In This Issue
Profile: Alberta Community & Co-operative Association
CED Tool - CED in Calgary Booklet
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- National Co-op Orgs Launch CDI Renewal Campaign
- Senate Report on Rural Poverty
- Can Values Make a Difference? Co-ops
- Early Bird Reg for 10th Anniversary Social Enterprise Summit, New Orleans
- What Sport Can Do: The True Sport Report
- Report from the Social Enterprise World Forum in Edinburgh
- Video Archives of National Housing Research Committee's
- A Case for Social Innovation
- Call for Proposals: Aussie conference ‘Building Community Centred Economies'
CED Profile: Alberta Community & Co-operative Association
The Alberta Community & Co-operative Association (ACCA) is one of a number of regional co-operative organizations in Canada providing service to its member organizations and promoting co-operatives.
ACCA was formed in 2005 through the merger of the Rural Education and Development Association and the Co-operative Council of Alberta. Its purpose is to strengthen Alberta communities through cooperative and agricultural awareness, training and development. Members include agriculture, finance, insurance, consumer, supply, and service co-ops.
There are also a variety of sectoral federations which represent and serve groups of co-operatives, including the Association of Alberta Co-operative Seed Cleaning Plants, Alberta Federation of Rural Water Co-operatives, Alberta Federation of Rural Electrification Associations, Alberta Federation of Gas Co-ops and two regional co-operative housing associations. Francophone co-operatives are represented by the Conseil Albertain de la Coopération, a committee of La Chambre économique de l’Alberta.
Providing rural Alberta with natural gas, the members of the Federation of Alberta Gas Co-ops Limited create the largest rural gas system in the world. The Federation is composed of 92 natural gas utilities throughout the province of Alberta, including 62 gas co-ops, 19 towns and municipalities, four counties, six Native Bands, and one private utility. The first co-ops were incorporated in 1973 and they now serve over 100,000 customers with over 100,000 kilometers of pipe. Members of the gas co-operatives are involved in the running of their co-op through providing rights of ways for the pipes, volunteering time, labor and equipment putting in the systems, and participating on boards and committees.
The Alberta Community & Co-operative Association and the Conseil Albertain de la Coopération have been mandated to deliver co-operative development services in the province of Alberta, with funding from the Co-operative Development Initiative, a partnership between the Federal Government and the co-op sector.
Alberta CED News
ACCA Receives Funding for Rural Cooperative Outreach and Development Project
Rural Alberta's Development Fund has announced that it will provide $140,500 funding for a unique ACCA project that focuses on co-operative development in rural Alberta.
The co-op development project seeks to address challenges of rural Alberta such as outward migration, geographic isolation from urban centres of support, and lack of technical capacity. It will also work to ensure that there is wide community support and involvement and that it meets with the needs, aspirations, hopes and dreams of the community as a whole.
The project is also innovative in that it includes an exploratory phase. In this phase, communities will assess the ways in which co-op development could become an integral part of their overall strategic plan for community economic development. In some cases, this might actually lead to local governments building co-op development objectives into their economic development plan, literally weaving a co-operative development framework into the fabric of the community.
Learning more about how your community could participate in this project at www.acca.coop
CED Tool
Fantastic New Resource: CED in Calgary Booklet
Many organizations, individuals, and businesses are practicing Community Economic Development (CED) and don't even know it. Others are in a position to be involved and will gain awareness of opportunities. The purpose of this booklet is to educate more people about CED and encourage more creative CED initiatives in our community.
National News and Events
National Co-op Orgs Launch CDI Renewal Campaign
Canada's two national co-op organizations have launched a campaign to ensure the renewal of the Co-operative Development Initiative (CDI), a federal government program that provides support for new and emerging co-ops. The program, which has been funded by the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada for the past six years, is scheduled to expire in March 2009.
For more information on CDI, as well as tools to allow you to e-mail your MP, go to www.coopscanada.coop/cdi
Senate Report on Rural Poverty
Recommendations include renewing the Social Economy Initiative, endorsing the Co-op Housing strategy, CDI renewal, targets for rural poverty reduction, rural broadband initiatives and CAP funding, a study on guaranteed annual income, housing initiatives, literacy funding renewals, support for CFDCs and expanding micro-credit options, support for new and expanding credit unions, and much more.
Can Values Make a Difference? Co-operatives - moving from the Rochdale Pioneers to the 21st Century.
Call for papers for July conference in Manchester. Submission Deadline Jan 16.
Early Bird Registration for 10th Anniversary Social Enterprise Summit, New Orleans - Dare to Dream, Dare to Do.
Early-bird registration closes January 7, 2009. Conference April 15-17, 09.
What Sport Can Do: The True Sport Report.
Health; positive child and youth development; stronger and more
inclusive communities; economic development and renewal; and
environmental sustainability are all cited as benefits, in a recent
release on behalf of the True Sport movement, http://www.truesportpur.ca/
via Tamarack
Report from the Social Enterprise World Forum in Edinburgh
Video Archives of National Housing Research Committee's Nov. 4th Session now available.
Topics include: Changing Patterns in Homeownership and Shelter Costs in Canada from the 2006 Census, CMHC'S Lifecycle Costing Tool for Community Infrastructure Planning, and Access to Housing Finance Among Recent Immigrants.
A Case for Social Innovation Article
Social entrepreneurship and social enterprise have become popular
rallying points for those trying to improve the world. These two
notions are positive ones, but neither is adequate. We contend that
social innovation is the best construct for understanding - and
producing - lasting social change.
via Tamarack
Call for Innovative Proposals: Aussie conference ‘Building Community Centred Economies'
The 2009 International Association of Community Development and Community Development Queensland is currently seeking proposals for participation in the largest community development conference held in Oceania to date! Proposals due by January 10, 2009.
The aim of the conference is to create outcomes that assist the practice of sustainable community development both locally and internationally. The following topics will be addressed: Building Sustainable Livelihoods; Promoting Human Scale Economies; Engaging and Leveraging Community Development Finance; Exploring Government, Corporate, and Community Relationships; Protecting the Right to Local Security and Sovereignty; and Breaking New Ground on Old Issues.
Learn more about the Building Community Centered Economies: Dialogue for Action from June 17 - 20, 2009 at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, Brisbane, Australia at www.cdconference.com.au
Job Postings
For the latest CED postings visit the National and Regional job pages on CCEDNet's website
National | AB | SK | MB | North
Positions to post? Send them to breimer@ccednet-rcdec.ca