All things come and go and especially in the world of professional helping (otherwise known as “consulting”). I’ve been around the world of enghagement and consultation long enough that I have seen various names for this work: focus groups, advisory groups, public participation, consultation and now community engagement. Mostlyover all those years, my practice and the practice of the field in general has gone from monolithic broadcasting of ideas to “tell and sell” consultation to much more complex dialogue based work. And now I think I and we are coming to a more seismic shift in how community is engaged. …
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I have a confession. I advise people never to read the comments on newspaper websites. But I do read them. I can’t take my eyes off them. They are a train wreck of logic and hate and contemptuous entitlement. Lately however, especially the comments on stories about First Nations, they seem entirely predictable. In fact they seem almost too predictable. Every article on the Globe and Mail website for example contains hundreds of comments, a huge majority of which repeat some basic themes: Nothing should change until First Nations are accountable for their money First Nations get a free ride …
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Five years ago I wrote about a speech from former Governor General Adrienne Clarkson who pointed out that all Canadians are treaty people. Now more than ever I want to underscore that fact. Idle No More is drawing attention to the fact that Canada has been founded on a relationship, a relationship that has been set out many times in treaties. Treaty rights are so foundational to the existence of this country that they are enshrined and protected in the Constitution of Canada. A lot of recent rhetoric from settler Canadians in the last few months has focused on the …
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Just beautiful weather here the last week. We have been living under a high pressure system that is forcing some wonderful meterological phenomena. Notably, the high pressure traps cold air near the sea and creates an inversion, meaning that the moisture can’t escape and form clouds, so it lingers at sea level forming think banks of fog that fill the Strait of Greorgia and Parts of Howe Sound. Last night the fog bansk were as thick as they can get and all night long we were treated to the soothing symphony of dozens of different fog horns sounding out in …
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All week we’ve been treated to sunrises like this. Red sky and pink sea. Warm and stormless January continues.