December 16th, 2011
“The physical design of cities and their economic functions are secondary to their relationship to the natural environment and to the spiritual values of human community.” Lewis Mumford Half the world’s population of 7 billion live in cities. Another 2 billion are expected to become city dwellers by 2030. Urban…
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November 27th, 2011
BC’s Advisory Council on Social Entrepreneurship Releases Interim Report
Together: Respecting the Future is now on-line. http://socialinnovationbc.ca/
You can access and comment on the draft report using Google Docs. To download a full copy of the Draft Recommendations click here. This draft report represents the current thinking of members of the BC Government’s Advisory Council on Social Entrepreneurship on…
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November 23rd, 2011
I’ve always been partial to imagination as opposed to dreams. Imagination has an element of intentionality, of agency. Bold leaps of imagination inspire bold actions. This sense of purpose and deliberation is a good description of Imagine Canada today. After the inevitable growing pains associated with the merger of the…
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November 21st, 2011
“Democratic governance must evolve rapidly if it is to guide us through our social and environmental challenges. We require a deeper, more integrated form of democracy.” John Richardson Founder Party ‘X’ The lingering memory of a recent Paul Hawken speech was the delivery of a comment from the audience. Stepping…
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November 15th, 2011
Implementing Shannen’s Dream: Inspiring Approaches through Changemakers
15 year old Shannen Koostachin of Attawapiskat First Nation in Ontario had a dream – to go to a real school. A school that was safe and comfy, offering culturally based education for herself and her classmates. She led a group of students from her remote James Bay community to…
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November 6th, 2011
Ted Jackson, community organizer, fellow Frontier College alumni and Professor at Carleton University presented the following speech at the 52nd annual meeting of the Quinte West Association for Community Living. A comprehensive analysis and call to action relevant for all non profits. Social Gold The metaphor I want to use…
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October 5th, 2011
A Resilient Society is Inclusive, Sustainable and Innovative. That pretty well sums up the fruits of the JW McConnell Family Foundation’s journey over the last fifteen years. Fifteen years of learning, risk taking and jettisoning assumptions. A period in which the foundation shifted from funding buildings to supporting the adaptive…
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September 16th, 2011
This week a young woman caring for a mother with cancer submitted an inspiring personal story to the Vancouver Observer, where it immediately hit the front page. To read Christabel’s article about using social media to help her mom fight cancer, click here.
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September 13th, 2011
“At the core of a good society, a fulfilling life and an effective state are relationships among people, between citizens, with public services that provide care, recognition, purpose and motivation.” Charles Leadbeater Charles Leadbeater has been tracking and chronicling creative responses to our social challenges for several decades. He has…
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September 11th, 2011
I wrote the following story nearly 20 years ago when we were in the midst of a law reform campaign to establish Representation Agreements as a grass roots alternate to traditional adult guardianship. (see my previous post – Love in the Architecture) I had been asked to write a rather…
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