Yo-Yo Method of Advocacy: Class Consciousness Edition

Guest Teacher: Akanksha Bhatnagar, BA

Communications and Public Relations Officer

Canadian Alliance of Student Associations

Ottawa, Ontario

Facilitator: Chelsea Thomas, PhD Candidate, Faculty of Education, University of Victoria

Social class is something that is easy to overlook in Canada. Our urban centres are saturated with evidence of this class divide, however, it is often something hidden behind the veil of Canada’s social services. Leadership, influence and power go hand in hand. Yet, the lack of discussion regarding social class fails to acknowledge how the three are related. Further, it’s easy to think that you aren’t an advocate for an issue if you aren’t a ‘registered lobbyist.’ However, advocacy is about the influence of public input and we need to work to get issues of class back into the Canadian rhetoric. Whether it be student issues, gendered issues and/or everything in between, you have to take an intersectional approach. In this special learning event, Akanksha Bhatnagar shares practical tips she’s learned as a leader dealing with thorny and uncomfortable issues. Akanksha will share her lived experience-based advice of creating advocacy to include topics that typically don’t get a spotlight – in this case, class consciousness.

This engaging and interactive session is for anyone interested in learning how to engage with social inequality and inequity. Join Akanksha Bhatnagar for this exciting educative event. She’s the former President of the University of Alberta Students’ Union. Akanksha is currently the Communications and Public Relations Officer, Canadian Alliance of Student Associations. She’s a portrait photographer, political strategist, music lover and genuinely caring and supportive person. Join us for an amazing learning experience with Akanksha.

________________________

________________________

The Shoestring Initiative Iis a grassroots solidarity movement to create communities of mentorship, belonging, support and advocacy for Canadian university students from a poverty-class “heritage” (Binns, 2019).

Tuesday, October 27th

4:00-5:30pm PST/PDT

FREE Zoom webinar

Registration:

@ShoestringCdn