Banner showing a group of people sitting at a table and standing at a white board, actively having a discussion.

Celebrating Pride and acknowledging what still needs to be done

An illustration of two cartoon, rainbow-coloured hands coming together in celebration. Text reads: Canada is home to 1 million people who are LGBTQ2+, accounting for 4% of the total population

Content warning: suicide June may be coming to an end, but CHASI is proud to celebrate Pride year-round. This year, Canada marks an exciting milestone, reaching one million members of the LGBTQ2+ community! Canada still has a long way to go, however. Statistics Canada has also shared information on the discrimination and challenges that the … Read more

World Refugee Day

Photo collage of members of the UFV Student Refugee program

In acknowledgement of World Refugee Day, CHASI is pleased to partner with UFV Student Refugee Program members Gina Dhinsa, Holly Janzen, and Catherine Janzen. Today, we celebrate World Refugee Day and honour displaced persons around the world. We are members of the UFV Student Refugee Program – a group of students that sponsors refugees to … Read more

International Domestic Workers’ Day

Illustration of a woman with arms stretched in all directions, trying to care for a baby, a child, a person in a wheelchair, and an elderly person all at once.

Today is International Domestic Workers’ Day. The often invisible labour of these essential workers deserves acknowledgement and support, and their difficult labour deserves to be valued. COVID-19 highlighted the challenges women face in our societies. It aggravated these challenges, as many women face an increased workload at home and significant losses in the labour market. … Read more

International Day of the African Child

For the International Day of the African Child, CHASI is pleased to welcome Dr. Cherie Enns, UFV student Jacqueline Fanta, and UFV alum Njavwa Mukwavi to share the history of the day and their own reflections. Dr. Cherie Enns My name is Dr. Cherie Enns, and I teach in both Global Development Studies and the … Read more

Confronting Anxieties

Quote from Jeff Mijo-Burch, CHASI Social Media & Communications Intern: " This elevated level of anxiety, this vague and sometimes unconscious sense of fear that people are feeling in a crowded grocery store or at the thought of returning to a workplace or classroom, is similar to the feeling those of us with anxiety disorders experience for much of our lives." URL links to ufv.ca/chasi.

To mark Action Anxiety Day, CHASI Social Media and Web Communication Intern Jeff Mijo-Burch is sharing some of his personal experience with anxiety to consider as we prepare for an anxiety-filled transition to a post-pandemic world. Today, June 10, is the first annual Action Anxiety Day. This day, which calls on supporters to spread awareness, … Read more

Announcement: Industry partnerships help secure $45,000 award for three UFV undergrads

Thumbnail shows Martha Dow at a white board, speaking to the CHASI team

Collaborations with community partners and high-quality student research experiences are key for one research centre at Abbotsford’s University of the Fraser Valley (UFV). The Community Health and Social Innovation Hub (CHASI) recently welcomed three undergraduate UFV students as research assistants (RA) thanks to $45,000 in awards from Canadian research non-profit Mitacs and a partnership with … Read more

Revealing Systemic Racism and Inequalities in BC: Using disaggregated demographic and race-based data

Video thumbnail showing a Zoom presenter sharing a Powerpoint slide. The title on the slide reads"Revealing Systemic Racism and Inequalities in BC: Using disaggregated demographic and race-based data"

On March 17, the Community Health and Social Innovation Hub (CHASI) partnered with BC’s Office of the Human Rights Commissioner (BCOHRC), UFV’s Race and Antiracism Network, and the South Asian Studies Institute to present “Revealing Systemic Racism and Inequalities in BC: Using disaggregated demographic and race-based data.” This is a recording of that virtual conversation … Read more

National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls

Three faceless Indigenous women in red dresses. A child dances joyfully, an adult is guarded, and an elder is concerned.

For the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, CHASI’s graphic design intern Celina Koops shares the following illustration and reflection. It was important for me as an Indigenous woman to mark this day of awareness for missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls. I want my illustration to honour … Read more

Sikh Heritage Month: Meaning, Purpose and a History of Activism

Illustration of protestors supporting farmers, Gur Sikh Temple, and a large sun over rolling hills

As Sikh Heritage Month draws to a close, CHASI and UFV’s South Asian Studies Institute (SASI) collaborated to share reflections from SASI Research Fellow Dr. Inder Mann on the long history of Sikh activism, and how it continues through the present day. In commemorating Sikh Heritage Month in BC and all over Canada, we take … Read more