Canadian CED Network News
From cooperatives that have existed for more than a century, to the latest innovative social enterprises, citizen-led efforts to build a people-centred economy are rich in their history and diversity. In the face of recent economic turmoil and growing ecological crises, these approaches are more relevant than ever.
The 2010 National Summit on a People-Centred Economy will bring together leaders and representatives of the community economic development, cooperative and social economy sectors to build a common agenda and mobilize action for a secure, sustainable economy that puts people and the planet first.
The 2010 Summit will be centred on six themes:
1. Finance and Investment
2. Enterprise Development
3. Territorial Revitalization
4. Organizing the Social Economy Marketplace
5. Partnerships
6. International
May 30 - June 1, 2010
Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario
www.ccednet-rcdec.ca/en/summit
Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario
www.ccednet-rcdec.ca/en/summit
2. 2010 Annual General Meeting
The Canadian CED Network’s annual general meeting (AGM) is being held on May 30th during the 2010 National Summit in Ottawa, ON. Nominations for the Network’s Board of Directors and resolutions are currently being sought. Visit http://www.ccednet-rcdec.ca/en/2010agm for important dates, updates, minutes from the 2009 AGM, the 2010 AGM agenda.
Starting April 14th you will have a chance to engage with and hear from top practitioners and academics speak about four of the six 2010 National Summit themes: Social Capital Financing, Procurement, Enterprise Development and Partnership and Movement Building - from your phone! Spaces are limited. For more information about registration, schedules and speaker bios, visit: http://www.ccednet-rcdec.ca/sites/ccednet-rcdec.ca/files/ccednet/images/TelelearningSeries_1.pdf
About the series:
These sessions are based on two series of papers that cover four important themes within Canada. One series is being developed as Knowledge Mobilization papers by CSEHub researchers, and the other series has been prepared as issue papers for the National Summit. These sessions are intended to generate engagement and learning about key issues within Canada, to share research results, and to build momentum leading up to the National Summit occurring in Ottawa from May 30 - June 1st.
The Canadian CED Network is pleased to announce the introduction of translation services for our members. We are happy to provide both English to French and French to English translations for documents of all sizes. Through strong relationships with skillful, certified translators, we are able to provide competitive rates and quick turnaround time. Contact Bianca Mathieu, our Communications Officer, toll free at 1-877-202-2268 to discuss your translation needs. Any proceeds are reinvested into furthering the aims of the Canadian CED Network.
In June, the world’s most powerful leaders will gather around two summit tables, the G8 table in Huntsville and the G20 table in Toronto. The decisions they make will affect the future of life on our planet. Let’s ensure the voices of those most affected are heard and are reflected in the decisions made at the summits.
Make Poverty History is one of the partners in “At the Table” –a Canadian and global civil society campaign, mobilizing citizens to “take their place” alongside world leaders in important global summits. It is a call to leaders to “take their place” in forging bold decisions on the issues people care about—poverty, climate change, and economic justice.For more information about At the Table policy goals, campaign actions and for a toolkit to help you and your organization participate in the campaign, go to http://www.atthetable2010.org.
The Dignity For All campaign is calling on the federal government to implement 1. A comprehensive, integrated federal plan for poverty elimination. 2. A federal Act to eliminate poverty, promote social inclusion and strengthen social security. 3. Sufficient federal revenue to invest in social security. The campaign held an event in Ottawa on February 1st called Dish on Dignity: A Discussion about Eradicating Poverty in Canada. The event brought low-income citizens, politicians and social justice representatives together around a table to engage in dialogue on the topic of poverty elimination in Canada, with MPs from all parties speaking. Dignity for All continues to seek new individuals and organizations to join the nearly 5000 individuals, 300 groups (including CCEDNet), 45 MPs, and 6 Senators that support the campaign to date.
The Canadian Social Economy Hub has prepared a series of Social Economy Stories, designed to provide practitioners' perspectives on what the social economy means to them and their communities. One story is profiled each month. This month we present Marichu Antonio.Marichu Antonio is the Executive Director of the Ethno-Cultural Council of Calgary (ECCC), a community-based organization comprised of more than twenty associations that makeup the collective voice of Calgary’s ethnically and culturally diverse communities; the ECCC creates social, economic and political change through collaborative action. Marichu is also one of the founders of EthniCity Catering, which offers high-quality, authentic multi-ethnic foods, and employment and training for immigrant women in transition. Newcomers participate in key workplace skills training in a commercial kitchen, from math and record-keeping skills to the process of finding work.
- Read Expanding Cultural Horizons in Canada with Marichu Antonio (4 pages pdf)
- View all of the Social Economy Stories
Research by the Canadian Social Economy Hub (CSE Hub) has featured analysis of the unique role and relevance of Social Economy organizations to public policy issues around the world. The discourse has grown as researchers, civil society organizations and governments seek to respond to inter-related socio-economic and environmental challenges. The economic downturn has fuelled this interest in seeking a more people-centered economic model, a role that the research suggests is unique to the social economy. In this Newsletter, we summarize our research on the role of the Social Economy in public policy, and how to strengthen the outcomes of the Social Economy for societal benefit. We also feature public policy research produced by the regional nodes of the CSE Hub.
The Montreal Millennium Summit has returnedfor its fourth edition, to be held on April 20, 21 & 22, 2010 at the Palais des Congrès de Montréal. Themes include: The National Forum: Quebec as a host; The Expert Forum; The meeting at the Summit; General Public Conference. Visit www.millenniumsummit.ca for more details.
On a daily basis we are confronted with an array of issues that threaten our life styles and livelihoods. However there is a grassroots movement that is spreading rapidly around the globe which helps to address two potentially devastating concerns - peak oil and climate change. The Transition Town initiative which was formed in the U.K in order to facilitate community-based action to combat these forces has spawned Transition Canada. On their own, Canadians are moving to a new level of sustainability and happiness.
The 2010 Rural Development Institute (RDI) and the Canadian Rural Revitalization Foundation (CRRF) annual policy conference will be held in Brandon, Manitoba, 14-16 October 2010.
The Canadian Journal of Nonprofit and Social Economy Research / Revue canadienne de recherche sur les OSBL et l’économie sociale (ANSERJ) is an online open access English and French peer-review publication. ANSERJ is dedicated to providing a stimulating and vibrant forum for the open dissemination of contemporary high-quality, peer-reviewed research on nonprofits and the social economy. This journal is intended to contribute to extending and linking the value of nonprofit and social economy research relationships across Canada and throughout the world. ANSERJ is multi-disciplinary, as well as interdisciplinary. High quality theoretically based, empirically grounded research and applied research from different perspectives is welcome to further the frontiers between theory and practice. The first issue is planned for Fall 2010
For more information, visit the website: http://www.anserj.ca
In this article, Tim Brodhead, President and CEO of the J.W.McConnell Family Foundation argues that the current economic crisis threatens Canada's community sector just when it is most needed. We are in a period of transformation and should not expect a return to business as usual when present financial strains ease. Governments, business, and the rich diversity of community organizations will have to collaborate to address the large-scale social, economic, and environmental challenges facing us. Community organizations are uniquely able to engage Canadians directly in the search for solutions to longstanding problems. However, they too must change to meet new demands and opportunities. Above all, Canadians will need to be resilient, creative, and resourceful. Innovation, inclusiveness, and a positive public policy framework will allow the community sector to flourish.
The CCPA released the Alternative Federal Budget for 2010 on March 1st, 2010. In addition to the budget document, the alternative budget put forward a six point jobs plan to confront the jobs crisis and get Canada working again. The plan would bring unemployment back to pre-recession levels by the end of 2011 and demonstrates there is a better way to reach fiscal balance through smart investments and smart taxation.
The full alternative budget document, budget in brief, and the jobs plan are available in both English and French.
In general, Canada is a prosperous country with a healthy population. We enjoy a high quality of life, a wealth of natural resources and a strong economy. Yet, not all Canadians are benefiting from the strong economy and not all Canadians are equally healthy. Reducing Gaps in Health: A Focus on Socio-Economic Status in Urban Canada confirms the findings of previous research, showing how, in all of Canada’s largest cities, areas of low socio-economic status had higher hospitalization rates and lower health outcomes.
Download the full report or visit the Canadian Institute for Health Information website to download by section.
Universitas Forum is an international electronic journal that offers critical analysis of current approaches to international development cooperation and practice-based research concerning global and local human development and the role that international cooperation can play in fostering such processes. The journal provides a forum for debate and the exchange of ideas and experiences among practitioners, academics and policy shapers coming from different developmental, cultural and institutional contexts.
Universitas Forum Vol. 1, No. 3 is online now
Human rights are a vital legal foundation for social progress. The human rights ‘frame’ on poverty is central to the Dignity for All campaign. But what are human rights? The Story of Human Rights is an accessible, 9 minute video introducing the concept of human rights. Watch it here or go to the video’s source, United for Human Rights where you can also watch other videos, sign a petition to implement human rights education in schools and universities, and order free and other resources on human rights.
MaRS has recently posted a shout-out to the social entrepreneurs of the world that see innovative opportunities to start projects in communities and countries that are often overlooked or ignored.
On January 27, 2010, Adam Kahane delivered SiG@Waterloo’s Lecture on Social Innovation. This lecture highlighted world-class thinkers with new ideas on how to achieve significant, durable social change for our most pressing problems. Of course if you already have an idea and need advice getting it started, get in touch with SiG@MaRS. Here’s SiG’s top 10 list of ingredients for social innovation.
- Be creative
- Leverage market forces
- Leverage new technologies like social media and cloud platforms
- Drive social innovations to scale to achieve impact
- Nurture multi-sector partnerships reaching beyond and across silos
- Adopt open-source practices, sharing ideas, learning from successes and failures
- Employ systems-thinking, unlocking the secrets of transformative change
- Explore how public policy can ensure an enabling environment
- Build up the social finance marketplace supporting sustainable business models
- Support social entrepreneurship as a critical vector for social innovation
This report argues that nothing short of a Great Transition to a new economy is necessary and desirable, and also possible. Creating a new kind of economy is crucial if we want to tackle climate change and avoid the mounting social problems associated with the rise of economic inequality. The Great Transition provides the first comprehensive blueprint for building an economy based on stability, sustainability and equality.
Download (1.07 MB) the full version or visit the nef website to purchase a printed copy of the report.
The Philanthropist, Vol 23, No 1 (2010)
Resources
CED News
3. Engagement and Learning Telelearning Series – gearing up for the 2010 National Summit on a People-Centered Economy
Register before April 15 and take advantage of our Early Bird registration discount!
Resources
CED News
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