Two years ago The Georgetown Conference ws the catalyst for many Atlantic Canadian communities to jumpstart grassroot efforts at tackling the demographic and economic challenges impacting rural sustainability.

Georgetown, Prince Edward Island will again play host to more than 250 Atlantic Canadian leaders when Georgetown 2.0, Solutions is held June 2-4, 2016 at the Kings Playhouse.

To achieve this delegates will be challenged to identify the issues and potential solutions for their communities. Delegates will dictate the majority of the conference agenda.

Register for the Georgetown 2.0 Conference - Solutions

To ensure Georgetown 2.0 is accessible to as many potential delegates as possible, the conference will once again feature a subsidized registration fee. In addition Newfoundland and Labrador delegates will have access to Georgetown Air, a unique charter flight direct to Prince Edward Island that is aimed at ensuring full regional participation.

Georgetown 2.0 is benefitting from the wisdom of a dynamic group of co-chairs

• Zita Cobb is remaking Fogo Island, Newfoundland and Labrador into a cultural and architectural destination that has garnered national and international attention.
• Nadine Dugay of New Brunswick has the pulse of Atlantic Canada’s most dynamic young entrepreneurs as the former CEO of 21 Inc. She is now Regional Marketing Manager for National Bank.
• Derek Key is a life long community volunteer from Summerside, Prince Edward Island recently appointed to a second term as Lead Director for the Bank of Canada.
• Tim Merry is an internationally recognized Change Leader who has helped both local non-profits and Fortune 500 corporations navigate the often-intimidating waters of change.
• Myrtle Jenkins-Smith will harness the enthusiasm of Georgetown residents as co-chair of logistics.

For more information contact georgetown at newspapersatlantic.ca

1:00pm to 2:00pm Eastern Time

This webinar, organized by the People, Power, Planet Partnership (P4), will draw from the experiences of Germany, Denmark, Ontario and Nova Scotia in answering the following questions: What policy tools have been successful (and not so successful) in proliferating CE development? What are the key elements of an effective CE policy? What jurisdiction-specific factors must be considered in the design of a CE policy?

As jurisdictions across Canada are increasing their commitment to addressing climate change, this webinar can start a very timely conversation on effective energy policies that encourage community engagement.

Register for Effective Policy Tools in Supporting Community Energy Development

AGENDA:

1:00 - 1:05: Welcome message from P4 co-leads and webinar outline
1:05 - 1:10: CE Policy: How is it different than a RE policy and why does it matter?
1:10 - 1:20: Policy Best Practices from Germany and Denmark
1:20 - 1:30: The Canadian experience with CE: Ontario and Nova Scotia
1:30 - 1:45: Jurisdiction-specific factors to consider in designing a CE policy: The case of New Brunswick and Alberta
1:45 - 2:00 : Q&A

ABOUT:

The "People, Power, Planet Partnership (P4): Best Practices and Knowledge Mobilization in Community Energy Development" was formed to assess, document and share the experiences and lessons of community energy developments across Canada and beyond, with the goal of increasing the level of awareness and rate of implementation of such projects nation-wide. Launched in May 2014, P4 is a two-year research and knowledge mobilization initiative generously funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC). The project's co-leads are Dr. J.J. McMurtry from York University and Dr. Judith Lipp, Executive Director of TREC Renewable Energy Co-operative.

11am Eastern Time | 10am Central Time

Brought to you by the Rural Policy Learning Commons (RPLC), Migration Research Team

Labour mobility is one of the central principles of the European Union (EU). It is an important element not only in relation to economic objectives, but is also viewed as important in strengthening territorial social cohesion and social inclusion. The emphasis on the free movement of labour – between occupations and of workers between regions and countries in the EU – is perceived as a mechanism for ensuring a good match between the skills and experience of workers and the jobs they hold, as well as an important characteristic of an effective labour market. The presentation will provide an overview of recent trends in rural migration in the EU and a discussion of some of challenges in reconciling labour mobility and social cohesion/inclusion.

RSVP by Monday, March 21, 2016

Contact Michael at 204-571-8585 or BlatherwickM at brandonu.ca

Presenter

Philomena de Lima is a Sociologist and the Director of the Centre for Remote and Rural Studies at University of the Highlands and Islands, Inverness College. She has a particular interest in exploring the complex and intersecting relationships between ‘communities of place’ (rural places in particular) and ‘communities of interests’, challenging normative assumptions about rural places and communities and giving voice to diverse groups who are ‘othered’ on various grounds. She has applied her interests to issues such as belonging and intersectional identities, transnationalism, migration, ethnicity and race, poverty and social exclusion and mental health.

SOURCE: Rural Policy Learning Commons

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Join together with the Tamarack Institute, the Collective Impact Forum, and Backbone organizations from across North America and internationally, to enhance your work in leading for Collective Impact. This years trainings will be similar in theme and content to the last two years of successful Champions for Change learning events. We will be holding the 2016 sessions in Halifax, Nova Scotia April 19-21.

Register for Champions for Change

About Champions For Change

Collective Impact results when actors from different sectors commit to a common agenda for solving a complex social issue. Backbone Organizations play a complex, behind-the-scenes role in the success of these collective impact initiatives. Spanning six major activities and requiring a diversity of skills, the Backbone Organization is essential in maintaining alignment across the partners and supporting the effectiveness with which they fulfill their role. This alignment often determines the success or failure of the Collective Impact Initiative as a whole.

Champions for Change: Leading a Backbone Organization for Collective Impact is a multi-day interactive workshop designed for staff playing the backbone role and steering committee members of collective impact initiatives, demonstrating or working to implement all five conditions of collective impact (common agenda, shared measurement, mutually reinforcing activities, continuous communication, and backbone support).

The Tamarack Institute and The Collective Impact Forum have partnered to develop this dynamic learning experience to offer leaders of Backbone Organizations an advanced learning opportunity designed exclusively to develop their capacity as collaborative leaders.

Register for Champions for Change

Participants of this learning event will explore topics such as:

• Clarifying the roles and leadership characteristics of the backbone organization
• Engaging the community in your initiative
• Fostering collaboration with funders, partners, and stakeholders
• Developing and learning from shared measurement
• Evaluating collective impact
• Sustaining funding for collective impact over the long term
• Understanding the essential mindset shifts required to accomplish collective impact

Champions for Change is a Workshop you can’t miss if you…

• Desire greater clarity in your role as the Backbone Organization or Leadership Roundtable within a mature collective impact initiative
• Want to strengthen your ability to guide collective impact initiatives towards results
• Need to enhance your knowledge and skill with shared measurement
• Value the opportunity to learn more about working with and leading in complexity
• Seek new approaches for sustaining, mobilizing and funding your collective impact

12:00pm to 1:00pm Eastern Time

Speakers: Brenton Caffin, Nesta and Tim Draimin, Social Innovation Generation (SIG) National 

Social change is difficult.  For years, organizations, networks and communities have been funded to deliver defined programs and services leading to individualized outcomes.  But these same organizations and networks are seeing the increased complexity and connectedness of the problems communities.  Complex problems require a different set of skills, leadership style and tools.  How do we gear up effectively for social impact?  What tools are needed in the tool kit for communities to navigate wicked problems and social dilemmas? 

Nesta is an organization that has been focused on sparking innovation in the UK.  It's range of activities have included sparking policy change, impact investing, developing new models for inclusive economic growth and citizen engagement in public service delivery.  In 2013, Nesta began developing a DIY Toolkit to help individuals and organizations scale social change.  

Join Brenton Caffin and Tim Draimin in a conversation about the DIY Toolkit, the lessons Nesta is learning about scaling social impact and how you can benefit from these tools and resources.                                                     

About Brenton Caffin

Brenton is Nesta’s Director of Innovation Skills, leading Nesta's work to help people and organisations get better at innovating for the common good.

Brenton is an innovative and strategic thinker and regularly presents to and advises national and global organisations, including UN agencies, on a wide range of issues relating to social and public sector innovation. He is an advisor to the Adelaide Festival of Ideas and former board member of the global Social Innovation Exchange and the Institute for Public Administration Australia.

From 2009-2012, Brenton was the founding CEO of The Australian Centre for Social Innovation, and previously held executive positions with the South Australian Department of the Premier and Cabinet, Government Reform Commission and WorkCover. He began his career in the Australian Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, later consulting to Australian and British governments on public policy, performance improvement and change management. Brenton was also previously seconded to the Home Office Strategic Policy Team.

About Tim Draimin

Tim is the Executive Director of Social Innovation Generation (SIG) National.  SiG is a partnership of The J.W. McConnell Family Foundation, Toronto’s MaRS Discovery District, and the University of Waterloo.  SiG acts a catalyst for strengthening the enabling ecosystem for social innovations to be able to go to scale and generate whole system change.  In 2010 SiG convened the Canadian Task Force on Social Finance, a blue ribbon panel that proposed a seven-point agenda for mobilizing private capital for public good influencing federal, provincial and municipal policy across Canada.

Tim was the founding CEO of Tides Canada Foundation and serves on the boards Trico Charitable Foundation, Social Innovation Exchange (SIX), Partnership Brokers Association (PBA), and is a member of the Scientific Advisory Board of Grand Challenges Canada (GCC). Tim is a senior advisor to the MaRS Centre for Impact Investing (CII).