Our culture is inexhaustible in its capacity to ignore the fact of our vulnerability. As a result, we are all becoming more fragile. The fashion, advertising and sports industries ‘sell’ perfection of the body as something we should all strive for. … Read More
Author Archives: Al Etmanski
Glory Days
August 28th is the 50th anniversary of my near association with glory. I caught a perfect game for the Hearst Lumberkings. The game launched the Lumberkings on a magic season that led to the all-Ontario finals, a unique feat for … Read More
Without a Vision People Perish; Without a Vehicle Vision Languishes
Vickie and I had a short essay about vision rejected recently. It took us a while to understand why. They wanted vision as ‘content.’ We imagined vision as ‘vehicle.’ Vickie and I agree about the importance of describing the details … Read More
Play the Field with Concepts but Stay Faithful to Your Ethics
By all means get to know the latest concept. Date it for a while. Allow yourself to become infatuated with its appearance of perfect possibility. I do! But don’t get too enraptured. Another concept is just around the corner. If … Read More
A River Runs Through John
I wrote the following review of a new book by a new friend, Cormac Russell, about an old friend, John McKnight. For those who don’t know John, he is the man who taught community organizing to Obama. And helped get … Read More
What Colour is Your Flag?
Mine is monotone peppery. There it is. High on that mountain top. Not that one. Or that one. Not that one either. Those flags belong to people who are a little naïve about social change. They tend to compromise easily. … Read More
Whole Systems Change is not a Rubik’s Cube
If you are inside the social innovation world you know everybody’s talking about whole systems change, If you are not, get ready. It’s bound to seep into more and more public discussions. That’s a good thing as long as we … Read More
Like Shining from Shook Foil
The title above is borrowed from a favourite poem, God’s Grandeur by Gerard Manley Hopkins. July 28 is his birthday and I couldn’t resist the occasion. The poem begins: The world is charged with the grandeur of God. It will … Read More
Which comes first transforming the banking system or government?
There is a lot of activity in the social and philanthropic sector to attract investment from banks. This pursuit is a component of what is generally referred to as social finance. Impact investment is another popular description. Many see it as … Read More
Richard Steckel – the playful Social Entrepreneur
Social movements have many parents and the social enterprise movement is no exception. The first social entrepreneur in Canada for example dates back to Mother D’Youville in the early 1700’s. The current manifestation of social enterprise is often attributed to … Read More