This may be the easiest assignment Vickie and I have ever had. The good folks at the Plan and Tamarack Institutes have asked us to host a webinar series on the ingenuity of people with disabilities and their families. Easy, because innovation is … Read More
Author Archives: Al Etmanski
Political Boldness Requires Strong Movements
Q. What do you do when a government you didn’t vote for, or don’t like, lives up to its promises? A. Nurture and strengthen the movement(s) you are part of. Q. What do you do when a government you voted … Read More
Transforming Capitalism versus Democratizing the Economy
There is a hardy breed of activists who have set themselves the rather lofty goal of civilizing capitalism. This renaissance of capitalism will be achieved by reinventing businesses and corporations, transforming markets, recreating Wall Street, and humanizing investments. Capitalism’s purpose, … Read More
The Plot Thickens
Ever heard of a wicked problem? It’s a challenge that has no borders and attracts as many unanswerable questions as solutions. There are a lot of wicked problems out there. They are tough, stubborn, deep. And their roots are intertwined … Read More
Goosebumps Never Lie
The Guess Who had it right. Unless people are shakin’ all over, your issue, campaign or movement will sputter. If you want to rally more than the usual suspects get spines tingling. That means having a bold vision that cuts … Read More
Words Matter – Theirs and Ours
“The beautiful word begets the beautiful deed,” wrote Thomas Mann. This is a lesson I, along with many others, struggle with. Our advocacy words don’t always live up to our advocacy ideals. Somehow we think we can denigrate, ridicule, shame … Read More
Indigenous Wisdom and Peacemaking
The following piece is adapted from a blog essay I wrote for Social Innovation Exchange (SIX). SIX is a global curator of social innovation. They are issuing a series of blogs on peacemaking in advance of their annual Summit which … Read More
A Marriage of Playground and Podium
On the surface it wasn’t a match made in heaven, a Quebec ethicist and a former Olympic athlete. One committed to participation in sport for the sheer joy of it. The other focused on athletic competition with a laser focus … Read More
Enterprising Slums and Favelas
One of my more embarrassing gaffes occurred while walking through the Nairobi neighbourhood of Kibera. Kibera is home to two and a half million people and is often described as the biggest slum in Africa. My escort was a woman … Read More
Breathing Love into Zika
As the world’s gaze is fixated on Brazil’s Olympic and Paralympic games I’m struck by another gaze. The look of love by parents as they fuss over their babies infected by the Zika virus. This is in contrast to the … Read More