Conversations That Matter

Conversations That Matter - Ep 84 - Gordon Gibson on Electoral Reform

Episode 84

Gordon Gibson - Electoral Reform

Conversations That Matter features Gordon Gibson who isn’t convinced we need electoral reform, “this is quite a disruptive process and could take a lot of our time. There are other things to worry about in our society. Is this something we need to look at? Because, after all, our current system's worked pretty well for a long time.”

Gibson goes onto say if the Prime Minister is determined to address electoral reform the process he’s proposing amounts to a conflict of interest. “My contention is very simple, we have a set of very basic rules in our society we call a constitution. There's the formal written constitution, there's the Charter of Rights, there's the unwritten constitution, the notion of confidence. You have to have the confidence of the House of Commons. The electoral system is a part of that unwritten constitution. And, it's a very special part and politicians have such a deep conflict of interest, that they should not be amending it.”

Conversations That Matter is a partner program with the Centre for Dialogue at Simon Fraser University. Join veteran Broadcaster Stuart McNish each week for these important and engaging Conversations shaping our future.

Please become a subscriber and support the production of the program at www.conversationsthatmatter.tv

Conversations That Matter - Ep 83 - Jimmy Pattison on Expo 86

Episode 83

Jimmy Pattison - The Legacy of Expo 86

Conversations That Matter features Jimmy Pattison the CEO of Expo 86 who championed Vancouver’s entrance onto the world stage. The Transportation and Telecommunication Fair was a Class II specialized exhibition projected to attract 14 million visitors. It exceeded all expectations and in so doing transformed Vancouver’s place in the world.

In the lead up to the Fair the economy of BC was in the dull drums. Former Tourism Minister Grace McCarthy went to the Premier with an idea she believed would jumpstart the economy and boost our confidence. Making it happen was anything but easy, former Mayor of Vancouver Mike Harcourt actively campaigned against it. Labour uncertainty in the province and on the Expo site worried Pattison, “I recommended at one time to Premier Bennett, to not proceed with the fair, until we got the labor situation sorted out.”

Pattison says because the Cold War was still on, getting a representative mix of countries on both sides of the Iron Curtain was challenging, “we had to get the Communists there, and who were the communists? They were Cuba, they were Russia, and they were China. And of course we had to get the Americans there, actually which was one of the hardest things we did, was get the Americans.”

Thirty years later Expo 86 stands as the beginning of Vancouver’s transformation to an international city, one that is just starting to realize its full potential. The full story is still being written and decades away from being told.

Conversations That Matter is a partner program with the Centre for Dialogue at Simon Fraser University. Join veteran Broadcaster Stuart McNish each week for these important and engaging Conversations shaping our future.

Please become a subscriber and support the production of the program at www.conversationsthatmatter.tv

Conversations That Matter - Ep 82 - Dominic Vogel - Cyber Security

Episode 82

Dominic Vogel - Cyber Criminals Target Small Business

Conversations That Matter features Dominic Vogel a cyber security consultant who says big businesses are doing such a good job of thwarting the efforts of hackers they have turned their attention to small business. Vogel says, “what's happened is that smaller and mid-sized businesses are being hit really, really hard. In fact for last year, for 2015, over 40 percent of all cyber attacks were focused on small and mid-sized businesses.”

Small business and a naive public are ripe for cyber attacks because neither pay enough attention to their online safety. Vogel says most people don’t protect passwords properly or change them frequently enough, install program upgrades, they use public wifi and make themselves targets other threats, he says “hackers go where the money is,  they focus their attention on the top five applications in use”.

According to Vogel the number one program under threat is email,  “the reason is most of your sensitive applications tie back to your email, like your online banking. If you need to reset your online banking, it generally will tie back to your email. Your email is sort of like your heart which everything ties back to that, that's why email is considered a sensitive application.”

Conversations That Matter is a partner program with the Centre for Dialogue at Simon Fraser University. Join veteran Broadcaster Stuart McNish each week for these important and engaging Conversations shaping our future.

Please become a subscriber and support the production of the program at www.conversationsthatmatter.tv

Conversations That Matter - Ep 81 - Sarah Deardorff- Miller on Forced Migration

Episode 81

Sarah Deardorff - Miller - Forced Migration

Conversations That Matter features Sarah Deardorff Miller of the American University in Washington, D.C. on the horrifying circumstances that have forced 13.5 million Syrians from their homes. More than six million people have been forced to flee fearing for their lives. 147 member states of the United Nations agreed people in fear of their lives can and will be accepted as refugees without prejudice regardless of race, sex, age, disability, religion or nationality.

No one foresaw the magnitude of the crisis in Syria and the profound impact it would have on Europe in particular. Miller says the situation is exacerbated by the strategic objectives of the combatants, “they are not just simply this byproduct of the conflict, but rather tools within the conflict as well, so displacement is happening as a strategy on both the rebels' side, and the Assad regime side.”

Accepting Syrian refugees in Europe is very different than in North America. Canada relies on the UN High Commission on Refugees to identify those people and families that meet our criteria for acceptance. Following a lengthy and rigorous vetting process by the UN, Security agencies, embassy staff and others refugees are then granted approval to come to Canada. Miller says, “all of these things are going into this really extensive process. Then, there's also medical screenings, there's some cultural orientation and more all of which plays into this long process.”

Miller points out that in the US, since 9/11 more than 800,000 refugees have been accepted and just three of them have been questioned or detained on suspicions of terrorism, two of which we’re focused on non-American targets. She points out refugees come seeking a safe and better life and the evidence demonstrates they are solid contributors to their new communities.

Conversations That Matter is a partner program with the Centre for Dialogue at Simon Fraser University. Join veteran Broadcaster Stuart McNish each week for these important and engaging Conversations shaping our future.

Please become a subscriber and support the production of the program at www.conversationsthatmatter.tv

Conversations That Matter - Ep 79 - Maria Klawe - Women in Computing Sciences

Episode 80

Maria Klawe - Women in High Tech

Conversations That Matter features Maria Klawe the President of Harvey Mudd College in Claremont, California. For more than 30 years, Ms. Klawe has worked hard to recruit, retain and advance opportunities for women in computing sciences.

The percentage of women in computing sciences is exceptionally low and many experts point to the introduction of the Personal Computer as the culprit. Klawe points out, “when personal computers made it into homes and schools, the primary things that children used them for was to play games. And most of the games were, let's say boy-centric.”

Klawe goes on to say these boys were fascinated with computers, they taught themselves basic coding as their appetite for understanding grew at an exponential rate. At school they knew more about computers than their elementary and secondary teachers, “very rapidly teachers and parents and children themselves thought that computers were a boy thing.”

By the time these young men attended post secondary the knowledge and skill gap was vast, so large the majority of female students self selected out of the program. Klawe says it’s a relatively easy situation to remedy, “if you make your introductory computer science course in university be one that's highly engaging, that is not intimidating so everyone is encouraged to think they'll do well, and if you simply encourage the young women in the classes to take the next computer science course and then the next course after that, it's actually relatively easy to raise the percentage of women majoring in computer science from something like 15% to 30%.”

It’s an approach Harvey Mudd College has employed successfully increasing the gender balance in all sciences.

Conversations That Matter is a partner program with the Centre for Dialogue at Simon Fraser University. Join veteran Broadcaster Stuart McNish each week for these important and engaging Conversations shaping our future.

Please become a subscriber and support the production of the program at www.conversationsthatmatter.tv

Conversations That Matter - Ep 79 - Lady Almina The Real Countess of Downton Abbey

Episode 79

Lady Almina - The Real Countess of Downton Abbey

Conversations That Matter features Lady Fiona, the current Countess of Carnarvon who is an historian and author of “Lady Almina” the woman who’s real life story formed the basis of the popular TV show Downton Abbey.

The real is even more fascinating than Downton Abbey. Almina was the illegitimate daughter of Alfred de Rothschild and would have been shut out of British society were not for her father’s position and money. Lady Fiona says, “when he launched Almina into society, he wanted her to have the chance of marrying into society. I've got a contract in the castle archives, the real, bound copy. The contract is a marriage contract between Lord Carnarvon, Alfred de Rothschild and Almina Carnarvon. And the Earl of Carnarvon was practical, he wasn't going to marry for money but there's a very good Jane Austen line that goes ‘it would be foolish to marry without money’.”

Over the course of their marriage Lady Almina transformed Highclere castle into one of the great party houses of all time. When war broke out in 1914 she poured her father’s resources into transforming the castle into a hospital for wounded soldiers. She quickly realized the need surpassed the estate’s capacity. Employing her father’s wealth, Lady Fiona says, “she leases a big building in London near where all the doctors are operating on Harley Street and opens it as Lady Carnarvon's London Hospital. She carries on with that until the end of the war. After her father's death she then opens a subsequent hospital in London called Alfred's House in memory of her father and she runs it until 1941.”

Her marriage to the Earl of Carnarvon was rich and diverse and it includes the richest archaeological discovery ever. Working Howard Carter, the Earl funded and joined in the discovery of the Tomb of Tutankhamun.

Conversations That Matter is a partner program with the Centre for Dialogue at Simon Fraser University. Join veteran Broadcaster Stuart McNish each week for these important and engaging Conversations shaping our future.

Please become a subscriber and support the production of the program at www.conversationsthatmatter.tv

Conversations That Matter - Ep 78 - National Chief Perry Bellegarde

Episode 78

National Chief Perry Bellegarde

Closing the Gap

Conversations That Matter features Assembly of First Nations Chief Perry Bellegarde on the benefits to Canada when we close the gap in education, opportunity and living standards of  indigenous people’s. According to the UN Canada is sixth in the world on the Human Development Index.  Using the same criteria, First Nations alone rank 63rd.”

Bellegarde points out the gap also, “represents, the disproportionate number of First Nations people in jails, the high youth suicide rate, the missing and murdered indigenous women, the 40,000 aboriginal children in foster care, the cap on education funding, the disparity in education funding, the high rates of tuberculosis and diabetes and aids, all these things it represents, the negative stats. So we've gotta close that.”

Chief Bellegarde acknowledges the road from here to there will be bumpy and there will be many challenges,  however, he says when we close the gap the benefits will be to all, “if you invest in the indigenous peoples, by 2025 we would add 400 billion dollars to Canada’s GDP in a positive way, and we would reduce social spending to less than 200 million dollars.”

Conversations That Matter is a partner program with the Centre for Dialogue at Simon Fraser University. Join veteran Broadcaster Stuart McNish each week for these important and engaging Conversations shaping our future.

Please become a subscriber and support the production of the program at www.conversationsthatmatter.tv

Conversations That Matter - Ep 77 - Bill Gallagher

Episode 77

Bill Gallagher

Natural Resources belong to First Nations and Enviros- Get Used to it!

Conversations That Matter features Bill Gallagher author of Resource Rulers who says while most Canadians seem unaware of the changing ownership of the country’s natural resources it hasn’t gone unnoticed internationally. Gallagher says, “President Obama basically said he’s not interested in our bitumen and we’ve got a group of Asian CEO’s saying they can’t get anything done in Canada” due to resource development stalemates.

Gallagher goes on to point out First Nations are, “the backbone of this movement. They have a long running winning legal streak, they are massively empowered.” Gallagher says the good news is First Nations want to do business with the rest of Canada and the world as partners.  He points out that working with First Nations brings with it social license and rather than gridlock, Gallagher says, “First Nations could ride into the rescue”

Conversations That Matter is a partner program with the Centre for Dialogue at Simon Fraser University. Join veteran Broadcaster Stuart McNish each week for these important and engaging Conversations shaping our future.

Please become a subscriber and support the production of the program at www.conversationsthatmatter.tv

Conversations That Matter - Ep 76 - Pau Woo - HQ Vancouver

Episode 76

Pau Woo

Realizing our potential as a world class city

Conversations That Matter features Pau Woo the CEO of HQ Vancouver on why Greater Vancouver and the Fraser Valley need to attract more Head Offices or run the risk of failing to realize our potential as a world class city. “ complacency is our biggest risk” says Woo, “people will come here because of the beauty of our landscape and the pristine environment. But unless these individuals also invest and generate economic activity and wealth, only a few, privileged few, will be able to live the kinds of lifestyles that we all would aspire to in this jurisdiction. And head offices have to be part of the solution of making this city truly livable and affordable and economically dynamic.”

Woo says Vancouver is perfectly situated to attract Asian HQ’s looking to establish a North American presence. He points out many of the CEO’s he’s engaging already own a home here.

Currently Vancouver is dramatically underrepresented and underperforming as a business centre. We have fewer than half the number of head offices of Seattle which not only outnumbers us, many of it’s HQ’s are international corporations. Calgary outperforms Vancouver which is ranked last in its peer group in terms of publicly traded companies. Woo says Vancouver has a wide range of advantages over other cities and now is the time to attract major players or become the Miami of the west coast,  a nice playground and retirement home for the rich.

Conversations That Matter is a partner program with the Centre for Dialogue at Simon Fraser University. Join veteran Broadcaster Stuart McNish each week for these important and engaging Conversations shaping our future.

Please become a subscriber and support the production of the program at www.conversationsthatmatter.tv

Conversations That Matter - Ep 75 - Howard Shapray - Assisted Dying

Episode 75

Howard Shapray

Assisted Dying

Conversations That Matter features Howard Shapray, who was a member of the legal team that challenged Canada’s assisted death legislation in the Supreme Court of Canada and won. He knows all too well the challenges deteriorating health has on a person and their family. At any other time in your life you have the capacity and the legal right to end your time on earth which leads Shapray to ask on behalf of those who have lost the physical wherewithal, “Why are these people so disenfranchised?”

According to Shapray the Supreme Court ruling is just the beginning. He says in addition to the government’s proposed legislative changes a wide range of health care providers need to determine how to proceed., “I think the people who need guidelines are the doctors. They don't want to get sued. They don't want to get prosecuted. In each jurisdiction there should be guidelines, you need to document your consents in a certain way. You need to keep records.”

Doctors, nurses, pharmacists, palliative care, lawyers, administrators and others will now need to work together to ensure those who opt to ask for assistance in dying are capable of making a sound and reasoned choice.

Conversations That Matter is a partner program with the Centre for Dialogue at Simon Fraser University. Join veteran Broadcaster Stuart McNish each week for these important and engaging Conversations shaping our future.

Please become a subscriber and support the production of the program at www.conversationsthatmatter.tv