Join us in the premiere screening of the first Heritage Minute by Historica Canada showcasing the rich cultural heritage of Paldi, a welcoming and inclusive town founded by immigrants on Vancouver Island, BC. All are welcome and dinner will be served. Please RSVP to sasi@ufv.ca by Monday, April 17th. We hope to see you there!
EVENT DETAILS:
April 19th, 2023 @ 6PM
F Building, UFV Abbotsford campus
Rails, Jails and Trolleys is a South Asian Studies Institute produced documentary. The film presents the history and present-day events on the decline of agriculture in India. The film analyzes responses to three agricultural bills passed by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) under Prime Minister Narendra Modi in September 2020. The response to these bills became the ‘largest farmer’s protest in human history.’
All are welcome!
Date: March 15 2023, 4-5:30 pm. Entry is free
Library of the University of the Fraser Valley, Chilliwack campus
45190 Caen Avenue, Chilliwack
To get your admission ticket, sign-up below:
SASI is hosting an afternoon panel and dialogue on the critically important topic of caste and anti-casteism.
The issue of caste discrimination has received critical attention at post secondary institutions in the US in the recent past and has become an area of discrimination recognized by Universities in the US, UK and beyond.
Join the conversation on storytelling as a path towards freedom for the marginalized, learn parallels between the historical experiences of woman and lower castes in India, explore ideas for moving forward and gain life insight from towering authors who over have overcome barriers.
Our speakers on this afternoon:
All are welcome!
Date: Nov 17 at 1:00 pm Entry free
Room F125, F Building, University House
University of the Fraser Valley, 33844 King Road Abbotsford
For any questions, please contact us at sasi@ufv.ca or call at 604-854-454
November 25-26, 2022
It is very clear that involvement in sport can impact different aspects of one’s personality and social setting in both positive and negative ways. It is also clear that risk-based theories of youth crime prevention rest on shaky evidence and that positive youth development interventions, through sports or other forms of interventions, still must demonstrate how they can produce tangible crime prevention outcomes. The colloquium brings together Canadian researchers who focus on crime prevention and desistance from crime and researchers who have studied the role that sports can play in fostering positive youth development.
You are all invited to the SASI's tradition of commemorating brilliant writers, poets, and authors through the 'Ehsaas Readers and Writers Festival.' Join us in person on October 13th, at 6pm. Featuring a book launch for Tariq Malik's 'Exit Wounds' and the e-launch of Dr. Rajnish Dhawan's 'That Land Beyond the Waves,' there will also be readings from poets Dr. P. Rathanaswami, Subbu Govindarajapuram, and Dr. Kusum Soni.
Thursday October 13th 2022
South Asian Studies Institute, UFV Abbotsford Campus
33844 King Road
Room F125 - at the Uhouse building
The SASI, in partnership with Tourism Abbotsford is pleased to present a second screening of 'Rails, Jails and Trolleys,' a documentary film on the world's largest farmers protest.
Saturday, October 1st
1pm
Eventbrite tickets available at: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/taste-of-abby-rails-jails-trolleys-screening-tickets-420693835587
The SASI is pleased to host the launch of "An Ocean of Peace," a travelling exhibit curated by the New Westminster Museum. The exhibit opening will take place at the Sikh Heritage Museum, National Historic Site, Gur Sikh Temple.
Sunday, June 19th, 2pm
All are welcome.
Building a Diasporic Roadmap through Inquiry and Engagement
outh Asia represents the regions of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and the Maldives. More broadly, the historical, political, cultural and linguistic boundaries that constitute the South Asian region are complex and intricate, complicated and intertwined while being vastly heterogeneous. This is further reinforced in the make up and experiences of the Canadian diasporic communities from these regions all across BC and Canada. Included in the complexity of such a large region are “twice and third migrants” from the region who migrate to Canada from other second and third countries.
Since 2017, the South Asian Studies Institute (SASI) has hosted an annual symposium engaging in topics related to South Asian Canadian geo-political spaces, naming, gender, caste, history, and culture. Given the apotheosis of the time we are living in - and with an ongoing commitment to shift and build solidarities amongst our communities, the SASI invites you to ourfifth annual symposium which looks at building a road map through regional understanding.
The 2021 symposium is organized as a round table discussion where, through conversation we build upon the work of inter-disciplinary academics and other stakeholders in order to create a road map towards furthering current and future research and building partnerships.
We invite your perspectives based on the intersectionality of lived experiences with themes ranging from politics, policy, culture, language, art, aesthetics, activism, heritage, food, clothing, history, society, development, philanthropy, social justice etc. – any and all of the areas of work that drive your passion as it relates to South Asia and the Diaspora.
The questions we aim to explore are:
RSVP your attendance at sasi@ufv.ca by November 1st or call for more information at 604-854-4547.
SASI Director, Dr. Satwinder Bains is a contributor to the book "Abbotsford - A Diverse Tapestry." Please join her, and all other authors/contributors for the virtual launch on Tuesday, June 29th at 7pm.
Zoom link: https://ufv-ca.zoom.us/j/65708930768?pwd=WHlMRXREQ2I5OVV1WUZLSy9VbVRlQT09
Meeting ID: 657 0893 0768 Passcode: 105349
All are welcome. Please contact Kris Foulds for more information or to purchase a copy by emailing: kfoulds@thereach.ca or call 604-864-8087 ext.122.
DAY: Sunday, June 27th
TIME: 1:30PM PST
To register: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_fK8ZUy7cQF-QU5dxdtJkAw?fbclid=IwAR0RwWGZ_cYSAOR87WlLEA9d0J2fqMlP20ueyvUXtif8l4BlCYk-xuCAcR8
The SASI is please to partner with the Hari Sharma Foundation to host a meaningful conversation on the ongoing Farmers Protest.
The SASI is pleased to partner with UFV's Peace and Reconciliation Centre (PARC) to have an important conversation on hate and how to enact change.
6:30pm – 8:30pm
Zoom Link- https://bit.ly/2RXiPZI
Free – Open to public
Email – parc@ufv.ca
“Our heart goes out to the Afzaal family and all members of the Muslim community in the wake of this heinous hate-motivated mass murder. This tragic act of violence tears at the very fabric of our society and reveals that Islamophobia and racism are alive and well in Canada.
We know that this crime will cause all members of the Islamic faith to fear for their lives and to feel that they cannot be safe within Canada.
We must all do everything we can to counter this and to affirm for Muslims that we are committed to eradicating Islamophobia and the systemic structures of racism.”
Dr. Keith Carlson
PARC Director
June 16 2021
10 am (Pacific Daylight Time) via Zoom.
Presented by the Association of Critical Heritage Studies – Canada
This symposium examines the construction and performance of cultural heritage in South Asian diaspora communities in Canada. Panelists bring critical perspectives on how and why ‘heritage’ is important in grassroots settings, and whose heritage is omitted from the Canadian historical record.
And we ask: How does diasporic heritage challenge issues – such as the term South Asian, or the term Canadian?
Speakers
Dr Satwinder Kaur Bains, University of the Fraser Valley
Dr Srilata Ravi, University of Alberta
Itrath Sayed, Simon Fraser University
Kathleen Boodhai, Northumbria University
Moderators
Dr Shabnam Inanloo Dailoo and Dr Susan Ashley (Co-chairs ACHS – Can)
To register
For more information contact susan.ashley@northumbria.ac.uk
Abstract: As the ongoing farmers struggle in India completes six months, it has attracted global attention. The Indian diaspora has taken special interest and played a key role in this movement. What makes for this unexpected and extraordinary success of this movement? What are the lessons here? What has the movement achieved in the first six months? And, what is the roadmap and the challenges ahead? What does this movement signal for the future of Indian democracy?
DATE: Friday, April 23rd, 2021
TIME: 9 AM PST/ 9:30 PM IST
To attend the online lecture please register at: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwrcuCrrzguGtZUAZid2ca62RzCbPzt-ncK
(After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the lecture)
Abstract: Rural Punjab has been a divided region. The most important axis of this division has been through caste, which also overlaps with class. Almost all the agricultural land is owned and cultivated by Jatts and a few other minor caste groups, such as Sainis, Kambojs, Rajputs and Labanas. Dalits, who make for more than 30% of the state population, are almost all landless. This presentation will look at how the current farmers' movement has provided an opportunity to rebuild solidarities across castes. Unlike other regions of India, Punjab has the idiom of Sikhi that could help in building newer solidarities across caste communities.
Join Dr. Surinder S. Jodhka, Professor of Sociology at Jawaharlal Nehru University to take part in the conversation. Moderated by SASI Director, Dr. Satwinder Kaur Bains. Q&A to follow.