The Case For Quotes
If you are one of our 235 Instagram followers (or, more realistically, one of the 8 people who regularly likes our posts), you’ll know how much we center direct quotes…
The story of how I got here
This month's blogpost for #thisisimaginationatwork comes from one of our founding Board Members, Brian Phillips. One of the many things I really cherish about the Department of Imaginary Affairs is…
#thisisimaginationatwork – Instalment #23 – July 2020
I am a cisgendered, gay, white male. I live and grew up in Toronto, a city touted as one of the most diverse, multicultural cities in the world. I have…
#thisisimaginationatwork – Instalment #18 February 2020
It’s been about 5 months since I last wrote, and I’m sensing a distinct shift, in The Stories of Us program, if not the entire Department of Imaginary Affairs. I’ve…
Volunteer Profile: Tara Al-Hadithy
I am an associate professor of Linguistics and Translation. I came from the Middle East to Canada with more than 12 years of professional tertiary level teaching experience. I specialize in teaching English for Academic Purposes, Technical Communication, Research and Report Writing, Translation and Linguistics. Drawing, painting, and translation are some of my favourite hobbies. I am interested in projects that help make this world a better place.
Volunteer Profile: Seyed Mohsen Ahmadinejad
I have been awarded a PhD (in Companion Animal Medicine and Surgery) by the University of Queensland, Australia. I very much like to connect with people, and connect people together and with their outside world. Having lived in different countries (other than my home land), I have understood the strange feeling newcomers feel, how much they would like to connect with people who speak their own language and how much they want to be understood by the people around them. My main interests and hobbies are sports (soccer) and studying. I spend at least 4-5 hours daily studying (mostly at libraries).
Volunteer Profile: Abeer Brki
I work as a language translator and interpreter. I feel fortunate that my studies and work in the language services industry have allowed me to have a deep understanding and appreciation for different cultures. I have a real passion for reading. I think it is my favourite activity. I’m also interested in exploring nature, hiking or just walking along trails. There is so much to see and explore out there!
Volunteer Profile: Lifang Zhang
I used to be a university professor in China for 15 years. I came to Canada in 2018 and then became a certified community interpreter. I have a PhD in Economics and has been to Germany and Australia as a visiting scholar in my previous career. I have a strong passion towards serving as a cultural broker. In my spare time, I love to travel around the world with my family and meet people from different cultures.
Volunteer Profile: Lidia Jarmasz
My father was Polish and my mother is Honduran, so I grew up speaking Polish and Spanish at home. I learned French at school, and English from TV. I worked for several years as an English-to-French translator before going back to school to get a degree in Immigration and Settlement Studies. I currently work for the Refugee Sponsorship Training Program, helping Francophone groups in Canada who wish to sponsor refugees, and I volunteer at the Matthew House welcome centre for refugee claimants. For fun, I like to travel and eat.
#thisisimaginationatwork – Instalment #14 September 2019
A year ago today, I started as Program Manager of The Stories of Us program at the DIA. Naturally, hitting the one-year mark prompts some reflection, particularly on how the…