Current News and Upcoming Events

 

Infographic on lessons learned from the Canadian Sexual Misconduct Class Action

November 2024

November 25, 2024 marks the five-year anniversary of the CAF-DND Sexual Misconduct Class Action Settlement. Take a look at our recent infographic, “Canadian Sexual Misconduct Class Action: Lessons Learned,” developed by Andi Kpolugbo and SICEMA director Dr. Maya Eichler. This infographic summarizes a panel discussion with Dr. Eichler, Christine Wood, Nadine Schultz-Nielsen, and Karen Breeck that took place at the International Colloquium on Military Sexual and Other forms of Abuse of the Australasian Services Care Network in June 2023.

 

Media engagements related to new Chief of the Defence Staff

July 2024

SICEMA director Dr. Maya Eichler engaged in several interviews with media related to Canada’s new Chief of the Defence Staff, General M.A.J. Carignan:

 

 

Recent journal publications, working papers, and resources

June 2024

SICEMA director Dr. Maya Eichler co-published a piece with Dr. Karen Davis, “The Case for Change: Reimagining Research to Transform Military Culture,” in Volume 10, Issue 3 of the Journal of Military, Veteran and Family Health.

 

Dr. Eichler also co-published a few papers as part of her work as co-director of the Transforming Military Cultures (TMC) Network :

 

 

 

 

 

Past News and Events

2023

Second TMC Network Symposium 

November 17‒19, 2023

The Transforming Military Cultures (TMC) Network, headquartered at SICEMA, held its second symposium, Dare to Disrupt the Status Quo: Envisioning Alternatives for Military Culture, in Ottawa, Ontario. SICEMA played an important role in organizing this event. For more details, read Lessons Learned from the 2023-24 TMC Symposium!

 

“The Arbour Report and Beyond” in the Canadian Military Journal

September 28, 2023

SICEMA director Dr. Maya Eichler, along with Drs. Tammy George and Nancy Taber, published “The Arbour Report and Beyond” in the Spring 2023 issue of Canadian Military Journal.

 

Discussions at the “Canadian Sexual Misconduct Class Action:
Lessons Learnt” Panel

June 27,  2023

Dr. Maya Eichler, together with Christine Wood, Nadine Schultz-Nielsen, and Karen Breeck, recently spoke at the panel “Canadian Sexual Misconduct Class Action: Lessons Learnt” for the International Colloquium on Military Sexual and Other forms of Abuse of the Australasian Services Care Network. You can watch this panel below.

 

Testimony to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs

April 20, 2023

Dr. Maya Eichler gave testimony to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs for their first-ever study on The Experience of Women Veterans. Click here to learn more.

 

Veteran Ombud Nishika Jardine Visits SICEMA

March 23, 2023

Veteran Ombud Nishika Jardine visits SICEMA to discuss Veteran issues and research with us.

 

First Annual TMC Symposium at Mount Saint Vincent University

February 17 – 20, 2023

The Transforming Military Cultures (TMC) Network, co-directed by Drs. Maya Eichler, Tammy George, and Nancy Taber, held its first annual symposium, Military Culture Change Beyond the Checkbox, in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Hosted by Mount Saint Vincent University, SICEMA played an important role in organizing and facilitating this event.

2022

Book Launch at Halifax Central Library

November 30, 2022

The new collection Speaking Up: New Voices on War and Peace in Nova Scotia was launched at the Halifax Central Library. The collection is co-edited by Dr. Maya Eichler and her colleagues Dr. Reina Green and Tracy Moniz.  It brings many previously neglected voices to the fore — voices of current members of the Canadian Armed Forces and military veterans, members of the African Nova Scotian and Mi’kmaw communities, refugees and immigrants displaced by war, historians and other academics who study war and militarization, artists who reflect on war’s impact, and peace activists who vigorously protest against the militarization of the region.

SICEMA Workshop at Mount Saint Vincent University

June 4-5, 2022

SICEMA hosted the Workshop: How a Revised Masculinity Can Help Foster Culture Change in the Canadian Armed Forces at Mount Saint Vincent University. This workshop received funding through a Targeted Engagement Grant from DND MINDS, and was co-organized by Dr. Maya Eichler and Dr. John Whelan. Check out the briefing paper produced from this workshop!

DND MINDS Funded Collaborative Network Grant

April 2022

Dr. Maya Eichler and her colleagues, Dr. Tammy George and Dr. Nancy Taber, were awarded a DND MINDS funded collaborative network grant. Transforming Military Cultures (TMC) is a network of Canadian and international academic researchers, defence scientists, military members, veterans, and people with relevant lived experience who are collaborating to challenge, reimagine, and transform the Canadian Armed Forces culture into one that embraces inclusivity and difference. To learn more about TMC, see www.msvu.ca/tmc

My Patient is a Veteran podcast, Module 9

March 6, 2022

Dr. Maya Eichler participated in the My Patient is a Veteran podcast on Women Veterans, University of Ottawa Family Medicine.

Testimony to NS Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs

January 18, 2022

Dr. Maya Eichler gave testimony on the topic of “Women and Gender Diverse Veterans Issues” to NS Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs. The transcript can be found here: https://nslegislature.ca/legislative-business/committees/standing/veterans-affairs/archive/veterans-affairs/va2022jan18

The testimony was covered by Global News, CBC, and CTV News.

2021

GBA+ Webinar Series

May 25-28, 2021
University of Waterloo (Virtual)

SICEMA’s director Dr. Maya Eichler moderated a GBA+ webinar of the Defence and Security Foresight Group (DSFG) on May 25, 2021.

 

New Op-Eds on the ongoing military sexual misconduct crisis

 

Dr. Eichler has intervened into the ongoing public debate on military sexual misconduct with two Op-Eds co-authored with women veteran advocates Dr. Karen Breeck and Marie-Claude Gagnon:

March 12, 2021

M. Eichler and K. Breeck, “Canada’s problematic military culture warrants an oversight agency,” Policy Options.

February 26, 2021

M. Eichler and M.-C. Gagnon, “Only a fundamental culture change will address military sexual misconduct: Long-term independent oversight and accountability is required to ensure the well-being of all women and men serving in the Canadian military,” Policy Options.

 

Testimony to the House of Commons, Parliament of Canada

 

February 22, 2021

Dr. Maya Eichler provided testimony to the Standing Committee on National Defence, (opening statement from Dr. Eichler at 12:31:49).

April 20, 2021

Also, Dr. Eichler provided testimony to the Standing Committee on the Status of Women, (testimony by Dr. Eichler at 12:35:00), on issues related to military sexual misconduct, military culture, and the need for external oversight.

2020

Sex and Gender Virtual Symposium

Canadian Institution of Military and Veteran Health Research (CIMVHR)
October 8, 2020
Queen’s University (Virtual)

In October 2020, Dr. Eichler helped organize and spoke at CIMVHR’s first symposium fully dedicated to bringing a sex and gender lens to military, veteran, and family health and well-being research. The symposium was moderated by Canada’s Women, Peace and Security Ambassador Jacqueline O’Neill. You can find a recording of the sex and gender symposium here.

 

 

GBA+ in Defence Policy

February 22, 2020
Mount Saint Vincent University

SICEMA hosted the GBA+ Convenor Workshop for the DND MINDS-funded Defence and Security Foresight Group.

 

 

2019

Screening of “The Fruit Machine”

December 5, 2019 at 6:30 p.m.
Halifax Central Library

SICEMA hosted a screening of “The Fruit Machine”, a documentary by Sarah Fodey about the decades-long persecution of 2SLGBTQ+ military service members and public servants in Canada.

 

SICEMA Postdoc Arrives

November 1, 2019

Welcome to our new Centre Post-doctoral Fellow, Leigh Spanner! Leigh’s PhD research focused on Canadian military families. At our Centre, she will contribute to research on gender and military-to-civilian transition.

 

The Gendered Dimensions of Veteran Transition: The Intersectionality of Experiences

October 25, 2019
Queen’s University

Dr. Eichler participated in this workshop hosted by the Gender Lab at the Centre for International and Defence Policy (Queen’s University) in Kingston, ON.

 

 

CIMVHR Forum 2019

October 21-23, 2019

Dr. Eichler attended this annual conference, held this year in Ottawa-Gatineau, where she presented a talk entitled, “The Experiences of Military Sexual Trauma Survivors with the Veterans Review and Appeal Board”.

 

 

Fundraiser and Book Launch

October 17, 2019
Mount Saint Vincent University

Dr. Eichler participated in a panel discussion related to the book Dis/consent: Perspectives on Sexual Consent and Sexual Violence.

 

Centre seeking postdoctoral research fellow in Gender and the Transition from Military to Civilian Life in Canada

Deadline: May 1, 2019

Please see the full description of the position here:
Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Gender and the Transition from Military to Civilian Life in Canada

 

Guest Lecture by visiting professor, Dr. Claudia Brunner

April 15, 2019

Dr. Brunner is visiting the Centre for the month of April. She is an assistant professor at the Centre for PeaceResearch and Peace Education at the University of Klagenfurt in Austria. Her research focuses on gender, peace studies, and epistemic violence. She will be giving a guest lecture on April 15 entitled, “Rethinking Violence from Modernity’s Epistemic Territory”. For more information on her research, please click here.

2018

Participation on a Dalhousie University panel “Gender and Peace Support Operations”

November 16, 2018

Dr. Eichler participated on a panel discussion on gender dimensions of Canada’s involvement in multilateral peace support operations abroad, with Jenny Baechler, David Black, Isabelle Caron.

 

Guest Speakers at MSVU course, “Women, War and Peace”

October 29, 2018

Sandy Greenberg and Sarah Morgan from NS Voice of Women for Peace presented a guest lecture in Dr. Eichler’s “Women, War, and Peace” course at MSVU.

 

Inter-University Seminar on Armed Forces & Society

October 21, 2018

Dr. Eichler and MSVU student Ellie Lamothe (middle) present on a panel on Sexual Violence in the Canadian Armed Forces at IUS 2018.

 

Workshop at 2018 Canadian Institute for Military and Veteran Health Research (CIMVHR) Forum

October 16, 2018 at 7:30 – 8:45 am

Dr. Eichler hosted a workshop at the CIMVHR 2018 Forum entitled, “Female Veterans: What do we know and where do we go from here?”

 

Roundtable on Women, Peace and Security: Halifax

August 29, 2018 at 6:00 – 9:00 pm

Dr. Eichler attended the “Roundtable on Women, Peace and Security: Halifax” at Dalhousie University.

 

Standing Senate Committee on National Security and Defence

April 30, 2018

Dr. Eichler was invited as a witness to the Standing Senate Committee on National Security and Defence to talk about sexual harassment and violence in the Canadian Armed Forces. Her testimony can be seen here, beginning at 15:05:30.

 

Transcending Toxic Masculinity, MSVU Feminist Collective Panel Series 2018

March 21, 2018 at 7:00 – 9:00 pm

Dr. Eichler participated on a panel organized by the MSVU Feminist Collective entitled, “Transcending Toxic Masculinity.”

 

#MeToo Panel

March 14, 2018 at 6:00 pm

Dr. Eichler participated in a panel discussion of the #MeToo movement and sexual harassment that was organized by students at Dalhousie University.

 

 

Guest Lectures, Dr. Sylvia Bashevkin

 

February 1, 2018 at 7:00 pm
BMO Room, Halifax Central Library, 5540 Spring Garden Road

Add Women, Make Change?
Women as Provincial and Territorial Leaders in Canada

 

February 1, 2018 at 3:00 pm
Seton Room 530, Mount Saint Vincent University

Women’s Representation in US Diplomacy

 

2017

“Heroes and the Costs of Specialness” Book Launch and Conversation with Dr. John Whelan

November 14, 2017 at 7:15 pm
McCain Centre Room 105, Mount Saint Vincent University

 

 

Pray the Devil Back to Hell

October 25, 2017 at 4:30 – 7:00 pm
McCain Centre Room 106, Mount Saint Vincent University

 

Gender, War, and Peace Film Night – A film screening and discussion based on women’s organization and the peace movement in Liberia.

Refreshments provided and accessibility needs will be accommodated upon request.

Please contact Elizabeth or Sophie with questions or more information at elizabeth.hill2@msvu.ca or sophieroseboileau@gmail.com.

This event is a joint initiative of our Centre, the Alexa McDonough Institute, and Nova Scotia Voice of Women for Peace.

 

Lecture Series

September 22-October 27, 2017  at 1:30 – 2:30 pm
Keshen-Goodman Library, 330 Lacewood Drive, Halifax, NS, B3S 0A3
(Oct. 6 lecture cancelled)

 

 

Persepolis

March 30, 2017 at 4:30 – 7:00 pm
McCain Centre Room 302, Mount Saint Vincent University

 

 

Gender, War, and Peace Film Night – a film screening and discussion based on the film Persepolis on gender, the Islamic Revolution, and islamophobia.

Refreshments provided and accessibility needs will be accommodated upon request.

 

Please contact Elizabeth or Hayley for questions or more information at elizabeth.hill2@msvu.ca and hayley.bone@msvu.ca

This event is a joint initiative of our Centre, the Alexa McDonough Institute, and NS Voice of Women for Peace.

 

PBS’s Women War & Peace, Episode 1: “I Came to Testify”

February 2, 2017 at 4:30 – 7:00 pm
McCain Centre Room 302, Mount Saint Vincent University

 

 

Gender, War, and Peace Film Night – a film screening and discussion based on the film “PBS’s Women War & Peace, Episode 1: “I Came to Testify” about the Bosnian War and sexual violence as genocide.

Refreshments provided and accessibility needs will be accommodated upon request.

 

Please contact Elizabeth or Hayley for questions or more information at elizabeth.hill2@msvu.ca and hayley.bone@msvu.ca

This event is a joint initiative of our Centre, the Alexa McDonough Institute, and NS Voice of Women for Peace.

2016

The Invisible War

November 17, 2016 at 4:30 – 7:00 pm
McCain Centre Room 201B, Mount Saint Vincent University

 

Gender, War, and Peace Film Night – a film screening and discussion based on the film “The Invisible War” about military sexual violence.

Refreshments provided and accessibility needs will be accommodated upon request.

 

Please contact Elizabeth or Hayley for questions or more information at elizabeth.hill2@msvu.ca and hayley.bone@msvu.ca

This event is a joint initiative of our Centre, the Alexa McDonough Institute, and NS Voice of Women for Peace.

 

“The Weight We Share”

September 22, 2016 at 12:30 – 2:30 pm
Halifax Central Library (Program Room)

Prismatic Arts Festival – Session 2: Conflict/Culture/Community

 

How is culture shaped and impacted by conflict and war? Which stories are visible and which stories are not being heard, and how war has impacted the diverse fabric of our Nova Scotia communities?

Our Centre’s Network for Community-Engaged Research on War was partnering with Prismatic Arts Festival to present current academic work that examines artistic expression during times of war.

Dr. Maya Eichler, assistant professor of Political Studies and Women’s Studies at the Mount, and local artist Jessica Lynn Wiebe modeled the task of sharing weight of their stories with one another. They sought dialogue across differences in experience and politics; sharing stories is about talking as much as it is about listening. This interactive performance piece encouraged people to engage in difficult dialogue on military conflict and experience.

 

The 9th Annual Women in International Security Canada (WIIS-C) Workshop

June 17-19, 2016
McCain Centre Room 105/106, Mount Saint Vincent University

 

 

Our Centre was excited to host the 9th Annual Women in International Security Canada (WIIS-C) Workshop 2016, “Women in Security across Military and Civilian Lines” from June 17-19, 2016.

Overall, the workshop included around 70 participants mostly from Canada but also a few international participants from Argentina, Georgia, Algeria, and Ireland.

 

 

Community Stories of War and Peace

April 20, 2016
McCain Centre Room 105/106, Mount Saint Vincent University

 

The Mount’s Network for Community-Engaged Research on War (NCERW) held a full day workshop on the theme of “Community Stories of War and Peace”. The workshop brought together researchers from the Mount and other Nova Scotia universities with local communities affected by war. The Workshop seek to find out who was interested in participating and to begin a conversation on how to collect these stories.

The goal was to explore the impact of war and conflict on various communities, from veterans and family members of combatants to refugees, immigrants, visible minorities, and First Nations people; as well as to develop a collection of stories that can serve as educational tool and a means of community building.