A Community at Work

Last Thursday, I attended a panel on Young Leaders in Atlantic Canada on the topic of Corporate Social Responsibility organized for the Canadian Business Ethics Research Network's annual conference, this year, held in Halifax. The panel was organised by Sheila Brown, Executive Director of the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Public Affairs, and was a workshop facilitator at this past November's Emerging Leaders Summit in St Andrews where she led a session on team-building.

When introducing the panel, to my surprise, Sheila gave a great shout-out to 21inc and our community. As she explained to me, the Summit has led to her thinking more about emerging leaders, which sparked her initiative of organizing this young leaders panel at the conference. Furthermore, when it came time to find some panellists, she picked up her program from the Summit, and browsed through it to get some ideas of leaders she could invite to be on the panel. 2 of the 3 panellists, she knows from the 21inc relationships she built at the Summit with our alumni; Michelle Strum (Alteregos Café / Halifax Backpackers) and Todd McDonald (Give to Live), whom she met through Ashley Ward (Give to Live) (Emerging Leaders Summit).

It was awesome to bare witness to the 21inc community and to know that people are continuing to build and nurture relationships with other community members...especially when staff has nothing to do with it.

The Afternoon that Inspiration from Perth, Australia came to The Hub Halifax

Let’s start with a preamble:

There are many great things about working out of The Hub Halifax. For those of you who haven’t heard of it, The Hub is an international social enterprise of collaborative workspaces, hubs, in four continents and 12 cities for people who want to make things happen. From The Hub’s website, “We set out to create places that borrow from the best of a member’s club, an innovation agency, a serviced office and a think-tank to create a very different kind of innovation environment”. We are lucky to have a Hub in Halifax, and it is thanks to co-founders Joanne Macrae (alumna of our 2010 Emerging Leaders Summit) and Tracey Boyer Morris. When you’re in the neighbourhood, you should definitely pop by for a visit. Even if you are based outside of Halifax, you should consider getting a membership at the Hub so that you have a friendly and comfortable work space between your meetings when you are in town on business.

Okay, that was the preamble. Now to the story:

So, yesterday was lining up as a usual day at the Hub when Joanne, mentioned above, said to me that someone named Reece Harley was going to be hanging his hat at the Hub later in the day and that I should try to connect with him. Reece is Perth (Australia)’s International Youth Ambassador for 2011, an honorary appointment by the City of Perth, in association to their Youth Advisory Council. Youth Advisory Council? Youth Ambassador? Are you impressed yet? Just wait!

The City of Perth, through their Ambassador Program has sent Reece to visit three cities to learn and get inspiring ideas to make the city a better place to live, looking at issues ranging from homelessness to culture and creativity, to economic development and beyond. Reece is visiting Houston (Texas), Washington (DC) and our very own Halifax, Nova Scotia. Now, didn’t I tell you that it got good? His reflections, discoveries and findings will be brought together in a report that will be distributed to the four municipalities and its contributors.

I connected with him in the afternoon at the Hub. I wanted to chat with him about 21inc, as well as to gain some insight about the youth-focused initiatives in Perth.

He talked to me about Youth Tree and Big Help Mob, essentially a rent-a-mob service (you must check out the video on their front page), and the Left Right Think-Tank, as well as Azaria Media and Young Social Pioneers (check out their video). You should check out Reece’s website for a link to more inspiration organisations doing great work in Perth.

Example after example, organisation after organisation, I was impressed at how Perth has its stuff together. Or at least, how they’re investing in people, in social enterprise, in young people, in innovation to overcome the challenges that they do have (they are a commuter city, the cost of purchasing property is very expensive, etc.)…yet, the City has invested in a young person to go on a research mission to three cities on another continent all to bring back cool ideas to make their city better. Come on!

The obvious question I had for Reece, upon realizing that people and institutions are investing in young people and social enterprises, was “Where did that come from? How did it start?” I was expecting a complex answer – an explanation involving seismic shifts and dynamics that was decades, or at least years, in the making.

“It’s because of the Mayor”, he told me simply – a Mayor who recognizes the importance of investing in people and social enterprise.

Of course! Yet another example that leadership is at the core…a fundamental principle for us at 21inc and the reason why we are trying to unleash and unstick leadership excellence – the awesome – of our region’s emerging leaders.

So, there you have it, folks - yet another example that the Hub Halifax is a place ripe for meeting people, exchanging knowledge and ideas and creative collisions. I can’t wait to see who I meet next.

1800 kilomètres en 8 jours, seule!

« J’ai l’impression de faire ma propre tournée provinciale », disais-je aux anciens. Je faisais référence à la tournée provinciale pendant laquelle les participants du programme des 21 Leaders de 21inc font l’expérience de la province du Nouveau-Brunswick ensemble, en autobus, pendant plus d’une semaine. Cette tournée provinciale est vite devenue la pierre angulaire de l’expérience de 21inc; je le sais, je l’ai vécue en 2008.

La semaine dernière, dans le cadre de mon boulot avec 21inc, j’ai pris la route vers le nord de la province, armée de baladodiffusions et de cartes Google imprimées. Mon objectif : rendre visite à nos anciens et anciennes qui vivent dans ces régions pour discuter de la communauté des anciens que nous voulons créer, et pour documenter les résultats de leur participation au programme. À l’horaire : Halifax - Moncton – Tracadie – Caraquet – Bathurst – Edmundston – Fredericton - Halifax.

Le nord de la province, de la Péninsule jusqu’au Madawaska, en passant par la région Chaleur, est une partie de la province que je ne connais pas très bien, j’avoue. J’ai ouvert grand mes oreilles à ce que me disaient les anciens et les anciennes de nos programmes au sujet des bienfaits et des résultats de leur expérience avec 21inc jusqu’à présent. Des informations et des anecdotes qui vont alimenter notre programmation pour les anciens, ainsi que nos programmes avenirs.

Tout ça, et puis je me suis laissé emporter…Il n’y a rien de mieux que l’autoroute pour se laisse voyager l’esprit. J’ai songé à l’Acadie et à l’ « acadienneté », à nos communautés rurales, à la résolution et l’engagement de nos anciens à ces communautés du nord, au bilinguisme, et j’en passe.

Trois ans après avoir eu des discussions stimulantes, enrageantes et inspirantes avec ma cohorte de 21 Leaders, j’ai refait l’expérience en solo. Ma conclusion? Il n’y a rien comme faire un peu d’autoroute pour réfléchir sur les choses vraies, les choses qui comptent. Que ça soit fait seul ou avec 20 de ses pairs.

Il suffit d’avoir la force d’éteindre son iPod.

*Un gros merci à nos anciens et nos anciennes pour leur hospitalité.*

To : Mr Urquart (MLA), From: Female Reproductive Organs (B.Soc.sc., M.A.)

I hate it when people say that young people are not interested in politics. We are - we just don't necessarily participate in the same way as other (older) generations. Many of us may not chose to be card-carrying members of political parties, but we are certainly active by being activists, writing for school newspapers, discussing politics over a beer at the pub, and yes (dare, I say) post links on our Facebook pages. While I truly believe this, I have come to admit that we must also participate in traditional or convention forms of political participation, if we want to be spared the *sigh* Young people these days' monologues.


So, I had committed to writing a letter to a politician (and ideally, one of my political representatives) for while. But alas, procrastination and a busy schedule took-over, and it sat on the back-burner for a while, when EUREKA! Carl Urquhart used his Facebook profile to make a political statement : "Girls, we need more babies or we will never be able to support our future."


Heck, I was so inspired that I decided to start a blog where I'll post my letters to politicians. That's where you'll find my letter (warning: your French Immersion will be tested).


What Mr Urquhart told the "girls" (if that wasn't a red flag) of New Brunswick that:

1. Our (only? best?) contribution to the province is through our reproductive organs (oops, I guess I could have saved on student loans)
2. We must want to have children (or what kind of woman would we be?).
3. Men are not equals in reproduction and child-raising.

I am annoyed by posts like this one and comments linked to internet coverage of the event. This has nothing to do with political correctness, and everything to do with reinforcing sexist assumptions and institutions. Comments like Mr Urquhart's contribute to our socializing children that men have a natural ability to be powerful politicians, and women are born to be caring mommies. This is socialization 101 : "Je suis qui vous me dites, que je suis"...I am who you tell me I am.


Side Note #1 : See my friend Marc's post on the NB Human Rights Commission panel on Pay Equity in New Brunswick.


Side Note #2: Yesterday, a male building manager from where our workplace rents, called one of the VP's the non-profit I work for "sweetie". Afterwards, when I told her "I'm glad he said that to you, and not to me", she replied "Oh, that kind of stuff doesn't bother me". To which my thought is, but it should - you should make a point of it.

Ding, ding, ding...bring on the debate.

A Reponse to the G&M’s Margaret Wente

I just read this...

Firstly, don’t event get me started with this statement, “Of course some research, especially in the sciences and medicine, matters a great deal to the advancement of society. But a vast amount of it – especially in the humanities and social sciences – does not”.

Secondly, what Wente describes is very far from my experience as a post-secondary student in the Atlantic Provinces.

During my four years at the Université de Moncton (au département de Science Politique), I encountered the best and most encouraging teachers. And smart too! They had brilliant research projects of their own – though probably neglected because of all the time they spent with us -, and offered thought-provoking and enriching classes. I was never turned away when asking for help and further explanation. I would pop by my professors’ offices to chat about class, current issues and career preparations. They are the best of the best. I would also soon find out that the education I received from them more than prepared me to be in a program with graduates from UofT, McGill, Queen’s…their education had nothing over mine.

And perhaps somewhat to my surprise, I was met with the same commitment at the larger Dalhousie University for my Master of Arts program. The Political Science professors here also happily (I think!?) took to the time to answer my 101-questions inside and out of class.

At both of these institutions, professors (professeurs et professeures) pushed me to be reflective, critical and daring. They believed in my academic performance and ability, far more than I did. They were there every step of the way.

So, I don’t know what Wente is talking about – but it’s not my experience of postsecondary education in Atlantic Canada. That is not to say that there is no pressure to rapidly produce research projects in some fields and universities in the country…but please, don’t blame it on the professors.

Lamrock, Democracy 101 et la fracture numérique

Hier, monsieur Kelly Lamrock a annoncé le projet « Democracy 101 » - assumons qu’un titre français sera affiché sous peu -, une initiative cherchant à accroître la participation citoyenne dans les affaires gouvernementales et publiques de la province. Chaque semaine, 101 ménages seront choisis pour dialoguer avec d’autres citoyens, des invités spéciaux et – assumons -, Mr Lamrock et d’autres parlementaires sur certaines questions de l’heure. Je comprends que ce dialogue aura lieu par entremise de médias sociaux tels les microblogues (Twitter), et les outils de gestion de réseau social (Facebook).

Certes (j’espère), ce projet verra une participation jeunesse notable. Je l’ai toujours dit – que les « jeunes », et moi incluse, ne sommes pas apolitiques. Nous participons à la vie politique autrement que nos parents et grands-parents – dans notre préférence pour la nourriture organique, dans nos manifestations contre les hausses de frais de scolarité, et oui, en affichant des liens à des pages web sur notre profile Facebook, etc. Ce projet a le potentiel de faire connaître l’intérêt politique qu’ont les jeunes, déjà familiers avec ses médiaux sociaux.

Cela étant dit comment ce projet va-t-il tenir compte de la « fracture (ou fossé) numérique » (dit Digital Divide en anglais) - un problème dans le monde entier, incluant notre province. Est-ce que des partenariats avec les centres d’accès Internet ou des foyers de personnes âgées seront établis? Comment faire pour s’assurer que ce dialogue soit accessible à tous – jeunes et moins jeunes, autochtones et non autochtones, rural et urbain, etc. ?

Oui, c’est une belle initiative, mais pas sans avoir adressé la fracture numérique (voire, fracture sociale) qui existe dans notre province.

A family cottage on the beach as a microcosm of New Brunswick

Tomorrow night for the first time in a few years, my Breau clan will descend upon my grand-parents cottage at Caissie Cape, meters from the beautiful beach facing the Northumberland Straight. Since the last time we were all together, there have been a few additions to the family, most importantly the first two great-grand-children.

Some forty years ago, when my grand-parents built their cottage, they wouldn’t have been able to imagine what their family would look like, all these years later. My grand-parents who are in most regards, two typical Acadians (that’s definitely not a bad thing) from south-eastern New Brunswick, will be joined by their ever-diversifying kin and their partners.

On the beach tomorrow night, we’ll find our share of Acadians and Acadians-at-heart but also Francophones and Anglophones, New Brunswickers, Islanders and Ontarians, Non-Canadians, Canadians living abroad and Second-generation Canadians, academics, professionals, trade workers and students.

We don’t all look the same and we don’t all speak the same languages. We don’t all call New Brunswick home. And you know what? That’s okay, to all of us. Because we love being together, and learning about, and from each other. There may be a few teachable moments, like learning to play the spoons or getting familiar with traditional Acadian words (“qui’c’qui va grailler la table?”), but it’s all good. What’s important is that regardless of our backgrounds and lifestyles, we all feel at home and at ease sitting on the beaches of New Brunswick.

Nothing else matters. Or at least nothing will tomorrow night.

Is the rest of the province as open? Are our families? Our governments? Our businesses? If not, you have some catching up to do, because the Breaus aren’t looking back.

Is this what Malcolm Gladwell was talking about?

As was blogged previously, a group of the 2008 Leaders cohort successfully completed a project called “Our New Brunswick/Notre Nouveau-Brunswick” in which 6 grade 7 classrooms from around the province created short-films about their communities. These short-films were exchanged between the 6 classes, and the students were brought together via videoconference last month to talk about their experience and their communities.

Turns out…there may be a sequel…

Inspired by the project, and appreciated of the opportunity to explore their community and the province through short-film, one of the participating classes from ONB/NNB from Northumberland County successfully applied for a grant with the Innovative Learning Fund, with the province of NB. This grant will allow them to visit some of the places they learned about during the project!

So let me get this straight…Group of the 21 Leaders from the 2005 cohort launch an organization called 21inc…launch a 21 Leaders Program… 21 Leaders (v.2008) go on a bus tour across the province…Group of ’08 Leaders get together to create a project that will allow students to discover their community and their province through film…Class receives a grant to visit some of the places they have discovered through ONB/NNB.

Stay tuned my friends…this is getting exciting!