Why Manish Kumar is raising awareness about the caste system

July 7, 2023

Photo of Manish Kumar next to an image of the UBC Okanagan campus.

Pronouns: He / him

UBC affiliation: Graduate student

Campus: UBC Okanagan

Faculty: Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies

Department: Interdisciplinary Graduate Studies Program – Community Engagement, Social Change and Equity

Involvement

Inclusion Project Assistant, Equity & Inclusion Office
Equity Ambassador, Equity & Inclusion Office
Graduate Student Community Facilitator, Student Experience Office

How have you been involved in advancing equity, diversity and inclusion at UBC?

My journey with the UBC Okanagan (UBCO) Equity & Inclusion Office (EIO) started with my role as a volunteer Equity Ambassador, which then led to my student employment as an Inclusion Project Assistant. One of my main objectives in connecting with the EIO was to raise awareness at UBCO about the impacts of the Indian caste system. My interest emerged from an experience where I was asked about my caste-based identity at a cultural event organized by Indian students. I was surprised at being asked this question in Canada and specifically at UBC.

Due to this experience, and given the growing number of South Asian – and especially Indian – students, staff and faculty members at UBC, I decided to raise awareness of the impacts of the caste system and find ways to get caste included in UBC’s Discrimination Policy (SC7).

Since the policy reflects British Columbia’s Human Rights Code, any amendment requires creating a petition and gaining the support of various public and private institutions, agencies and community members – a process that requires time and resources. As a graduate student with competing demands and limited time, I instead focused on creating spaces and opportunities for the UBC community to learn more about and discuss the implications of the Indian caste system in the context of human rights.

As a result, I was invited to discuss the caste system at the 2023 Dr. Ambedkar International Symposium on Emancipation – an event hosted on the UBC Vancouver campus and organized by the Chetna Association of Canada and Ambedkarite International Co-Ordination Society. I also engaged with EIO-led events and workshops under the guidance of Jenica Frisque. Jenica deeply influenced and shaped my personal education and understanding of equity and inclusion-related subjects at UBCO, and how they shape our world around us.

Moving forward, I feel deeply committed and inspired to keep striving to build a more inclusive and equitable society beyond the notion of “othering”.

For those who wish to learn more about the caste system in India, I recommend that they watch a documentary called India Untouched: Stories of a People Apart [links to Youtube]. The film explains the ways in which the caste system has led to a deeply embedded praxis of “graded inequality” and discrimination within Indian society.

What are your key takeaways from this experience?

I found out that both learning and (un)learning are equally important on this path of building an inclusive, equitable and just society. Also, “Truth always comes before reconciliation”.

What advice would you give to someone interested in doing similar work?

I believe that volunteering is not only a great way to connect with campus and community partners, but with individuals who could inspire and shape our lives differently. Also, it is important to acknowledge that our personal and lived experiences are different from one another and is what makes us all unique. Therefore, it is critical to be mindful and receptive of our differences while communicating with each other.

What resources helped you navigate your EDI journey?

If someone is passionate and wants to learn more about EDI work then I recommend exploring the resources on the UBC Equity & Inclusion Office’s website, and signing up to their newsletter for events and workshops where they can meet and connect with amazing community members, students and campus partners.

What book, film or podcast would you recommend to others and why?

Mindful of Race: Transforming Racism from the Inside Out by Ruth King. In Ruth’s words, “racism is a heart disease, and it’s curable!”

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Recognizing leadership of trans, Two-Spirit and non-binary students, faculty and staff

March 31, 2023

Arig al Shaibah, Associate Vice-President, Equity and Inclusion

March 31 is Trans Day of Visibility, an intentional opportunity to celebrate and recognize the valuable contributions of trans community members, but also to reflect on how we can all contribute to inclusion.

This year, I would like to recognize and thank all of the students, faculty and staff at UBC Okanagan who sat on the Trans, Two-Spirit and Gender Diversity Task Force for their work to create a more trans-inclusive UBC.

Launched in March of 2020, the Task Force worked diligently to deliver a set of recommendations that will guide university’s efforts in the area of gender diversity.

As a university, we are committed to advancing equity and inclusion. Yet, when only 58 per cent of trans, Two-Spirit and non-binary (T2SNB) student, faculty and staff respondents to the 2021 Gender Diversity Audit report a sense of belonging at UBC – compared to 79 per cent of their cisgender counterparts – it signals that more must be done to support their full inclusion. To make that happen, however, we also understand that we need to provide more educational opportunities, supportive processes and structures that can help cisgender staff and faculty in particular show up more effectively for trans students and colleagues.

With the release of the Task Force final report and the results of the Gender Diversity Audit on March 30, 2023, I have hope that with this renewed and clear direction of where to focus our efforts, we can make significant improvements to T2SNB students, faculty and staff’s experiences at UBC so that they can thrive.

I look forward to continuing efforts to support the implementation of all the Task Force’s recommendations under the guidance of the emerging Strategic Equity and Anti-racism Framework and Roadmap to Change.

We can all support trans leadership and work to enhance a sense of belonging for trans students, faculty and staff. I encourage you to explore the new Positive Space Foundations course, familiarize yourself with the use of chosen names and pronouns, and well as resources for T2SNB employees and their managers.

If, as a member of the T2SNB community, you have concerns related to your experience at UBC, please contact our office at trans.inclusion@equity.ubc.ca for support.

I encourage you to read the final report and explore some of the relevant resources of interest below.

Arig al Shaibah
Associate Vice-President, Equity and Inclusion

Resources of interest

Trans, Two-Spirit, and Gender Diversity Task Force, UBC Equity & Inclusion Office
Gender diversity hub, UBC Equity & Inclusion Office
UBC trans & non-binary student guide by trans and non-binary students at UBC
Human rights advising, UBC Equity & Inclusion Office
Getting support as a transgender, Two-Spirit, and non-binary employees, UBC Human Resources
Positive Space: Foundations course, UBC Workplace Learning Platform
Peer advice for incoming trans & non-binary arts students, Faculty of Arts

Relevant events:

- Check out our Instagram post for events.

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Trans, Two-Spirit and Gender Diversity Task Force recommendations

March 31, 2023

March 21 is International Day for Elimination of Racial Discrimination

March 21, 2023

Today we recognize the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

While we can and should reflect on our progress advancing racial equity, diversity, and inclusion to date, this day serves as a call to action for individuals and institutions to continue to work to eliminate all forms of racial discrimination, systemic racism and hate, including those that manifest as anti-Indigenous, anti-Black, anti-Asian, anti-Muslim and anti-semitic.

Our individual and collective engagement is essential to ensuring that all members of our campus community are treated with respect and dignity. so that we can all learn and work in safety, and have equal access and opportunity to succeed in academic and professional pursuits.

As a university, we continue our engagement and investment into advancing our commitments to anti-racism.

Released in 2022, the President’s Task Force on Anti-Racism and Inclusive Excellence Final Report is a comprehensive account of issues of race, racialization and racism from campus community members with lived/living experience.

In 2021, the university received support from the Canadian Race Relations Foundations to host the National Forum on Anti-Asian Racism. The discussions from this event led to the publication of a final report developed to inform and inspire people across all sectors to mobilize and take the necessary action to continue the fight against anti-Asian and other forms of racism in Canada.

In 2020, UBC signed the Scarborough Charter on Anti-Black Racism and Black Inclusion in Canadian Higher Education. The Charter offers principles, actions and commitments that reflect a collective recognition of the realities of anti-Black racism, encapsulates shared aspirations to address them, and provides a concrete framework for delivering on promises.

As part of the university’s response to these recommendations, the Equity & Inclusion Office (EIO) is mobilizing a Strategic Equity & Anti-Racism (StEAR) Framework and Roadmap for Change. These initiatives will guide the implementation of the university’s anti-racism and inclusive excellence priorities, among other priorities identified in several equity-related institutional plans and task force recommendations. Explore our Frequently Asked Questions to learn more about our approach and next steps related to implementation.

To learn more about what you can do to combat racism generally, visit the Government of Canada website and the United Nations websitededicated to anti-racism and this day.

“My humanity is bound up in yours, for we can only be human together.”

Desmond Tutu

If you require confidential advising on experiences of racial discrimination, please contact our Human Rights Advising Team or submit a confidential online advising request.

If you require strategic consultation on how to develop and enact anti-racism leadership and organizational change for your academic or administrative unit, please contact the Strategic Partnerships & Capacity Building Team in the EIO by submitting a request for a consultation.
Arig al Shaibah
Associate Vice-President, Equity and Inclusion

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Silvia D’addario, PhD

March 15, 2023

Director, Strategic Partnerships & Capacity Building

Campus: UBC Vancouver

Pronouns: she, her, hers

Email: silvia.daddario@ubc.ca

Bio

Silvia has a Doctoral degree in Urban Geography, specializing in equity, diversity and inclusion, transnational migration and Canadian immigration, and geographies of home and work. Her professional training includes Executive Coaching and various Health & Wellness-related coaching certifications.

Silvia most recently held the role of Director of Global Citizenship and Equity Education at Centennial College in Toronto, Ontario. She has over ten years of progressive experience in leadership roles in the post-secondary sector, holding roles focused on advancing equity, diversity, global citizenship education and community inclusion. She has over fifteen years of experience leading professional learning in multi-faceted organizations across diverse sectors on topics related to inclusive leadership and equitable organizational practices, human rights in the workplace, coaching and mentoring, anti-racism, anti-oppression, and accessibility.

In addition to her administrative leadership experience in the post secondary sector, Silvia has held roles as an academic instructor and course director at both York University and the University of Toronto. She has designed and taught courses on various EDI related subjects, employed inclusive pedagogical practices and learning strategies, provided effective facilitation of respectful discussions, supervised teaching assistants in a large unionized workplace, and supported leadership and departmental administrative activities including tenure track evaluation of professors and graduate student application selection. While working in academia, Silvia also amassed extensive experience providing consultation for and coordination of community-engaged projects working with and for diverse marginalized communities.

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Apply to serve on UBC’s Accessibility Committee

February 27, 2023

UBC is taking steps to establish an Accessibility Committee to support disability inclusion and guide future direction at the university. Students, staff, and faculty are invited to apply to serve on the inaugural Committee.

The Committee will be tasked with providing on-going guidance and advice to the university on the identification, removal and prevention of barriers to accessibility and to help fulfill the university’s legal obligations and commitments to disability inclusion and justice principles.

Of the 18-member committee, the UBC Executive will appoint six members for key offices and hold three seats for student leaders representing the Alma Mater Society (AMS), Graduate Student Society (GSS), and Students’ Union of Okanagan (SUO).

Nine at-large UBC community members will be selected through this open call for applications, of which there shall be at least two students, two staff, and two faculty members.

Public sector organizations in British Columbia are required to establish an accessibility committee, an accessibility plan and a build tool to receive feedback on their accessibility. Committed to building a more accessible campus environment and in accordance with the Accessible British Columbia Act, UBC is now undertaking steps to meet these legislated requirements by September 1, 2023.

Application process

Student, faculty, and staff interested in applying to serve on the Accessibility Committee should:

Review the Terms of Reference to ensure alignment of eligibility and interests with the mandate and commitment required;
Submit an online application for consideration by the UBC Executive selection committee. Members will be selected so as to meet the compositional diversity requirements of the Act.

Deadline to apply is March 13, 2023.

APPLY NOW

Please note that you will be submitting your application using UBC Qualtrics. For alternative application options, please email avp.eio@equity.ubc.ca.

Review details related to data collection and privacy

Member appointment and selection

In accordance with the Act and UBC’s Terms of Reference, Committee members will be appointed and selected with consideration of the following compositional diversity goals:

The members are from the UBC community (student, faculty, and staff) representing both the Vancouver and Okanagan campuses;
At least half of the members are persons with disabilities or individuals who support or are from UBC organizations that support persons with disabilities;
The members described in (b) reflect the diversity of persons with disabilities in British Columbia;
At least one of the members is an Indigenous person;
The committee reflects the diversity of persons in British Columbia.

To the extent possible and as informed by responses to a voluntary self-identification survey, UBC will strive to constitute a committee with at least half of the members identifying as having a disability.

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