Canadian CED Network

Newly launched GROUNDSWELL is an eight-month-long Vancouver-based training institute designed to assist people under the age of 35 in developing the hard and soft skills to build their own sustainable enterprises, including but not limited to co-ops, self-employment, social businesses, collectives, non-profits and other grassroots economic configurations that can contribute significantly to an emerging social and solidarity economy.

The project is set to open with 25 participants in September, and they have begun accepting applications. 

If you are ready to put your best ideas into action: to build and contribute to sustainable, impactful projects and enterprises, check them out.

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On April 26, Global Winnipeg aired a video on CCEDNet member BUILD (Building Urban Industries for Local Development), featuring commentary by CCEDNet’s regional director Brendan Reimer. Using the personal narrative of ex-gang member Jesse Ducharme, Katie Chamberlain explores how BUILD helps people integrate into their local economies, which helps themselves, their families, and their communities. This holistic approach to economic and personal development is at the heart of many social enterprises. 

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Watch the video

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The latest provincial budget, tabled on April 16th, brought surprising new investments in some areas and underwhelming progress in others. Across Manitoba, CED initiatives foster economic revitalization, access to capital, local ownership of resources, labour market development, poverty reduction, social development, and environmental stewardship. Despite the proven impact of the CED approach, communities continue to lack the level of support they need from all levels of government. The Province of Manitoba must take an active role in providing that support. What follows is our analysis of how Budget 2013 responded to CCEDNet – Manitoba’s pre-budget submission that called on the Province to implement our member-endorsed policy resolutions.

Read the full response >>

 

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“There isn’t an anti-poverty advocate who would claim that the Manitoba government has not done anything about poverty in this and previous budgets. But the government of Manitoba could have done far better in this budget and we will continue to call upon it to do so.”

Click here for a collaborative response to the Manitoba Budget written by our Kirsten Bernas and Shauna MacKinnon, the outgoing Executive Director of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternative.

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CCEDNet Board President Caroline Lachance and Policy Council Chair Norman Greenberg recently sent a letter to the leaders and environment critics of all federal parties in the House of Commons, encouraging action demonstrating a stronger commitment to sustainable development. 

CCEDNet is concerned that the effects of climate change and overconsumption of the planet’s natural resources are negatively affecting local communities in Canada and internationally. A renewed commitment to sustainable development is needed to ensure viable livelihoods and healthy communities for current and future generations.

In addition to approving policies, international agreements, and specific measures that bring Canada in line with the many countries of the world that are committed to sustainable development, the letter urges the Government of Canada to support community economic development initiatives that integrate social, economic, and environmental sustainability. This could include making changes to Canada’s Agricultural Policy Framework to support initiatives that promote local and sustainable food and agricultural systems. It could also include empowering communities who are tackling climate change by shifting towards green business models and changing personal consumption patterns. These localized efforts need to be combined with a tangible federal commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and supporting community-led approaches to sustainable development.

The letter concludes with an offer to share examples of how our members are contributing to these innovative practices across Canada, and to discuss ways that community economic development activities can be scaled up to support a sustainable environmental future.

Read the full letter >>

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As each year, CCEDNet members were invited to submit nominations for CCEDNet’s Board of directors.  This year, there were two seats to be filled. 

Two eligible nominations were received by the deadline.  Our Elections Officer has declared elected by acclamation:

Art Lew

Art Lew is the General Manager for Haida Gwaii Community Futures (HGCF) that he started operations in 1998. HGCF is a leader in building community capacity and supporting efforts to expand economic opportunities that promote community sustainability with particular emphasis on social enterprise. The board reflects the population distribution of the islands with 50% of it members being nominated by the Haida communities.

Art has been an active member of CCEDNet since its early years and is currently a board member. He is a member of the International Committee. HGCF is in partnership with Canadian Crossroads International and a Bolivian microfinance organization that supports exchanges between Canada and Bolivia.

Art holds University degrees in Business and in Community Economic Development. He has held positions in management consulting, in senior management in a variety of business sectors and as an owner manager of a small business. His CED experience has spanned the last 15 years.

 

Yvon Poirier

Yvon was the founding president of the Corporation de développement économique communautaire (CDÉC) de Québec in 1994.  He has been involved in international networking related to the social solidarity economy and local development since 2003.  He has participated in the World Social Forums of 2005, 2009 and 2013, as well as the United States Social Forum in 2007 and 2010.  He participated in the RIPESS (Intercontinental Network for the Promotion of the Social Solidarity Economy) conferences in Dakar in 2005 and Luxemburg in 2009, as well as other events in Asia in 2007, 2009 and 2011. 

He has been co-editor of an international newsletter on sustainable local development since 2003, which is published in six languages.  He was member of CCEDNet’s international sub-committee from 2004 to 2007, and since 2007, Chair of the International Committee. 

He was member of the governance committee that revised CCEDNet’s by-laws in 2007 and served as Elections Officer from 2006 to 2012.  He wrote CCEDNet’s virtual election procedure in 2008. 

A retired college teacher and union activist, he was an individual member of CCEDNet between 2003 and 2010, and represents the CDÉC de Québec since 2011.

 

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This past spring I contributed a paper on local development and the social economy in Québec that was published as part of an ebook on international approaches to local development by LDNet.  LDNet is an European organisation set up as a reference center for the new European Union Community-Led Local Development program for the 2014-2020 period.

LOCAL DEVELOPMENT AND SOCIAL ECONOMY IN QUEBEC

Contents: 

1. Introduction

2. Background: Canada, Québec and the regional/local level context

2.1 Local development in Canada: a brief overview

2.2 Local socio-economic development in Quebec: a historical perspective

2.3 The social economy in Quebec and its place in local development

3. Linking social economy and local development: the CLDs

3.1 The creation of CLDs

3.2 Operation and funding of CLDs

3.3 Case study: Québec City CLD

4. Local development at work

5. Lessons and challenges

Read more >>

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The 12th edition of the World Social Forum (WSF), held in Tunis from March 26th to 30th, was a true testament of the struggles of social movements and civil society in Tunisia, who identify themselves as the main actors of the Arab Spring, and offered a broad representation of the global social movements that support the Tunisian people. Tens of thousands of people attended the opening march on March 26th, after a morning meeting of women that took place in a crowded auditorium. In all 1,200 workshops and conferences followed. The WSF ended on with a march in support of the Palestinian people.

The social and solidarity economy held an important place in the programming. The initiative presented in the printed program was that of the NOMAD 08 cooperative. This coop brings together a group of eight young unemployed graduates from Redeyef City in southern Tunisia and specializes in manufacturing electronic interpretation equipment, the same used during the WSF. With the tens of thousands of unemployed youth in Tunisia, the NOMAD cooperative sets a great example and this explains the organizers’ choice of presenting NOMAD in the forefront to illustrate the historic Forum motto: Another World Is Possible.

RIPESS (the Intercontinental Network for the Promotion of the Social Solidarity Economy), including RIPESS Europe, RIPESS North America and the African Network of Social Solidarity Economy (RAESS) organized seven workshops, attended by nearly 300 people. Several regional organizations joined our efforts to facilitate the workshops and discussed the role of SSE in Africa, food sovereignty, the informal economy and economic democracy as an alternative to capitalism and neoliberal globalization. We heard many testimonies of participants from sub-Saharan Africa, North Africa or South America, by organizations that carry out activities with women, with youth or that are fighting against land grabbing or unemployment. We also insisted that the SSE is not an economy of repair but the construction of a new worldview and applicable alternatives to neoliberal economic devastation.

The RIPESS member organizations at the WSF were able to converge and work together, in collaboration with Tunisian organizations interested in the SSE, to promote the SSE as an alternative.

In our workshops, and outside of them, we found strong support for the idea that the SSE can be a suitable approach for the Tunisian people, and especially young people, to organize in different regions of the country, in order to develop activities for a better life.

We wish to testify to the warm welcome of the Tunisians. We also want to share our feeling that the SSE is already alive and well in Tunisia.

Josette Combes
Mouvement d’économie solidaire (MES) France
Member RIPESS Europe

Maude Brossard
Chantier de l’économie sociale du Québec
Member RIPESS North America

Yvon Poirier
Canadian Community Economic Development Network (CCEDNET)
Member RIPESS North America

Noureddine EL HARRAK
Réseau Marocain de l’ESS ( REMESS)
Member of SSE African Network (RAESS)

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CCEDNet’s participation at the WSF was made possible with the support of Uniterra

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Earlier this month, Canadian CED Network – Manitoba was recognized for its work in educating Manitobans about the environmental, social, and economic benefits of sustainable development. Each year, the Province of Manitoba celebrates individuals and organizations that turn the province’s guidelines for sustainability into concrete achievements through the Excellence in Sustainability Awards.

CCEDNet-Manitoba received the Education for Sustainability Award. This distinction recognizes CCEDNet-Manitoba’s efforts to inform policymakers and citizens about the benefits and impacts of using a holistic approach towards sustainable development, which seeks to build strong, equitable and more environmentally-friendly communities. Our Manitoba office was recognized for four key areas of work: 

  • Public Education & Outreach: Through practical and cutting-edge research, CCEDNet-Manitoba helps celebrate the success of innovative sustainable development programs throughout the province. With our communications outlets, CCEDNet-Manitoba engages with thousands of Manitobans on a regular basis, and helps keep them informed about the latest news and events related to sustainability.
  • Community Capacity Building: CCEDNet-Manitoba’s workshops and learning events educate Manitobans on the benefits of sustainability, and help build the skills and capacity of non-profits across the province so they can maximize their community impact.
  • Policy Action: To create a  supportive policy environment for sustainable development, CCEDNet-Manitoba actively works with local government officials to enact legislative changes that support and strenthen the work of its members.
  • Lead by Example: As an organization, CCEDNet-Manitoba has seized every opporunitiy to make its day-to-day operations as sustainable as possible – from conducting an environmental audit, to achieving 100% participation rate in the Commuter Challenge.

Click the link below to download the entire nomination for CCEDNet-Manitoba (pdf).

The Award places CCEDNet-Manitoba in the impressive company of other organizations such as: Assiniboine Credit Union, East Interlake Conservation District, Gimli, Green Action Centre, and the Winnipeg Folk Festival.     

Photo Credit: Tracey Goncalves, Government of Manitoba Photographer  

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Manitobans need a poverty reduction and social inclusion strategy that recognizes and builds on the important CED initiatives that are building stronger communities across the province. This will require a plan that increases income assistance to those in need, develops a strong social enterprise sector, enhances accessibility for all, improves access to affordable housing, and provides support for early childhood development.
 
These core recommendations are explained in full in CCEDNet-Manitoba’s recent submission to Province of Manitoba. Our submission was sent in response to the Province’s call for public consultations on ALL Aboard: Manitoba’s Poverty Reduction and Social Inclusion Strategy. In addition to supporting employment development, accessibility, affordable housing, and child care, CCEDNet-Manitoba also submitted a series of recommendations regarding the structure of the plan. We recommend that the Province of Manitoba:

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On March 19, the Québec Government introduced the Social Economy Act.

The objective of this bill is to recognize the contribution of the social economy to the socioeconomic development of Québec and to determine the role of the Government in that area. It works to promote the social economy and support its development through the creation and adaptation of policy tools, and to foster access to the Administration’s measures and programs for social economy enterprises.

The Chantier de l’économie sociale and the Conseil québécois de la coopération et de la mutualité are designated as primary interlocutors of the Government on the subject.

The functions of the Minister of Municipal Affairs, Regions and Land Occupancy as regards the social economy are clarified, and a Panel of Social Economy Partners is created to advise the Minister.

Ministers must take the social economy into consideration in existing measures and programs, when updating those measures and programs, and in developing new tools for enterprises. They must also, whenever it is relevant, promote the social economy initiatives carried out in Québec.

Lastly, measures are proposed to ensure the Administration’s accountability with respect to the social economy through planning, follow-up and reporting, including the adoption of an action plan and the tabling of reports on the carrying out of the Act.

It is hoped that the Act will be passed by summer. 

Congratulations to the Chantier de l’économie sociale and the Conseil québécois de la coopération et de la mutualité on this significant accomplishment. 

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The Canadian CED Network’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) will be held on June 6th, 2013 in Winnipeg, Manitoba. 

2013 CALL FOR BOARD NOMINATIONS

Nominations are currently being sought for two positions on CCEDNet’s Board of Directors. CCEDNet members with energy and a vision for the CED movement in Canada are encouraged to submit their candidacy. The deadline to receive nominations is April 8, 2013.

This year we are seeking nominations for two at-large directors who will be elected to a three-year term by the members.

For more information: 2013 Call for Nominations

2013 CALL FOR RESOLUTIONS

All resolutions must be submitted to info at ccednet-rcdec.ca no later than April 8, at 5:00 p.m. (EST). Late resolutions will be held over to the AGM in the following year.

All sponsors of resolutions will be contacted no later than April 25. At that time, sponsors will be notified that their resolution will be presented at the AGM or that the resolution has been rejected because it does not fulfill the requirements.

For more information: 2013 Call for Resolutions

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Community investment, not austerity, the key to economic growth

Austerity measures are not the way to kickstart an already stagnant economy, warns the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. 
 
With the release of its annual Alternative Federal Budget (AFB), the CCPA shows how austerity can be replaced by a plan that strengthens the economy, leads to a better quality of life for all Canadians, and eliminates the deficit by 2016. The Alternative Federal Budget shows what the federal government could do if it decided to seriously tackle Canadians’ largest social, economic, and environmental concerns.
 
“Instead of budgeting with eyes wide shut, the AFB responds to the issues that most Canadians struggle with every day. It invests in programs that are good for growth and good for Canadians, while balancing the books,” said CCPA Senior Economist Armine Yalnizyan in a press release published earlier this week.
 
Rather than focussing on misguided defecit cutting, the CCPA argues for investment in much-needed services and programs for Canadian communities. Targeted government spending in areas such as national child care, community-based health care, and basic infrastructure repairs can help stimulate employment while building stronger local economies across the country. Proposed AFB initiatives include a Community Economic Development Policy Framework, and a Neighbourhood Revitalization Fund.  According to the CCPA, the AFB Plan would generate 200,000-300,000 full time jobs.

The AFB Plan:

  • Reduces poverty and inequality by investing in child care, pharmacare, affordable housing, income supports, and post-secondary education,
  • Tackles the ongoing crisis for First Nations housing, drinking water, education,
  • Implements a long term, transparent and public plan for investments in infrastructure,
  • Creates 300,000 jobs, lowering the unemployment rate to 6% by 2014, and
  • Introduces a new top personal income tax bracket, closes the biggest tax loopholes, and introduces a withholding tax on tax havens.

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