On behalf of the Manitoba Community Economic Development Network, I am writing to encourage you to support the renewal and expansion of the Co-operative Development Initiative (CDI). This excellent federal program has worked to promote and develop new and emerging co-ops that create jobs that make Manitoba's economy strong and diverse.
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.
Join hundreds of existing and prospective social enterprise operators from every region in Canada at the Third Canadian Conference on Social Enterprise taking place in Toronto, November 18-20, 2009.
The conference will consist of three days of training and work sessions toward a national policy agenda and action plan.
Intensive training sessions geared to your stage of planning, development or growth.
Working sessions with fellow practitioners, funders, government officials, network organizations, and supporters designed to create a national policy agenda and action plan for social enterprise in Canada.
Social enterprise is a proven model for creating employment, bringing needed goods and services to communities, promoting innovation in the marketplace, enhancing the delivery of social, environment, arts and cultural services, and strengthening the sustainability of non-profits - all of which can promote economic growth and revitalize local economies. Social enterprise is a real solution in the current economic climate, where communities across the country have been decimated by the collapse of the manufacturing sector, the financial crisis and rising rates of unemployment.
The Third Canadian Conference on Social Enterprise is an initiative of the Social Enterprise Council of Canada
http://vancitycommunityfoundation.ca/s/social_enterprise_development.asp
Registration will open June 22, 2009.
To download this letter to Ministers and Opposition Party Leaders click here>>
Poverty, homelessness, environmental degradation, inadequate child care, and gaps in social programs are resulting in worsening conditions in many communities. Community economic development offers a holistic approach to tackling these issues. In order to be successful, it needs a supportive public policy environment.
