This event has taken place already. Listen to or read the conversation here: Stories of Partnership: A Conversation with AMSSA & UBC’s Centre for Migration Studies
Join us for the first session in our series “Stories of Partnership” dedicated to highlighting collaborations that embody reciprocity.
In this session, we will hear from Katie Crocker, from AMSSA (Affiliation of Multicultural Societies and Service Agencies of BC), and Sean Lauer and Antje Ellermann, from UBC’s Centre for Migrations Studies (CMS) on the evolving relationship between UBC and AMSSA, a province-wide association well known as an umbrella organization for the BC immigration and settlement sector. This is a unique opportunity to hear directly from Katie about her experiences as a community partner and what advice she has for UBC staff who support community-university partnerships.
Learn how this partnership has grown over the years to include a unique dual-reporting role, the Engagement Strategist, reporting to both AMSSA and CMS, and how the collaboration led to a co-organized “Research Collaborations Day” focusing on the themes of Decolonization and Mutual Understanding. This conversation will be moderated by Javier Ojer, who’s worked both at AMSSA and CMS.
Whether you are seeking inspiration or education, this session aims to give you plenty to reflect on to enhance your community-university collaborations.
Coffee/tea and light refreshments will be provided.
Date: Tuesday, May 28, 2024
Time: 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM
Location: Dodson Room, Irving K. Barber Learning Centre, UBC Vancouver
Cost: Free
This series is designed for UBC staff and librarians in the Community Engagement Network, but is OPEN to faculty, staff, and community partners.
Series Objectives
- To highlight community-university partnerships that exemplify reciprocity.
- To foster a culture of continuous learning in community engagement practices by providing an opportunity for UBC staff to gain insights directly from community partners who are comfortable and interested in sharing constructive feedback in areas where UBC staff can actively improve.
Speakers
Katie Crocker, Chief Executive Officer, AMSSA
I am the Chief Executive Officer of AMSSA, a British Columbia provincial association that strengthens over 70 member agencies as well as hundreds of community stakeholder agencies who serve immigrants and newcomers. I have a deep interest in the settlement and integration journey of newcomers to our province. As a settler on these unceded territories and through my work, I strive to learn about and take accountability for the inherent privilege I have to live, work and raise my children on stolen land.
Antje Ellermann, Director, UBC Centre for Migration Studies: My research focuses on the politics of migration and citizenship in liberal democracies. I am particularly interested in the nexus between immigration and the power of the law; the politics of immigration policy making; anti-immigration populism; and the intersection of migration, settler colonialism, and Indigeneity.
Sean Lauer, Community Liaison, UBC Centre for Migration Studies: My research explores the sociology of community and the experience of newcomers in Canada in particular. I am interested in studying the experience of newcomers in the network of community based organizations in Vancouver and how these organizations impact social capacity development. My work also explores concepts such as friendship diversity and network diversity in the transition from high school to adulthood.
Javier Ojer, Engagement Strategist, UBC Centre for Migration Studies: I work to bring relationships and initiatives to the Centre for Migration Studies to collectively engage with issues related to Indigeneity and Migration, in particular the exploration of the appropriate role of settler-colonial individuals and institutions in relation to the experience of Indigenous Peoples and Nations, and their connection to the land. I’m also involved with CMS’ efforts in creating spaces to build research that incorporates tools and methodologies, like art or story-telling, that enhance the traditional western approach to producing, legitimizing and validating knowledge.
About the Event Organizer
The Community Engagement Network (CEN) is for staff and librarians at UBC Vancouver and UBC Okanagan who do community engagement work. Our purpose is to: (1) create and sustain a sense of community among staff at UBC who lead and support community-university engagement and (2) increase our collective capacity and provide tools for reciprocal, community-led engagement.