Send us a text Despite the benefits of Affirmative Action as told by Professor Harry Holzer, there also exists many challenges when the policy framework is deployed in College and University admissions. While the intention of admitting students from different backgrounds may be noble, by building a more diverse student body - are schools providing the necessary supports for students to succeed? And if not, could this indirectly be exacerbating the divide between students of different backgrounds...
Feb 28, 2023•55 min
Send us a text Affirmative Action policies were introduced in the 1960s by then-President Lyndon B. Johnson. The President recognized Black and Hispanic communities were not well represented in specific sectors. While the federal government did not have direct control over the hiring decisions in private business, it could exert some power in seeing increasing representation with federal contractors. With now over fifty (50) years of experience, how have Affirmative Action policies shaped the US...
Feb 21, 2023•1 hr 5 min
Send us a text Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/DhN4gDAQAoo As the Freedom Convoy gained momentum in Canada, protesters were facing challenges in their own personal lives. Provinces were engaging in extended lockdown measures that were making less sense Many were finding that coworkers would complain to management if they were attending anti-lockdown protests and demonstrations. My guest, Jenna Quenneville found this out first-hand. Jenna worked at a local hospital, attended an 'End the Lockdo...
Feb 07, 2023•54 min
Send us a text The Freedom Convoy rolled into Ottawa, upset with the federal government's vaccine mandates and COVID-19 restrictions. At first, many Canadians saw the Freedom Convoy as echoing their own frustrations with lockdown measures. Social distancing measures were getting high and Canadians were looking to other countries, particularly the United States, and wondering why our country was still so restrictive. As the Freedom Convoy entered its first week or so, the mood began shifting with...
Jan 31, 2023•45 min
Send us a text Part of my discussion on community safety was to include voices from government. Community members and organizations have been advocating for specific measures the City should be undertaking. I decided to invite Scott McKean on the Podcast. Scott is Manager in the City of Toronto, responsible for SafeTO, which is a community safety and well-being plan. Will it incorporate some of the aspects community groups have been advocating for? What is SafeTO? SafeTO is a plan implemented by...
Jan 24, 2023•1 hr 2 min
Send us a text The federal government put forward the 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan - which called for a 30 percent reduction in fertilizer emissions by 2030. The agricultural sector was taken aback. I chat with Cherilyn Jolly-Nagel, Saskatchewan Farmer, Public Speaker and Advocate. Episode #171 - Cherilyn Jolly-Nagel 🔗 CONNECT WITH Cherilyn 🐦 Twitter - @CherilynNagel https://www.cherilynjolly-nagel.com 💻 Website: https://fertilizercanada.ca/ CONNECT WITH CHRISTOPHER 🎥 YouTube Channel - 🐦 T...
Dec 20, 2022•57 min
Send us a text The federal government put forward the 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan - which called for a 30 percent reduction in fertilizer emissions by 2030. The agricultural sector was taken aback. I chat with Karen Proud, President of Fertilizer Canada to learn more. Episode #xx - Karen Proud, President, Fertilizer Canada 🔗 CONNECT WITH FERTILIZER CANADA 🐦 Twitter - @FertilizerCA https://twitter.com/FertilizerCA?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor 💻 Website: https://fert...
Dec 13, 2022•51 min
Send us a text Are Electric Vehicles going to be widely adopted by most all consumers? Despite the environmental benefits, many still have large concerns that could thwart large-scale adoption. Professor Jon Krosnick co-authored Climate Insights 2020 to explore exactly this and the concerns many Americans may have. 🔗 JON KROSNICK : http://www.jonkrosnick.com/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jon_Krosnick Stanford University: https://pprg.stanford.edu/ https://politicalscience.stanford.edu/people/j...
Nov 30, 2022•51 min
Send us a text With rising inflation and cost of living, what will this mean for Electric Vehicle purchases? States like California are pushing for all new vehicle sales to be either electric or hydrogen powered by 2035. But, with the rising cost of living, will consumers make the switch? I sit down with Tim Burrows who sits on the Board of Directors for EV Society to discuss further. Episode #164 - Tim Burrows, Board of Directors, EV Society 🔗 CONNECT WITH EV SOCIETY 🐦 Twitter -https://twitte...
Nov 22, 2022•1 hr 7 min
Send us a text Is it time we broaden the conversation on Student Loans to include all the costs associated with attending post-secondary? Tim Ulbrich, CEO of Your Financial Pharmacist discusses all the associated costs for post-secondary education that more students should be aware of. 🔗Tim Ulbrich, CEO of Your Financial Pharmacist - https://yourfinancialpharmacist.com/about/ CONNECT WITH CHRISTOPHER 🎥 YouTube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/c/ChristopherBalkaran 💌 SUBSCRIBE to Curious Mond...
Nov 15, 2022•40 min
Send us a text The cost of going to college and university is growing daily. For students from low income families, student loans are the only way to fund college/university. Professor Willie Elliott of the University of Michigan argues instead, that building assets as early as possible will set youth up for success. 🔗 Centre on Assets, Education and Incluision: https://aedi.ssw.umich.edu 💻 Professor Willie Elliott: https://ssw.umich.edu/faculty/profiles/tenure-track/willelli CONNECT WITH CHRI...
Nov 08, 2022•1 hr 48 min
Send us a text Momentum.org runs many programs targeted to low income families and individuals. These include skills-based training programs, resume workshops and help with finances. The org also has a matched-savings app 'Quber' to help those struggling. While its programming is located in Alberta, the organization has many resources available online below. I chat with Carolyn Davis, Director of Community Engagement to learn more about the organization's work and whether or not the matched savi...
Nov 01, 2022•52 min
Send us a text With rising inflation and cost of living, what has this meant for the most marginalized groups in society? If groceries are expensive for the middle class, what about low-income families? Emilly Renaud is the National Coordinator for Canada Without Poverty. The issues affecting low income families and individuals are discussed in this episode. Episode #162 - Emilly Renaud, National Coordinator, Canada Without Poverty 🔗 CONNECT WITH CANADA WITHOUT POVERTY 🐦 Twitter - https://twit...
Oct 25, 2022•1 hr 5 min
Send us a text With rising inflation and cost of living, what has this meant for the most marginalized groups in society? If groceries are expensive for the middle class, what about low-income families? Jyoti Singh is the Executive Director at Nellies in Toronto. Episode #163 - Jyoti Singh, Executive Director Nellies Toronto 🔗 CONNECT WITH NELLIES 🐦 Twitter - https://twitter.com/nelliesshelter 💻 Websitehttps://www.nellies.org CONNECT WITH CHRISTOPHER 🎥 YouTube Channel - https://www.youtube.c...
Oct 18, 2022•59 min
Send us a text Housing prices are going up everywhere, it seems. The City of Toronto recently announced a 46 percent increase to developer fees over the next two years, which will ultimately drive prices up further. Richard Lyall is the President of the Residential Construction Council of Ontario (RESCON), to discuss what he sees as the impacts of the City's decision. 🔗 Richard Lyall 🐦 Twitter - https://twitter.com/RESCONprez 💻 Website https://rescon.com CONNECT WITH CHRISTOPHER 🎥 YouTube Ch...
Oct 10, 2022•1 hr 7 min
Send us a text With rising inflation and cost of living, what has this meant for the most marginalized groups in society? If groceries are expensive for the middle class, what about low-income families? John Clarke spent most all his life working for the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty (OCAP) and is now a lecturer at York University. John discusses the gargantuan challenges the poor face in this environment of high inflation. 🔗 CONNECT WITH JOHN 🐦 Twitter -https://mobile.twitter.com/johnclke...
Oct 04, 2022•55 min•Ep. 161
Send us a text Welcome to my new rebrand of the Podcast: Open Minds with Christopher Balkaran! Why did I decide to rebrand the Podcast? How did I land on 'Open Minds'? And where do I see this Podcast going? Listen now! CONNECT WITH CHRISTOPHER 🐦 Twitter - https://twitter.com/CABalkaran 📸 Instagram - https://instagram.com/openmindspod 💻 Website - Still working on the new one! 👥 Linkedin - www.linkedin.com/in/christopherbalkaran 🎙 ABOUT OPEN MINDS WITH CHRISTOPHER BALKARAN Imagine if you coul...
Sep 30, 2022•16 min
Send us a text I sit down with Gordon Bauer to discuss Electric Vehicles and the impact this can have on low-income households. Really fascinating discussion! Gordon Bauer - https://www.linkedin.com/in/gordon-bauer-8834b277 Research: "When might low income households benefit from electric vehicles?" - https://theicct.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/EV-equity-feb2021.pdf Support the show Visit my NEW Website! https:// www.christopherbalkaran.com Check out my Instagram/Tik Tok for daily posts: Inst...
Apr 26, 2022•52 min
Send us a text Professor Mike Pesko's Twitter: https://twitter.com/mikepesko About Professor Pesko : https://aysps.gsu.edu/profile/michael-pesko/# Check out my series on Tobacco Control - https://www.thestrongandfreepodcast.com/category/tobacco-control-harm-reduction/ Check out my other episodes! GUN VIOLENCE: https://www.thestrongandfreepodcast.com/category/the-gun-violence-conversation/ ABORTION: https://www.thestrongandfreepodcast.com/category/the-abortion-series/ CLIMATE CHANGE: https://www....
Feb 16, 2022•1 hr 2 min
Send us a text I sit down with Andy West, for our second conversation on attitudes to Climate Change. Andy's research shows that attitudes are more reliably predicted based less on political leanings, and more on religiosity! ANDY WEST'S RESEARCH: https://judithcurry.com/2020/04/17/can-religiosity-predict-cultural-climate-beliefs/ MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5JKJC9prqNuvrcR844cLjw/featured THE STRONG AND FREE PODCAST YOUTUBE CHANNEL: https://youtu.be/ON9Cldvd2eg PODCAST...
Feb 03, 2022•1 hr 7 min
Send us a text Hi everyone! Happy New Year! I've uploaded a short podcast explaining where I'm taking Strong and Free next!! Can't wait to share more content with you! Links: YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/StrongandFreePodcast Judith Curry - https://www.thestrongandfreepodcast.com/category/climate-change/ Blogs - https://thestrongandfreepodcast.medium.com Support the show Visit my NEW Website! https:// www.christopherbalkaran.com Check out my Instagram/Tik Tok for daily posts: Instagram @op...
Jan 08, 2022•13 min
Send us a text In January, I released my conversation with Judith Curry. To-date, it is the most downloaded and listened to Podcast I've ever produced. This is my follow-up conversation. Message me at www.thestrongandfreepodcast.com and let me know what you think! My first conversation with Judith Curry: https://www.thestrongandfreepodcast.com/climate-change-a-different-perspective-with-professor-judith-curry/ Judith Curry: https://judithcurry.com Support the show Visit my NEW Website! https:// ...
Nov 30, 2021•56 min
Send us a text I share my perspectives on the Capital Punishment series and some learnings along the way. Support the show Visit my NEW Website! https:// www.christopherbalkaran.com Check out my Instagram/Tik Tok for daily posts: Instagram @openmindspod Tiktok @openmindspodcast
Nov 02, 2021•22 min
Send us a text Despite most being heavily divided on capital punishment, it is very challenging finding thoughtful voices supporting death penalty. Josh Marquis, former District Attorney of Clatsop County is a supporter of capital punishment and has written extensively on the topic. About Joshua Marquis -- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joshua_Marquis Joshua Marquis Blog -- https://www.coastda.com/ "The Myth of Innocence" - (2005) -- https://scholarlycommons.law.northwestern.edu/cgi/viewcontent.c...
Oct 26, 2021•1 hr 11 min
Send us a text I have mentioned before the importance of reading for this Podcast and life in general. In this new series, I'm going to highlight a book that I've completed that has helped shape my perspective for this and future Podcast episodes. In my first episode, I discuss the Bhagavad Gita - an ancient story from the Mahabharata. Thousands of years later, this story is still revered: "I have made the Bhagavad Gita as the source of inspiration and my guide for the purpose of scientific inve...
Oct 22, 2021•26 min
Send us a text Welcome to my new series on Capital Punishment. Lindsey Vann, Executive Director of Justice360 discusses some of the challenges in representing those convicted of capital sentences in the State of South Carolina. Justice 360 -- https://justice360sc.org/ About Lindsey Vann -- https://justice360sc.org/all-staff/ Support the show Visit my NEW Website! https:// www.christopherbalkaran.com Check out my Instagram/Tik Tok for daily posts: Instagram @openmindspod Tiktok @openmindspodcast...
Oct 19, 2021•46 min
Send us a text My conversation with John Clarke, anti-poverty activist, is on his opposition to a Basic Income system. John raises a very compelling case as to why a Basic Income system is not ideal at addressing the issues poor people are facing. Thank you John for your willingness to discuss this issue with me! John Clarke - https://twitter.com/JohnOCAP?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor John Clarke's Writings on Basic Income: https://johnclarkeblog.com/node/51 https://www....
Oct 05, 2021•50 min
Send us a text Is there something to be said about our existence on earth and its link with work? What if governments took care of our basic necessities? How would this factor into this purpose? And could a Basic Income system be used as justification by governments to reduce spending on social welfare programs? If the government is providing a basic income for the necessities in life, does that provide them with rationale to remove other social programs? What are the unintended actions of this?...
Sep 28, 2021•58 min
Send us a text I hope you're enjoying my series on Basic Income! It seems many of you enjoy my reflections episode, so I thought to do another! Today I share my reflections on the Canadian election, Basic Income and my recent trip to Ikea. VIEW --- https://youtu.be/72TIKjiDBvM LISTEN --- https://www.thestrongandfreepodcast.com/episodes/ FOLLOW --- https://twitter.com/StrongnFreePod READ --- https://thestrongandfreepodcast.medium.com/ RATE THIS PODCAST --- https://www.thestrongandfreepodcast.com/...
Sep 23, 2021•31 min
Send us a text Most debates and conversations on Basic Income do not include voices of recipients of Basic Income themselves. I wanted to ensure that voice was incorporated in my series on the topic. Jessie Golem was the recipient of Ontario's Basic Income Pilot and has since been an advocate for its continuation. Jessie undertook a photography project with other recipients, entitled, "Humans of Basic Income," which included individuals holding up signs discussing the merits of a Basic Income Sy...
Sep 21, 2021•1 hr 9 min
