ideas and the Zapatista movement, Alessandra puts forward a new way of learning through collective living and collaborative art spaces.
Full episode details: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/episodes/155-alessandra-pomarico.html
Read the transcript: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/transcripts/155-alessandra-pomarico.html
Resources:
...
2022-01-1844 min
Below the RadarIntergenerational Community Building – with InterGenNSAm Johal sits down with the team at InterGenNS, a North Shore community project working to inspire intergenerational connections. This intergenerational trio, Rachelle Patille, Sue Carabetta, and June Maynard, speak about bridging the gap of academia and community, the impacts that COVID had on project goals and funding, and the challenges of embarking upon community-engaged research.
The team also explores their personal stories that led them towards intergenerational programming, and discusses how InterGenNS has created community connectivity and collaboration among organizations, partners, and community members across different ages and social intersections. They also speak about their optimism and excitement surrounding...
2022-01-0631 min
Below the RadarVancouver Podcast Festival: Podcasting Climate ChangeThe climatic events of 2021 (heat, fires, floods, storms) have brought home the reality of climate change like never before — and the urgency for media to address this crisis couldn’t feel greater. But how do we talk about the climate emergency in ways that move us away from despair and disaster coverage? How can podcasts shift the conversation in ways the mainstream media cannot or refuses to do? How do we talk about climate justice, Indigenous sovereignty, and de-colonizing media?
For this special release, tune into the live event recording from Podcasting Climate Change, a session at the 2021 Vancouver Podcast Fest...
2022-01-041h 11
Below the RadarBramah and the Beggar Boy — with Renée Sarojini SaklikarWriter and poet, Renée Sarojini Saklikar joins Am Johal on this episode of Below the Radar to talk about her latest work, Bramah and The Beggar Boy, first in a series, THOT J BAP (The Heart Of This Journey Bears All Patterns). In this episode, Renée reads passages from her new story and discusses the act of writing as a woman of colour, her creative process, and how writing can be a form of survival and resistance.
Her book is an epic poem and story which was an amazing 10-year undertaking, describing a future dealing with climate change an...
2021-12-2139 min
Below the RadarDialogue & Social Change — with Mark WinstonBelow the Radar explores the transformational capacity of dialogue with apiculturist, award-winning author, and SFU Professor of Biological Sciences Mark Winston. He is in conversation with host Am Johal about SFU’s Semester in Dialogue program and the importance of providing students with opportunities to be engaged with their communities.
Mark shares how part of a university’s job is to help people realize who they want to be in the world, speaking to the impact of alternative pedagogical models that embrace dialogue and art. We hear stories from his time as director of the Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dial...
2021-12-1434 min
Below the RadarPerforming History & Land in Vancouver’s Stanley Park — with Selena CouturePerformance scholar and Associate Professor in the Dramatic Arts department at the University of Alberta Selena Couture joins Am Johal to talk about her latest book, Against the Current and Into the Light. Selena speaks about how her book explores varying historical and contemporary performances involving Stanley Park through language, relationships to land, and the unlearning of settler knowledges. She draws from colonial and counter-colonial performances such as the 1946 Jubilee show, and the public performances of Native Brotherhood of BC in the same year.
Selena also explores how her doctoral dissertation and the taking of hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ languag...
2021-12-0740 min
Below the RadarLGBTQ2S+ Health: Impacts of Stigma — with Travis SalwayTravis Salway, a social epidemiologist and Assistant Professor with SFU’s Faculty of Health Sciences, joins Am Johal in a conversation about syndemic theory, the state of conversion therapy in Canada, and LGBTQ2S+ affirming healthcare.
Going in-depth about the structural health disadvantages of LGBTQ2S+ people and the multiple epidemics concurrently affecting them, Am and Travis discuss how Canada still needs to do more to achieve an equal society. Travis also speaks to the current limitation of data collection for this vulnerable population and how he and his team are working to create visual tools to help keep people in...
2021-11-3031 min
Below the RadarLabour Studies & Justice for Workers — with Kendra StraussThe director of the SFU Labour Studies program, Kendra Strauss, joins Am Johal in a conversation about systemic challenges facing workers, and the ways in which workers shape economies and exercise power in the workplace.
Honing in on issues of precarious work, low wages, technological change, contracting out, and the devaluing of feminized work like care work, Am and Kendra discuss trends in labour studies and how they impact migrant and racialized workers. Kendra also speaks to how labour studies as a discipline can work in-step with labour organizers and workers to strive towards a just transition, to create better...
2021-11-2324 min
Below the RadarWomen, Work, More: Working Mothers & the Pressures of Motherhood — with Amanda WatsonSFU Sociology and Anthropology Professor Amanda Watson, joins Alyha Bardi to speak about her recent book, 'The Juggling Mother: Coming Undone in an Age of Anxiety.'
Amanda speaks about our cultural fascination with the figure of the juggling mother, explores the ableism and racism behind this depiction, and scrutinizes the immense pressures of motherhood that are often ignored — from juggling work and home life, to breastfeeding, to acting unencumbered at work.
Amanda also discusses depictions of mothers as the “gender neutral CEO” — and explores how misogyny, white liberal feminism, and gender socialization, have led us to accept these very ideas in...
2021-11-1653 min
Below the RadarWomen, Work, More: Young Women Navigating Food Service — with Kaitlyn MatulewiczWomen, Work, More kicks off with an investigation into the experiences of young women in the workplace. Host Alyha Bardi speaks with Kaitlyn Matulewicz, a labour organizer with a background in labour law, who is also the Executive Director of the Worker Solidarity Network. They speak about the unique barriers and harassment experienced by young women working front-of-house positions in the food service and hospitality industry.
Kaitlyn speaks to gendered power dynamics in restaurants, issues around shift scheduling and tip-out practices, and how women workers are pushing back and finding ways to resist the culture of harassment. She also points...
2021-11-0440 min
Below the RadarCommunity Building & Racial Justice — with Lama Mugabo“What I see that's hopeful coming out of this pandemic is that I think we've revitalized our ability to work in solidarity.”
Lama Mugabo joins Below the Radar to speak to building community and solidarity, from Rwanda to Hogan’s Alley. Lama is a Rwandan-born community organizer and planner with deep roots in the Downtown Eastside and the Black community in Vancouver.
In this episode, Lama joins host Am Johal to speak to his work around reconstruction and community building Rwanda, following the genocide of 1994. A co-founder of Building Bridges with Rwanda, Lama talks about fostering awareness and international solidarity with R...
2021-11-0233 min
Below the RadarToast, Jams & Anti-Fascist Karaoke — with Andrea CreamerAn artist, community organizer, and a former staff member and longtime friend of SFU’s Vancity Office of Community Engagement, Andrea Creamer joins Below the Radar to catch up with your host, Am Johal. They talk grassroots arts organizing, her experiences as a fine arts student in SFU’s School for the Contemporary Arts and at the University of Toronto, and taking a community-centred approach to healthcare and wellness.
Andrea has a long history of working in community and bringing arts programming to the public. They chat about her involvement in the artist-run Toast Collective in East Van, as well as S...
2021-10-2637 min
Below the RadarDecolonizing Climate Justice — with KhelsilemSquamish Nation Councillor and community leader Khelsilem joins Am Johal on this first episode of Below the Radar’s Climate Justice & Inequality series. In this episode, they discuss the climate crisis as a result of the colonial project, how climate change hits hardest for those already at a disadvantage, and the spaces where colonialism has existed within climate movements.
Khelsilem speaks to his critique of fossil fuel infrastructure, the false narrative of individual responsibility, and the role governments play in worsening the crisis through policy decisions that favour oil and gas. We also hear about innovative affordable housing projects, such as...
2021-08-3128 min
Below the RadarFeminist Economics and a Just Transition — with Alicia MassieBelow the Radar dives into the call for a feminist economic recovery and a just transition with SFU School of Communication PhD Candidate Alicia Massie. Alicia is a Progressive Economics Fellow with the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives and a Research Assistant and conference organizer with SFU’s Community-Engaged Research Initiative.
As a feminist political economist and community-engaged researcher, Alicia joins host Am Johal to discuss her research around an economic transition for Canada that can bring us into a more equitable and green future.
They discuss pandemic recovery as an opportunity to implement long-term solutions to ongoing and intersecting is...
2021-07-2033 min
Below the RadarFascism, Fanaticism and Neoliberalism — with Alberto ToscanoCritical theorist Alberto Toscano joins Am Johal in conversation about his work and writings, as he joins SFU as a visiting faculty member with the Digital Democracies Institute in SFU’s School of Communication.
In this episode, they discuss Alberto’s writing on the philosophy of fanaticism, and conflicting discourse and counter-histories around the figure of the fanatic, which historically takes many forms, from abolitionist leaders to peasant revolutionaries. Alberto and Am also dive into global and historical trends of authoritarianism, racial capitalism and the notion of ‘late fascism.’ Alberto speaks to expanding our concept of fascism, to recognize iterations outside...
2021-07-1545 min
Below the RadarSetting the Table for Food Justice — with Tammara SomaCommunity-engaged scholar, current Researcher-in-Residence with SFU’s Community-Engaged Research Initiative and food system planner Tammara Soma joins Am Johal on this episode of Below the Radar. She shares with us what drives her interest in food systems and sustainability, and their relationship to equity and justice. Tammara speaks to her experience and the process of researching in communities — where she aims to have everyone’s voices represented at the table.
We hear about the impetus behind co-creating the Food Systems Lab, and how Tammara views the impact of COVID-19 on our current food systems. We also discuss issues with charitable respon...
2021-06-2228 min
Below the RadarCharting the Pandemic with Data Modelling — with Caroline ColijnSFU Mathematics professor Caroline Colijn joins host Am Johal to talk about the role of data modelling in the response to COVID-19. Caroline holds the Canada 150 Research Chair in Mathematics for Infection, Evolution and Public Health, and works at the intersection of mathematics and public health, with a particular focus on the spread and evolution of infectious diseases.
She has been working alongside colleagues since the beginning of the pandemic, using data to mathematically model the trajectory of COVID-19 and to inform public policy. In this interview, she gives a brief overview of how we’ve arrived at this point in...
2021-04-2032 min
Below the RadarDesigning Equitable Spaces — with Anthonia OgundeleAm Johal is joined by Ethọ́s Lab founder Anthonia Ogundele on this episode of Below the Radar. Anthonia shares about her career in emergency management and sustainability and the origins of Ethọ́s Lab. Anthonia also discusses the inequalities of the education system with respect to STEAM and innovation programs, and the importance of centering the Black experience when creating spaces for youth.
Ethọ́s Lab is a non-profit social enterprise that is developing an online collaborative platform and creative co-working spaces for youth ages 13-18 that foster the exploration of culture and STEAM.
Full episode details: https://www.sfu.ca/va...
2021-04-0727 min
Below the RadarCommunicating Scientific Uncertainty About COVID-19 — with Alice FleerackersWith the onset of the pandemic came a pressing need to bring health science information to the public, and fast. SFU researcher Alice Fleerackers joins Below the Radar to discuss the uptake of pre-print, or un-peer reviewed research by news media in the age of COVID-19. She speaks to host Melissa Roach about a recent study she has co-authored that analyzes how media communicate uncertainty in COVID-19 research.
Alice is a freelance writer and researcher specializing in online science communication. Currently, she is a researcher at ScholCommLab, the Research Officer at Art the Science, and a Science in Society Editor...
2021-03-1629 min
Below the RadarAccess to Knowledge for Community Scholars — with Heather De ForestSFU librarian Heather De Forest joins our host Am Johal to discuss the Community Scholars Program, a project that provides staff of charitable and non-profit organizations in BC with access to academic research and knowledge.
They discuss Heather’s work with the Community Scholars Program and go in-depth about the collective power of academic libraries within the open access movement.
Full episode details: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/episodes/109-heather-de-forest.html
Read the transcript: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/transcripts/109-heather-de-forest.html
Resources:
— The Community Scholars Program https://www.lib.sfu.ca/about/overview/services-you/community-scholars/support
— Making Resear...
2021-03-0919 min
Below the RadarUrban Mobility and Transportation Policy — with Anthony PerlSFU Urban Studies professor Anthony Perl joins host Am Johal in conversation about urban mobility and the policy challenges and opportunities that shape the way people move through Canada’s largest urban centres: Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver.
They discuss findings from Anthony’s new book, Big Moves: Global Agendas, Local Aspirations, and Urban Mobility in Canada, co-authored with Matt Hern and Jeffrey R. Kenworthy. Anthony traces the history of transportation infrastructure development through these three cities, and he and Am look towards a future that embraces more integrated and sustainable mobility options for urban and suburban life.
Full episode details: http...
2021-02-0442 min
Below the RadarCommunity Ethics in HIV Research — with Angela KaidaGlobal health epidemiologist Angela Kaida joins Below the Radar to share her passion for research to support the sexual and reproductive health of women and nonbinary people. An associate professor in SFU’s Faculty of Health Sciences and a recent researcher-in-residence with SFU’s Community-Engaged Research Initiative, Angela adopts an interdisciplinary, community-driven, ethics-based approach to researching the health of people living with HIV.
In this episode, Angela is in conversation with Am Johal about the process and potentials of embracing a community-engaged approach in her research, from community outreach and the training of peer research associates, to issues around informed cons...
2021-01-2622 min
Below the RadarJoy Johnson: SFU’s New PrezBelow the Radar checks in with Simon Fraser University’s recently installed president and vice-chancellor, Joy Johnson. Stepping into her new role in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Joy speaks to how SFU is working to meet the current challenges it is facing, from adapting to online learning and an added strain on mental health, to addressing systemic racism and inequality within the university and beyond.
In this episode, Joy shares her vision for a more equitable, inclusive, and connected SFU, centering the student experience and community partnerships. We hear about some of Joy’s hopes for SFU’s future...
2021-01-1936 min
Below the RadarArt, Migration, and Connection — with Adriana ContrerasBelow the Radar explores immigration and connecting to community and social justice movements through art with Adriana Contreras, a visual artist and storyteller who captures dialogues as they unfold as a graphic recorder.
Adriana is in conversation with co-hosts Fiorella Pinillos and Melissa Roach about her journey with visual arts and dance as a first generation immigrant from Colombia. Adriana tells us how her love for the arts has shaped her career, sharing her experiences of working as a visual artist and communicator at the intersection of art and social change.
Full episode details: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast...
2020-12-2230 min
Below the RadarCritical Librarianship — with Baharak YousefiSFU librarian Baharak Yousefi joins Am Johal on Below the Radar to discuss critical librarianship, interrogating the entrenched systems and structures of libraries. She speaks to issues around the way librarians are schooled, the commodification of knowledge, and the need to make libraries welcoming spaces to all.
Baharak also shares her love of books and culture that brought her to librarianship and talks about the popular One Book One SFU events she planned and hosted through the SFU Library. Am also asks her about her fondness for Vancouver’s West End and the neighbourhood’s quirky design gems.
Full episode deta...
2020-12-0324 min
Below the RadarOn Arrival and Belonging — with Sobhana Jaya-MadhavanWhen Sobhana Jaya-Madhavan landed in Vancouver 25 years ago from Malaysia, she was told her foreign credentials would make it hard to find employment as a social worker and was encouraged to apply for minimum wage jobs. In this episode, Sobhana is in conversation with Am Johal about the joy of finding community in a new place — and the barriers to employment she experienced as a newcomer to Canada.
Sobhana tells stories from her journey as a social worker and public servant, sharing how her dedication to service and relationship-building led her to her current role as SFU’s Associate Vice-President, Exte...
2020-11-2428 min
Below the RadarThe Digital Unconscious and Decolonizing Lacan — with Clint BurnhamBelow the Radar explores Lacanian theory with Lacan Salon President and SFU English Professor Clint Burnham. Clint speaks to how Lacan’s ideas are taken up in the digital age. Clint takes up Lacanian theories of the ‘unconscious,’ ‘extimacy,’ or ‘the split subject,’ as well as Žižek’s works, to unpack racism and microaggressions; intimacy and digital devices; and virtual interactions and teaching in pandemic-times.
Full episode details: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/episodes/91-clint-burnham.html
Read the transcript: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/transcripts/91-clint-burnham.html
For this interview, Clint joined Am Johal to film a distanced conversa...
2020-11-2342 min
Below the RadarEthics in Community-University Partnerships — with Kari GrainBelow the Radar unpacks ethics in community-engaged research and experiential learning with Kari Grain, who has been working with host Am Johal at SFU’s Community-Engaged Research Initiative. Kari speaks to her dissertation on the impacts of international service learning on local community partners. Centering ethical relationships and the unlearning of harmful biases about expertise and knowledge, Kari talks about teaching courses at UBC on community-based participatory research. She and Am also discuss barriers to meaningful and ethical community-engaged research at the institutional level, and the importance of reciprocity and bringing community in through the doors of the university.
Full ep...
2020-11-1723 min
Below the RadarDecolonial Planning and Community Health — with Lyana PatrickCommunity-engaged scholar and filmmaker Lyana Patrick joins Am Johal to discuss how an Indigenous approach to community-building can positively impact the health and wellness of communities. Combining a diverse interdisciplinary background with her own lived experience, Lyana’s work addresses the ongoing colonial impacts of governance and urban planning on Indigenous community health.
In this episode, Lyana also speaks to the importance of relationships and reciprocity in filmmaking and telling community stories, making the distinction between telling stories for communities, not simply about them.
Full episode details: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/episodes/88-lyana-patrick.html
Read the transcript: https://ww...
2020-11-1053 min
Below the RadarUnfolding Artistic Practices — with Laura MarksBelow the Radar explores unfolding the enfolded with Laura U. Marks, an SFU professor, and scholar who works on media art and philosophy with an intercultural focus. She is in conversation with co-hosts Am Johal and Paige Smith about her research into experimentalism and aesthetics in Arab cinema and the connections between Islamic art and philosophy and new media art. Laura talks about co-founding the Substantial Motion Research Network, tracing cultural and artistic genealogies, and de-westernizing artistic practices. They also discuss the concerns around the environmental consequences of streaming media that led Laura to create the Small File Media Festival.
...
2020-10-2030 min
Below the RadarCooperative Economics — with Elvy Del BiancoElvy Del Bianco of Vancity Credit Union speaks to the power of cooperatives to help communities meet their own needs. He is in conversation with host Am Johal about the role coops can play in the production of social goods, and how they can support communities of entrepreneurs, small businesses, non-profits, and workers through solidarity and infrastructure. They also discuss the Vancity Emilia-Romagna Co-operative Study Tour and how this particular area of northern Italy has what Elvy calls, “the most significant cooperative economy on earth.” It’s also a region that sees some of the lowest poverty rates and highest levels...
2020-10-0623 min
Below the RadarNeuroengineering and Brain Plasticity — with Faranak FarzanFaranak Farzan works at a fascinating intersection of engineering and neuroscience — innovating technological solutions to mental health issues like depression and addiction. Using the concept of brain plasticity, Faranak speaks to host Am Johal about how technological interventions can help the brain to rewire itself. She delves into the exciting opportunities neuroengineering presents for streamlining diagnosis and treatment, reducing the burden on patients who often go through years of trial-and-error before being matched with the right treatment. They also discuss Faranak’s research specific to youth mental health, the ethical implications of neurotechnology, and the importance of community perspectives in co-c...
2020-09-2440 min
Below the RadarTraining and Jamming with New(to)Town Collective — with June Fukumura and Anjela MagpantayFinding a lack of space for experimentation and play in Vancouver’s theatre scene, New(to)Town Collective formed to provide accessible, low-barrier physical theatre training to the community. Our host, Am Johal speaks to two of the collective’s founding artists and alumni of SFU’s School for the Contemporary Arts, June Fukumura and Anjela Magpantay. They discuss barriers facing emerging artists in the city, as well as how they embrace messiness and opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration in their by-donation Training Jams. The collective blends different artistic practices in their training and in the creation of new works, spanning from c...
2020-09-1520 min
Below the RadarPodcasting as Scholarship — with Hannah McGregorWith the rise of podcasting as a forum for academic conversations and as a teaching tool, Hannah McGregor of SFU’s Publishing department set out to investigate — and enact — podcasting as a form of scholarly communication, knowledge mobilization, and open pedagogy. Hannah is in conversation with host Am Johal about her research into the exciting potentials of scholarly podcasting, and the power of the podcast as a grassroots, decentralized medium.
Full episode details: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/episodes/72-hannah-mcgregor.html
Read the transcript: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/transcripts/72-hannah-mcgregor.html
About Hannah McGregor:
https://hannahmcgregor.com/
Open P...
2020-09-0827 min
Below the RadarPaying the Land — with Joe SaccoAm Johal is joined by Maltese-American cartoonist Joe Sacco, renowned for his long-form graphic journalism and field work in conflict zones and places where people are facing displacement and dispossession. They discuss his new book, “Paying the Land,” dealing with the painful history of the relationship between Indigenous peoples and resource extraction in northern Canada, as well as overarching themes of dispossession, the violence of settler-colonialism, and the bonds between people and land that are prominent in his work. Joe also shares some of his upcoming projects and touches on the intensification of political tensions in Portland, OR, where he live...
2020-08-2725 min
Below the RadarBlack Youth in Community Organizing — with Ayaan Ismaciil and Natasha MhuriroOn this episode of Below the Radar, our guest host, Jackie Obungah, is joined by Ayaan Ismaciil and Natasha Mhuriro. They discuss the importance of starting a Black in BC Mutual Aid fund during the pandemic as a means of community support and sustenance. Ayaan and Natasha also talk about finding a balance between student life and community organizing. Both Ayaan and Natasha are members of the African Students Association at SFU and have been part of several student organizing initiatives on campus. In this conversation, they also explore the continued solidarity between Indigenous and Black communities in working towards...
2020-08-1130 min
Below the RadarCommunity Engagement in Muslim Communities — with Amal GhazalOn this episode of Below the Radar, our host Am Johal is joined by Amal Ghazal, Director of the Centre for Comparative Muslim Studies, and Associate Professor in the Department of History at SFU with a focus on the modern history of the Middle East and Africa. Born in Lebanon, she has studied at the American University of Beirut and moved to Canada in 1996 to complete her MA and PhD at the University of Alberta. Prior to joining SFU, she was a faculty member at Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia. Amal has been the Director of the Centre for Comparative...
2020-08-0520 min
Below the RadarCommunity-Engaged Dance — with Karen JamiesonIn this episode of Below the Radar, our host Am Johal sits down with Karen Jamieson, Vancouver-based dancer and choreographer. Karen's company Karen Jamieson Dance works with residents of Vancouver's Downtown Eastside through community engagement and cross cultural dancing, and is recognized nationally as groundbreaking. Additionally, her work, "Sisyphus," was named one of the 10 Canadian choreographic masterworks of the 20th century by Dance Collection Danse. Karen has be recognized for her talent and dedication to her field, receiving the Vancouver Mayor's Arts Award in 2013, honoured with the Isadora Award in 2016, and in 2018 she was inducted into the Canadian dance hall...
2020-07-1433 min
Below the RadarWorking in Community — with Jackie WongOn this episode of Below the Radar, our host Am Johal and guest host Rachel Wong are joined by Jackie Wong. Jackie currently is the Director of Communications and Race Equity Project Director at Hua Foundation and is a long-time collaborator and friend of SFU’s Vancity Office of Community Engagement. Together, they talk about Jackie’s past work as a journalist, the current work that she does in Chinatown with regards to decolonization and working with youth, and how her different experiences have shaped her approach to the work and research she does.
Full episode details: https://www.sfu.ca/v...
2020-06-2320 min
Below the RadarResearch in the Service of Community — with Tiffany Muller Myrdahl and Brett StoudtOn this special edition of Below the Radar, guest host Tiffany Muller Myrdahl (SFU Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies and SFU Urban Studies) interviews Brett Stoudt. Brett came to Vancouver in early 2020 to give a workshop on participatory action research based on the work and research that he does at the City University of New York. In this episode, Tiffany and Brett talk about what participatory action research is, the Public Science Project and Morris Justice Project, and what it means to do research with and for the community rather than on it.
Full episode details: https://www.sfu.ca...
2020-06-1639 min
Below the RadarSocial Transformation — with Tara MahoneyOn this episode of Below the Radar, our host Am Johal is joined by Tara Mahoney, the Research and Engagement Coordinator of SFU’s Community-Engaged Research initiative team (CERi). Tara holds a PhD from SFU’s School of Communications, is also a research fellow in climate change communications at the David Suzuki Foundation and is the creative director of Gen Why Media. She sits down with Am to talk about her research in the recent years, involving the emerging forms of participatory political culture in Canada.
Full episode details: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/episodes/48-tara-mahoney.html
Read the tran...
2020-05-1927 min
Below the RadarCommunity-Engaged Research — with Stuart Poyntz and Joanna HabdankThis episode of Below the Radar features two members of SFU’s Community-Engaged Research Initiative, or CERi: co-director Stuart Poyntz and program manager Joanna Habdank. Both Stuart and Joanna bring their own experiences and expertise to CERi with hopes to create more opportunities for research that is respectful, ethical, and collaborates with community members. They discuss with host Am Johal what Community-Engaged Research is and how SFU is answering the call to provide more opportunities for collaboration in research with communities.
Full episode details: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/episodes/47-stuart-poyntz-joanna-habdank.html
Read the transcript: https://www.sfu.ca/va...
2020-05-1238 min
Below the RadarUrban Intimacy — with Hilda Fernandez and Fernanda SouzaOn this episode of Below the Radar, we welcome psychoanalyst Hilda Fernandez and clinical counsellor Fernanda Selayzin Souza who practice in Vancouver. Both Hilda and Fernanda dive into a discussion around urban intimacy and the good life, including how technology impacts intimacy and relationships, the potential mainstreaming of polyamory, and the differences across generations and cultures that change the way we relate to others and ourselves.
Full episode details: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/episodes/45-hilda-fernandez-fernanda-souza.html
Read the transcript: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/transcripts/45-hilda-fernandez-fernanda-souza.html
You can learn more about the work, practice and research...
2020-04-281h 18
Below the RadarAndrew Petter on the Engaged UniversityOn this episode of Below the Radar, we are joined by SFU President, Andrew Petter. For 10 years, Andrew has led SFU in becoming Canada’s Engaged University. Prior to that, Andrew had extensive teaching experience as a faculty member at the University of Victoria as well as serving the province as an MLA with a variety of cabinet portfolios during his time in office. Am Johal talks to Andrew about the experiences he had prior to coming to SFU, what it’s been like to serve as SFU’s president, and why SFU will always be a big part of his li...
2020-04-1438 min
Below the RadarCowboys, Mermaids, and Interdisciplinary Art — with Barbara AdlerOn this episode of Below the Radar, our host Am Johal is joined by Barbara Adler, interdisciplinary artist, programmer and SFU’s School for Contemporary Arts’ Professional Development Coordinator. Barbara’s artistic work has been presented at The Vancouver Folk Festival, Ballet BC, the Vienna Literature Festival and many more. She currently produces the weekly performance series Sawdust Collector, which showcases experimental and improvised works by established and emerging artists. She holds an MFA in Interdisciplinary Studies from Simon Fraser University.
Full episode details: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/episodes/42-barbara-adler.html
Read the transcript: https://www.sfu.ca/vancit...
2020-03-3117 min
Below the RadarCyberwar and Revolution — with Svitlana MatviyenkoOn this episode of Below the Radar, our host Am Johal sits down with Svitlana Matviyenko, an Assistant Professor of Critical Media Analysis at SFU’s School of Communication. Her work and research focuses around topics such as political economy of information, digital militarism, social and mobile media, infrastructure studies, history of science, cybernetics and psychoanalysis. In this conversation, Svitlana talks about digital militarism on a global scale, the impacts of cyberwar on users today, and what is in store for the future of cyberwar.
Full episode details: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/episodes/39-svitlana-matviyenko.html
Read the transcript: ht...
2020-02-1830 min
Below the RadarConnecting Communities and Libraries — with Ebony MagnusOn this episode of Below the Radar, Am Johal sits down with Ebony Magnus, the head of the Belzberg Library at SFU Vancouver. Ebony came into the role during SFU Vancouver’s 30th Anniversary and has a focus on community involvement for this branch, both within the university and with the wider community. Together, they discuss some core questions related to libraries, including equal access to technologies, value distinctions between different types of archives, and continued community engagement.
Full episode details: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/episodes/38-ebony-magnus.html
Read the transcript: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/transcripts/38-e...
2020-02-0423 min
Below the RadarAn Ethical Approach to Research — with Scott Neufeld and Nicolas CrierThe question of ethics should always be front and centre when it comes to doing research of any kind. For Scott Neufeld and Nicolas Crier, they aim to take this question even further. In collaboration with other folks in the Downtown Eastside and Hives for Humanity, they co-authored Research 101: A Manifesto for Ethical Research in the Downtown Eastside to help facilitate a wider conversation on ethics in cultural production, such as research, media, and artmaking. On this episode of Below the Radar, host Am Johal talks to Scott and Nicolas about how this project came to be, the profound impact...
2019-12-1031 min
Below the RadarMusic in the City — with Jarrett MartineauHow well do you know the local music scene in Vancouver? On this episode of Below the Radar, we sit down with Jarrett Martineau, a figure who is very well acquainted with the music scene both locally and abroad. On a local level, Jarrett works as the Music Planner for the City of Vancouver, where he works hard to support the Vancouver music scene and all aspects within that. He is also the host of Reclaimed, which is a weekly series on CBC Music that explores the many worlds of contemporary Indigenous music. In this conversation, we talk to Jarrett...
2019-12-0331 min
Below the RadarListening to the World Around Us — with Milena Droumeva and Brett AshleighWhen it comes to understanding the world around us, we can look and observe change with our eyes. But what about using our ears to listen to the ways in which our environments change? This is the type of work that Milena Droumeva and Brett Ashleigh do. Milena is an assistant professor of sound studies and Brett is a PhD student. Both of them work and research at SFU’s School of Communication, which is quite world famous in the areas of sound studies and soundscape research thanks to the work of R. Murray Schafer, Barry Truax and others. In th...
2019-11-2621 min
Below the RadarThe Future of the Binners' Project — with Landon Hoyt and Anna GodefroyIn August of 2019, The Binners' Project faced a new change. After 5 years, co-founder Anna Godefroy stepped back and The Binners' Project welcomed Landon Hoyt as their new director. As a follow up to one of the first episodes of Below the Radar, we welcomed Anna back to the studio for a conversation with Landon and our host, Am Johal. Together, we talk about the ways in which The Binners' Project helped to provide economic opportunities and reduce the stigma of waste-pickers, and what's next for the group.
To learn more about The Binners’ Project, you can check out their website at...
2019-11-1934 min
Below the RadarOn Andean Horror: The monster always represents the fear we repress — with Maria Cecilia SabaOn this episode of Below the Radar, our Communications Coordinator Rachel Wong sits down with Maria Cecilia Saba to talk about Andean horror films. Maria Cecilia currently is the Teen Programs Coordinator at Emily Carr University of Art + Design, but previously she worked as the Interim Program Coordinator for our office. We talk to Maria Cecilia about what got her interested in researching two Peruvian-Andean horror films for her Master’s thesis, what her personal experience with horror films are, and how she came to understand the viewing of horror films as a visceral journey and cathartic experience.
Full episode de...
2019-10-2941 min
Below the RadarThe Great Derangement — with Amitav Ghosh and Olive DempseyClimate change is a very real issue that we as a society are grappling with. But interestingly enough, climate change denial is particularly strong in the Anglosphere — in English speaking countries. Indian author Amitav Ghosh found the link between movement, the English language, and climate change to be quite interesting, and that is the focus of his book The Great Derangement. This episode features Amitav in conversation with our host Am Johal and special guest host Olive Dempsey from the podcast Big Bright Dark. Amitav Ghosh was in Vancouver for a public talk at SFU as part of their 30th An...
2019-09-1631 min
Below the RadarUnderstanding the Neoliberal Personality — with Samir GandeshaIn the current neoliberal world order, is it possible for authoritarianism to return? When we look to the founding of Germany in 1949, a decision was made to follow the logic of ordoliberalism: to firmly regulate the state through the market so as to prevent a return of fascism and authoritarianism. However, according to Samir Gandesha, the opposite effect happened. In this episode, Samir and our host Am Johal discuss the ‘neoliberal identity’, what contributes to it, and how this impacts our current political world order.
Full episode details: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/episodes/23-samir-gandesha.html
Read the transcript: http...
2019-08-1958 min
Below the RadarPsychoanalyzing Love and Desire — with Hilda FernandezEpisode 17 features Hilda Fernandez, a clinical psychoanalyst and a grad student at SFU. Hilda was also the former president of the Lacan Salon, a group that meets bi-weekly to read and discuss the work of Freud and Jacques Lacan. On this episode, she talks to Am Johal about love and desire from a psychoanalytical perspective — the stages of love, how it is sustained and reinvented, and break-ups and the hatred that can come along with it.
The Lacan Salon meets every other Tuesday from 7-9 PM in room 2205 at SFU’s Goldcorp Centre for the Arts. It welcomes participants from all...
2019-05-2036 min
Below the RadarMegaphone: Changing the Narrative — with Jessica Hannon and Peter ThompsonSFU’s VOCE longtime partner, Megaphone Magazine, is featured in episode 8 of Below the Radar. Megaphone creates meaningful work for people experiencing poverty and homelessness. Each month they produce a magazine that looks at issues and events happening in our city with a local perspective. Along with the monthly magazine, the annual Hope in Shadows calendar is produced and sold by low-income and homeless vendors on the streets of Vancouver and Victoria to earn income and build community. This episode features Executive Director, Jessica Hannon, along with vendor, Peter Thompson in conversation with Jamie-Leigh Gonzales from SFU’s VOCE. Find out...
2019-01-1422 min
Below the RadarOn Horizonless Futures — with Patricia Reed"The way that I rationalize spending so much time in the theory world is because I think it helps train your intuition." Berlin-based artist Patricia Reed talks to Am Johal about the relationship between theory and practice in her work.
Full episode details: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/episodes/5-patricia-reed.html
Read the transcript: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/transcripts/5-patricia-reed.html
Patricia gave a talk at SFU in October, "On Horizonless Futures." Watch the video recording from her talk in our audio and video gallery:
http://www.sfu.ca/sfuwoodwards/community-engagement/audio-video-gallery.html
Find more of Patricia's...
2018-12-0223 min
Below the RadarA History of Community-Building in BC — with Bob WilliamsFrom 312 Main and the future of public infrastructure in Surrey, to his “mad socialist period” in Dave Barrett’s NDP government. Am Johal interviews former city planner, MLA, and cabinet minister Bob Williams about his long and storied history of government work and community development in BC.
Full episode details: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/episodes/4-bob-williams.html
Read the transcript: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/transcripts/4-bob-williams.html
Bob gave a public talk on the future of Surrey at SFU last fall. Check out the video recording here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgQJLv5eFt8&feature=youtu...
2018-11-2630 min
Below the RadarWhy Vote ‘Yes’ to Proportional Representation? — with Maria DobrinskayaWith a referendum on Proportional Representation looming, BC will decide whether or not to move to a new way of electing our provincial government — or stick with our current First Past the Post system.
Our first guest is Maria Dobrinskaya, BC Director of the Broadbent Institute. Maria shares why she is advocating for BC residents to vote ‘Yes’ to PR when they mail in their ballots this month. She is interviewed by your host, Am Johal, the director of SFU’s Vancity Office of Community Engagement.
Full episode details: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/episodes/1-maria-dobrinskaya.html
Read the transcri...
2018-11-0537 min