April 2009

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June 3-5, 2009, Winnipeg, Manitoba

The last date for Early Bird registration is Friday, April 24!

HIGHLIGHTS:
Over 45 workshops and action sessions related to Building Fairer & Stronger Local Economies, Tackling Poverty & Homelessness, and Investing in Sustainable Communities.

An engaging program including mobile workshops, inspiring keynote speakers and innovative plenary sessions.

• A colourful Marketplace featuring interesting cultural and social enterprise products
• Unique cultural experiences, celebratory networking, social activities and the Canadian CED Network's 10th Anniversary Gala Dinner
• A special focus for 2009 will be Indigenous models of CED

The 2009 National CED Conference is hosted by the Canadian CED Network in partnership with Ka Ni Kanichihk and SEED Winnipeg.

Profile: Pascale Knoglinger

The Complex Web of the Social Economy

 

The private market framework is failing us.  When everything fails, you take things into your own hands.  Eventually, the community expects solutions from within, and takes control.  When put in certain circumstances and situations you will find the people will act in a way that creates Social economy – they want to build up lost capital again.”

Pascale Lavoie-Scott is an Economic Development Officer with the Société de développement économique de la Colombie-Britannique (SDECB) in Victoria, BC, an economic development organization that represents the economic interests of the Francophone community in the province.  Pascale also sits on CCEDNet’s BC/Yukon Council and is a faculty member of the Community Economic Development Centre at Simon Fraser University.  She encourages entrepreneurship and provides technical assistance to community economic development initiatives and the community at large by sharing economic information and offering training in subjects such as business planning and market research.

Read more of our network's recently published Social Economy Stories

Saskatchewan CED News

 

Affinity Credit Union - New On-Reserve Branch

On February 4, 2009, Affinity Credit Union, the second largest credit union in Saskatchewan, opened a new 1,912 square foot full-service branch on Cowessess First Nation serving over 3,500 Band members.

According to the credit union, this new branch opening represents a key investment in the area and is part of Affinity’s strategic plan to provide access to financial services to First Nations people across the province through their First Nations District.

In addition to offering banking expertise, Affinity will take an active role in supporting Cowessess partnership initiatives, educational programs and community development.

Full text on the Affinity Credit Union website

New Books Celebrates 80 Years of Co-operative Youth Education


Saskatchewan Co-operative Association (SCA) and The Centre for the Study of Co-operatives are delighted with the recent publication of Co-operative Youth Education in Saskatchewan. This book captures the essence of the program and documents its history, development and achievements through archival research, personal interviews, and information gleaned from internal documents never before made public. Authors Chassidy Puchala and Breeann Heggie bring their own youthful enthusiasm to the telling of the story, adding new life and fresh insights to old documents.

  • A limited number of books are available for $20 plus GST and shipping. Please contact the SCA office to order. www.sask.coop
  • Commemorative 80th Anniversary license plates are also available for only $5 when ordering the book.

Student Producer Co-ops Empowering Saskatoon Teens

Staff and students of Nutana Collegiate in Saskatoon are developing two student producer co-operatives. The goals of this innovative project are to provide employment training, co-operative education, work experience and generate some revenue for students.

Two student co-ops are at different stages of development. Student and Kids Centre (SAKS) Bag Co-op, a co-op for female students and educators, is already producing and selling products. They are developing unique screen printing and stamping cloth bags and selling the finished products around Saskatoon.

The second co-op, IJobs T-shirt Co-op, is not yet functioning, but is planned to be up and running this spring. This student co-op plans to run a silk-screening business, based on selling uniquely designed silk-screened t-shirts. The student mothers from SAKS hope to participate and possibly be peer learning leaders in the IJob t-shirt phase.

Full Text in the Co-op Spotlight March 2009

CED Tools

Operational HR Planning

The HR Council for the Voluntary & Non-profit Sector (HR Council) works with organizations, educators, labour and government to identify and address issues related to paid employment in the voluntary and non-profit sector.
Their HR Toolkit has detailed information that you can use to develop an operational plan for your human resources practices and activities. Topics include:

 

Thanks to the United Way for this tool.

National News & Events

 

Rupert Reports from the World Social Forum - Belem, Brazil

The World Social Forum took place in Belem, Brazil from January 27 to February 1 2009, attended by 130,000 representatives of civil society organizations, researchers, and non governmental agencies.  A major focus of the Forum was people-centered responses to the world economic crisis, led by organizations involved in the social and solidarity economy.

The World Social Forum organizers created a dynamic space for dialogue, networking and collaboration in Belem, with major themes (reflecting the Amazon region’s participation) around Indigenous People’s leadership and solidarity, ecological sustainability, and responses to the global economic crisis.

In addition to civil society participants, five South American Presidents held meetings in Belem, with one major public meeting which some participants were able to attend.

The 2009 World Social Forum demonstrated the growing importance of the social and solidarity economy movement as a solution to inter-related ecological, human, social, and economic crises facing communities and people across the world.  For those of us involved in civil society and research to strengthen the social economy in Canada the timing is very important to support and strengthen international linkages.  CCEDNet’s involvement in the Intercontinental Network for the Promotion of the Social and Solidarity Economy (RIPESS) needs to continue to be a focal point.  Engagement in future international opportunities should also be a priority, including the International Forum in Luxembourg this spring (See next item for more info on this).

Rupert Downing, Co-Director for CCEDNet of the Canadian Social Economy Hub with input from Ethel Cote (CCEDNet and RIPESS Board) and Yvon Poirier (CCEDNet and RIPESS NA).

Another Economy Exists!

The 4th international meeting of RIPESS will be held April 22-25 in Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg, hosted by the Institute European d’Economie Solidaire. The theme “Another Economy Exists: The Innovations of the Social and Solidarity Economy” is expected to draw another 1200 participants, from all continents. Its workshops and presentations will explore SSE in relation to:

  • Co-construction of public policies
  • Social services of general interest and common goods
  • Solidarity-based entrepreneurship
  • The environment
  • Food sovereignty
  • Responsible production and consumption
  • Democratic participation
  • Research and conceptualization
  • Networking and communication
  • Trade union action
  • Solidarity-based financing

For more information, go to www.lux09.lu

Tenacity Works Fund Seeks To Place Investments

Owned and managed by the Canadian Worker Co-operative Federation The Tenacity Works Fund is seeking to make investments in qualified worker co-ops. This Worker Co-op Fund is a $700,000 investment fund whose purpose is to create new and expanding existing worker-owned co-ops in all regions of Canada.

More info here

Report from first U.S. Solidarity Economy Network Conference

Nearly 400 organizers and activists gathered at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst March 19-22 for the first national gathering of the U.S. Solidarity Economy Network, exceeding the expectations of its organizers. The deepening economic crisis made the meeting quite timely. The overall theme was 'Building Another World’. Internationally, delegations came from Quebec, Venezuela, Peru, Mexico, and Canada. People represented economic justice and green jobs projects, food coops and credit unions, worker coops, labour unions, and peace and justice organizing efforts.

Workshops covered a wide-range of topics: A common policy agenda in the context of Obama's recovery plans, cooperative housing, fair trade, credit unions, alternative currencies, cooperatives in Venezuela, worker takeovers in Argentina, feminist economics, the social economy in Quebec, the role of labour unions, worker cooperatives, green jobs alliances, solar power and many more.

Read the full report

Credit Union System on Solid Financial Ground

In spite of the global financial environment, Canada's credit union system ended 2008 on solid financial ground.  According to Credit Union Central of Canada, system assets, savings/deposits and loans all recorded solid gains, maintaining the annual growth reported in the previous quarter, but down from the growth rates reported in 2007.

Assets rose 8.7 per cent to reach $113.8 billion; over the past five years, the increase in assets was 45%. Growth in deposits and savings increased to $100.6 billion in the fourth quarter of 2008, and loans grew 7.2 per cent over year end 2007. Four of the 10 provincial Credit Union systems reported double-digit growth in each of the three main financial categories: assets, savings/deposits and loans.

Meanwhile, Central 1 Credit Union, which was created last year through the merger of the credit union centrals in Ontario and British Columbia, reported a net income of $29.8 million in 2008. Net income increased by 22 per cent from the record $24.4 million posted by BC Central alone in 2007.

Thanks to the April 8th Ontario Co-operative Association e-newsletter for this piece.

Analysis of Homeownership Initiative

Since 2000, SEED Winnipeg, a community economic development agency, has been helping low-income families save to purchase homes.  This program is based on the idea that wealth generation – or asset building - is an important step in moving families out of poverty. 

The 2008 CCCPA-MB State of the Inner City Report includes a detailed analysis of this homeownership initiative.  The report, written by Jesse Hajer, is the result of research into the outcomes realized by people who purchased homes through the program.

Read it on the CCPA website 

Where's Home Report

The eighth annual edition of Where's Home? A Picture of Housing Needs in Ontario (2008) authored by the Ontario Non-Profit Housing Association (ONPHA) and the Co-op Housing Federation of Canada Ontario Region, analyzes 22 separate housing markets across Ontario. The report's authors estimate that 10,000 additional rental units must be built annually across the province to meet demand. Last year, only 3,000 units were produced.

The report argues that a larger inventory of permanently affordable non-profit and co-operative housing would offer low-income households a measure of stability as the economy worsens. Furthermore, the report argues that building new affordable housing can act as an effective stimulus strategy, benefiting Ontario's low-income households and creating jobs in sectors like construction.

ONPHA and CHF Canada Ontario Region want to see senior governments take a balanced approach to the creation of more affordable housing, combining permanently affordable non-profit and co-op housing, private sector rental, renovation of existing social housing, as well as rent supplements to fill vacant units. "Where's Home?" can be found on www.onpha.on.ca or www.chfc.ca

Thanks to the April 8th Ontario Co-operative Association e-newsletter for this piece

 

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.

 

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