For CCEDNet’s spring 2023 member communique, our communications coordinator, Anita Lambton, interviewed Derek Bassey. Derek is finance coordinator at Fireweed Food Co-op in Winnipeg Treaty 1 territory, and is also a new CCEDNet board member.
It was inspirational to learn more about how Fireweed Food co-op connects their day-to-day practices with their CED mindset. Read the full interview below.
Anita Lambton: To begin, what does community economic development mean to you and to Fireweed Food Co-op?
Derek Bassey: Community economic development to me and Fireweed means the generation and redistribution of resources within one’s identified community. While community economic development can manifest itself in different ways, it encompasses the establishment of sustaining communities and societies that have a reduced dependence on external and unrelated influences that don’t further the growth and health of the community.
AL: There are four dimensions that are foundational to Fireweed food co-op’s work: thriving community, local economy, ecological sustainability and food access for all. Can you tell us more about those and how the co-op embodies them?
DB: Through my work I try to uphold the four dimensions. I like to think I uphold the dimension of thriving community through engagement and encouragement.
At the heart of a community is people’s spirits, and they thrive best when they feel they are safe and encouraged to be themselves. Local economy comes into play when you look at the logistical day-to-day transactions of both business and households. By working in financial management, my work facilitates the local economy by providing support to these transactions. Ecological sustainability and food access for all is embodied in the long-term goals of my work through Fireweed. For example, one of Fireweed’s treasured projects is the Veggie Van initiative that sets out to distribute food to disenfranchised communities that experience food insecurity.
The four dimensions at the heart of Fireweed’s work: thriving community, just local economy, ecological sustainability, food access for all.
AL: You recently joined the board at CCEDNet. What motivated you to do this and what are you hoping to contribute to or achieve?
DB: As an immigrant, I have been eager to find more ways to give back to the community that welcomed and supported me. CCEDNet had been on my radar ever since I joined the team at Fireweed and when I heard about the opportunity to join the board, I naturally jumped at it.
AL: How can CCEDNet members support the work Fireweed Food Co-op is doing?
DB: There are a number of ways CCEDNet members can support Fireweed, be it directly or indirectly.
For example, CCEDNet members can join the Fireweed network as a supporter co-op member and purchase local food at the South Osborne Farmers market or from the Fireweed buying club. Members can also offer support through being local food advocates and purchase from restaurants who buy from Fireweed, and recommend local food purchases in your workplace if applicable. Lastly, CCEDNet members can even go as far as advocating and lobbying for policies that align with Fireweed’s mission; for example, lobbying and advocating for local procurement policies or social procurement.
Thanks Derek, Fireweed Food Co-op, and everyone out there advocating for better food systems!
Congratulations to Yvon Poirier, CCEDNet Board member and longtime CED activist, who has been instrumental in supporting this work at the UN, including most recently last December. Yvon’s work led to Canada being one of the states sponsoring the resolution at the UN.
Note: Authored by Yvon Poirier, this post originally appeared on the RIPESS website.For more information, read the announcement made by the United Nations Inter-Agency Task Force on Social and Solidarity Economy.
The adoption on April 18 by the United Nations General Assembly of resolution A/77/L.60 is a very significant achievement for our movement that has promoted the Social and Solidarity Economy (SSE) as an important paradigm change to help humanity move towards genuinely sustainable development that leaves no one behind, the rallying cry of Agenda 2030.
We would like to express our heartfelt thanks and commend Argentina, Armenia, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Finland, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, Mongolia, Morocco, Portugal, Romania, Senegal, Slovenia, and Spain for co-sponsoring this resolution. We are particularly grateful to Chili, Senegal, and Spain, supported by France, for establishing a zero draft of the resolution and organising the necessary negotiations that resulted in a final draft on which consensus was reached on March 23rd.
RIPESS has promoted the inclusion of SSE in sustainable development since the RIO+20 global summit of June 2012. We already at that date presented specific proposals for the inclusion of SSE in the future 2015-2030 SDG’s. We were aware that the 2000-2015 Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) were not reducing poverty significantly, and that many of the Goals would not be achieved.
This is why we actively participated in all arenas where it was possible to promote SSE in the 2012-2014 period, as we knew that the 2015-2030 SDGs would not be achieved through the business-as-usual approach. We participated in civil society consultations that recommended the recognition of SSE. We participated in the 2013 and 2014 HLPF events in New York. During the 2014 HLPF, our then-Executive Secretary, Daniel Tygel, was the official spokesperson for civil society, taking the floor in front of 130 country delegations. We also published a series of recommendations at this time; they had been endorsed by 500 organisations from all around the world.
Even if we failed to get SSE included in Agenda 2030, we relentlessly pursued the path of international recognition for SSE. Our colleague from Mali in Africa, Madani Coumaré was chosen as a civil society speaker at the occasion of one of the interactive dialogues during the UN Summit that adopted Agenda 2030 in September 2015.
Our members continued to work in their respective countries and continents. At the global level, we continued by firmly committing to the United Nations Inter-Agency Task Force on SSE (UNTFSSE) that was established in 2013. We continued to participate in the ILO SSE yearly SSE Academies. We organised (generally co-organised) workshops in many official gatherings such as UNCTAD 14 in Nairobi in 2016, and UN Habitat III held in Mexico and the adoption of the New Urban Agenda in Quito in 2016. The UN Habitat III consultations was the occasion to co-organise workshops during the preparatory consultations in Montreal, Monterrey, and Barcelona, jointly with other SSE organisations. SSE was included in the reports of the three meetings. We also co-signed with other SSE organizations: SSE IF, INAISE, GSEF, FMDV and Habitat International Coalition proposing the inclusion of SSE in the New Urban Agenda (NUA). The months of effort were a success and SSE was included. Since then, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution in December 2016 endorsing the NUA. This was the first UN Resolution to mention SSE.
September 7th, 2016 was the moment when the process towards a UN resolution truly began. Even if it was in the back of our minds, a message was forwarded to us by a UN Civil servant on that day that suggested that the moment would be ripe for proposing a resolution on SSE. Realising that we had made considerable progress in terms of international recognition for SSE, the idea was shared with the UNTFSSE in the following weeks and months. The idea was carried forward in a couple of meetings in 2017, and finally, on February 24th 2018, the UNTFSSE adopted a first concept note and endorsed the proposal to move in that direction. It had now become an official endeavour. The authors of the first concept note, Chantal Line Carpentier and Fulvia Farinelli from UNCTAD (a member of the UNTFSSE) accompanied by the author of this article, were asked to continue the work and prepare a first draft of the future resolution. In early January 2019, based on content provided by this author, Raymond Landveld shaped the draft so it read in a more typical UN Resolution format. That first draft was shared and adopted in the February 26th 2019 Task Force meeting. A second draft, with a few amendments was adopted in May, following suggestions by members and observers.
At that point in time, no country was prepared to sponsor/propose such a resolution. A decision was made to put any future work on improving the draft resolution on hold, with the logic that at a future date, when countries agreed to sponsor the resolution, the work on the draft would then be taken up again.
From May 2019 to April 2022, the focus was on identifying a country group of countries prepared to sponsor the resolution. To this end, a rationale was produced in different languages. Members and observers of the UNTFSSE, including RIPESS, promoted the importance of a resolution in many international events such as Pact for Impact in July 2019 in Paris, the virtual HLPF events, GSEF 2021 in Mexico, and many more. The COVID-19 pandemic considerably slowed the process.
The breakthrough came in early 2022, when France and Spain held a meeting in Paris on April 20th – 21st, to discuss the concrete proposal of a resolution. The UNTFSSE was then asked to prepare an updated version of the draft, as three years had elapsed since the version of May 2019. The then-Chair, Vic van Vuuren, the team that had worked on this in the past, Raymond Landveld, Yvon Poirier (author of this article) and Valentina Verze from the ILO, collectively worked to support of the UNTFSSE and updated the document. This was achieved by some days of very intensive work, and the new version was submitted to a special meeting of the UNTFSSE held on April 8th.
The above-mentioned meeting hosted by France was successful, and the participants decided to propose the resolution for the upcoming 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly (September 2022 to September 2023). At the occasion of the 2022 HLPF, a successful webinar was organised by RIPESS and the UNTFSSE to promote SSE, including the upcoming resolution, on July 5th.
Two side events were held in 2022 to promote the effort within all permanent missions at the UN; the first was organized by Spain on July 22nd, and a second by France on December 13th. As a RIPESS representative, I was requested to act as moderator for the July 22 event, and as spokesperson for RIPESS in December. This process led to the formal engagement of 15-16 member countries. They jointly designated a core team to lead the process. Chili, Spain, and Senegal organised exchanges with the group of countries, and circulated with a zero draft on March 1st. Following this, the group of 3 co-facilitators organised rounds of consultations on the draft. After 3 weeks of negotiations, and with various changes to the draft, the proposed resolution went through a process called the “silence procedure”. Once this procedure was launched, Member States had 48 hours to break the silence (signal any disagreement). Since the silence procedure was not broken by the deadline of March 23rd, 5 PM, New York time, the resolution was considered validated for adoption by consensus at the UN General Assembly. This is the normal UN process. Once a resolution has been agreed, the next steps are translation in different UN languages, and setting a date for the adoption procedure. The resolution was adopted on April 18, 2023 (video).
The adoption of the resolution is a very important step for SSE and SSE actors, but we must stay modest.
The challenges to fully include SSE in all aspects of development aimed at achieving the SDGs are enormous. We will need to deploy the SSE approach where it is still weak, or even unknown, and strengthen its capacity where it already exists. We will need to strengthen organisations and networks. The financial challenge will be huge, since the global financial system in which we are living does everything it can to limit funding to the corporate sector.
Raising hundreds of millions of people out of abject poverty can only be achieved by SSE. Governments need to adopt progressive taxation in “wealthy and developed” countries. And even in these countries, extreme poverty is fast increasing due to the current multiple crises. Tax havens need to be abolished. All countries need to adopt full social protection measures. SSE needs to be part of the effort to move away from the carbon economy. Local economies need to be strengthened. Abolishing poverty is not possible in a world where 1% of the population capture an estimated 63% of the wealth produced in 2021 and 2022. We must view SSE as a holistic approach that encompasses all sectors of economic life, as is the case for the SDGs. Everything is interconnected.
There is room for hope and optimism.
The adoption of the Resolution is the result of the SSE ecosystem we have collectively built over several decades. This ecosystem, composed of UN Agencies, the work on this subject by the OECD and UNCTAD, the UNTFSSE, SSE organisations (RIPESS, GSEF and others), States, research organisations such as CIRIEC and EMES, has gradually developed. Without this work, a UN SSE Resolution would simply NOT HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE!
We strongly suggest that the only way to overcome the enormous challenges we will continue to face, is to strengthen the cohesion and the ecosystemic approach of these last decades. Those who travel alone will not go far, but together we can achieve great advances in leaving no one behind.
RIPESS Intercontinental and its continental members are firmly committed to this approach. It has been part of our core mission since the beginning.
Solidarity is the key.
Yvon Poirier
Yvon has a long history of involvement in the labour and social movements in Québec and Canada. He was founding President of the Corporation de développement économique communautaire de Québec in 1994, and member of the organizing committee of the Global Meetings on Community Economic Development in Sherbrooke, Québec in 1998.
From November 2003 to July 2013, he co-edited a monthly international e-newsletter on sustainable local development published in four languages. He has been a CCEDNet member since 2003 at first as an individual and since 2012 he represents the CDÉC de Québec.
He has been involved in international representation for CCEDNet since 2004. His most significant international involvement has been in the Intercontinental Network for the Promotion of the Social Solidarity Economy (RIPESS). He has participated in many RIPESS conferences in different continents and since October 2013 is a member of the RIPESS Board of directors. He has also participated in different World Social Forums and he represents RIPESS in the UN Inter-Agency Taskforce on SSE.
Update (April 12, 2023):The Community Leadership Program’s 2-day leadership training starts on April 19, and we’ve got a special offer. When you register 2 employees from your organization for this training, we’ll waive the program fee for a third employee!
Email to take advantage of this special offer.Don’t delay, because registration ends on April 16!
Sign up today for Community Leadership Program’s 2-day leadership training!
All programs are designed to help non-profit, community-based, and social purpose leaders, managers and organizations navigate challenge, change and opportunity successfully. This unique learning environment is intentionally designed to respond to your experience. You can expect to refine and build your leadership skills and apply what you’ve learned in new, meaningful and purposeful ways. You’ll gain tools to help strengthen your teams and encourage problem solving and creativity, so that you can collectively navigate and effectively respond to change, innovation and the current priorities of your work environment.
Find more information about each program, including registration links, below:
Navigating Change for Leaders Training: 2-day | Zoom event
If you are leading any change elements in your organization, and need to implement major changes – this is the course for you. Organizational change is not easy. Oftentimes it has challenges and is incumbent on strategic, thoughtful leadership. How you navigate change and support others to move through it is critical. Arrive with a change issue in hand, apply leading change management principles, approaches and frameworks and leave with an action plan that will energize and best support your teams and stakeholders so together your vision for change can be achieved.
Learning Objectives:
Module 1 (7 hours):
Understand organizational change through the change curve and Bridges Transition Model; analyze the change in more detail to better inform your problem solving and response(s), develop the script and skills to participate in a change conversation based on principles of effective communication; explore the essential skills of a change leader, assess your own strengths and weaknesses and commit to an action(s) or strategy/ies to improve your capacity to lead through change.
Module 2 (7 hours):
Examine how to most effectively navigate uncertainty and ambivalence; embed resilience within your team(s) and your own leadership style; explore the context of the change to leverage strengths and opportunities and mitigate limitations, and threats; begin to map out an action plan that helps you and your stakeholders to intentionally and strategically navigate change; reflect on the posture you want to embody as a change leader
For whom: For those supporting employees through change or overseeing organizational change and looking to build a proactive response and plan through the transition.
Prerequisite: Due to the applied nature of this course you will be required to commit to approximately 1 hour of self reflection in advance of the first module and approximately 2 hours of self-reflection in advance of the second module.
When:
9am – 4pm ET on May 30 and June 9
Course fee:
$539 for CCEDNet members
$679 for Non-members
Limited Capacity: Please note that the course will be capped at 20 learners to ensure each participant has a high quality, engaging and impactful experience.
Increasing ease of access for people of every identity and ability is our priority. Closed captioning will be available. But, if there is a barrier preventing you from fully joining us for these sessions, we want to help! Additional accessibility accommodations may be made available by contacting Adriana Zylinski.
Your Facilitator: Suzanne Gibson
Our Leadership programs, facilitated by Suzanne Gibson, will offer anyone who leads a team the chance to take a well-supported deep dive into leadership practices, skills, and tools.
Suzanne Gibson “awakens the potential” of your organization to achieve its mandate and vision. Over the past 25 years, Suzanne has:
inspired new and established organizations to “dream big,” unite around an idea and turn those dreams into reality
uncovered creative solutions to complex social and organization problems
mobilized diverse groups into strong teams
facilitated and supported leaders, staff and volunteers to achieve their personal and collective potential
applied her entrepreneurial flair to start up innovative new ventures
equipped organizations to secure much-needed knowledge, skills and resources.
Suzanne will help you draw out the very best from your staff and stakeholders as you help create a better world.
Not a CCEDNet member? Join CCEDNet or contact Adriana at .
The Stronger Together Award celebrates individual and organizational members who have made exceptional contributions to Community Economic Development and/or who have provided outstanding leadership to CCEDNet in achieving our vision of sustainable, equitable and inclusive communities directing their own futures.
It is our honour to highlight the resilience, impact, and achievements made by our member network. We warmly invite CCEDNet members to nominate their peers. The deadline to submit nominations is May 7, 2023 by 11:59 pm PST.
The 2023 Stronger Together Award recipients will be celebrated at the 24th Annual General Meeting on June 8, 2023.
Next Steps:
Please read the following criteria, nomination process and selection process information on this page before submitting your nomination.
Please complete the Nomination Form in its entirety and submit
Please submit a signed copy of the Nominee Consent Form to Adriana Zylinski at under the subject heading [Stronger Together Awards – “Name of Nominee”] and indicate that you have also submitted the nomination form.
Criteria
The nominees must be CCEDNet members in good standing for at least 1 year and demonstrate leadership in advancing Community Economic Development. The Stronger Together Awards Selection Committee will be interested in how the nominee’s achievements have impacted the field of Community Economic Development, inspired further action, and/or benefited communities served. Achievements, peer collaborations, outcomes, or innovations that demonstrate nominee leadership or commitment will be considered.
Nomination Process
Nominations can be made by any individual or organizational member in good standing that is not on the Stronger Together Award Selection Committee. Former award recipients may not be nominated again; however, previous nominees may be.
Selection Process
The Stronger Together Award Selection Committee, composed of Board members, and CCEDNet staff, will review the nomination forms and select the award recipient(s).
The committee will evaluate and score the nominees based on the completed written content of the nomination form and an assessment of merit.
Support
If you have any questions or need support in sending your nomination, please contact Adriana Zylinski at .
Update (April 4, 2023):The deadline to register for the 6-day Leadership Intensive is coming up!There are still a few spots remaining – sign up by this Friday, April 7.
Sign up today for the CLP 6-day intensive or 2-day leadership training!
All programs are designed to help non-profit, community-based, and social purpose leaders, managers and organizations navigate challenge, change and opportunity successfully. This unique learning environment is intentionally designed to respond to your experience. You can expect to refine and build your leadership skills and apply what you’ve learned in new, meaningful and purposeful ways. You’ll gain tools to help strengthen your teams and encourage problem solving and creativity, so that you can collectively navigate and effectively respond to change, innovation and the current priorities of your work environment.
Find more information about each program, including registration links, below:
Experience this highly recommended Leadership Intensive! Join a community of brave, innovative and determined leaders from across Canada to examine self-leadership, leading and understanding others, and leading within an organization through 6 sessions of supported and embodied learning.
Learning Objectives:
Module 1 (14 hours): Leading and Understanding Myself
Becoming a more self-aware and confident leader, build on current skills and experience to gain greater clarity and insight into your leadership style and strengths so you can serve yourself, others and your organizations even better.
Module 2 (14 hours): Leading and Understanding Others
Enhance and build key senior leadership skills to engage and lead people so you can all contribute and thrive professionally, meet the challenge of navigating an organization and increase your impact.
Module 3 (14 hours): Leading within my Organization
Be more prepared for the opportunities and challenges that being a leader presents, build essential skills of a change leader, learn to develop teams and build team resilience, learn to lead through change and expertly communicate through courageous conversations.
For whom: The course is carefully designed to be impactful for leaders at all stages,
When: 9am – 4pm ET on Tuesdays (biweekly) from April 11 – June 20 2023 (6 days)
Limited Capacity: Please note that the course will be capped at 20 learners to ensure each participant has a high quality, engaging and impactful experience.
Accreditation: This program offers the opportunity to achieve an internationally recognized accreditation, a 10 credit SCQF Level 9 qualification in Leadership, accredited by Glasgow Caledonian University. A certificate will be awarded upon completion of the program.
Navigating Change for Leaders Training: 2-day | Zoom event
If you are leading any change elements in your organization, and need to implement major changes – this is the course for you. Organizational change is not easy. Oftentimes it has challenges and is incumbent on strategic, thoughtful leadership. How you navigate change and support others to move through it is critical. Arrive with a change issue in hand, apply leading change management principles, approaches and frameworks and leave with an action plan that will energize and best support your teams and stakeholders so together your vision for change can be achieved.
Learning Objectives:
Module 1 (7 hours):
Understand organizational change through the change curve and Bridges Transition Model; analyze the change in more detail to better inform your problem solving and response(s), develop the script and skills to participate in a change conversation based on principles of effective communication; explore the essential skills of a change leader, assess your own strengths and weaknesses and commit to an action(s) or strategy/ies to improve your capacity to lead through change.
Module 2 (7 hours):
Examine how to most effectively navigate uncertainty and ambivalence; embed resilience within your team(s) and your own leadership style; explore the context of the change to leverage strengths and opportunities and mitigate limitations, and threats; begin to map out an action plan that helps you and your stakeholders to intentionally and strategically navigate change; reflect on the posture you want to embody as a change leader
For whom: For those supporting employees through change or overseeing organizational change and looking to build a proactive response and plan through the transition.
Prerequisite: Due to the applied nature of this course you will be required to commit to approximately 1 hour of self reflection in advance of the first module and approximately 2 hours of self-reflection in advance of the second module.
When:
9am – 4pm ET on May 30 and June 9, 2023 (2 days)
Course fee:
$539 for CCEDNet members
$679 for Non-members
Limited Capacity: Please note that the course will be capped at 20 learners to ensure each participant has a high quality, engaging and impactful experience.
Increasing ease of access for people of every identity and ability is our priority. Closed captioning will be available. But, if there is a barrier preventing you from fully joining us for these sessions, we want to help! Additional accessibility accommodations may be made available by contacting Adriana Zylinski.
Your Facilitator: Suzanne Gibson
Our Leadership programs, facilitated by Suzanne Gibson, will offer anyone who leads a team the chance to take a well-supported deep dive into leadership practices, skills, and tools.
Suzanne Gibson “awakens the potential” of your organization to achieve its mandate and vision. Over the past 25 years, Suzanne has:
inspired new and established organizations to “dream big,” unite around an idea and turn those dreams into reality
uncovered creative solutions to complex social and organization problems
mobilized diverse groups into strong teams
facilitated and supported leaders, staff and volunteers to achieve their personal and collective potential
applied her entrepreneurial flair to start up innovative new ventures
equipped organizations to secure much-needed knowledge, skills and resources.
Suzanne will help you draw out the very best from your staff and stakeholders as you help create a better world.
Not a CCEDNet member? Join CCEDNet or contact Adriana at .
On March 22, Winnipeg City Council approved its 2023 budget update. The budget had some important investments, with a few amendments included at the last minute, to support inclusive, sustainable, and equitable communities in Winnipeg.
From the Winnipeg Free Press – amendments to the 2023 Winnipeg Budget
However, the City budget continues to largely prioritize policing and pavement. Many CCEDNet members and communities were calling instead for greater investments into the root causes of poverty such as lack of affordable and safe housing, community services like libraries, transit, and recreation, investments that build up our climate resilience such as transit and active transportation, and community-led safety alternatives such as the Community Safety Host program at Millennium Library, more 24-Hour Safe Spaces, and harm reduction initiatives.
While the City has a number of important strategies and policies that have been developed in response to and alongside community calls, such as OurWinnipeg 2045, the Winnipeg Indigenous Accord, Poverty Reduction Strategy, Climate Action Plan, Newcomer Welcome & Inclusion Policy, and others, the budget did not adequately invest the dollars needs to resource and implement all of the important municipal measures in these strategies.
Thanks in part to the advocacy of anti-poverty, community, and climate activists, the budget maintained an investment in three staff dedicated to housing, introduced a senior planner and green building specialist to advance the Winnipeg Climate Action Plan, and provided increased dollars for Amoowigamig (public washroom run by Ma Mawi Wi Chi Itata Centre), but more is needed.
Many CCEDNet Manitoba member organizations and coalitions supported by members have been organizing towards a vision of a City budget that prioritizes sustainable, equitable, and inclusive communities directing their own future, and this budget could have done much, much more to get closer to this vision.
In Fall 2023, Winnipeg will be debating a new, four-year budget for 2024-2028. This will be an important moment to continue community advocacy for this collective vision. If you are not already, get involved in Winnipeg advocacy coalitions and groups focused on these issues.
Contact to learn more and get involved in community coalitions.
Sustainable Procurement Action Plan – celebrating a community win!
The We Want to Work coalition, including CCEDNet member social enterprises and community organizations in Winnipeg, are celebrating (and breathing a sigh of relief) as resources for the Sustainable Procurement Action Plan were included in this budget.
Months after the We Want to Work coalition celebrated the approval of the Sustainable Procurement Action Plan (SPAP) in July 2022, the City of Winnipeg has included two crucial items in its latest budget. These are a Sustainable Procurement Liaison as a permanent position within the City of Winnipeg, and resources for external expertise and roundtable support for Buy Social Canada to continue facilitation and development in phase 2 of the SPAP.
The inclusion of a Sustainable Procurement Liaison as a permanent position is a significant step towards integrating social, economic, and environmental value into the city’s purchasing needs. The liaison will serve as a dedicated staff person to support the SPAP and ensure its successful implementation.
In addition, the funding to engage Buy Social Canada for phase 2 will enable them to continue providing expert advice and examples from other jurisdictions to strengthen the plan; while gaining insights and support from a local roundtable. This support is essential to the success of the SPAP and will help to refine policy over the next few years.
The We Want to Work coalition of social enterprises, with backbone support from CCEDNet-Manitoba, has worked tirelessly for nearly 10 years to advocate for the SPAP.
With the inclusion of these important items in the budget, the City of Winnipeg is investing in the type of policies, strategies, and initiatives that get closer to a vision of sustainable and inclusive communities directing their own futures.
This is significant city policy that has the potential to create positive impacts for the community, the economy, and the environment.
This amendment would not have been included without important collaboration between community members and the City of Winnipeg.
We appreciate the members of City Council and the Mayor who supported this, as well as members of the Public Service, for their ongoing support as we work together to build more equitable and sustainable communities.
Further, community organizations, industry associations, and labour organizations all collaborated together to advocate for the inclusion of these resources, and many delegates spoke to the City Council about how critical it was to include them. This important contribution to the future of our city should be acknowledged – thank you!
Delegates to City Council meetings discuss the Sustainable Procurement Action Plan, the need to resource it, and need for other key community investments in Budget 2023. Thanks to all delegates, including many others not pictured from CCEDNet member organizations and community activists! Top left: Daniel Waycik (PCS) alongside PCS staff and Community Safety Hosts; Bottom left: Lisa Forbes (SEED Winnipeg); Right: Charles Enns (Siloam Mission), Amanda Wolfe (Compost Winnipeg), and Michael Barkman (CCEDNet Manitoba)
The 2022 Manitoba Budget was released on March 7, 2023.
CCEDNet Manitoba made recommendations in advance of this year’s budget focused on four key themes through a Provincial Budget Submission, presentation at a budget consultation meeting, and in direct meetings with Ministers.
CCEDNet Manitoba members set the public policy mandate of the Network through the annual Policy Summit process. This serves as the basis for recommendations to government on:
An Inclusive & Sustainable Economy through Community Economic Development
Addressing the Labour Shortage with Meaningful Employment
Housing Affordability & Energy Efficiency
Investing In Our Communities
The priorities of the provincial government in Budget 2023 related to affordability, health care, policing, and tax cuts. While the budget moved the needle on some important priorities of members in the Network, it did not fully deliver on strategic CED recommendations that would contribute to an inclusive & sustainable economy, meaningful employment, affordable housing, truly safer & healthier communities for everybody, and climate action.
CCEDNet and the Network’s members will continue to collaborate together to encourage implementation of our holistic, inclusive, and comprehensive vision and recommendations for Community Economic Development in Manitoba.
Snapshot of some meetings with elected officials. (Left): Member org West Broadway Community Organization ED Kelly Frazer and CCEDNet MB Network Manager Michael Barkman meet with Minister of Municipal Relations Andrew Smith. (Right): Michael Barkman meets with Minister of Families Rochelle Squires
Check out some information, analysis, and statements by other networks within CCEDNet Manitoba about Budget 2023, organized within Network priorities for Budget 2023.
All Manitoba Budget 2022 documents can be found here.
An Inclusive & Sustainable Economy through Community Economic Development
No funding announced for comprehensive development support for social enterprises, cooperatives, or community-based organizations leading inclusive economic development and recovery work
The government’s Procurement Modernization approach is focused on consolidating contracts. There is no indication of interest in including intentional generation of social, economic, or environmental outcomes in procurement spending beyond the purchase itself.
Campaign 2000 – Manitoba’s report provides an analysis of the Family Affordability Package, showing that Manitoba still has the highest child poverty rate among provinces.
Checkout what CCEDNet members and others are saying here:
The Climate Action Team’s Budget 2023 response highlights spending for climate action, but most of the expenditures are largely for environmental management, leaving little by the way of energy transition. Read Climate Action Team’s analysis and recommendations here.
Addressing the Labour Shortage with Meaningful Employment
Budget 2022 endowed money to create the Journey to Independence Fund, with about $1 million in annual revenue invested in organizations supporting individuals receiving EIA to transition into meaningful employment. Budget 2023 maintained this fund, as well as the EIA Transformation Fund that delivers similar outcomes.
The Community Supports Program was announced, providing one-time grants to promote and improve access to community supports and services for EIA clients with current or historical involvement with the justice system. More info and links to register here.
Proposals from the Network of expanding the First Jobs 4 Youth program or establishing a fee-waiver system for birth certificates were not included in Budget 2022.
Housing Affordability & Energy Efficiency
Previously announced $50 million investment in the province’s homelessness strategy. Read analysis of the strategy from Make Poverty History Manitoba here and Right to Housing here and here, as well as CCEDNet member Manitoba Non-Profit Housing Association here.
Commitments to energy efficiency through Building Code Adoption and Implementation are still needed. Check out Sustainable Building Manitoba’s research and campaign for this energy efficiency need.
Investing In Our Communities
CCEDNet member Abilities Manitoba and their member organizations had an important victory after a long campaign for improved front line wages for Community Living disABILITY Services. The budget outlines more than $81 million to the service providers of Community Living disABILITY Services and Children’s disABILITY Services to raise the average funded wage rate to $19 per hour. This represents a 19% increase to the overall budget.
Continued support for the Family Violence Prevention Program Funding Model, supporting the operation of 10 family violence shelters across the province
The Community Economic Development Fund remains with an investment of $15 million
Continuing the Indigenous Reconciliation Initiatives Fund to support Indigenous-focused initiatives with $5 million allocated.
Budget 2023 maintains funding support to the Building Sustainable Communities Program. The Budget does not address the concerns or challenges faced by non-profit or community-based organizations in accessing funds or supporting community development programs, particularly staffing.
The Community Enterprise Development Tax Credit, scheduled to expire on December 31, 2011, was made permanent last year. The tax credit provides individuals and corporations who acquire equity capital in community-based enterprises in Manitoba with up to 45% tax credit. There are many opportunities to strengthen and promote the use of this tax credit to support CED enterprises in Manitoba.
Recommendations from the Network to renew the Building Sustainable Communities Program with multi-year, predictable funding were not implemented, as well as otehr funding and financing recommendations to strengthen support for community nonprofits
So what next?
Get involved in your Network’s collaborative work for the 2023 Manitoba Election. Elections are an important time to push for our collective vision for inclusive, sustainable, and equitable communities directing their own futures – and your Network needs you! Coalitions within the Network will be running issues-based campaigns and you can get involved.
Update (March 22, 2023):Today’s Community Leadership Program (CLP) intro session is fully booked. If you wanted to attend but couldn’t get a spot, don’t despair — we’re now offering another intro session on March 28!
Sign up today for a CLP intro session, 2-day training, or 6-day intensive!
All programs are designed to help non-profit, community-based, and social purpose leaders, managers and organizations navigate challenge, change and opportunity successfully. This unique learning environment is intentionally designed to respond to your experience. You can expect to refine and build your leadership skills and apply what you’ve learned in new, meaningful and purposeful ways. You’ll gain tools to help strengthen your teams and encourage problem solving and creativity, so that you can collectively navigate and effectively respond to change, innovation and the current priorities of your work environment.
Find more information about each program, including registration links, below:
Leading Through Change: An Introduction to CCEDNet’s Community Leadership Program | Zoom event
To discuss the complex changes we are all experiencing in our leadership roles
To examine and reflect on the qualities of an effective change leader
To explore the importance of adapting one’s leadership style to different situations – a self-assessment will help you will better understand your preferred leadership style(s) and ideas for positive changes
To understand and discuss concrete ways to foster your own resiliency to ensure you are poised to be a great leader
For whom: This course is for those wanting an introduction to the 2-day and 6-day Community Leadership Programs and/or those who are looking to inspire and deepen their leadership practice.
Wednesday, March 22, 2023 from 12:30PM – 3:00pm Eastern Time[Fully booked]
Limited Capacity: Please register early as space is limited, each session will be capped to ensure each participant has an engaging and impactful experience. If the sessions are booked, please contact Adriana Zylinski to be placed on the waiting list.
Important Registration Note: This session will not be recorded. Due to limited capacity, we expect registration indicates your confirmed attendance. Thank you in advance.
Navigating Change for Leaders Training: 2-day | Zoom event
If you are leading any change elements in your organization, and need to implement major changes – this is the course for you. Organizational change is not easy. Oftentimes it has challenges and is incumbent on strategic, thoughtful leadership. How you navigate change and support others to move through it is critical. Arrive with a change issue in hand, apply leading change management principles, approaches and frameworks and leave with an action plan that will energize and best support your teams and stakeholders so together your vision for change can be achieved.
Learning Objectives:
Module 1 (7 hours):
Understand organizational change through the change curve and Bridges Transition Model; analyze the change in more detail to better inform your problem solving and response(s), develop the script and skills to participate in a change conversation based on principles of effective communication; explore the essential skills of a change leader, assess your own strengths and weaknesses and commit to an action(s) or strategy/ies to improve your capacity to lead through change.
Module 2 (7 hours):
Examine how to most effectively navigate uncertainty and ambivalence; embed resilience within your team(s) and your own leadership style; explore the context of the change to leverage strengths and opportunities and mitigate limitations, and threats; begin to map out an action plan that helps you and your stakeholders to intentionally and strategically navigate change; reflect on the posture you want to embody as a change leader
For whom: For those supporting employees through change or overseeing organizational change and looking to build a proactive response and plan through the transition.
Prerequisite: Due to the applied nature of this course you will be required to commit to approximately 1 hour of self reflection in advance of the first module and approximately 2 hours of self-reflection in advance of the second module.
When:
9am – 4pm ET on May 30 and June 9 2023
Course fee:
$539 for CCEDNet members
$679 for Non-members
Limited Capacity: Please note that the course will be capped at 20 learners to ensure each participant has a high quality, engaging and impactful experience.
Experience this highly recommended Leadership Intensive! Join a community of brave, innovative and determined leaders from across Canada to examine self-leadership, leading and understanding others, and leading within an organization through 6 sessions of supported and embodied learning.
Learning Objectives:
Module 1 (14 hours): Leading and Understanding Myself
Becoming a more self-aware and confident leader, build on current skills and experience to gain greater clarity and insight into your leadership style and strengths so you can serve yourself, others and your organizations even better.
Module 2 (14 hours): Leading and Understanding Others
Enhance and build key senior leadership skills to engage and lead people so you can all contribute and thrive professionally, meet the challenge of navigating an organization and increase your impact.
Module 3 (14 hours): Leading within my Organization
Be more prepared for the opportunities and challenges that being a leader presents, build essential skills of a change leader, learn to develop teams and build team resilience, learn to lead through change and expertly communicate through courageous conversations.
For whom: The course is carefully designed to be impactful for leaders at all stages,
When: 9am – 4pm ET on Tuesdays (biweekly) from April 11 – June 20 2023 (6 days)
Limited Capacity: Please note that the course will be capped at 20 learners to ensure each participant has a high quality, engaging and impactful experience.
Accreditation: This program offers the opportunity to achieve an internationally recognized accreditation, a 10 credit SCQF Level 9 qualification in Leadership, accredited by Glasgow Caledonian University. A certificate will be awarded upon completion of the program.
Increasing ease of access for people of every identity and ability is our priority. Closed captioning will be available. But, if there is a barrier preventing you from fully joining us for these sessions, we want to help! Additional accessibility accommodations may be made available by contacting Adriana Zylinski.
Your Facilitator: Suzanne Gibson
Our Leadership programs, facilitated by Suzanne Gibson, will offer anyone who leads a team the chance to take a well-supported deep dive into leadership practices, skills, and tools.
Suzanne Gibson “awakens the potential” of your organization to achieve its mandate and vision. Over the past 25 years, Suzanne has:
inspired new and established organizations to “dream big,” unite around an idea and turn those dreams into reality
uncovered creative solutions to complex social and organization problems
mobilized diverse groups into strong teams
facilitated and supported leaders, staff and volunteers to achieve their personal and collective potential
applied her entrepreneurial flair to start up innovative new ventures
equipped organizations to secure much-needed knowledge, skills and resources.
Suzanne will help you draw out the very best from your staff and stakeholders as you help create a better world.
Not a CCEDNet member? Join CCEDNet or contact Adriana at .
This year’s AGM repeats the success of the last eight years by being entirely virtual and bilingual. Members are able to make motions, vote and comment in English or French, all from the comfort of their computer.
Sign up today for a CLP intro session, 2-day training, or 6-day intensive!
All programs are designed to help non-profit, community-based, and social purpose leaders, managers and organizations navigate challenge, change and opportunity successfully. This unique learning environment is intentionally designed to respond to your experience. You can expect to refine and build your leadership skills and apply what you’ve learned in new, meaningful and purposeful ways. You’ll gain tools to help strengthen your teams and encourage problem solving and creativity, so that you can collectively navigate and effectively respond to change, innovation and the current priorities of your work environment.
Find more information about each program, including registration links, below:
Leading Through Change: An Introduction to CCEDNet’s Community Leadership Program | Zoom event
To discuss the complex changes we are all experiencing in our leadership roles
To examine and reflect on the qualities of an effective change leader
To explore the importance of adapting one’s leadership style to different situations – a self-assessment will help you will better understand your preferred leadership style(s) and ideas for positive changes
To understand and discuss concrete ways to foster your own resiliency to ensure you are poised to be a great leader
For whom: This course is for those wanting an introduction to the 2-day and 6-day Community Leadership Programs and/or those who are looking to inspire and deepen their leadership practice.
Cost: Free
When: Wednesday, March 22, 2023 from 12:30PM – 3:00pm Eastern Time
Limited Capacity: Please register early as space is limited, each session will be capped to ensure each participant has an engaging and impactful experience. If the sessions are booked, please contact Adriana Zylinski to be placed on the waiting list.
Important Registration Note: This session will not be recorded. Due to limited capacity, we expect registration indicates your confirmed attendance. Thank you in advance.
Navigating Change for Leaders Training: 2-day | Zoom event
If you are leading any change elements in your organization, and need to implement major changes – this is the course for you. Organizational change is not easy. Oftentimes it has challenges and is incumbent on strategic, thoughtful leadership. How you navigate change and support others to move through it is critical. Arrive with a change issue in hand, apply leading change management principles, approaches and frameworks and leave with an action plan that will energize and best support your teams and stakeholders so together your vision for change can be achieved.
Learning Objectives:
Module 1 (7 hours):
Understand organizational change through the change curve and Bridges Transition Model; analyze the change in more detail to better inform your problem solving and response(s), develop the script and skills to participate in a change conversation based on principles of effective communication; explore the essential skills of a change leader, assess your own strengths and weaknesses and commit to an action(s) or strategy/ies to improve your capacity to lead through change.
Module 2 (7 hours):
Examine how to most effectively navigate uncertainty and ambivalence; embed resilience within your team(s) and your own leadership style; explore the context of the change to leverage strengths and opportunities and mitigate limitations, and threats; begin to map out an action plan that helps you and your stakeholders to intentionally and strategically navigate change; reflect on the posture you want to embody as a change leader
For whom: For those supporting employees through change or overseeing organizational change and looking to build a proactive response and plan through the transition.
Prerequisite: Due to the applied nature of this course you will be required to commit to approximately 1 hour of self reflection in advance of the first module and approximately 2 hours of self-reflection in advance of the second module.
When:
9am – 4pm ET on May 30 and June 9, 2023 (2 days)
Course fee:
$539 for CCEDNet members
$679 for Non-members
Limited Capacity: Please note that the course will be capped at 20 learners to ensure each participant has a high quality, engaging and impactful experience.
Experience this highly recommended Leadership Intensive! Join a community of brave, innovative and determined leaders from across Canada to examine self-leadership, leading and understanding others, and leading within an organization through 6 sessions of supported and embodied learning.
Learning Objectives:
Module 1 (14 hours): Leading and Understanding Myself
Becoming a more self-aware and confident leader, build on current skills and experience to gain greater clarity and insight into your leadership style and strengths so you can serve yourself, others and your organizations even better.
Module 2 (14 hours): Leading and Understanding Others
Enhance and build key senior leadership skills to engage and lead people so you can all contribute and thrive professionally, meet the challenge of navigating an organization and increase your impact.
Module 3 (14 hours): Leading within my Organization
Be more prepared for the opportunities and challenges that being a leader presents, build essential skills of a change leader, learn to develop teams and build team resilience, learn to lead through change and expertly communicate through courageous conversations.
For whom: The course is carefully designed to be impactful for leaders at all stages,
When: 9am – 4pm ET on Tuesdays (biweekly) from April 11 – June 20 2023 (6 days)
Limited Capacity: Please note that the course will be capped at 20 learners to ensure each participant has a high quality, engaging and impactful experience.
Accreditation: This program offers the opportunity to achieve an internationally recognized accreditation, a 10 credit SCQF Level 9 qualification in Leadership, accredited by Glasgow Caledonian University. A certificate will be awarded upon completion of the program.
Increasing ease of access for people of every identity and ability is our priority. Closed captioning will be available. But, if there is a barrier preventing you from fully joining us for these sessions, we want to help! Additional accessibility accommodations may be made available by contacting Adriana Zylinski.
Your Facilitator: Suzanne Gibson
Our Leadership programs, facilitated by Suzanne Gibson, will offer anyone who leads a team the chance to take a well-supported deep dive into leadership practices, skills, and tools.
Suzanne Gibson “awakens the potential” of your organization to achieve its mandate and vision. Over the past 25 years, Suzanne has:
inspired new and established organizations to “dream big,” unite around an idea and turn those dreams into reality
uncovered creative solutions to complex social and organization problems
mobilized diverse groups into strong teams
facilitated and supported leaders, staff and volunteers to achieve their personal and collective potential
applied her entrepreneurial flair to start up innovative new ventures
equipped organizations to secure much-needed knowledge, skills and resources.
Suzanne will help you draw out the very best from your staff and stakeholders as you help create a better world.
Not a CCEDNet member? Join CCEDNet or contact Adriana at .
The Sustainable Finance Forum on Parliament Hill was a two-day event on November 2-3, 2022, and included eight sessions, over 60 speakers including CCEDNet members and partners, and more than 200 participants, including parliamentarians from across the political spectrum.
It was an opportunity for investment leaders and entrepreneurs across Canada:
to showcase the power of sustainable finance in addressing key challenges faced by Canadians,
to provide updates on significant milestones on the development of essential financial infrastructure,
to profile the creation of new financial tools and products,
to make parliamentarians aware of the challenges faced by practitioners, and
to identify opportunities for the Federal Government to further support the progress of sustainable finance in Canada.
This report represents a summary of the many sessions and discussions that were had at the Sustainable Finance Forum and outlines key recommendations for consideration by parliamentarians as they work together to build the economy that meets the challenges of today and prepares us for tomorrow, a sustainable economy, one that protects our people and our planet.
Contents
Mobilizing Capital to Fight Climate Change
Women’s Entrepreneurship
Energy Transition
Black Entrepreneurship
Mobilizing Capital to Build an Economy that Works for All Canadians
Indigenous Entrepreneurship & Reconciliation
Food Security
Affordable Housing
The Sustainable Finance Forum builds on the Social Innovation and Social Finance Strategy, a roadmap to support innovative solutions that find new ways to help communities tackle their most complex and persistent social issues.
