(Sept 18 - Nov 27) - [Open] - Encounter will present on religious literacy for library staff and its relevance to workplace culture and serving the public. We will explore how understanding religious diversity, including key Jewish holidays can foster inclusion, support equitable scheduling practices, and strengthen relationships with colleagues and community members.

(Oct 20) - [Closed] - A recent poll showed many Canadians have a negative impression of Islam. In this talk, we aim to shed some light on a tradition that is often stereotyped and misunderstood. This session will feature a conversation between Brian and a friend of Encounter, Sarah Mushtaq, to give some insight into the Muslim experience in Canada.

(Oct 20) - [Closed] - Religious holidays are an enjoyable and relatable way to foster openness on religious identities in the workplace. During this talk, we explored some key holidays in the last months of the year such as Diwali, the Jewish High Holidays, Christmas, and more.

(Oct 20) - [Closed] - We will be discussing fall and end of year holidays to better understand the religious and spiritual lives of colleagues and the people the CMHA serves.

[Oct 26] - (Open and Free) In this free talk, we will explore two aspects of Mexican religiosity, namely devotion to the figure of Santa Muerte (Holy Death) and the annual celebration of Dia De Los Muertos (the Day of the Dead). Santa Muerte is one of the newest and fastest growing religions in the Americas while the Day of the Dead is a fascinating example of the unique approach to death in Mexican culture. We hope you can join us.

(Oct 27) - [Closed] - Our executive director will be in conversation with the wonderful Sarah Mushtaq about Islam for senior staff within the school board. The school board has a diversifying workforce and a rapidly diversifying school population and this session is one in a series exploring different religions to gain more knowledge and context to act sensitivelly and skillfully.

(Oct 28) - [Closed] - We will explore key holidays in the fall and early winter months. Learning about key dates on colleagues' calendars and yearly schedules makes us more aware of the richness of our colleagues' lives and it gives us a chance to recognize important moments in their families and communities.

(Oct 29) - [Closed] - Encounter have begin a series on religious holidays for the Oakville Public Library staff. This next session focuses on Hinduism and will highlight the Hindu Holidays such as Diwali, Holi and other colourful celebrations. We will aim to increase staff's religious literacy as a means of fostering an inclusive workplace for staff and a welcoming environment for the general public.

(Nov 8th) - [Open] - In this talk, we aim to shed some light on these issues by stepping away from the noise of social media in order to better understand the historical context of this conflict. We explain the stories of this land and these peoples and explain how key events in the past have led us to this place of conflict. This talk aims for balance by sharing some facts as well as explaining at different points both the pro-Israeli and pro-Palestinian perspectives to help

(Nov 14) - [Closed] - We will be taking graduate students studying religion to three houses of worship to meet leaders, observe ritual and share a meal, providing lived exposure to these communities these students study.