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In this issue:

Canadian CED Network News

• Connections 2012: Community Investment Solutions for a Better Ontario
• CCEDNet 2012 AGM: Growing from the Grassroots
• CCEDNet Sends Support for Special Committee on Co-operatives
  
• Handout to Habitat: Film Screening & Forum to Change Perspectives on Homelessness
  

Alberta CED News

• Calgary Poverty Reduction Initiative Launched
• Co-op Basics Workshop: How to Survive and Thrive
• Money For Good: Social Finance in Calgary
  

National CED News

• Bi-Partisan Anti-Poverty Caucus Holds First Meeting
• CCA Survey Shows Canadians' Support for Co-ops
• National Right to Food Strategy
• Poverty Progress Profiles
• Online Co-op Training Program
• A Tool-Box for Community Collaboratives

CED Jobs & Opportunities

Canadian CED Network News

CCEDNet Sends Support for Special Committee on Co-operatives

On May 30, 2012 the House of Commons adopted a motion by MP, Mauril Bélanger, calling on the House to establish a special, non-partisan committee on co-operatives. This committee will consider the role cooperatives play in Canada and identify areas where the federal government may improve and give them greater support. The motion intends to bring greater understanding of Canada’s co-ops and promote the advantages of the co-op model. 

The presence of this Committee will be particularly important given the recent decision by the federal government to terminate the Co-op Development Initiative and make significant cuts to the Rural and Co-operative Secretariat (read more).

In response, several community organizations and co-operatives initiated a letter-writing campaign to each Party Whip, urging them to submit their party's committee representatives (click here to CCEDNet's letter). Fortunately, by June 8, all parties had appointed their representatives to the Special Committee, with the Conservatives holding 7 seats at the table, the NDP 5, and the Liberals 1.

Handout to Habitat: Film Screening & Forum to Change Perspectives on Homelessness

The Canadian CED Network, the SFU Certificate Program in CED, and other partners will be hosting a series of film screenings and forums to bust myths about homelessness and engage people in discussions about finding meaningful and lasting solutions.

The events will feature special screenings of the Homesafe documentaries, created by Skyworks Charitable Foundation. Four events will be held at four different locations through BC, including Abbotsford, Surrey, New Westminster and Vancouver, starting on June 18.
>> Read more

To learn more about how you can host a screening of the Homesafe documentaries in your community, contact Kirsten Bernas at kbernas@ccednet-rcdec.ca or 204.943.0547.

Alberta CED News

Calgary Poverty Reduction Initiative Launched

Last month, civic leaders and a coalition of local agencies announced the beginning of the Calgary Poverty Reduction Initiative, a joint initiative of the City of Calgary and the United Way. Organizations involved will spend the next year developing ideas to combat poverty in Calgary, and present them to city council in May 2013. The Initiative will reportedly seek to address the root causes of poverty, instead of mitigating its consequences. It is estimated that 125,000 Calgarians currently live below the poverty line.

For more information about poverty across the province, read this article in the Edmonton Journal, which discusses Premier Alison Redford’s promise to end poverty in 10 years. 
>> Read more 

Co-op Basics Workshop: How to Survive and Thrive

The Alberta Community Co-operative Association is hosting a one-day workshop to increase co-operative literacy and educate participants about the benefits and potential challenges of developing a new co-operative in local communities. This interactive session is geared towards anyone curious about co-ops, involved in a co-op, interested in starting a new co-op or expanding a co-op. The workshop takes place June 15 in Calgary.
>> Read more 

From Grain Terminal to Co-operative Pioneer

Axiom News, in partnership with the Alberta Community Co-op Association have joined forces to create the Co-operative Story Project, which highlights the huge impact that co-operatives are having in Alberta communities. One recent article chronicles the story of how the Westlock Grain Terminals became Alberta's first new generation co-operative. The new generation model allows the co-op to issue investment shares to the community who are not members of the co-op.

Most importantly, this story demonstrates how local co-operatives can help communities maintain essential economic assets, keep money circulating in the local economy, and ensure long-term community benefits.
>> Read the full story 

Money for Good: Social Finance in Calgary

How do we prepare Calgary to be able to leverage social finance tools? That is the question at that mobilized a new report by Brenna Atnikov of Thrive Calgary. Money for Good presents key findings from a recent workshop that featured presentations from some of Canada's social finance leaders. The report concludes with six action items to designed to mobilize local leaders and communities to create a supportive environment for social finance in the city.
>> Read more

National CED News

Bi-Partisan Anti-Poverty Caucus Holds First Meeting

A newly minted federal All-Party Anti-Poverty Caucus (APC) held its first event on Parliament Hill on June 12. According to a media release, the APC will bring together diverse stakeholders from all political stripes in order to make systematic and lasting improvements in the lives of Canadians living in poverty. 

In an email sent to the co-chairs (Jean Crowder, MP (NDP); Hon. Art Eggleton, Senator (Lib); Hon. Michael Chong, PC. MP (Cons)), CCEDNet expressed thanks for their role in the formation of the this new Caucus. CCEDNet commended the APC for making a clear statement that poverty is not the issue of any one party, but of all parties, because it is of critical importance to all Canadians.

CCEDNet is particularly pleased to hear that this new bi-partisan caucus will seek to bring together federal government, community and other key stakeholders to develop solutions to poverty. We also indicated our willingness to share the innovative, comprehensive, and community-led models that our members are using across the country to respond to poverty with the APC.

Our Network understands that complex community challenges, such as poverty, require multi-faceted and coordinated responses, and that those responses will be most successful and sustainable when they are community-led.
>> Read more 

CCA Survey Shows Canadians' Support for Co-operatives

The vast majority of Canadians say co-operatives provide better customer service than other types of businesses, treat their employees better, have more environmentally sustainable practices and support community values and the local economy. Those were some of the results of an Abacus Data survey commissioned by the Canadian Co-operative Association and conducted on May 15 and 16.

The survey found that when given a choice between a member-owned community business and a national brand, most of Canadians would choose a co-operative (83%).

>> Read more

Poverty Progress Profiles

Canada Without Poverty has compiled Poverty Progress Profiles to help Canadians keep track of what their provincial government is doing to reduce poverty. The Progress Profiles examine the current status of poverty, plan development and implementation or organizational appeals for a plan, and details on specific thematic areas related to poverty (such as housing, welfare, employment support, and early childhood education and care). Poverty reduction plans are currently being developed in Alberta, Yukon and the Northwest Territories.
>> Read the Alberta Progress Profile 

National Right to Food Strategy

After a two-week mission in Canada, the Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, Olivier de Schutter, released his preliminary report on May 16th. The report reflects many voices and concerns that he heard during his mission in Canada, and concludes that Canada is in urgent need of a national right to food strategy. Despite Mr. Schutter's expert advice, the Government of Canada was largely dismissive of the recommendations outlined in the report. In response, hundreds of national and local organizations have undertaken a letter-writing campaign to urge the federal government to reconsider their position on the UN's recommendations.
>> Read the full report

Online Co-op Training Program

The CoopZone Developers' Network Co-operative has recently released updated information for its multi-level on-line training program on co-operative development beginning in September 2012. The first level, called the Foundations Program lasts for one year (September - April). The second level, or the Advanced Program, lasts for two years and both years will be offered starting in September. In addition, we are developing a new, basic introductory course on co-operative development. Each level is designed to take a few hours per week. 
>> Read more 

A Tool-Box for Community Collaboratives

This Tool-Box, created by the White House Council for Community Solutions, includes a detailed guide of key activities and resources to structure and sustain collaborative and effectively generate meaningful community participation in these efforts. It is made up of four primary tools that each includes additional resources to support collaborative towards success. The four tools are: Building or Improving a Community Collaboratives, Community Collaborative Assessment, Community Collaboratives Learning Examples, and Community Collaboratives - The Next Generation of Community Participation
>> Read more 

Job Postings

For the latest CED postings visit the National and Regional job pages on CCEDNet's website

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Positions to post? Send them to breimer@ccednet-rcdec.ca