@philia: December Ezine

By Brian Smith

Avril Orloff over at the Philia Dialogue has offered a number of good thoughts and resources in this months Philia Ezine.

Nourishing Ideas
Reaching Out to the Forgotten of Society
‘Tis the season to be jolly – or so the songs tell us. A time to gather with family and friends and celebrate the joys of the season. But for the many among us who live without genuine relationships, it’s a time of unbearable loneliness and a heightened sense of isolation. Last year Andre Picard wrote an article in the Globe and Mail about reaching out to the lonely. It’s worth reading again. Read on…

The Good Neighbour
At the Habitat Jam last December, Debbe Kennedy, founder and president
of the Global Dialogue Center, started an online conversation about neighbourliness. It quickly became one of the most popular conversation threads on the Jam, a global online dialogue about the future of our cities.
In her article, The Good Neighbor, Debbe reflects on how our communities
would change if we made being a good neighbour a personal responsibility and commitment in our lives. Read more…

Good Conversation
Social Innovations Conversations
Social Innovation Conversations is a series of podcasts for cross-sectoral
learning for social change. Its mission is to bring valuable knowledge about social challenges, issues and solutions to people who otherwise wouldn't have access to it, by recording the spoken words of thought leaders and sharing
them with listeners online. The podcasts are free, and cover topics ranging from education to social entrepreneurship to international development.
Listen in...

Green Drinks
Green Drinks is a monthly gathering of people who care about environmental and sustainability issues. Founded in London in 1989, Green Drinks groups are now active in 140 cities worldwide and include people of all ages and backgrounds. Green Drinks events are casual and unstructured, simply offering people a chance to socialize and connect regularly with others who share their passion for 'green'. The first Canadian Green Drinks group started in Vancouver in 2005, and the distinction for the largest-ever Green Drinks launch goes to Victoria. Join the conversation...

Inspiring Action

Campaign for Love & Forgiveness

The Fetzer Institute’s Campaign for Love & Forgiveness invites us all to consider how love and forgiveness can change our lives and communities. This multi-year campaign will encourage community conversations throughout America, with the goal of effecting meaningful change in individuals and communities. Write a letter, listen to stories, join a conversation.

The Social Entrepreneurship Series

Ashoka’s Social Entrepreneurship Series is a 16-program film series that reveals the lives, work and impact of six of the world’s leading social entrepreneurs, including 2006 Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus (founder of the Grameen Bank). These outstanding global social entrepreneurs have emerged as beacons of inspiration in the citizen sector by disrupting old patterns of action, catalyzing global change and transforming systems.

“One kind word can warm three winter months.”

– Japanese Proverb

Vol. 5, Issue 10, December 2006

Events

PLAN Institute’s 7th annual Leadership Training
March 12-16, 2007, Location TBA

Madness, Citizenship and Social Justice Conference –
May 10-12, 2007, Vancouver

Festival of International Conferences on Caregiving, Disability, Aging and Technology (FICCDAT) –
June 16-19, 2007, Toronto

Links

The CulturAll Network is a national multi-sector network working to ensure that everyone in Canada is able to participate in the Canadian cultural exchange, and that inclusive design is integrated into all cultural products.

Resources

The Fetzer Institute has produced a participant handbook and facilitator’s guide for people who want to convene or participate in community conversations about love and forgiveness. Download the guides…

Stories

Glenda has cerebral palsy. A lack of oxygen at birth meant she would not be able to walk, her hands would not function well, and her speech would be hard to understand. Her parents were advised to institutionalize her. She wouldn't amount to anything, the experts said. But Glenda proved them wrong. In her newly-released autobiography, I'll Do It Myself: A Collection of Memories from a Woman Living with Cerebral Palsy, Glenda shares her life story with grit, insight and sassy humour. Read an excerpt – then order the book…