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Roots of Empathy

Research Symposium 2021

Virtual. Free. Public.

May 11 – 12 | 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM ET

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About

A time of change.

A time of upheaval.

Never has the world experienced such instability and uncertainty.

 

Our Research Symposium 2021 theme was Empathy and Well-being.

We reached over 4200 like-minded individuals from 52 countries coming from backgrounds in health, education, research, and aligned fields in a thought-provoking two-day symposium.

Our virtual symposium not only brought together top North American neuroscientists and experts on wellbeing and empathy like Dr. Richard Davidson, Dr. Dan Siegel, Prof. Mary Helen Immordino-Yang, and Dr. Bruce Perry, but we also dove into topics such as empathy in leadership, social justice, and had an across-border perspective on black fatherhood.

The Honourable Murray Sinclair LLB MSC IPC

The Honourable Murray Sinclair’s legal credentials are well known. What is less well known is that he is Anishinaabe and a member of the Peguis First Nation. He is a Fourth Degree Chief of the Midewiwin Society, a traditional healing and spiritual society of the Anishinaabe Nation responsible for protecting the teachings, ceremonies, laws, and history of the Anishinaabe. His Spirit Name is Mizhana Gheezhik (The One Who Speaks of Pictures in the Sky).

He graduated from law school in 1979. He has been involved with the justice system in Manitoba for over 40 years, first as a lawyer representing Indigenous clients, as an Adjunct Professor of Law at Robson Hall, as Associate Chief Judge of Manitoba’s Provincial Court and as a Justice of the Court of Queen’s Bench. He was the first Indigenous Judge appointed in Manitoba and Canada’s second.

He served as Co-Chair of the Aboriginal Justice Inquiry of Manitoba and as Chief Commissioner of Canada’s Indian Residential Schools Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC). As head of the TRC, he participated in hundreds of hearings across Canada, culminating in the TRC’s widely influential report in 2015. He also oversaw an active multi-million dollar fundraising program to support various TRC events and activities, and to allow survivors to travel to attend TRC events. In 2017 Governor General Julie Payette awarded him and the other TRC Commissioners the Meritorious Service Cross (Civilian) (MSC) for service to Canada for their work on the TRC.

He was active within the profession and his community and was a member of the faculty of the National Judicial Institute training judges about Indigenous law and social justice issues. He has won numerous awards, including the National Aboriginal Achievement Award, the Manitoba Bar Association’s Equality Award (2001), its Distinguished Service Award (2016) and the CBA President’s medal (2018). He has been named as one of Canada’s Indigenous People’s Counsel (IPC) by the Indigenous Bar Association.
He has received Honorary Doctorates from 14 universities. He retired from the Bench in January 2016, and was appointed to the Senate on April 2, 2016. He retired from the Senate effective January 31, 2021, to return to the practice of law and to mentor young lawyers. He is currently writing his memoirs.

He has been invited to speak throughout Canada and internationally, including the Cambridge Lectures for members of the Judiciary of the Commonwealth Courts. He continues to maintain an active public speaking schedule.

The Honourable Murray Sinclair LLB MSC IPC

 

In honour of our 25th anniversary, we presented the inaugural Roots of Empathy Social Justice Award to His Honour Justice Murray Sinclair, LLB, MSC, IPC. He is Anishinaabe and a member of the Peguis First Nation. He is a Fourth Degree Chief of the Midewiwin Society, a traditional healing and spiritual society of the Anishinaabe Nation responsible for protecting the teachings, ceremonies, laws, and history of the Anishinaabe. Among his many achievements: he was the first Indigenous Judge appointed in Manitoba and the second in Canada;  he served as Co-Chair of the Aboriginal Justice Inquiry in Manitoba and was Chief Commissioner of Canada’s Indian Residential Schools Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC). Roots of Empathy is honoured to be able to present this award to His Honour Justice Murray Sinclair.

Recordings

Click on images to read more about each talk.

Day 1

Cafes

Recording

Cafe 1

Michelle Borba, Ed.D is a best-selling author, internationally recognized educator who has spoken to over one million parents and educators who will share her latest book Thrivers.  

Recording

Cafe 2

Emma Brown is an investigative reporter for The Washington Post and author of To Raise A Boy: Classrooms, Locker Rooms, Bedrooms, and the Hidden Struggles of American Boyhood.

Recording

Cafe 3 

Moderated by Keita Demming (PhD). Jimmie Briggs, journalist, activist, writer, and Jesse Lipscombe, an actor, entrepreneur, and activist, continued their dialogue “Black Fatherhood: a Conversation across Borders” and provided the opportunity to participate in the topic of raising kids in a post-pandemic world.

Day 2

Speakers (by alphabetical order)

Speaker Links/Resources

Dr. Dan Siegel – Website, Mindsight Institute, Dr. Siegel’s Interpersonal Neurobiology Course, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook

Dr. Andrew Meltzoff – Free Modules, Facebook

Dr. Mary Helen Immordino-Yang – Free BriefBook, Website, Twitter, Facebook

Dr. Richard Davidson: TryHealthyMinds.OrgWebsite,Twitter, Facebook

Jimmie Briggs – Website, Twitter

Jesse Lipscombe – Twitter, Instagram, Facebook

Dr. Michael Ungar – Website, Twitter, Youtube, LinkedIn

Emma Brown – Book, Washington Post, Twitter,

Michelle Borba – Book, Website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube 

Tamara Vrooman – LinkedIn

Shahrzad Rafati – BBTV, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn 

David Bornstein – Solutions Journalist, New York Times, Twitter

Dr. Bruce D. Perry – Book, Website, Twitter 

Additional Contact Information

For more information please contact mail@rootsofempathy.org

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