One of the most controversial outcomes from the recommendations of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls was the use of the word “genocide” to describe the ongoing violence these women face. Today in The Conversation Canada, Andrew Woolford of the University of Manitoba, a professor of sociology and criminology and former president of the International Association of Genocide Scholars, explains how the MMIWG report poses new challenges to the laws of genocide.“These questions are necessary because the history of settler colonialism in Canada includes a variety of efforts to remove, assimilate, starve and erase Indigenous nations,” he writes.

One of the joys of urban settings is the growing trend of different forms of street art. Anna Augusto Rodrigues of Trent University explains how street art promotes public dialogue on social justice issues and can lead to opportunities for learning outside of formal schooling.

Christine Van Winkle of the University of Manitoba has been researching how people use their phones at summertime festivals and she has some common sense advice for all of us: phones can take away from our enjoyment of what should be a fun experience.

And finally…The Guardian newspaper recently updated its style guide to urge its journalists to stop using the term “climate change” and instead use “climate emergency, crisis or breakdown.” Madhur Anand of the Global Ecological Change and Sustainability Laboratory and the University of Guelph applauds the change and says language is important when getting the public to understand the seriousness of global warming.

Regards,