Indigenous

‘Tis The Season For Hope – Take 2

/ Dave Eberwein / 2 Comments

Almost exactly three years ago to the day, I wrote ‘Tis The Season For Hope. It was December 2020 and we were smack in the middle of the pandemic with no vaccine and dozens of health restrictions all around us.

Times were tense.

Schools had significant changes to their operations — the whole province had restrictions. People were anxious. Emotions were high. I was receiving a ton of email about the pandemic and what we ‘were’ or ‘were not’ doing.

Amongst all of this disruption there was a building sense of calm — of being connected to each other. The Season of Light came to remind us about the many cultural events that begin near the Winter Solstice when November meanders into December — a time when cultures showcase warmth, love and hope with the beauty of light. It was just what we needed as we continued to fight the virus without all of the tools we needed. We needed a break.

Light can do that.

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Being Better

/ Dave Eberwein / 2 Comments

“Being better tomorrow than we are today” is something I talk about a lot — in my daily interactions, my blog posts, in all sorts of meetings …

But, what does it mean to be ‘Better’?

I explored this this topic the other day with our school trustees and thought it might also make for an interesting blog post. So, here we are …

When I engage others in conversation about our road to improvement, I reflect on a reminder I have above my desk about the need to move forward:

“It’s OK to be where you are right now. It’s just not OK to stay there.“

These concepts of ‘being better‘ and ‘finding ways to move forward‘ form an important part of my mindset on personal and organizational growth. But, the question still remains … what does BETTER actually mean?

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Be Vocal in Your Opposition to Racism

/ Dave Eberwein / 7 Comments

How often do you think about the colour of your skin?

If you’re white like me and live in Canada, my guess is that your answer is probably rarely. I may think about my whiteness every few weeks or months. If you ask a person of colour this same question you will likely hear they regularly think about their skin colour — perhaps every day. The reason is that they live in a world of ‘white privilege’ and wonder whether the words, actions or decisions by others have anything to do with their skin colour.

  • When they apply for a job, was the decision about who was appointed based on the colour of their skin?
  • When someone is rude to them, was it because they aren’t white?
  • When a person cuts in front of them, was it because they don’t look like most people in their community?

I don’t wonder whether my skin colour is the reason I am stopped at the highway check stop, if someone doesn’t speak to me in the store, or if I am bypassed for service at a coffee bar. There are surely reasons for all of these things happening, but it’s not because I’m white.

Maybe you’re thinking that I’m exaggerating or perhaps even completely wrong. If that’s the case, you’re wrong. Racism exists — it’s in our stores, in our offices and in our schools. People of colour experience it — they also think about it regularly — more than a person who is white.

“OK, so we still have a long ways to go in our society to build equality. I get that. But, that doesn’t make ME a racist. I don’t do anything because of a person’s skin colour. I’m not part of the problem.”

Hmmmm … are you sure?

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