Thursday, February 27, 1:00–2:15 pm ET
With a federal election approaching, “common sense” will be the go-to phrase in political debates. But is it really that simple? And how does it shape the way we tackle climate change?
Join us for a conversation with Astra Taylor, Barbara Leckie, Candis Callison, and Joel Westheimer as we unpack what actually “makes sense,” the values that shape our understanding of common sense, and how we can redefine it for a more just and sustainable future.
We’re also launching our new podcast Commons Sense: the Commons, Climate Change, and Public Conversation (co-created by Barbara Leckie and Joel Westheimer and produced by former CBC producer Mary Stinson). Commons Sense is a six-part series with accompanying curriculum bringing together humanities and social science research on common sense, communication, and the commons, featuring insights from experts in a range of fields.
Please note that this webinar will be conducted in English. For more information, please contact ghadah@reclimate.ca
Panelists:
Astra Taylor | Canadian-American Filmmaker | Author
Astra is a writer, filmmaker, and organizer. She is the director of numerous documentaries and her books include The Age of Insecurity: Coming Together as Things Fall Apart, Democracy May Not Exist But We’ll Miss It When It’s Gone, and the American Book Award winner The People’s Platform: Taking Back Power and Culture in the Digital Age. Her most recent book is Solidarity: The Past, Present, and Future of a World-Changing Idea, co-written with Leah Hunt-Hendrix. Astra was the 2023 CBC Massey Lecture and she cofounded the Debt Collective, a union of debtors.
Barbara Leckie | Re.Climate Academic Director | Professor in the Department of English and the Institute for the Comparative Study of Literature, Art, and Culture at Carleton University
Barbara’s current work focuses on collective action and climate narratives, rhetorics, and images from the 19th-century through today. Her most recent book is Climate Change, Interrupted: Representation and the Remaking of Time and her recent articles address co-writing, climate, and collectivity.
Candis Callison | Canada Research Chair | Associate Professor at the University of British Columbia, School of Public Policy and Global Affairs and the Institute for Critical Indigenous Studies
Candis is appointed as the Canada Research Chair in Indigenous journalism, media, and public discourse. She is the author of How Climate Change Comes to Matter: The Communal Life of Facts and the co-author of Reckoning: Journalism’s Limits and Possibilities. Candis is currently working on a long term research project about the role of journalism and media in Arctic and northern regions. She is a member of the Tāłtān Nation and a regular contributor to the podcast, Media Indigena.
Joel Westheimer | Professor of Democracy and Education at the University of Ottawa | Education columnist for CBC Radio
Joel is an expert in civic education and the role of schools in democratic societies. His most recent book is What kind of citizen? Educating our children for the common good. He has delivered more than 350 keynote speeches nationally and internationally and is a regular contributor to newspapers and magazines including The Washington Post, and The Globe and Mail. Joel is a former New York City Public Schools teacher.