Who Are You?
Last night, I was out caroling in my neighbourhood. It was great fun. First we broke bread, i.e. sweets, and hot, spiced apple cider, at the organizer’s house. Someone brought Christmas carol song sheets. We headed out, about 20 of us, young and old. We worked the neighbourhood, looking for houses with lights on, the [...]
Ken Kelly: Connecting Communities in Downtown Victoria
Like any city centre, downtown Victoria is a place where people from different communities intersect; residential, visitor, business, service, cultural… Each community is diverse. Residents may be living in high-end condos or in short-term residence at Our Place. Visitors include tourists, local shoppers, and the transient homeless. Businesses range from big bank office to small, [...]
10 Diverse ways to build your capacity to appreciate the Other
My first blogging inclination this week was to write a glorious followup to a post I wrote a year ago, on strategies to reduce the income inequality gap. Getting into it, I quickly discovered I may have overstretched myself. Rather than snap, I humbly offer this alternative… It is through our shared disconnection, that movements [...]
Circles: In Life and Death
We gathered in concentric circles, like the rings on a tree that show its age, in a small community hall this week, to sing songs that celebrated our friend, who had just died. With those in the innermost circle leading the songs, we sang together, folk favourites of the deceased. Combined with other remembrances, food, [...]
Henri Lock: Community Connector
For most students attending university, it is a time of great personal exploration. It was for me. Henri Lock helps university students with their internal explorations. He also helps them connect their personal passions, interests, values… to opportunities in the external world; of people, work, causes, organizations … Henri is United Church Chaplain at the [...]
Neighbourhood Gifts
It was my neighbourhood association’s annual Streetfest last weekend. Excellent turnout. People connecting. Conversation. Having fun. No rain! And, gifts galore… locals sharing their time, talents, and community spirit. Many of those things that make for a healthy neighbourhood were there, all orchestrated by neighbours, volunteering, including: Food; donated, baked, cornucopia Music; DJ, musicians, musical [...]
Janis La Couvée : Community Connector
I always enjoy a conversation with Janis La Couvée. She is involved in many diverse communities, online and offline, here in Victoria. And, I get the feeling she brings all of her communities, all of her connections, to each conversation… a good thing. Making connections is what Janis does. Although, I’ve only known her for [...]
Meghalaya’s Living Bridges = multi-generation collaboration
In a world of “what’s in it for me” and short-term interests, its uplifting to see another way, a way where an individual’s contribution is not directly linked to final outcome, at least in their life time! Susanna Jani, colleague and author of the BC Distance Family Mediation Blog, thoughtfully, sent me the link to [...]
Face To Face: New movie tackles workplace bullying with community conferencing
It’ s always nice when others take hold of concepts that one holds dear. Following on the restorative justice theme over the last week on this blog (and its not even restorative justice week yet!), a new movie was released in Australia last week, “Face To Face“. It is framed around a centerpiece of restorative [...]
The Good News: Restorative Justice
Two recent news items about restorative justice caught my intention. Which one should I let “take the day”? The first was what I consider a “bad news” story. Alberta pulls restorative justice funding, read the CBC news article headline. The Province of Alberta will stop funding restorative justice programs. This is hard one for me [...]
