Research-based ideas
to help kids thrive
- Event Retrospective | Video Replay Coming in Early 2024 -
Culture TALKS | Vancouver (BC)
Building Real Community:
At Every Scale
At Every Scale
Local Discussions
Global Impact
Global Impact
Inaugural Event
I wanted to use the Parenting Beyond Power book tour to lift up the voices of others in the local community, and to have conversations that cut across all of our work.
In Vancouver, I was joined by: Kerry Cavers (Founder, Moms Against Racism Canada), Tonye Aganapa (Musician, Activist & Community Builder), Ellen Woodsworth (International Speaker, Lifelong Activist, Feminist, Founder & Matriarch of Women Transforming Cities International Society and Co-Founder of World Peace Forum), and Arlene Panganiban (Owner, VancouverMom.ca). Renowned author Monique Gray Smith wasn't able to join us in person so she recorded a welcome video to share.
We opened with a provocative question: What are you afraid of, and what do you dream of?
In Vancouver, I was joined by: Kerry Cavers (Founder, Moms Against Racism Canada), Tonye Aganapa (Musician, Activist & Community Builder), Ellen Woodsworth (International Speaker, Lifelong Activist, Feminist, Founder & Matriarch of Women Transforming Cities International Society and Co-Founder of World Peace Forum), and Arlene Panganiban (Owner, VancouverMom.ca). Renowned author Monique Gray Smith wasn't able to join us in person so she recorded a welcome video to share.
We opened with a provocative question: What are you afraid of, and what do you dream of?
We looked at the different paths we had taken to push back on systems of domination and oppression, and shared ways we build community that nourish us.
Audience members gathered and chatted with panelists afterward, and many continued conversation over lunch as well.
Audience members gathered and chatted with panelists afterward, and many continued conversation over lunch as well.
- Event Retrospective | Video Replay Coming in Early 2024 -
Culture TALKS | Vancouver (BC)
Building Real Community: At Every Scale
Date: Saturday, Sept. 16, 2023 {Inaugural Event}
Location: Vancouver Unitarians | 949 West 49th Ave, Vancouver Canada
Location: Vancouver Unitarians | 949 West 49th Ave, Vancouver Canada
Local Discussions
Global Impact
Global Impact
When looking at the difficult parts of being together, it's not about guilt or shame. It's about having real conversations and learning from our past and from each other so we can thoughtfully shape our future - together.
Welcome to the new traveling series where Jen Lumanlan brings together voices from local communities so we can all learn from each other. Because Culture TALKS... past, present & future.
Welcome to the new traveling series where Jen Lumanlan brings together voices from local communities so we can all learn from each other. Because Culture TALKS... past, present & future.
Pictured left to right: Ellen Woodsworth, Tonye Aganaba, Jen Lumanlan, Kerry Cavers, Arlene Panganiban
Many thanks to our panelists, volunteers, organizers, and all of you who joined us in person for our very first Culture TALKS event in Vancouver last September 16th!
We continue to be on the road, also see Culture TALKS Seattle (took place this past Oct. 11), but are working on pulling together replays that captured the illuminating conversations to share by end of the year!
We continue to be on the road, also see Culture TALKS Seattle (took place this past Oct. 11), but are working on pulling together replays that captured the illuminating conversations to share by end of the year!
About Culture TALKS | Vancouver (BC)
Event Details | Recap
Building Relationships; Building Our Future
It can seem like social forces like White supremacy, patriarchy, and capitalism are 'out there' in the world and that they're so big there's nothing we can really do about them.
But these systems are created and perpetuated in our daily interactions with those around us, at all levels of scale: in our relationships with our children, with the children we teach, with the other parents at the playground, and with the people who live, work, and play in the city around us (and we have panelists working at all of those levels!).
In this fun, interactive panel event you'll learn and discuss with the panelists:
- How to see the impacts of big social forces in your every day relationships
- Ways to live your social justice values in those relationships
- How to be in mutually beneficial relationships with people who have different privilege from you
You'll leave the event with:
- A deeper understanding of how you and your family have been impacted by White supremacy, patriarchy, and capitalism
- A sense of hope that things can be different, and you can be a part of making it happen
- Concrete strategies you can use in your relationships to create a sense of belonging and community
Several panelists are book authors and have a variety of offerings to support this mission. Please come to the event ready to support them with (tax deductible!) donations and purchases - they make ideal holiday gifts for yourself, your family members, and others who share your values.
Childcare is available!
Pacific Immigrant Resources Society will provide childcare; 20 USD donation per child for the whole event. Sign up when you register for event tickets.
Suggested donation:
10-20 USD. Nobody turned away. If you can afford to donate more, this will enable us to support others.
Tickets will provide a panelist / moderator honorarium. Any overage will be evenly split between panelists and childcare providers, in recognition of the systemic under-valuing of caregiving work.
Event Location
Vancouver Unitarians (we are renting the space; this is not a religious event) 949 West 49th Ave, Vancouver BC. Please see this page for information on parking, public transit, and directions.
Accessibility
All areas are fully wheelchair accessible.
Pacific Immigrant Resources Society will provide childcare; 20 USD donation per child for the whole event. Sign up when you register for event tickets.
Suggested donation:
10-20 USD. Nobody turned away. If you can afford to donate more, this will enable us to support others.
Tickets will provide a panelist / moderator honorarium. Any overage will be evenly split between panelists and childcare providers, in recognition of the systemic under-valuing of caregiving work.
Event Location
Vancouver Unitarians (we are renting the space; this is not a religious event) 949 West 49th Ave, Vancouver BC. Please see this page for information on parking, public transit, and directions.
Accessibility
All areas are fully wheelchair accessible.
About Culture TALKS | Vancouver (BC)
Building Relationships;
Building Our Future
Building Our Future
It can seem like social forces like White supremacy, patriarchy, and capitalism are 'out there' in the world and that they're so big there's nothing we can really do about them.
But these systems are created and perpetuated in our daily interactions with those around us, at all levels of scale: in our relationships with our children, with the children we teach, with the other parents at the playground, and with the people who live, work, and play in the city around us (and we have panelists working at all of those levels!).
In this fun, interactive panel event you'll learn and discuss with the panelists:
- How to see the impacts of big social forces in your every day relationships
- Ways to live your social justice values in those relationships
- How to be in mutually beneficial relationships with people who have different privilege from you
You'll leave the event with:
- A deeper understanding of how you and your family have been impacted by White supremacy, patriarchy, and capitalism
- A sense of hope that things can be different, and you can be a part of making it happen
- Concrete strategies you can use in your relationships to create a sense of belonging and community
Several panelists are book authors and have a variety of offerings to support this mission. Please come to the event ready to support them with (tax deductible!) donations and purchases - they make ideal holiday gifts for yourself, your family members, and others who share your values.
PANELISTS | Culture TALKS - Vancouver (BC)
Kerry Cavers
Founder, Moms Against Racism Canada
Kerry Cavers (she/her/hers) is an anti-racism advocate, facilitator, and founder of Moms Against Racism (Canada). She is a biracial, Black presenting, cis-gender woman of African, English, Swedish, and Irish descent.
Kerry has a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and is an Emotional Intelligence (EQ-i 2.0/ EQ 360) Certified Practitioner. She has been delivering impactful anti-racism and anti-oppression workshops over the last three years to a broad range of audiences, including the BC Government, non-profit organizations, educators, childcare providers, parents, and children. She has been interviewed many times and participated on several panels speaking on topics such as racism in the workplace, in schools, and in parenting.
With immense gratitude, Kerry, her partner, and their 3 children live as guests on the traditional territories of the Lək̓ʷəŋən people, colonially referred to as Victoria, BC. Kerry is committed to using the power and privilege she does have to support Indigenous sovereignty as guided by the First Nations, Metis and Inuit of Turtle Island.
Kerry has a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and is an Emotional Intelligence (EQ-i 2.0/ EQ 360) Certified Practitioner. She has been delivering impactful anti-racism and anti-oppression workshops over the last three years to a broad range of audiences, including the BC Government, non-profit organizations, educators, childcare providers, parents, and children. She has been interviewed many times and participated on several panels speaking on topics such as racism in the workplace, in schools, and in parenting.
With immense gratitude, Kerry, her partner, and their 3 children live as guests on the traditional territories of the Lək̓ʷəŋən people, colonially referred to as Victoria, BC. Kerry is committed to using the power and privilege she does have to support Indigenous sovereignty as guided by the First Nations, Metis and Inuit of Turtle Island.
Tonye Aganapa
Musician, Activist, Community Builder
Tonye Aganaba is an African immigrant and uninvited settler living on the unceded ancestral territories of the Musqueam, Squamish & Tsleil-Waututh First Nations. Born and raised in England, they came with family to so-called Canada at 13. Tonye celebrates their African roots and looks forward to returning to their ancestral homelands, Nigeria and Zimbabwe.
Tonye is an interdisciplinary artist and musician - and their style is dynamic and fluid - weaving playful threads of Soul, Neo-Folk, Funk, Hip-Hop and R&B. They co-create spaces that are connected and intimate, always aiming to evoke vulnerability. This passionate and political being is also a fixture in Vancouver’s arts and abolitionist organizing communities, often weaving the together. They are Lily, Carnelian, Katya and Cheeba’s Mom.
Tonye is an interdisciplinary artist and musician - and their style is dynamic and fluid - weaving playful threads of Soul, Neo-Folk, Funk, Hip-Hop and R&B. They co-create spaces that are connected and intimate, always aiming to evoke vulnerability. This passionate and political being is also a fixture in Vancouver’s arts and abolitionist organizing communities, often weaving the together. They are Lily, Carnelian, Katya and Cheeba’s Mom.
Ellen Woodsworth
International Speaker, Lifelong Activist, Feminist, Founder & Matriarch of Women Transforming Cities International Society and Co-Founder of World Peace Forum
Ellen is an intersectional lesbian feministWhite feminist, a 2SLGBTQIA++ activist, a champion of wages for housework, 2SLGBTQIA++, urban issues, housing rights, and seniors rights and peace issues. In 1971 she chained herself in the House of Commons for women’s rights to abortion. She has been an activist since 1966, when she joined the Vancouver Women’s Caucus.
Ellen is long time activist from a family of activists. She works on social change with an intersectional lens. In 1971 she chained herself in the House of Commons for women’s right to abortion and then came out as a lesbian and began to work on the issues of wages for housework. After ten years of working in the SRO’s in the downtown eastside of Vancouver she was elected to city council and continued to work on urban issues such as affordable and accessible housing, transit, childcare, income for seniors, youth, the IBPC community as well as peace and climate change issues.
In 2002 she ran for city council; she was one of two women on council and the first openly lesbian city councillor in all of Canada. Since COVID-19, she has been advocating for women to work collaboratively on issues like affordable housing, childcare, electoral reform, defunding police, racism, and against colonialism and neo liberalism using an intersectional feminist lens. She is now Co President of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom.
Ellen is long time activist from a family of activists. She works on social change with an intersectional lens. In 1971 she chained herself in the House of Commons for women’s right to abortion and then came out as a lesbian and began to work on the issues of wages for housework. After ten years of working in the SRO’s in the downtown eastside of Vancouver she was elected to city council and continued to work on urban issues such as affordable and accessible housing, transit, childcare, income for seniors, youth, the IBPC community as well as peace and climate change issues.
In 2002 she ran for city council; she was one of two women on council and the first openly lesbian city councillor in all of Canada. Since COVID-19, she has been advocating for women to work collaboratively on issues like affordable housing, childcare, electoral reform, defunding police, racism, and against colonialism and neo liberalism using an intersectional feminist lens. She is now Co President of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom.
Jen Lumanlan
Founder & Creator of the Your Parenting Mojo podcast, author of Parenting Beyond Power: How to Use Connection & Collaboration to Transform Your Family - And the World, and catalyst for Culture Talks
Jen Lumanlan is a White, cisgender woman who hosts Your Parenting Mojo, named best research-based parenting podcast by LifeHacker, which has 3 million + downloads. Her courses and memberships help parents to raise children in alignment with their values. Jen holds several degrees, including a Master’s in Psychology (Child Development) and another in Education.
On September 5, 2023, Jen released her first book: Parenting Beyond Power: How to Use Connection and Collaboration to Transform Your Family - and the World. The book traces the ways that White supremacy, patriarchy, and capitalism have hurt us and our children. It shows step-by-step how to understand and meet our children's needs and our own needs so we can all live fulfilled lives - making it easier to get the teeth brushed, while raising children who will help to create a more inclusive society.
On September 5, 2023, Jen released her first book: Parenting Beyond Power: How to Use Connection and Collaboration to Transform Your Family - and the World. The book traces the ways that White supremacy, patriarchy, and capitalism have hurt us and our children. It shows step-by-step how to understand and meet our children's needs and our own needs so we can all live fulfilled lives - making it easier to get the teeth brushed, while raising children who will help to create a more inclusive society.
Monique Gray Smith, Honorary Panelist
Award-winning author, international speaker.
Monique Gray Smith is a proud mom of teenage twins, an award-winning, best-selling author and sought after consultant. Monique’s most recent novel, Tilly and the Crazy Eights was long listed for Canada Reads 2021.
Monique has 9 books for readers from childhood to adulthood. Her books share wisdom, knowledge, hope and the important teaching that love is medicine.
Monique is Cree, Lakota and Scottish and has been sober and involved in her healing journey for over 32 years. She is well known for her storytelling, spirit of generosity and focus on resilience. (Monique is unable to join in-person and is recording a video message for us)
Monique has 9 books for readers from childhood to adulthood. Her books share wisdom, knowledge, hope and the important teaching that love is medicine.
Monique is Cree, Lakota and Scottish and has been sober and involved in her healing journey for over 32 years. She is well known for her storytelling, spirit of generosity and focus on resilience. (Monique is unable to join in-person and is recording a video message for us)
MODERATED by
CO-ORGANIZED by
Arlene Panganiban
Owner, VancouverMom.ca
iris paradela-hunter
With over 10 years of experience in marketing, Arlene is a seasoned maven in the field. Her forte in B2C marketing positions her as a bridge-builder, effortlessly connecting brands with their target audiences.
Under her leadership, VancouverMom.ca curates a wealth of events, activities, and insights, providing a comprehensive guide to the bustling city's family-friendly offerings. Arlene's expertise converges with the platform's mission, promising an exciting and fruitful trajectory where the realms of motherhood, marketing, and Vancouver's unique ethos converge harmoniously.
Arlene loves to connect with others and is thrilled to continue building a thriving community with Vancouver Mom.
Under her leadership, VancouverMom.ca curates a wealth of events, activities, and insights, providing a comprehensive guide to the bustling city's family-friendly offerings. Arlene's expertise converges with the platform's mission, promising an exciting and fruitful trajectory where the realms of motherhood, marketing, and Vancouver's unique ethos converge harmoniously.
Arlene loves to connect with others and is thrilled to continue building a thriving community with Vancouver Mom.
iris paradela-hunter is a Filipinx-Canadian with a wide-ranging background, including end-of-life education. She’s a community death care advocate and a lifelong generalist who feels most alive when organizing events – including her own living wake!
A long-time listener of the Your Parenting Mojo podcast, iris has been a member of Jen Lumanlan’s Parenting Membership for many years and one of the peer coaches in her Taming Your Triggers course.
Being a mama to an empathetic and feisty eight-year-old daughter challenges iris to re-think her ideas about power, patriarchy and parenting.
with BOOKSELLER PARTNER
PANELISTS | Culture TALKS Vancouver (BC)
Kerry Cavers
Founder, Moms Against Racism Canada
Kerry Cavers (she/her/hers) is an anti-racism advocate, facilitator, and founder of Moms Against Racism (Canada). She is a biracial, Black presenting, cis-gender woman of African, English, Swedish, and Irish descent.
Kerry has a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and is an Emotional Intelligence (EQ-i 2.0/ EQ 360) Certified Practitioner. She has been delivering impactful anti-racism and anti-oppression workshops over the last three years to a broad range of audiences, including the BC Government, non-profit organizations, educators, childcare providers, parents, and children. She has been interviewed many times and participated on several panels speaking on topics such as racism in the workplace, in schools, and in parenting.
With immense gratitude, Kerry, her partner, and their 3 children live as guests on the traditional territories of the Lək̓ʷəŋən people, colonially referred to as Victoria, BC. Kerry is committed to using the power and privilege she does have to support Indigenous sovereignty as guided by the First Nations, Metis and Inuit of Turtle Island.
Kerry has a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and is an Emotional Intelligence (EQ-i 2.0/ EQ 360) Certified Practitioner. She has been delivering impactful anti-racism and anti-oppression workshops over the last three years to a broad range of audiences, including the BC Government, non-profit organizations, educators, childcare providers, parents, and children. She has been interviewed many times and participated on several panels speaking on topics such as racism in the workplace, in schools, and in parenting.
With immense gratitude, Kerry, her partner, and their 3 children live as guests on the traditional territories of the Lək̓ʷəŋən people, colonially referred to as Victoria, BC. Kerry is committed to using the power and privilege she does have to support Indigenous sovereignty as guided by the First Nations, Metis and Inuit of Turtle Island.
Tonye Aganaba
Musician, Activist,
Community Builder
Community Builder
Tonye Aganaba is an African immigrant and uninvited settler living on the unceded ancestral territories of the Musqueam, Squamish & Tsleil-Waututh First Nations. Born and raised in England, they came with family to so-called Canada at 13. Tonye celebrates their African roots and looks forward to returning to their ancestral homelands, Nigeria and Zimbabwe.
Tonye is an interdisciplinary artist and musician - and their style is dynamic and fluid - weaving playful threads of Soul, Neo-Folk, Funk, Hip-Hop and R&B. They co-create spaces that are connected and intimate, always aiming to evoke vulnerability. This passionate and political being is also a fixture in Vancouver’s arts and abolitionist organizing communities, often weaving the together. They are Lily, Carnelian, Katya and Cheeba’s Mom.
Tonye is an interdisciplinary artist and musician - and their style is dynamic and fluid - weaving playful threads of Soul, Neo-Folk, Funk, Hip-Hop and R&B. They co-create spaces that are connected and intimate, always aiming to evoke vulnerability. This passionate and political being is also a fixture in Vancouver’s arts and abolitionist organizing communities, often weaving the together. They are Lily, Carnelian, Katya and Cheeba’s Mom.
Ellen Woodsworth
International Speaker, Lifelong Activist, Feminist, Founder & Matriarch of Women Transforming Cities International Society and Co-Founder of World Peace Forum
Ellen is an intersectional lesbian feministWhite feminist, a 2SLGBTQIA++ activist, a champion of wages for housework, 2SLGBTQIA++, urban issues, housing rights, and seniors rights and peace issues. In 1971 she chained herself in the House of Commons for women’s rights to abortion. She has been an activist since 1966, when she joined the Vancouver Women’s Caucus.
Ellen is long time activist from a family of activists. She works on social change with an intersectional lens. In 1971 she chained herself in the House of Commons for women’s right to abortion and then came out as a lesbian and began to work on the issues of wages for housework. After ten years of working in the SRO’s in the downtown eastside of Vancouver she was elected to city council and continued to work on urban issues such as affordable and accessible housing, transit, childcare, income for seniors, youth, the IBPC community as well as peace and climate change issues.
In 2002 she ran for city council; she was one of two women on council and the first openly lesbian city councillor in all of Canada. Since COVID-19, she has been advocating for women to work collaboratively on issues like affordable housing, childcare, electoral reform, defunding police, racism, and against colonialism and neo liberalism using an intersectional feminist lens. She is now Co President of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom.
Ellen is long time activist from a family of activists. She works on social change with an intersectional lens. In 1971 she chained herself in the House of Commons for women’s right to abortion and then came out as a lesbian and began to work on the issues of wages for housework. After ten years of working in the SRO’s in the downtown eastside of Vancouver she was elected to city council and continued to work on urban issues such as affordable and accessible housing, transit, childcare, income for seniors, youth, the IBPC community as well as peace and climate change issues.
In 2002 she ran for city council; she was one of two women on council and the first openly lesbian city councillor in all of Canada. Since COVID-19, she has been advocating for women to work collaboratively on issues like affordable housing, childcare, electoral reform, defunding police, racism, and against colonialism and neo liberalism using an intersectional feminist lens. She is now Co President of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom.
Jen Lumanlan
Founder & Creator of the Your Parenting Mojo podcast, author of Parenting Beyond Power: How to Use Connection & Collaboration to Transform Your Family - And the World, and catalyst for Culture Talks
Jen Lumanlan is a White, cisgender woman who hosts Your Parenting Mojo, named best research-based parenting podcast by LifeHacker, which has 3 million + downloads. Her courses and memberships help parents to raise children in alignment with their values. Jen holds several degrees, including a Master’s in Psychology (Child Development) and another in Education.
On September 5, 2023, Jen releases her first book: Parenting Beyond Power: How to Use Connection and Collaboration to Transform Your Family - and the World. The book traces the ways that White supremacy, patriarchy, and capitalism have hurt us and our children. It shows step-by-step how to understand and meet our children's needs and our own needs so we can all live fulfilled lives - making it easier to get the teeth brushed, while raising children who will help to create a more inclusive society.
On September 5, 2023, Jen releases her first book: Parenting Beyond Power: How to Use Connection and Collaboration to Transform Your Family - and the World. The book traces the ways that White supremacy, patriarchy, and capitalism have hurt us and our children. It shows step-by-step how to understand and meet our children's needs and our own needs so we can all live fulfilled lives - making it easier to get the teeth brushed, while raising children who will help to create a more inclusive society.
Monique Gray Smith, Honorary Panelist
Award-winning author,
international speaker.
international speaker.
Monique Gray Smith is a proud mom of teenage twins, an award-winning, best-selling author and sought after consultant. Monique’s most recent novel, Tilly and the Crazy Eights was long listed for Canada Reads 2021.
Monique has 9 books for readers from childhood to adulthood. Her books share wisdom, knowledge, hope and the important teaching that love is medicine.
Monique is Cree, Lakota and Scottish and has been sober and involved in her healing journey for over 32 years. She is well known for her storytelling, spirit of generosity and focus on resilience. (Monique is unable to join in-person and is recording a video message for us)
Monique has 9 books for readers from childhood to adulthood. Her books share wisdom, knowledge, hope and the important teaching that love is medicine.
Monique is Cree, Lakota and Scottish and has been sober and involved in her healing journey for over 32 years. She is well known for her storytelling, spirit of generosity and focus on resilience. (Monique is unable to join in-person and is recording a video message for us)
MODERATED by
Arlene Panganiban
Owner, VancouverMom.ca
With over 10 years of experience in marketing, Arlene is a seasoned maven in the field. Her forte in B2C marketing positions her as a bridge-builder, effortlessly connecting brands with their target audiences.
Under her leadership, VancouverMom.ca curates a wealth of events, activities, and insights, providing a comprehensive guide to the bustling city's family-friendly offerings. Arlene's expertise converges with the platform's mission, promising an exciting and fruitful trajectory where the realms of motherhood, marketing, and Vancouver's unique ethos converge harmoniously.
Arlene loves to connect with others and is thrilled to continue building a thriving community with Vancouver Mom.
Under her leadership, VancouverMom.ca curates a wealth of events, activities, and insights, providing a comprehensive guide to the bustling city's family-friendly offerings. Arlene's expertise converges with the platform's mission, promising an exciting and fruitful trajectory where the realms of motherhood, marketing, and Vancouver's unique ethos converge harmoniously.
Arlene loves to connect with others and is thrilled to continue building a thriving community with Vancouver Mom.
CO-ORGANIZED by
iris paradela-hunter
iris paradela-hunter is a Filipinx-Canadian with a wide-ranging background, including end-of-life education. She’s a community death care advocate and a lifelong generalist who feels most alive when organizing events – including her own living wake!
A long-time listener of the Your Parenting Mojo podcast, iris has been a member of Jen Lumanlan’s Parenting Membership for many years and one of the peer coaches in her Taming Your Triggers course.
Being a mama to an empathetic and feisty eight-year-old daughter challenges iris to re-think her ideas about power, patriarchy and parenting.
with BOOKSELLER PARTNER
Video Replay Coming
In Early 2024
In Early 2024
New Release!
Special Interview with Moms Against Racism (MAR) Canada Founder, Kerry Cavers
Special Interview with Moms Against Racism (MAR) Canada Founder, Kerry Cavers
Jen and Kerry connected through the Culture TALKS Vancouver event, and immediately discovered the connections across their very different life experiences.
The morning after the panel event, Kerry shared what it's like growing up (and currently living in) a multi-racial family, why she started MAR Canada and how each of us can play a role in a truly anti-racist world.
Connect with us!
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