Conversations That Matter

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

Conversations That Matter - Ep 74 - Ujjal Dosanjh - Self Censoring

Episode 74

Ujjal Dosanjh

Why are people in authority positions self censoring?

Conversations That Matter features Former Premier of B.C. and free speech advocate Ujjal Dosanjh who contends people in power in Canada are self censoring and in doing so are preventing open and honest discourse about issues that form the fabric of Canadian society.

In a January opinion piece, Dosanjh appeared to be coming to the defense of white men, he says, “I was not defending white men; it was more about saying to everyone, how can you have a free exchange of ideas on important issues of race, ethnicity, discrimination, prejudice, racism. How can you have a free exchange of ideas, an honest exchange, if some men who have power, generally, aren't expressing themselves freely. I want to know what they think.”

Dosanjh has been attacked and beaten for saying what he think and continues to do so because he maintains if we cower from vigorous debate then we deprive ourselves, “ If you give into those with pipes or iron bars, then you won't get very far. And it's the same if you give into people who want to shut you out because you differ with them, or you challenge their ideas, or their world view.”

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 73 - Sid Katz - Dogwood 25

Episode 73

Sid Katz - Dogwood 25

A helping hand to inner city indigenous students.

Conversations That Matter features Sid Katz the co-founder of Dogwood 25 and after school program for inner city indigenous students designed ensure they graduate from high-school, “in the Lower Mainland the graduation rate is at least 20% lower than the graduation rate of non-Aboriginal children.”

Together with former Premier of B.C. Mike Harcourt, Dogwood-25 was created to ensure First Nations youth are given the education and self confidence they require to realize their full potential. Katz points, “energy-based companies, are looking for Aboriginal workers and can't find qualified workers”

Dogwood refers to BC’s High School graduation certificate, the obtaining of which is at the core of the program. Katz says, “ we want young Aboriginal students to see what the possibilities are and move towards them. And ultimately it comes to academics, pushing, being pushed, really is the best way to do it. And the comfort zone has to be there as well. So, for Aboriginal children, why you're there and what you intend to accomplish and what is that incredible job at the other end of the line?”

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 72 - Anna Tudela - Women in Mining

Episode 72

Anna Tudela

Is it possible to attract women to mining

Conversations That Matter features Anna Tudela of Goldcorp discussing the challenges facing mining companies committed to increasing women in their ranks at all levels. Tudela says, “we’ve been encouraging women not just in the roles that are easier to join, but in the work of mining because we want to ensure we have the workforce we require for the future”

Tudela acknowledges that mining is a tough business. Mines are in remote and frequently inhospitable locations that require long periods of time away from family. These reasons plus a male culture that has traditional been unable or unwilling to accommodate the needs of women are the reasons the industry has a low percentage of female workers. While those reasons are valid, they are not sufficient to stop Tudela and her “Creating Choices” program designed to increase the number of women to the field, “we have graduated over 1200 women in the program.”

“It all depends on what you want in life”, says Tudela, “do you want the experience, are you willing make the commitment and in so doing discover what you are capable of?”

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 71 - Vancouver Police Chief Adam Palmer

Episode 71

Chief Adam Palmer

Meet the new Vancouver Chief of Police

Conversations That Matter features Chief Adam Palmer who took on the top job in the spring of 2015, we sat down with him to talk about his vision for keeping Vancouver safe. Palmer says, “when Jim Chu retired he left the department in a very good place. I was fortunate to take over a department that's in a good situation.”

Moving forward, the challenge is to stay on top of potential threats, Chief Palmer says the key to maintaining and improving safety is a complex and many faceted approach to crime prevention and enforcement.  Chief Palmer points out, “the drop in crime over the last 10 years in Vancouver has been more dramatic than that in some other cities. And some of it is that proactive work. Also, our targeting of prolific offenders. But one thing that's really helped us in Vancouver is our very robust analytical capability.  We have analysts, specially-trained civilians, that are providing data to the front-line officers to help make us more effective.”

Chief Palmer says the same is true in anti-terrorism, “we have Vancouver police officers that are part of the Integrated National Security Enforcement Team. That's a joint-effort with the RCMP. We have VPD officers that work on that team dealing with any kind of national security or counterterrorism type issues.”

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