On Thursday, June 6, over 160 nurses, allied health professionals, healthcare leaders and health researchers gathered to critically reflect on privilege, systems of oppression and accountable action.

The session was led by Dr. Stephanie Nixon, Vice-Dean of Health Sciences and Director of the School of Rehabilitation Therapy at Queen’s University. Stephanie used her Coin Model of Privilege and Critical Allyship to guide attendees through visualizing structures of oppression in our world and how they play out in healthcare and health research. She led the teaching with patience, compassion and humour.

Elder Glida Morgan, from Tla'amin Nation and her daughter Jade opened the time in ceremony with prayer and drumming. Opening remarks by Ruth Appanah, executive director of Inter-Campus Operations, BC Children's Hospital and BC Women's Hospital + Health Centre (C&W), emphasized the event's collaborative nature and cross-campus commitment to equity issues. Sabrina Gill from PHSA's Psychological Health & Safety team facilitated, starting with a meditation and grounding activity inspired by Rhonda Magee’s poem "From Place to Ground."

Organized and sponsored by The Institute for Global Health at C&W, C&W Learning and Development, the Women's Health Research Institute and the BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute, the event fostered a collaborative space of learning and un-learning, guiding attendees to understand how power and privilege shape their world and encouraging accountable action.

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