Community Health and Social Innovation (CHASI) Hub
Turning knowledge into action
It’s been four years since the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan and began imposing a regime of gender apartheid. These institutionalized and widespread gender-based discriminatory systems are having dire consequences for all Afghans, particularly for women and girls who are deprived of their fundamental rights, from education to free movement. For the third year, students, … Read more
To mark the final day of Disability Pride Month, CHASI presents a new piece from CHASI artist-in-residence Sharon Strauss: “In spite of it all, I’m proud I’m me” Sharon writes: “Growing up with an invisible disability was hard. Made more difficult by my own ignorance of it. For so long I felt broken, wrong, not … Read more
When a regime bans girls from education, bars women from healthcare jobs, and blocks their access to treatment, it’s not just oppression, it’s a slow, deliberate death sentence. August marks four years since the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan. Please join us at noon on Thursday, August 14 for our third annual walkout of UFV’s … Read more
On June 25, UFV celebrated Pride with the third annual Tea Dance — with this year featuring Drag Musical Bingo hosted by UFV’s own Colin Alda Monsters! The event was hosted and organized by Sustainable UFV and CHASI, with support from UFV’s Faculty and Staff Association. On the same day, our friends at UFV’s autonomous … Read more
On June 5, 2025, CHASI opened our doors to commemorate five years of serving our communities alongside our many partners. This was a chance to welcome partners from some of the many community organizations, local governments, and institutional partners who we have had the privilege of partnering with, as well as those working towards similar … Read more
How can we work towards a better society in difficult times? The CHASIcast is pleased to welcome back Dr. Rita Dhungel, an assistant professor in the School of Social Work and Human Services, joined this time by Chelsea Klassen, CHASI’s lead researcher and a sessional instructor in the School of Social Justice and Global Stewardship. … Read more
For National AccessAbility Week 2025 (May 25-31), CHASI Artist-In-Residence Sharon Strauss sought to represent the experience of people with disabilities in two new pieces. The first shows draws on the facets and barriers to accessibility. Buildings and transport that only sometimes account for physical disabilities, aid that only comes after mountains of inscrutable paperwork, resources … Read more
CHASI was pleased to collaborate with the Sumas First Nation Emergency Management team on a report looking at disaster risk, recovery and resiliency in the community. This report was completed and shared with the community in November 2024. CHASI is pleased to share it publicly, and hopes that other communities are also able to draw … Read more
How can participatory action research meaningfully improve life for vulnerable communities? The CHASIcast is pleased to welcome Dr. Rita Dhungel, an assistant professor in the School of Social Work and Human Services. Dr. Dhungel’s her experiences working with human trafficking survivors in Nepal, and how she carries that knowledge forward with her. The CHASIcast is … Read more
Students and staff from the Community Health and Social Innovation Hub returned to the Pacific Sociological Association (PSA) conference for the second year in a row. The group of 16 CHASI representatives shared experiences and findings from CHASI’s work while learning from sociologists and practitioners in related fields over the course of four days (March … Read more