Observances

Pride 2024 Art

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Illustration of a brick wall with words spray painted on it, including bigotry, hate, and others that aren't fully in view. A figure with long hear and a skirt and their back to the camera is swinging a giant paintbrush forcefully, spreading a bright rainbow across the words and blocking them out.

“Art, to me, is fundamentally about expression: ideas, emotion, and defiance. I think these are similar to the goals of Pride. It is celebration and protest, a way to be seen and change the way people see us, a chance to be us, unapologetically” – Sharon Strauss, CHASI Artist-In-Residence

Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

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Colourful illustration of a woman sitting in a clam shell, reminiscent of Botticelli's Birth of Venus. She has dark brown skin and long flowing black hair, and wears a yellow wrap that leaves her back and arms exposed. Along her back and arms are intricate tattooed patterns — Batok, as described in this post's caption. Her eyes are closed and she has an expression of peace or joy as she raises one arm up towards a wave of water or clouds in the abstract background.

May is Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, and as it draws to a close, we share this beautiful piece by CHASI artist-in-residence Sharon Strauss. Writing about this piece, Sharon says: “Batok is an indigenous Filipino style of tattooing that predates the colonization of the Philippines. It is traditionally done by hand-tapping the ink into … Read more

Marking Black History Month beyond February

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Illustration of a calendar showing February. It reads "Black History Month" at the top. Each day has an illustration of a different person or event on it.

Black History Month is over, but we’re taking the time to look back on some of the important figures and dates throughout the month. While we mark Black history for one month, it’s important to acknowledge the massive contributions of these Black individuals and countless more every day of the year. This illustration by CHASI … Read more

International Day of Commemoration in memory of the victims of the Holocaust

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Black and white illustration of many Romani people of all ages. A black and red monster with many teeth and eyes is in the foreground seemingly ready to devour them all.

Today is the International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust. CHASI artist Sharon Strauss took the time to create these two powerful pieces in commemoration. Porajmos: “The Devouring” A Romani word coined by Ian Hancock in 1990, “The Devouring” encapsulates the deliberate and often forgotten genocide of the Romani people … Read more

UFV Walk-out in support of Afghan women

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Group photo of several dozen people, many holding signs in support of the women of Afghanistan. They are lined up to pose for a photo.

To mark two years since the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, CHASI and members of the Afghan community staged a university walk-out. The focus was on supporting Afghan women, who have been banned from attending high school since September 2021 and university since December 2022. Afghan activist Sahar Maqsoodi joined the event, sharing the realities of … Read more

Examining two years of Taliban rule in Afghanistan

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Two Years of Taliban Rule in Afghanistan In the month of August CHASI will be highlighting the current impact of the Taliban regime on people living in Afghanistan, with a focus on the ongoing resistance and resilience shown by the Afghan people.

Throughout August 2023 and beyond, CHASI highlighted the current situation in Afghanistan. August 8, 2023 August 10, 2023: Announcing a UFV walk-out in support of the women of Afghanistan Afghan women have been banned from attending high school since September 2021 and university since December 2022. This event will demonstrate UFV’s support for women during … Read more

Pride 2023 at CHASI

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Photo of CHASI team members speaking at a table with a rainbow tablecloth.

Pride is always time of celebration and action at CHASI, and 2023 was no different! Here is just some what our team did to mark the occasion. Dr. Martha Dow joins GW Graham Secondary’s Pride Celebration CHASI director Dr. Martha Dow was privileged to be able to speak at GW Graham Secondary’s Pride celebration to … Read more