The Ontario Human Rights Commission will be hosting a national conference on human rights this coming June.

June 15-18th, Niagara College, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario

Collective Strength: Commissions to Communities and Back.

CASHRA 2008 will address ways in which commissions and communities can work together to develop a strong human rights culture in Canada. By identifying common goals and methods for cooperative exchange and action, the conference aims to lay a foundation for a more collaborative and interdependent approach to human rights.

Conference website: /fr/page/broken-link?old_url=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.cashra2008.ca

You are invited to the "A National Teleforum: Social Enterprise and Affordable Housing" on Tuesday, April 29, 2008.

1:00 PM - 2:30 PM Eastern Time Zone

Speakers are still being confirmed.

Please click the link below, view the invitation, and respond by clicking either the Yes or No button at the bottom of the invitation. Your response is greatly appreciated.

http://guest.cvent.com

Ethical Reponses to Stories of Pain: Private Conversations, Public Issues

Thursday, April 24, 9:00 am to 4:00 pm and Friday, April 25, 9:00 am to 4:00 pm

This two day workshop will identify public policy issues that arise out of counseling
and therapeutic conversations and will address the broader contextual issues that are so
often forgotten or overlooked. The Family Centre considers that many, though not all,
of the problems that bring people for counseling or therapy arise out of inequality and
injustice at the personal, family, community and state levels.

The New Zealand Family Centre Team will share their therapeutic work with
poor families, the thinking behind it, and the emergence of a range of community
development and research projects that grew out of the therapeutic work and have led
to significant social policy debate. They will also suggest ways therapeutic organizations
can begin to develop social justice responses in therapy, through community initiatives
and research, to the many social structural problems that clients refer to in therapy.
A range of cultural, anti-poverty and gender equity community initiatives will be
presented.

The research will address issues that arise out of their work in the New Zealand
Poverty Measurement Project, various culturally focused projects and a range of other
studies in their research portfolio. The Family Centre Social Policy Research Unit is
now well established and contracted regularly by Government Departments and all the
leading research funders in New Zealand. Their work has had a significant impact on
the social policy debate in New Zealand.

The presenters:
Taimalie Kiwi Tamasese is the Samoan Co-ordinator at the Family Centre. She is a
family therapist, community development worker, a social policy analyst and researcher.
She has published in all these areas. Kiwi leads contracted workshops and educational
events regularly in New Zealand and throughout the world.

Maria Maniapoto is a Maori researcher, educationalist and community worker at
the Family Centre. Her tribal heritage is Ngati Maniapoto and Ngai Tuhoe. Maria
leads the ‘Just therapy' teaching programme on the international post graduate course
on Discursive Therapies run through Massey University. She is deeply involved in the
Maori community and experienced in evaluation, social and cultural research.

Charles Waldegrave is a psychologist, a family therapist, an Anglican priest, a social
policy analyst and researcher. He is the Pakeha (European) Co-ordinator of the Family
Centre. He leads the Social Policy Research Unit there and is also a joint leader of the
New Zealand Poverty Measurement Project. He has published extensively in all the
above areas. Charles leads workshops and educational events regularly in New Zealand
and throughout the world.

Location of workshop:
Inglewood Christian Reformed Church
12330 - 113 Avenue (parking lot next to church, please do not park in the bank lot)

A registration form is available for
download from the ACCA website

CSEHub and BALTA are pleased to invite your participation in two upcoming telelearning sessions!

Session 9: Financing, the Social Economy and Emerging Challenges

With the fall-out from sub-prime mortgages whirling around the globe and the ensuing credit crunch rippling through society, the importance of alternative financing mechanisms focused on a triple bottom line is increasing.
What innovations are emerging in the U.K. in financing enterprises that feature social goals, democratic ownership and the addressing of basic needs?
How are these advances relevant to financing the need for greater energy efficiency, local energy and food production, and other key challenges in the age of climate change and peak oil?
What are the core issues we need to think about in designing financing strategies that can help us transition to a sustainable and low-carbon living economy?
This telelearning session features Pat Conaty; facilitator TBA. Please join us!
Call Logistics:
Session Date: Thursday, April 10th, 2008
Call begins at 9:00 am PST, 10:00 am MST, 11:00 am CST, 12:00 pm EST, 1:00 pm AST, and 1:30 pm NST
Call in information will be given upon registration
Register before April 8th to obtain dial-in information and background papers
This session is in English
Session Format: 1.25 Hour
Welcome: 5 minutes
Presentation: 35 minutes from the speaker
Discussion: 35 minutes
Registration: By Email or by Phone
Register by e-mailing telelearning@socialeconomyhub.ca with your name, location, and work or volunteer position. We will provide instructions on how to access the telelearning forum. Unfortunately, the session is only open to those residing in Canada. To register by phone call 1-250-472-4976.

Limited number of phone lines for session - register soon!