Dear Reader You are the first to know. My new book The Power of Disability: 10 Lessons for Surviving, Thriving and Changing the World is at the printers. It contains more than one hundred stories of individuals from twenty countries … Read More
Author Archives: Al Etmanski
We’re From Civil Society and We’re Here to Help
In a healthy democracy citizens are engaged as mature equal partners with government. They recognize government’s limitations and pitch in to compensate. They pursue solutions while also improving the overall decision making capacity of government. They take care not to … Read More
Your Base is Just a Baseline
Dear Reader – I hope this post makes you curious about new approaches to organizing, campaigning and achieving your objectives. Unless you have all the support you need, your twin organizing goals are: One, to maintain your existing base and … Read More
Don’t Give Up
A change of government is always challenging. Particularly if you don’t respect the leader. Understandably you brace for the worst. The danger is that you succumb to the drama. And a prophecy is fulfilled. On the other hand all new governments, … Read More
10 Canadian-International Book Pairings
Looking for a good book or two? Here are ten of my favourite Canadian books paired with ten favourites by writers from away. For your long weekend reading pleasure. A Disappearance in Damascus, the true story of reporter Deborah Campbell’s time … Read More
You Have More Power Than You Think
You have more power to achieve the changes you are after than you think. Not as much as you might like. But more than you realize. The trick is to claim it. And not let the boundaries of that power … Read More
10 good reasons why people who are poor should be in charge of ending poverty
People who are poor never get to be in charge of ending poverty Even though they know more about poverty than anyone. Here are ten good reasons why they should be. Every percentage point of the Canadian population represents 360,000 … Read More
Yaniv Janson is Changing the World One Painting at a Time
“I wonder what they think about climate change?” That question contained the most compelling vision of inclusion I have ever encountered. It was offered by a speaker in Scotland a number of years back. She asked us to imagine a … Read More
Making Peace with Fear, the Convincing and Beautiful Presence of Katheren Szabo
Katheren Szabo knows how to make peace with her fears. Which is something most of us aspire to. Especially during these outrageous, topsy turvy times when a low level state of fear hovers like a dirty cloud. For many good … Read More
POP Goes the Vernacular
Vernacular is a good word to know but not a good word to use in a speech, song or sentence. It means the language of the people. Which is where Shakespeare found his poetry. It’s the reason Leonard Cohen left … Read More