A Resilient Society is Inclusive, Sustainable and Innovative. That pretty well sums up the fruits of the JW McConnell Family Foundation's journey over the last fifteen years. Fifteen years of learning, risk taking and jettisoning assumptions. A period in … Read More
Yearly Archives: 2011
Don’t Miss Alison Lawton
There it was on page S-14 of Saturday's Globe and Mail, a full page UBC ad profiling a remarkable documentary produced by UBC journalism students on the perils of dumping millions of tons of electronic waste, particularly on workers and … Read More
Charles Leadbeater – Setting the Post Bridget Jones Agenda
"At the core of a good society, a fulfilling life and an effective state are relationships among people, between citizens, with public services that provide care, recognition, purpose and motivation." Charles Leadbeater Charles Leadbeater has been tracking and chronicling creative … Read More
Representation Agreements – I Am Because We Are (2)
I wrote the following story nearly 20 years ago when we were in the midst of a law reform campaign to establish Representation Agreements as a grass roots alternate to traditional adult guardianship. (see my previous post – Love in … Read More
Representation Agreements – Love in the Architecture
Simone Weil the French mystic, philosopher and social activist wrote, "Intelligence is enlightened by love." So is legislation. After a nearly 25 year journey the British Columbia government recently affirmed the status of Representation Agreements, a grass roots alternative to … Read More
Stephen Huddart’s Beautiful World
"There's always someone trying to make change happen and to make our world even more beautiful," observes Stephen Huddart, the new President and CEO of the McConnell Family Foundation. And that pretty well sums up Stephen's inspiration and delight in … Read More
10 Recommended Summer Reads from Ashoka’s Changemakers
Summertime and the living is easy. But no fish are jumping on the west coast. Instead geese are migrating – already. They appear to be seeking the same hidden sun as the rest us. Never mind, a little rain and … Read More
Mother Time
One of the great pleasures of being nestled within the family arm of the disability movement is enjoying a diverse group of people who have at least one thing in common – love for their family member who has a … Read More
Kirsteen and Cat Main – Making Words Visible
I used to see her hanging around art festivals. Like every young poet with something to say. Waiting. Waiting for a chance to share her poems. …A single tear falls remembering the happy timesSo far and few betweenAnger not … Read More
Diogo Vasconcelos – He Was What He Shared
Conviviality is a word designed for Diogo Vasconceleos – gregarious, intimate, cheerful, gracious. You could settle in to a deep conversation with him the way the earth settled into an orbit around the sun. Simultaneously attracted by his energy and … Read More