We have discovered that our human connections contain pathways to healing our world. We are focused on addressing the isolation of, and our separation from, people with disabilities and others who have been marginalized. To foster belonging, we illuminate individual and collective contributions and create ways to ensure that they are received and recognized. We have no doubt that everyone has a contribution to make.
Some of the pathways to belonging we have discovered are:
Networks:
For many, social networks are recent phenomena. For us, they are a way of life. We have 20 years of experience in the hands-on creation of personal networks. We have developed a strategic ‘social technology’ that moves people from isolation into community and we have trained hundreds of community connectors in the art and science of network facilitation.
Dialogue and Reflection:
We are working on a new theory of disability and citizenship. We created Philia, a dialogue on caring citizenship, to explore new ideas and deepen our theoretical base. Visit www.philia.ca to join the dialogue and read articles by thought leaders such as John Ralston Saul, writers such as Sandra Shields and social movement leaders such as Catherine Frazee.
Innovation:
We are social entrepreneurs with a passion to share and embed values, processes and concepts that promote belonging and caring citizenship. We are recognized social innovators and we have been invited to share our model and approach to social sustainability with a wide variety of audiences including international foundations, federal and provincial government departments and community coalitions. To learn more about the scope of our impact, visit our connections.
Resources:
We have developed numerous books, online courses, mentoring and consultation packages for individuals, communities and organizations interested in cultivating a more inclusive, connected and hospitable culture. Our work is available in four languages.
Partnerships:
We work in partnership to effect durable change. We are founding partners in the ‘The Belonging Initiative’ . This national collaborative is working to influence public policy and access resources to address isolation and loneliness.
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