In This Issue
- Legislative Innovations and Social Enterprise: Structural Lessons for Canada
- Bits & Bytes: A Canadian Food Systems Database
- Applied Research: Research Opportunities in Canada's Nonprofit Sector
- The Need for "Place-Based" Approaches to Canada's Social Development Policy
- Emerging Leadership Scholarship Award
- A Call for Papers
- David Suzuki to Speak at the Youth Conference for Sustainable Leadership
- Social Enterprise Listserv Invitation
- 3rd North American Indigenous Food Symposium
- Publication Argues for New Legal Structures for Social Enterprise
- Federal Budget and the Needs of the Community
Profile: Rosebud, Alberta
Arts and Culture: A Transformative Vehicle
People usually don't regard arts and culture as a traditional form of community economic development, but one only has to look at the story of Rosebud, Alberta to see the economic and social impact it can have on a community.
Notwithstanding a population of fewer than 100 residents, the hamlet of Rosebud has withstood the economic and social decline that many small rural communities often face. Embedded in a scenic setting with plenty of rural charm, Rosebud boasts a theatre and acting school, which accompanies several other recreational and cultural attractions to draw over 40,000 visitors annually.
The theatre was started when key actors in Rosebud joined together in 1973 to open a theatre and acting school to attract tourists. An art program was created when founding staff sacrificially gave $5,000 each in seed financing up front, and a $200 monthly payment, which was invested in staff housing (this was in addition to working without salary).
From its inception, it has evolved from a children's summer arts program to an accredited arts school. In 1977, the Rosebud Fine Arts School was established; by 1982 staff were able to receive their money back from revenue that came in from tuition fees, sales of art, educational grants, proceeds from a small convenience store and donations. Eventually, they were able to obtain loans and buy some property. A general store was bought and converted into Rosebud Theatre's main stage. A few years later, a publicly traded company was also established to diversify revenue and when it was sold, shares were donated into scholarship endowments for the school.
By 1986, the structure of the school was changed from a high school to an apprenticeship program and two years later, had 20 students enrolled in the program. Also, in the same year, the Rosebud School of the Arts (RSA) Act was passed, recognizing the school as an institution of higher learning.
Today, the RSA attracts students from surrounding provinces and around the world to their various programs, a testament to how commitment, cooperation and some creative financing can turn a community around.
For a more in-depth look at this success story, click here.
Canadian CED Network News
2009 Call for CCEDNet Board Nominations
Nominations are currently being sought for three positions on CCEDNet's Board of Directors. Anyone with energy and a vision for the CED movement in Canada is encouraged to submit a candidacy. The deadline to receive nominations is April 22, 2009. This year we are seeking nominations for three at-large directors who will be elected to a three-year term by the members.
Register Online Now for the 2009 National CED Conference
The theme of this year's conference is Full Circle: Sharing a Vision for the 7th Generation. Our inspiration is an original law kept and maintained by generations of Aboriginal people: just as our actions will affect generations to come, we are living in a world that was shaped by those before us. Aboriginal elders remind us to think and decide in a way that is conscious of the seven generations of people that will be born in the future - ensuring that we respect our Mother Earth and her spirited beings.
Hosted at the University of Winnipeg on June 3-5, this year's conference includes over 45 learning and information sharing sessions, as well as exciting site visits and networking opportunities. All plenary sessions and keynote addresses, as well as numerous workshops in each time slot, will have simultaneous translation into French and English.
To register online in English, click here.
To register online in French, click here.
The Canadian CED Network Publishes Social Economy Stories
The blending of social and economic objectives is taking root across the world as the best means to replace dependency and exclusion with self-determination and self-sufficiency.
The Social Economy stories are designed to provide practitioners' perspectives on what the Social Economy means to them and their communities. These stories capture the human face of the sector and demonstrate the Social Economy as a real movement that is addressing the social, economic and environmental challenges of today in integrative and innovative ways.
CED Tools
Rural Community Leadership/CED Project Toolkit
The Alberta Community and Co-operative Association (ACCA) has developed a CED Toolkit for use by Alberta Community Economic Development Network Cooperative (AB CEDNet) members and other practitioners in the CED sector.
ACCA developed the toolkit in order to provide practitioners and those communities engaged in community economic development with a set of resources, tools and strategies to help facilitate effective best practices and sustainable initiatives within communities.
ACCA is proud to support the sector and engages in community economic development in a variety of programs such as the Rural Co-operative Outreach and Development program and other co-op development activities.
National News and Events
Legislative Innovations and Social Enterprise: Structural Lessons for Canada
The economic events of 2008 have provided reason for structural change within the Canadian economy. Fundamental economic change underscores the urgency of the need to adapt and redesign the ways in which our economy and communities function. Social enterprise is a rising alternative to the conventional business model that should be brought to the forefront of this redesign. New legislation enabling the creation of a legal structure specifically for the purpose of social enterprise would allow it to better flourish.
Bits & Bytes: A Canadian Food Systems Database
The Building Community Food Security with Bits & Bytes Project, in collaboration with Food Secure Canada, has created an online food security resource database. It will be a living, ever-growing cornucopia of freely-accessible, community food security resources. Content covers a range, from community kitchen recipes to the use of comfrey in compost tea, from food miles to nutrition, from food charters to farmers markets, from food sovereignty to hunger.
Applied Research: Research Opportunities in Canada's Nonprofit Sector
The Institute for Nonprofit Studies (INS) draws on revenues from its endowment to support applied research activities relevant to Canada's nonprofit sector. To focus these activities, the INS conducts and supports research within three broad streams: governance within the nonprofit sector; sustainability of the nonprofit sector/nonprofit organizations; and policy analysis, design and critique. In part, the INS was established to address the lack of research into the nonprofit sector. The INS has a mandate to engage in and support research activities addressing issues within Canada's nonprofit sector. To do this, the INS invites applied research proposals from post-secondary institutions across the Canada.
The Need for "Place-Based" Approaches to Canada's Social Development Policy
There is growing recognition that Canada's major public policy challenges play out in local spaces. For example, analysts of social inclusion encounter the many barriers that individuals and families face living in distressed neighbourhoods. Rural areas and smaller centres confront another set of risks in managing change with declining, often aging populations. Common to all is an appreciation of how local geographic contexts - the form and nature of places - shape people's life chances.
Emerging Leadership Scholarship Award
The Canadian Social Economy Hub (CSEHub) is inviting proposals for research scholarships, from students and young practitioners (under 30 years of age*) working in the Social Economy. This scholarship program is intended to promote original research by "emerging leaders" in the Social Economy that will advance knowledge for the sector, and advance the capacity of successful candidates to further strengthen the Social Economy in their academic and practitioner sectors.
A Call for Papers: The Journal of Aboriginal Economic Development
The only journal of its kind in Canada, the Journal of Aboriginal Economic Development (JAED) provides a view of economic development from a uniquely Aboriginal perspective. Published jointly by CANDO and Captus Press, the Journal is peer reviewed by a distinguished academic editorial board to ensure high quality Aboriginal content. The Journal covers the following areas: learning from experience, lessons from research, book reviews and commentary. The JAED invite papers and case studies by academics and practitioners for the next volume to be published in September 2009.
David Suzuki to Speak at the Youth Conference for Sustainable Leadership
David Suzuki has been confirmed as a keynote speaker at Impact! The Co-operators Youth Conference for Sustainable Leadership to take place September 24-27th, 2009 at the University of Guelph in Guelph, Ontario. In addition, a number of expert leaders and facilitators will be speaking to participants to excite, empower and equip university and college students to lead sustainability initiatives long after the conference.
Social Enterprise Listserv Invitation
Are you interested in learning more about how nonprofit organizations develop successful strategies to generate earned income to pursue their mission, build capacity and achieve greater sustainability?
If so, you're invited to join the npEnterprise Forum listserv, the official listserv of the Social Enterprise Alliance. This free, no-spam listserv offers friendly interactions among colleagues who seek to learn from each other about social enterprise strategies and best practices. Recent discussion topics include the role of social enterprise in a down economy, sample financial statements for triple bottom line businesses, and ventures for faith-based organizations.
To subscribe, send a blank email to npEnterprise-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.
3rd North American Indigenous Food Symposium
On June 4-6, 2009, the 3rd North American Indigenous Food Symposium (NAIFS 2009) will be held at Muskoday First Nation and Travelodge Hotel, Saskatoon,Saskatchewan, presented by the Indigenous Peoples Program (IPP). The goal of this symposium is to assist indigenous communities in utilizing the knowledge gained through sustainable methods in order to support their environmental and traditional foods restoration activities. To implement this goal, the objectives will be to focus on the use, cultivation, harvesting, cooking, and eating of traditional indigenous foods to improve health and enhance tradition, as well as make a direct link between environmental, cultural, and mental health that will contribute to community healing and empowerment.
The proposed NAIFS 2009 keynote will be writer, activist, environmentalist, economist and Executive Director of Honor the Earth and White Earth Land Recovery Project, Winona LaDuke.
Publication Argues for New Legal Structures for Social Enterprise
"Social Enterprise" is not a legal expression in Canada. There is no national or provincial social enterprise act or regulation that defines it or gives it legal form or structure. It is not addressed in the voluminous federal Income Tax Act as something distinct and worthy of unique treatment.
This paper argues that governments should modernize the organizational infrastructure that applies to social enterprise to better enable it to flourish. A relatively modest start would be new legislation enabling the creation of a legal structure specifically for the purpose of social enterprise.
Federal Budget and the Needs of the Community
If you are interested to see whether the federal government's economic action plan is meeting the needs of your community and is creating opportunities or funds for your important CED activities, click here for a breakdown of spending and project priorities as laid out on their web site.
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.