Hello, Aanii, Bonjour,
Last week, the world learned of the tragic and violent murders of eight people, including six Asian women, in the city of Atlanta, Georgia, USA. We mourn the deaths of Soon Chung Park, Suncha Kim, Yong Ae Yue, Paul Andre Michels, Hyun Jung Grant, Xiaojie Tan, Daoyou Feng, and Delaina Ashley Yaun. They were loved. They mattered. They will be remembered.
As a community, it’s up to us to educate ourselves, increase our level of awareness and understanding of the ways in which racism and misogyny impacts the lives of Asian-Canadians, the Asian community, and all of us, taking action to eliminate violence, exclusion, discrimination, and unconscious bias.
At Laurentian University, we are proud of our vibrant community which includes Asian-Canadian students, faculty and staff, as well as international students and other community members from across Asia. We are also fortunate to have forged decades-old partnerships with universities in Asia that have enriched and contributed to our community.
We understand that members of our community are hurting. If you have been personally affected by these events, we encourage you to access the resources and supports that are available to all members of our community:
- Counselling services on campus are available to all students by contacting (705)-675-1151 ext., 6506 or emailing Counselling@laurentian.ca. All resources are available at https://laurentian.ca/counselling.
- Counselling is also available through the Indigenous Sharing and Learning Centre by contacting isa@laurentian.ca.
- We encourage Laurentian University’s international students to access the keep.me.SAFE program by downloading the app (My SSP or by calling 1-844-451-9137).
- Laurentian University faculty and staff can access confidential support services through our Employee and Family Assistance Program (the contact information is available on LUnet).
The Equity, Diversity, and Human Rights Office (https://laurentian.ca/human-rights) is a resource for all members of the Laurentian University community, including students, staff and faculty, which can assist with concerns, questions and/or complaints with respect to discrimination, harassment, bullying, sexual harassment, sexual violence and accessibility.
We also encourage members of the Laurentian community to engage with available training and education opportunities, including:
- The “Call it out: racism, racial discrimination, and human rights” module available on the Ontario Human Rights Commission’s website: http://www.ohrc.on.ca/en/learning/elearning/call-it-out
- Public Health Sudbury & Districts’ Allyship Training Module and Experiential Workshop: https://www.phsd.ca/health-topics-programs/health-equity/racial-equity/partnering-to-address-racism/
Thank you, Miigwech, Merci
Robert Haché, PhD
President and Vice-Chancellor