Andre Pawan Vashist

A multi award winning social innovator, André has 20 years of experience in community wellbeing and transformations and is a facilitator of multi-stakeholder collaborations that are working towards social and ecological justice. At his core, he is a dedicated family member with two children, a lover of the land with joy for being outdoors, a poet who expresses openly about life’s journey, and a passionate collaborator for a better world. Co-designing solutions to shared challenges is where André likes to infuse his magic by weaving identities with a healing centered approach - connecting the inner and outer work as we attempt transformations to solve societal challenges. Watch this TEDx Talk to learn more about André. André is currently located on the traditional territories of the Anishinaabek (Ah-nish-in-a-bek), Haudenosaunee (Ho-den-no-show-nee), Lūnaapéewak (Len-ahpay- wuk) and Chonnonton (Chun-ongk-ton) Nations, on lands connected with the London Township and Sombra Treaties of 1796 and the Dish with One Spoon Covenant Wampum - also known as London, Ontario, and along the river, Deshkan Ziibi. The three Indigenous Nations that are neighbours to London, Ontario are the Chippewas of the Thames First Nation; Oneida Nation of the Thames; and the Munsee-Delaware Nation who all continue to live as sovereign Nations with individual and unique languages, cultures and customs. (This Land Acknowledgement is a first step towards reconciliation. Awareness means nothing without action. He continues to learn and take steps towards decolonizing practices, including being informed about the traditional lands, Treaties, history, and cultures of the Indigenous people across Turtle Island.)