About: 

Cultural Safety ensures that service providers become respectful of all aspects of culture (including history, values, gender, socioeconomic status). Service providers should also acknowledge that their own cultural beliefs and attitudes have the potential, consciously or unconsciously, to influence the power balance with their clients and each other. Cultural Safety on a continuum comes after cultural competence and proficiency, but it is not about a checklist or memorizing different norms based on ethnicity. It is about understanding the person in front of you, creating trust and working together with the person so that your interactions do no harm to the individual. The major constructs to consider are historical oppressions and power in relationships.

Event Details & Registration:

• E-Symposium: Cultural Safety: A Person Centered Approach to Communication and Interaction
• Date: December 10, 2015
• Time: 10:00 am to 12:00 pm (PST)
• Location: Online or at Fletcher Challenge Theatre, Simon Fraser University (SFU) at Harbour Centre – 515 West Hastings St. Vancouver, BC V6B 5K3
• Registration Costs
  • $15 per online connection
  • $20 per in person attendance 
• Deadlines for Registration: 
  • For in-person participation: November 25, 2015
  • For online participation: December 8, 2015

Click here to Register

Panelists:

Dr. Balbir Gurm, RN, EdD (Leadership & Policy, UBC), BScN, MA
University Instructor

Balbir Gurm was raised in Vancouver, is a member of the Faculty of Health at Kwantlen Polytechnic University and a consultant. She is the founding editor-in-chief of Transformative Dialogues: Teaching and Learning Journal. Dr. Gurm was honoured with the Teaching Excellence Award from the College of Registered Nurses of British Columbia (2000), the NISOD Teaching Excellence Award from the University of Texas (2000) and Academic Excellence Awards from Times of Canada (2013) and from Shakti (2014). She currently teaches a fourth year course on social and organizational change and facilitates change projects in the community. She is a member of the City of Surrey’s Diversity Advisory Committee and the Facilitator for NEVR (Network to Eliminate Violence in Relationships). Dr. Gurm is a passionate educator, leader and change agent who believes that our actions are influenced by history and context (including power and politics), need to be grounded in reality and educators need to translate academic knowledge into community actions. Dr. Gurm is a sought after speaker and consultant for inclusive practices and organizational change.

Jas Cheema, MA
Diversity/Community Engagement Consultant

Jas Cheema is a recognized leader in the fields of inter-cultural communication, diversity, and community engagement. As an immigrant women herself, Jas Cheema has also personally experienced the integration challenges faced by many immigrants. She writes about these challenges and works to foster a cross cultural understanding through her writing, consulting work, academia and volunteer work. She has been recognized for her work through numerous awards throughout the years such as:  Surrey- North Delta Leader of the Year; Diversity Award; Woman of Distinction; Griffin Award for making a difference through the art of writing.