The Conversation Piece

Discussions around public safety tend to focus on questions of order and enforcement. In practice, however, public safety is also informed by our capacity to hold space for people in crisis instead of pushing them through it. Suzanne Obiorah, chief executive officer of Somerset West Community Health Centre, reflects on a growing fracture in Canada’s response to addiction and underscores the importance of building holistic support systems as provinces turn toward new models of care. Obiorah spoke at The Walrus Talks Opioids in Toronto on March 24, 2026. To register for upcoming events happening online or in a city near you, and to catch up on our archive of The Walrus Talks, visit thewalrus.ca/events. And subscribe to The Walrus Events newsletter for updates and announcements, at thewalrus.ca/newsletters. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For older adults, belonging is dependent on dignity, choice, and the ability to “age in the right place.” André Picard is a health columnist at the Globe and Mail and the author of the bestselling book Neglected No More: The Urgent Need to Improve the Lives of Canada’s Elders. This special episode of The Conversation Piece features content from his presentation at The Walrus Talks at Home: Aging and Belonging, supported by The Belonging Forum, an initiative of the Samuel Centre for Social Connectedness. Picard spoke at The Walrus Talks at Home: Aging and Belonging on December 2, 2025. To register for upcoming events happening online or in a city near you, and to catch up on our archive of The Walrus Talks, visit thewalrus.ca/events. And subscribe to The Walrus Events newsletter for updates and announcements at thewalrus.ca/newsletters. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

First Nations elders play a vital role in their communities. Forcing them to relocate in the pursuit of adequate health care doesn’t just undermine their dignity—it severs key familial and cultural connections. Dr. Nel Wieman is the chief medical officer for the First Nations Health Authority in British Columbia. This special episode of The Conversation Piece features content from her presentation at The Walrus Talks at Home: Aging and Belonging, supported by The Belonging Forum, an initiative of the Samuel Centre for Social Connectedness. Dr. Wieman spoke at The Walrus Talks at Home: Aging and Belonging on December 2, 2025. To register for upcoming events happening online or in a city near you, and to catch up on our archive of The Walrus Talks, visit thewalrus.ca/events. And subscribe to The Walrus Events newsletter for updates and announcements at thewalrus.ca/newsletters. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rural communities thrive when older adults are invited to remain visible and valued members of their communities. Dr. Olive Bryanton is a researcher, advocate for older people, and lifelong learner who completed her PhD at the age of eighty-two. This special episode of The Conversation Piece features content from her presentation at The Walrus Talks at Home: Aging and Belonging, supported by The Belonging Forum, an initiative of the Samuel Centre for Social Connectedness. Dr. Bryanton spoke at The Walrus Talks at Home: Aging and Belonging on December 2, 2025. To register for upcoming events happening online or in a city near you, and to catch up on our archive of The Walrus Talks, visit thewalrus.ca/events. And subscribe to The Walrus Events newsletter for updates and announcements at thewalrus.ca/newsletters. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How can we reframe aging as a lifelong process grounded in joy, rather than a fixed state of decline? Dr. Rose Joudi is the senior adviser for gender equity, diversity, and inclusion at HelpAge Canada. This special episode of The Conversation Piece features content from her presentation at The Walrus Talks at Home: Aging and Belonging, supported by The Belonging Forum, an initiative of the Samuel Centre for Social Connectedness. Dr. Joudi spoke at The Walrus Talks at Home: Aging and Belonging on December 2, 2025. To register for upcoming events happening online or in a city near you, and to catch up on our archive of The Walrus Talks, visit thewalrus.ca/events. And subscribe to The Walrus Events newsletter for updates and announcements at thewalrus.ca/newsletters. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Social media is built around rewards—a digital feedback loop of likes, shares, and comments. For teenagers, whose brains are still developing, the risks associated with those rewards may not be immediately apparent. At The Walrus Talks at Home: Teens and Screens, Dr. Emma Duerden, Canada Research Chair in Neuroscience and Learning Disorders at Western University, explains how the adolescent brain’s reward system develops earlier than its cognitive control centre—and what that means for how young people experience both online and offline spaces. Dr. Duerden spoke at The Walrus Talks at Home: Teens and Screens in Toronto on October 10, 2024. To register for upcoming events happening online or in a city near you, and to catch up on our archive of The Walrus Talks, visit thewalrus.ca/events. And subscribe to The Walrus Events newsletter for updates and announcements, at thewalrus.ca/newsletters. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As the 2026 Winter Olympics continue and the Paralympics approach, a familiar narrative emerges, one of triumph through determination. But resilience isn’t forged by determination alone—it is shaped and sustained by the people around us. Three-time Paralympic gold medalist Jeff Adams reflects on a wheelchair racing event where a chorus of support gave him the strength he needed to persevere through adversity, reminding us that none of us get to our finish lines alone. Adams spoke at The Walrus Talks at Home: Resilience on May 16, 2021. To register for upcoming events happening online or in a city near you, and to catch up on our archive of The Walrus Talks, visit thewalrus.ca/events. And subscribe to The Walrus Events newsletter for updates and announcements, at thewalrus.ca/newsletters. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We’re often told that improving our digital skills will help keep us safe online. Yet managing the risks we face has less to do with our own know-how than with the way technology is designed. Philosopher and public policy analyst Dr. Daniel Munro stresses the importance of reexamining digital infrastructures and challenging tech makers to create a safer, fairer digital world by confronting harmful content and algorithmic bias. Dr. Munro spoke at The Walrus Talks Digital Skills in Toronto on June 6, 2023. To register for upcoming events happening online or in a city near you, and to catch up on our archive of The Walrus Talks, visit thewalrus.ca/events. And subscribe to The Walrus Events newsletter for updates and announcements, at thewalrus.ca/newsletters. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Food insecurity among Inuit in Canada has been called one of the longest-lasting public health emergencies in Canadian history. It’s a crisis rooted in colonial policy—and one that continues to shape who has access to food, income, and self-determination in Nunavut. Rachel Blais—former executive director of Qajuqturvik Community Food Centre—explains why the right to culturally appropriate and sustainably harvested food is critical to achieving true and lasting food security in the North. Blais spoke at The Walrus Talks Global Hunger Crisis in Ottawa on October 18, 2022. To register for upcoming events happening online or in a city near you, and to catch up on our archive of The Walrus Talks, visit thewalrus.ca/events. And subscribe to The Walrus Events newsletter for updates and announcements, at thewalrus.ca/newsletters. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Canada is racing to build the infrastructure that will shape its economic and political future. But moving faster means little unless the systems guiding that development are strong enough to be trusted. Independent lawyer and consultant Jesse McCormick argues that making any meaningful progress with Canada’s major projects will require building trust with First Nations by prioritizing their consent and establishing regulatory systems that put First Nations behind the wheel. McCormick spoke at The Walrus Talks Sovereign Canada in Toronto on October 28, 2025. To register for upcoming events happening online or in a city near you, and to catch up on our archive of The Walrus Talks, visit thewalrus.ca/events. And subscribe to The Walrus Events newsletter for updates and announcements, at thewalrus.ca/newsletters. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The adoption of DEI, or diversity, equity, and inclusion, is often framed as progress, but for some, it functions as nothing more than corporate strategy. For journalist Pacinthe Mattar, nowhere are the limits—and failures—of DEI more stark than in relation to Palestine. She shares how the “Palestine exception” plays out in newsrooms, schools, and other areas of public life, and underscores the importance of confronting the anti-Palestinian racism DEI has failed to name. Mattar spoke at The Walrus Talks at Home: DEI on June 17, 2025. To register for upcoming events happening online or in a city near you, and to catch up on our archive of The Walrus Talks, visit thewalrus.ca/events. And subscribe to The Walrus Events newsletter for updates and announcements, at thewalrus.ca/newsletters. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What happens to poetry—and art at large—in a world shaped by algorithms? Poet Bardia Sinaee considers what it means to live in a time dominated by data and celebrates poetry’s ability to offer meaning where machines cannot. Sinaee spoke at The Walrus Talks Cultural Futures on April 30, 2024. To register for upcoming events happening online or in a city near you, and to catch up on our archive of The Walrus Talks, visit thewalrus.ca/events. And subscribe to The Walrus Events newsletter for updates and announcements, at thewalrus.ca/newsletters. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Teachers play a significant role in the lives of youth, shaping not just what they learn, but who they become. Yet, across Canada, schools are facing unprecedented teacher turnover due to demanding workloads, complex student needs, and the lingering effects of COVID-19. Dr. Jan Hare, Dean of Education at the University of British Columbia, highlights the critical work teachers do, the pressures they face, and what it will take to ensure the sustainability of the profession. Dr. Hare spoke at The Walrus Talks at Home: Public Education and Philanthropy on March 25, 2025. To register for upcoming events happening online or in a city near you, and to catch up on our archive of The Walrus Talks, visit thewalrus.ca/events. And subscribe to The Walrus Events newsletter for updates and announcements, at thewalrus.ca/newsletters. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You could be forgiven, listening to the news these days, for thinking the electrification economy is dead. And yet, over the next two years, 95 percent of the world’s electricity growth demand is going to be met by renewables. Rachel Doran, executive director of Clean Energy Canada, examines shifting the energy landscape and identifies four obstacles Canada must confront in order to seize the promise of the clean energy transition. Doran spoke at The Walrus Talks Power Economy in Toronto on May 29, 2025. To register for upcoming events happening online or in a city near you, and to catch up on our archive of The Walrus Talks, visit thewalrus.ca/events. And subscribe to The Walrus Events newsletter for updates and announcements, at thewalrus.ca/newsletters. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Community isn’t just built through service. It’s sustained through shared purpose, trust, and care. Cyndi Gilbert is a board member and logistics coordinator at The Bike Brigade. This special episode of The Conversation Piece features content from her presentation at The Walrus Talks: Reimagining Volunteerism, supported by The Belonging Forum, an initiative of the Samuel Centre for Social Connectedness. Gilbert spoke at The Walrus Talks: Reimagining Volunteerism on April 15, 2025. To register for upcoming events happening online or in a city near you, and to catch up on our archive of The Walrus Talks, visit thewalrus.ca/events. And subscribe to The Walrus Events newsletter for updates and announcements at thewalrus.ca/newsletters. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Well-being can no longer be an afterthought for volunteers and non-profit workers. Vinod Rajasekaran is the CEO and editor-in-chief of Future of Good. This special episode of The Conversation Piece features content from his presentation at The Walrus Talks: Reimagining Volunteerism, supported by The Belonging Forum, an initiative of the Samuel Centre for Social Connectedness. Rajasekaran spoke at The Walrus Talks: Reimagining Volunteerism on April 15, 2025. To register for upcoming events happening online or in a city near you, and to catch up on our archive of The Walrus Talks, visit thewalrus.ca/events. And subscribe to The Walrus Events newsletter for updates and announcements at thewalrus.ca/newsletters. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Embracing creative, reciprocal, and culturally-rooted community-building models can help marginalized communities easily navigate the often complicated system of volunteerism. Kassandra James is the director of programs at Volunteer Toronto. This special episode of The Conversation Piece features content from her presentation at The Walrus Talks: Reimagining Volunteerism, supported by The Belonging Forum, an initiative of the Samuel Centre for Social Connectedness. James spoke at The Walrus Talks: Reimagining Volunteerism on April 15, 2025. To register for upcoming events happening online or in a city near you, and to catch up on our archive of The Walrus Talks, visit thewalrus.ca/events. And subscribe to The Walrus Events newsletter for updates and announcements at thewalrus.ca/newsletters. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How can organizations that rely on the labour of volunteers make the experience of volunteering more meaningful? Suman Roy is the founder and CEO of the grassroots organization Feed Scarborough. This special episode of The Conversation Piece features content from his presentation at The Walrus Talks: Reimagining Volunteerism, supported by The Belonging Forum, an initiative of the Samuel Centre for Social Connectedness. Roy spoke at The Walrus Talks: Reimagining Volunteerism on April 15, 2025. To register for upcoming events happening online or in a city near you, and to catch up on our archive of The Walrus Talks, visit thewalrus.ca/events. And subscribe to The Walrus Events newsletter for updates and announcements at thewalrus.ca/newsletters. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Volunteer work is more than just a resume booster. It’s a source of identity, pride, and purpose. Darrell Pinto is the director of employment at Jumpstart Refugee Talent. This special episode of The Conversation Piece features content from his presentation at The Walrus Talks: Reimagining Volunteerism, supported by The Belonging Forum, an initiative of the Samuel Centre for Social Connectedness. Pinto spoke at The Walrus Talks: Reimagining Volunteerism on April 15, 2025. To register for upcoming events happening online or in a city near you, and to catch up on our archive of The Walrus Talks, visit thewalrus.ca/events. And subscribe to The Walrus Events newsletter for updates and announcements at thewalrus.ca/newsletters. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The science behind social connection is clear: volunteerism and face-to-face contact with our community members are essential for our well-being. Susan Pinker is a psychologist and author of the book The Village Effect. This special episode of The Conversation Piece features content from her presentation at The Walrus Talks: Reimagining Volunteerism, supported by The Belonging Forum, an initiative of the Samuel Centre for Social Connectedness. Pinker spoke at The Walrus Talks: Reimagining Volunteerism on April 15, 2025. To register for upcoming events happening online or in a city near you, and to catch up on our archive of The Walrus Talks, visit thewalrus.ca/events. And subscribe to The Walrus Events newsletter for updates and announcements at thewalrus.ca/newsletters. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.