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The University of British Columbia
Robson Square
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The Bike Kitchen Presents: The Right to Repair
July 29, 2023
12:00 PM – 5:00 PM
at UBC Robson Square (map)
About the Event
UBC’s Bike Kitchen presents “The Right to Repair”, a sustainability forum targeting industry issues surrounding the sale of “built-to-fail” products and consumers’ right to repair their own products across multiple industries, including the bicycles and electronics industries. Participants will hear from a panel of experts about the real-world applications of their research on the challenges facing community repair cafés, local and international policy models for a circular economy, and built-to-fail bicycles & e-bikes.
With their expertise in the bike industry, The Bike Kitchen’s team will be leading a discussion with speakers contributing their insights from UBC’s Institute for Resources, Environment, and Sustainability (IRES), UBC E-Kitchen, the Share Reuse Repair Initiative (SRRI), and Our Community Bikes.
Alongside the panel discussion, participants will be invited to further engage with a range of topics in small breakout workshops led by our facilitators. Learn and discuss about the politics of repair, cultures of repair, how industry and economics influences the cost of repair, and much more!
A number of partner organizations will set up with booths to discuss their initiatives, and to empower folks to begin developing their own repair skills.
Event Schedule
12:00 PM – Right to Repair Expo booths and hands-on tinkering tables
1:00 PM – Expert panel discussion
2:00 PM – Breakout discussions facilitated by speakers and special guests
3:30 PM – Closing panel and reflection
4:00 PM – Reception with prizes and light refreshments and snacks
Moderator
Zoé Kruchten (she/her) – UBC Bike Kitchen Programs Manager
Zoé is the programs manager at the Bike Kitchen. She has over 10 years of experience in the cycling industry as a mechanic, advocate, and researcher.
Panelists
Michelle Kaczmarek (she/her) – Program Manager at Share Reuse Repair Initiative & PhD Candidate at the School of Information, UBC
Michelle’s PhD dissertation research explores the efforts, stories, and aspirations of those participating in community-based repair initiatives in Metro Vancouver as they seek to establish a “culture of repair”. With the Share Reuse Repair Initiative, she works to bring together government, businesses, and community organisations to find scalable and equitable paths towards circular ways of living. Michelle enjoys speaking about repair futures, the circular economy, information policy and ethics, bike trip dreams, and her vegetable garden. She is a founding Board member and Systems Coordinator of Language Partners BC Co-op. Michelle moved to xʷməθkʷəy̓əm, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh, and səl̓ilw̓ətaʔɬ territory from the UK in 2015. She recently replaced the battery in her e-reader – ten years and still going strong!
Sarah Thomas (she/her) – Our Community Bikes Shop Manager
Sarah is the Shop Manager at Our Community Bikes. She is a community planner and has spent much of her professional life advocating for, and building capacity at, the grassroots. Promoting cycling, localizing our networks, and reducing waste are core to her work. She has a passion for social justice and sees cycling as a way to increase equity and provide transportation options to people of all ages and socio-economic backgrounds. Empowering people to repair their bikes, and anything that’s worn out, is close to her heart. When not at the bike shop you can find her mending clothes or picking apples up a tree.
Neha Sharma-Mascarenhas (she/her) – PhD Candidate and researcher at the Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability at UBC
Neha Sharma-Mascarenhas is a PhD Candidate and researcher at the Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability at UBC, Vancouver. An economist and an environmental social scientist by training, she has worked at the nexus of economic, sustainability and public policy research, as well as data science and analytics for over a decade and half. These engagements have been with local governments, non-profits, international research organizations and corporations across various sectors. At UBC, her doctoral research investigates the socio-economic, policy and industrial dynamics that mediate repair and reuse within a zero waste and circular economy context. In parallel to her research, Neha has been involved in projects to devise solutions to various sustainability science challenges with the local government, Vancouver Economic Commission, SRRI, and TransLink; and volunteers with her recycling collection depot in Vancouver. She lives with her husband and two young daughters.
Wilson Miao (he/him) – Member of Parliament for Richmond Centre
Wilson Miao is the Member of Parliament for Richmond Centre, having been elected in 2021. Being a lifelong resident of Richmond Centre, his deep commitment is to build a more inclusive and better community for everyone in Richmond Centre.
Originally immigrated from Hong Kong as a child with his parents, Wilson grew up in Richmond, attended Ferris Elementary and Richmond Secondary. He obtained a degree in Bachelor of Business Administration from Simon Fraser University. Before entering politics, Wilson worked in the real estate and media sector and actively contribute to the local business community.
As a Member of Parliament, Wilson believes in the collective effort of building a strong community by fostering community dialogues and engagements. Wilson currently serves on the Standing Committee of Veterans Affairs and International Trade. Notably, he recently tabled his Private Member Bill C-244, advocating for the right to repair for Canadians.
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