For today’s engaged, there’s no shortage of pressing concerns that demand attention: social and economic inequality, inadequate access to health care, persecution and violence based on belief or group identity, assaults on civil rights and personal dignity, and profound environmental threats to the planet itself.
In a shared venture to confront many of these challenges, a central premise of our collective efforts is that the science of human behaviour offers a strong base of knowledge and practice for developing and implementing policies that promote peace, social justice, human rights, and an ecologically sustainable future. We pursue these goals through education, intervention, and advocacy.
Real-world application towards assisting individuals and groups overcome “us-versus-them” mindsets and build bridges across perceived divides. We are encouraged to focus on our future collective welfare and to prioritize the broader long-term consequences of our actions instead of short-term self-interest by engaging our pro-social tendencies and moral sentiments.
We need to seriously question Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre and his regressive policies and prevent them from gaining more strength. We only have to look at Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s latest attack on the rights of our most vulnerable to see what that future might bring. Are we ready to scrap precious gains made in the last eight years? Are we prepared to say goodbye to the evolution of MAID, say goodbye to polluter pay policies; say goodbye CBC, say goodbye to relying on science to guide policy decisions in medicine and climate, and the list goes on.
Absolutely not!
The consequences would be tragic. We need to believe that bringing greater knowledge to the widest possible audience – policymakers, activists, educators, students, news media, and the general public – is crucial for empowering all of us to pursue socially responsible solutions to the many challenges we face today.
William Perry
Victoria