social issues

Editorial February 9, 2022

Climate change goals must reduce greenhouse gas

A valuable tool for those who seek to blur the lines of necessary action is to obfuscate terms. Today, people confront a variety of terms with distinct meanings under the umbrella of environmental concern daily. Under this umbrella, policies seeking to reduce the amount of plastic in the ocean, fossil fuels used by consumers and the protection of green spaces are all given equal merit. While all of these goals are noble, our current emergency requires us to examine, prioritize and institute specific actions to counter human-caused climate change.

News February 8, 2022

U of M signs anti-racism and Black inclusion charter

The University of Manitoba has announced it has signed the Scarborough Charter on anti-Black racism and Black inclusion. The U of M’s vice-president (administration) Naomi Andrew called the charter a “historic document” and said over 50 universities took part in the discussions leading to its creation.

Research & Technology February 8, 2022

Ancient fingerprints dispel gender labour division

Fingerprints identified on ancient pottery have called into question our assumptions about gender roles in ancient cultures. It was previously a widely held belief that in hunter-gatherer societies, men hunted and women gathered. A University of Manitoba researcher has recently added another piece of evidence indicating ancient humans cared less about gender and more about community. 

Comment February 2, 2022

Deaths on border necessitate immigration reform

These deaths were far from the family’s choice. Economic instability or political persecution in home countries, mixed with the U.S. and Canada’s unsupportive and often oppressive immigration systems, force the hands of migrants seeking asylum. When people are refused entry or refused humane conditions upon entry, gambling on death becomes a risk that migrants are willing to take.

Research & Technology February 1, 2022

Researcher connects food allergies to food insecurity

Families in Manitoba with certain food allergies experience food insecurity at a rate almost twice that of families without food allergies, according to a recent finding from research at the University of Manitoba. The study was conducted before the COVID-19 pandemic and the disparity is believed to have increased during the pandemic. 

Research & Technology January 18, 2022

Psychotropic drug use among kids affected by pandemic

Christine Leong, an assistant professor in the college of pharmacy, is the first author of a recently published research letter in JAMA Pediatrics, published by the American Medical Association, comparing psychotropic drug use among children and adolescents prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

News January 11, 2022

Ottawa, First Nations draft $40B child welfare agreement

The federal government revealed details last week of two agreements-in-principle, worth $40 billion, negotiated with Indigenous organizations and class-action lawyers to compensate those affected by the underfunding of child welfare on reserves and in the Yukon.

Research & Technology January 11, 2022

Exploring a holistic approach to wellbeing

Angie Woodbury, a student in the Max Rady college of medicine, is part of Parks Prescriptions, or PaRx, a project prescribing time in nature as a medical treatment. PaRx started as an initiative of the BC Parks Foundation and is led by Melissa Lem, a clinical assistant professor in the University of British Columbia’s faculty of medicine.