Anti-Poverty Progress in NWT
The Government of Northwest Territories (NWT) is making strides towards reducing poverty, according to an update in the Legislative Assemblyby Minister Glen Abernethy, Chair of the Social Envelope Committee of Cabinet
. The NWT Anti-Poverty Charter was recently adopted by 24 community delegates at a December roundtable. The $2.6 million in funding will be used to support day shelter programs, build new housing units, and implement nutritious food programs. The budget also includes $500,000 in new funding to support communities develop their own local projects. In the coming year, the government will be establishing an Anti-Poverty Action Plan Advisory Committee to lead the development of the Territorial Anti-Poverty Action Plan.
Yellowknife Set to Host 2nd SAO Meeting of the Arctic Council
The second Senior Arctic Officials meeting of the Arctic Council will be held again in Yellowknife from March 18-2, continuing discussions from the
October meeting. The 2013
Kiruna Declaration “acknowledge[s] the importance of indigenous peoples’ traditional ways of life to their economic well-being, culture and health.” The task forces and working groups of the Arctic Council will remain the focus of the talks, particularly focusing on topics such as climate change and the environment, economic development, scientific cooperation, and health, among others. The activities of the recently launched Social, Economic and Cultural (SEC) Experts Group will be of particularly interest from the perspective of community economic development.
Annual Report on the State of Inuit Culture and Society 2011-2013
Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. has released its
Annual Report on the State of Inuit Culture and Society. In setting the context for the Inuit Health Survey the Report makes clear the social and economic indicators for healthy communites, citing the criticisms by the UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food of the Government of Canada’s treatment of Aboriginal Peoples, the rapid social and cultural change through two decades of heightened government involvement in the Arctic following World War II, and the interrelated nature of poverty, employment and education. In the second half of the report, Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. makes the argument for Inuit self-determination over research to ensure findings are useful to communities and translate directly into positive impacts on the health and well-being of Inuit communities.
Community-Led Forestry Initiative to Create Jobs in Fort Resolution
An influx of economic development, employment and training opportunities in the forest industry are heading to Fort Resolution, NWT thanks to a new forest management agreement between the Government of NWT and Timberworks Inc. Timberworks is a community-led initiative between the Deninu Kue First Nation and the Fort Resolution Métis Council, who had to overcome the historical hostility between the Métis and the Akaitcho to put the needs of the community first. The new agreement gives non-exclusive access rights to Timberworks to harvesting on Crown lands in a prescribed area for sustainable resource development.
Délı̨nę First Nation Ratifies Self-Government Agreement
In a historic move, the Délı̨nę First Nation and Délı̨nę Land Corporation voted this month to ratify the Délı̨nę Final Self-Government Agreement. After 18 years of negotiations the community-based self-government agreement is the first in the Northwest Territories (NWT) within a region that has an existing land claim agreement. The agreement must also be ratified by the governments of Canada and the NWT. In the meantime, the NWT government continues to work with other First Nations groups on the process of
devolution.
Canadian CED Network News
Next in CCEDNet's Webinar Series: UN Sustainability Goals and Social Return Intelligence Suite
On March 28th, speakers from the North-South Institute (NSI) and the Intercontinental Network for the Promotion of the Social Solidarity Economy (RIPESS) will explore the process for developing the United Nations' post-2015 Development Agenda and the prospects for securing a greater role for the social solidarity economy in the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Then, on April 8th, we are partnering again with GlobalMeasures Initiative to present the Social Return Intelligence Suite, a powerful tool for measuring your social impact.
Manitoba Budget 2014 Responds to CCEDNet Members
Leading up to Finance Minister Jennifer Howard's budget speech on March 6th, CCEDNet's Manitoba Regional Director, Brendan Reimer, published a series of three blog posts
anticipating the budget. If we view budgets as statements of values and priorities then the Manitoba government's commitment to invest in CED and poverty reduction clearly demonstrates a desire to put people and communities first.
2014 AGM - Call for Nominations and Resolutions
In advance of the May 29th Annual General Meeting, the Canadian CED Network is seeking nominations for four positions on the Board of Directors. Members with energy and a vision for the CED movement in Canada are encouraged to submit their candidacy by
April 8, 2014. Members are also invited to submit resolutions to be presented at the AGM.
Renew Your Membership Today!
All members of the Canadian CED Network should now have received an email containing an invitation to renew their membership and a review our accomplishments in 2013. Please take a moment today to renew your membership online, if you have not already. If you were not a member in 2013 now is a great time to join a growing movement to create more inclusive and sustainable communities.
CED Wire Updates
5 Things to Know About the New Alberta Social Innovation Endowment: Carolyn Davis of Momentum highlights what the Social Innovation Endowment means for CED | Read more >>- Twenty Years of Changing Lives, One Dollar at a Time: Brendan Reimer reflects on LITE's contributions to poverty reduction following 20th anniversary | Read more >>
- Manitoba makes wise investment in child care: Darcy Penner lauds provincial government's response to CCEDNet members' Child Care policy resolution | Read more >>
National CED News
Canada's Largest Social Innovation Endowment Created in Alberta
In the 2014 Alberta Budget the province announced that it will be creating what will be the largest Social Innovation Endowment Fund (SEIF) in Canada, with $1 billion earmarked for investment over two years. We got Carolyn Davis, Community Relations Director with Calgary-based CCEDNet member Momentum, to highlight
5 things you should know about the SEIF. The Fund will help advance Alberta's Social Policy Framework.
Impact Investing Made Possible with Community Finance Solutions
The new national initiative of MaRS Centre for Impact Investing is looking to help communities to set up a variety of impact investing funds and products. Community Finance Solutions was launched earlier this month by webinar. The online event shared the experiential knowledge of presenters Marguerite Mendell (Fiducie du Chantier de l'économie sociale in Québec) and Jane Bisbee (Social Enterprise Fund) to help inspire and guide those looking to apply for expert advisory support through the program.
CED Tool: Saving Money by Doing the Right Thing: Why 'Local by Default' Must Replace 'Diseconomies of Scale'
Public services work poorly. Every day the press carries stories of failure, waste and basic human needs unmet. Health, social care and children’s services are buckling, while local authorities cut discretionary spending on libraries, parks and other local amenities to the bone. This report shows why UK public sector organisations fail to meet people’s needs and why demand is rising. The two main causes, discovered empirically in the studies, are the belief in ‘economies of scale’ and the belief in the standardisation of services. Together, these beliefs prevent organisations from understanding and meeting people’s needs.
A Little Bird Told Us: Top Tweets of the Month
Here is a brief sampling of some of our most popular tweets from the past 30 days.
Click hereto follow us on Twitter.
- Is appetite for social procurement growing in Canada? Progressive purchasing policies are emerging across the country ow.ly/uur2L
- Small grants available to Canadian #youth to implement #CED ideas for @NewEconomics. Pitch your idea today! ow.ly/umSXP
- Manitoba to develop Social Enterprise Strategy to grow more jobs! One of many reasons to be excited for Budget 2014 ow.ly/umSGT
- Madawaska Maliseet FN & Edmundston had 2-day workshop on joint #CED initiative last week thru @CandoEDO & @FCM_online ow.ly/ucxFD
- Want to know what the @CanRevAgency considers a "related" business for CDN #charity? Register now for Mar 11 webinar ow.ly/u7JUJ
- Have you seen our new video yet? Check it out - a great introduction to the world of community economic development! ow.ly/u7EZ6
