KEYNOTE ADDRESS AND PLENARY SPEAKER TRANSCRIPTS

Introduction to the CUExpo: Partnerships, Policy, and Progress presentations: making information more accessible

We are pleased to bring the accompanying collection of presentations to a wider audience, originally given by the keynote and panel speakers at the recently held conference on community – university partnership research in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan (accessed via www.usask.ca/cuisr). This collection consist of 19 individual presentations on topics ranging from what works and what doesn't in collaborative research relationships between university and community groups to cultural and geographical aspects of these partnerships through to increasing Canadian universities presence in partnerships in the global arena ("universities without borders"?). Each of these presentations is a thoughtful reflection of what transpires when university researchers and members and groups from the wider community engage with each other to solve problems, to bring greater understanding and insight to difficult issues, and to share experiences, celebrate victories and to resolve to try again when confronted with setbacks.

CUExpo: Partnerships, Policy, and Progress held over three days in May 2003, in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, was the largest and most comprehensive Canadian community-university partnerships conference held in recent years. Approximately 350 participants attended, coming from the local community as well as other Western Provinces, Ontario, Quebec, the Maritimes and the United States. The conference program covered all aspects of community-university research partnerships from empirical as well as conceptual points of view. The issues examined were multiple, from themes such as Aboriginal issues, health outcomes, ethics, inner city poverty and inequality, environmental management, social justice and so on. While the conference provided an opportunity to share experiences among researchers from a diverse range of disciplines across Canada and the United States, it was also timely. The conference brought together for the first time many of the current university – community research teams funded by two major research granting councils in Canada--the Social Science and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC), through their Community University Research Alliance initiative, and the Canadian Institutes for Health Research, through their Community Alliance for Health Research initiative. These teams were eager to share both their research results and the processes associated with their community-based research experiences.

The opening presentation in this collection is by one of our two keynote speakers, Mr. Ovide Mercredi, former National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations. Mr. Mercredi's talk entitled, A Day of Enlightenment: When Universities and Funders Collaborate with Communities on Research, Education and Training that Communities Need, Want and Lead, challenged universities and funding agencies to consider how accepted practices of undertaking research exclude some potential community research participants, specifically First Nations peoples. Mr. Mercredi's talk, which is full of wisdom and thoughtful reflection on groups working together across cultural divisions, calls for universities and all other institutions of learning to take steps to be more immediately relevant and useful to society, in particular the culturally marginalized groups such as the Canadian First Nations.

Another goal of the conference was to look at different ways of understanding and transferring knowledge to a broader base of people, beyond the university library shelves. Judy Rebick, currently CAW-Sam Gindin Chair in Social Justice and Democracy at Ryerson University in Toronto and former President of the National Action Committee on the Status of Women, presented her perspective at a luncheon address under the title Coming Down From the Ivory Tower: Opening Up the University. The text of Ms. Rebick's address is included in the accompanying collection.

The conference closed with an inspiring and rousing address by Mr. Stephen Lewis. Mr. Lewis' address titled, Universities in the World of Change: Global Issues – Local Impact, is the concluding talk presented in this collection. Mr. Lewis is the United Nations Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa and former Deputy Executive Director of UNICEF in New York. A contingency of youth delegates was particularly taken by Mr. Lewis’ passion for his work, as he described his current experiences working in Africa. A packed house came away from his talk with a better understanding of the horrendous implications of the HIV/AIDS pandemic as it is today and as it could be worldwide, if human and financial resources fail to address the root causes of the crisis. Mr. Lewis emphasized the extreme urgency of meeting the population health needs of Africa before the epidemic spreads to other densely populated continents in the developing world. He linked his experiences with the challenge undertaken by many community-university partnerships to develop a better understanding of how to build a more inclusive society.

In-between the two talks book-ended by Ovide Mercredi and Stephen Lewis, we have presented plenary addresses by 16 speakers, covering four different themes titled: Importance of Culture and Geography in Community – University Research; Tools and Challenges in Community – University Research; Community – University Research: Perspectives from the Funders; Defining and Assessing Outcomes of Partnerships; and Science, Perceptions and Society. Each of the plenary presentations offered in this collection complements nicely the three keynote talks highlighted above and provides a particular yet useful perspective to the wider scope of discussions on community and university partnerships for research and action.

Dr. Jim Randall, conference Co-Chair, summarized the mood and future direction of community-university partnerships with the following declaration. The declaration was voted overwhelmingly in favour by the conference participants.

“The CUExpo conference, held in Saskatoon May 8th-10th, 2003, assembled over 350 individuals from across Canada and elsewhere who are involved in community-based research. This research is conducted in partnership with universities, community-based groups, government and the private sector throughout Canada. We’re extremely impressed with, surpised and humbled by the variety, depth, value and the extradordinary dynamism of community-based research in Canada.

We, therefore, declare our collective desire to pursue building this movement for the betterment of society. We will devote our energies to shaping Canadian society, through community-based research, in ways that sustain and improve the quality-of-life and standard of living of Canadians.

To really succeed, however, we need a much more profound engagement among universities, community-based organizaations, governments, and the private sector. Foundations, municipal and provincial governments, as well as the federal government trough its granting Councils have to contribute, even more so than they have in the past, to achieve these goals.”

The next Canadian conference on community – university partnerships is yet to be assumed by a host city or community. We hope the momentum of community – university partnerships and the spirit of sharing and dialogue would continue unabated. For, the need for research and action that motivates diverse groups from the community and university is ever growing and ever changing.

Kate Waygood and Nazeem Muhajarine
CUISR Co-Directors

January 2004, Saskatoon

We would like to extend special thanks to the sponsors of CUexpo. Your generous support contributed greatly to the success of our conference! Please see our sponsors at the bottom of this page.

Thursday, 8 May 2003

Opening Keynote Address: Ovide Mercredi. A Day of Enlightenment: When Universities and Funders Collaborate with Communities on Research, Education and Training that Communities Need, Want and Lead. Chair: Kate Waygood.

Plenary Panel: The Importance of Culture and Geography in Community-University Research. David Gauthier, John O'Neil and George Lafond. Chair: Isobel Findlay.

Friday, 9 May 2003riday, 9 May 2003

Plenary Panel: Tools and Challenges to Community-University Research. Tom Carter, Victor Rubin and Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond. Chair: Karen Chad.

Keynote Address: Judy Rebick. Coming Down from the Ivory Tower. Chair: Georgia Bell-Woodard.

Plenary Panel: Community-University Research: Perspectives from the Funders. Alan Bernstein, William Coderre, Jonathan Lomas, Marc Renaud. Chair: Bruce Waygood.

Saturday, 10 May 2003

Plenary Panel: Defining and Assessing Outcomes of Partnerships. Steven Lewis, Penelope Rowe, Jim Randall. Chair: Nazeem Muhajarine.

Plenary Panel: Science, Perceptions, and Society. Peter McCann, Bill Thomlinson and Bruce Waygood. Chair: Bryan Harvey.

Closing Keynote Address: Stephen Lewis. Universities in the World of Change: Global Issues - Local Impact. Chair: Jim Randall.

 

 

CUISR gratefully acknowledges support from the sponsors of CUexpo: