The Conversation Piece

The science behind social connection is clear: volunteerism and face-to-face contact with our community members are essential for our well-being.Susan Pinker is a psychologist and author of the book The Village Effect. This special episode of The Conversation Piece features content from her presentation at The Walrus Talks: Reimagining Volunteerism, supported by The Belonging Forum, an initiative of the Samuel Centre for Social Connectedness.Pinker spoke at The Walrus Talks: Reimagining Volunteerism on April 15, 2025.To register for upcoming events happening online or in a city near you, and to catch up on our archive of The Walrus Talks, visit thewalrus.ca/events.And subscribe to The Walrus Events newsletter for updates and announcements at thewalrus.ca/newsletters.

Canada’s volunteer sector is in crisis. How can the culture of volunteerism be restored?Sara Lyons is the chief strategy and advancement officer at Volunteer Canada. This special episode of The Conversation Piece features content from her presentation at The Walrus Talks: Reimagining Volunteerism, supported by The Belonging Forum, an initiative of the Samuel Centre for Social Connectedness.Lyons spoke at The Walrus Talks: Reimagining Volunteerism on April 15, 2025.To register for upcoming events happening online or in a city near you, and to catch up on our archive of The Walrus Talks, visit thewalrus.ca/events.And subscribe to The Walrus Events newsletter for updates and announcements at thewalrus.ca/newsletters.

Finding belonging isn’t just about building connections with people—it’s also about nurturing our relationships with the natural world.Chief Kluane Adamek is the Yukon regional chief of the Assembly of First Nations. This special episode of The Conversation Piece features content from her presentation at The Walrus Talks at Home: Indigenous Perspectives on Belonging, supported by The Belonging Forum, an initiative of the Samuel Centre for Social Connectedness.Chief Adamek spoke at The Walrus Talks at Home: Indigenous Perspectives on Belonging on November 25, 2024.To register for upcoming events happening online or in a city near you, and to catch up on our archive of The Walrus Talks, visit thewalrus.ca/events.And subscribe to The Walrus Events newsletter for updates and announcements at thewalrus.ca/newsletters.

What does it mean to belong in the workplace?Kelly Lendsay is the president and CEO of Indigenous Works and the chief executive transformation officer of Luminary. This special episode of The Conversation Piece features content from his presentation at The Walrus Talks at Home: Indigenous Perspectives on Belonging, supported by The Belonging Forum, an initiative of the Samuel Centre for Social Connectedness.Lendsay spoke at The Walrus Talks at Home: Indigenous Perspectives on Belonging on November 25, 2024.To register for upcoming events happening online or in a city near you, and to catch up on our archive of The Walrus Talks, visit thewalrus.ca/events.And subscribe to The Walrus Events newsletter for updates and announcements at thewalrus.ca/newsletters.

Colonial policies have long undermined traditional Indigenous education systems. How can communities come together to reclaim this knowledge?Dr. Becky Cook is the lands monitoring manager of Misipawistik Cree Nation. This special episode of The Conversation Piece features content from her presentation at The Walrus Talks at Home: Indigenous Perspectives on Belonging, supported by The Belonging Forum, an initiative of the Samuel Centre for Social Connectedness.Dr. Cook spoke at The Walrus Talks at Home: Indigenous Perspectives on Belonging on November 25, 2024.To register for upcoming events happening online or in a city near you, and to catch up on our archive of The Walrus Talks, visit thewalrus.ca/events.And subscribe to The Walrus Events newsletter for updates and announcements at thewalrus.ca/newsletters.

Meaningful representation in creative spaces can help facilitate a strong sense of belonging and community.Camryn Dewar is a Métis opera and classical singer. This special episode of The Conversation Piece features content from her presentation at The Walrus Talks at Home: Indigenous Perspectives on Belonging, supported by The Belonging Forum, an initiative of the Samuel Centre for Social Connectedness.Dewar spoke at The Walrus Talks at Home: Indigenous Perspectives on Belonging on November 25, 2024.To register for upcoming events happening online or in a city near you, and to catch up on our archive of The Walrus Talks, visit thewalrus.ca/events.And subscribe to The Walrus Events newsletter for updates and announcements at thewalrus.ca/newsletters.

How might personalized, culturally-specific interventions shape more effective responses to social isolation?Kahir Lalji is the provincial director of government relations and community engagement at United Way British Columbia. This special episode of The Conversation Piece features content from his presentation at The Walrus Talks at Home: Rx Belonging, supported by The Belonging Forum, an initiative of the Samuel Centre for Social Connectedness.Lalji spoke at The Walrus Talks at Home: Rx Belonging on September 25, 2024.To register for upcoming events happening online or in a city near you, and to catch up on our archive of The Walrus Talks, visit thewalrus.ca/events.And subscribe to The Walrus Events newsletter for updates and announcements at thewalrus.ca/newsletters.

Social prescribing is empowering vulnerable communities to cultivate a sense of agency through relationship building and resourcefulness.Diana Rose is a link worker with Healthy Aging Alberta and Family and Community Support Services for Wheatland County and the town of Strathmore. This special episode of The Conversation Piece features content from her presentation at The Walrus Talks at Home: Rx Belonging, supported by The Belonging Forum, an initiative of the Samuel Centre for Social Connectedness.Rose spoke at The Walrus Talks at Home: Rx Belonging on September 25, 2024.To register for upcoming events happening online or in a city near you, and to catch up on our archive of The Walrus Talks, visit thewalrus.ca/events.And subscribe to The Walrus Events newsletter for updates and announcements at thewalrus.ca/newsletters.

With new evidence emerging about the impact of connection on health, social prescribing is bridging the gap between clinical care and community care.Dr. Kate Mulligan is a health geographer, an assistant professor at the University of Toronto, and the scientific director at the Canadian Institute for Social Prescribing. This special episode of The Conversation Piece features content from her presentation at The Walrus Talks at Home: Rx Belonging, supported by The Belonging Forum, an initiative of the Samuel Centre for Social Connectedness.Dr. Mulligan spoke at The Walrus Talks at Home: Rx Belonging on September 25, 2024.To register for upcoming events happening online or in a city near you, and to catch up on our archive of The Walrus Talks, visit thewalrus.ca/events.And subscribe to The Walrus Events newsletter for updates and announcements at thewalrus.ca/newsletters.