moving beyond celebrating culture meaningful contributions · diversity mixed bag, hodgepodge,...

We live in times where we need everyone’s strengths, talents and skills to find, create and protect home.

Moving Beyond Celebrating Culture Meaningful Contributions

Why We Are Here?Symposium:

A drinking party, a convivial meeting for drinking, conversation and intellectual entertainment.

A meeting or conference for discussion of some subject; hence a collection of opinions delivered by a number of people on a special topic.

Diversity

Mixed bag, hodgepodge, medley

To render, be, or grow diverse

The inclusion of individuals representing more than one national origin, color, religion, socioeconomic stratum, sexual orientation, etc.

We Are Here To…Participate in a convivial meeting for drinking,intellectual entertainment to share our opinionsabout how to include and grow the mixedbag/medley of individuals in our neighbourhoods,our cities, our home.

Topics and Tools

Tips and Strategies to:

1. Create meaningful grassroots initiatives

2. Build intercultural relationships and connections

3. Foster collaboration amongst community partners

Case Study Lessons Learned Sustainability Tools

Case StudyFinding Home: How To Belong In A Changing World

Finding Home is a strength based community capacity building process that generates resident-led self organizing projects to address a community’s priority social issue.

The Finding Home Approach Arnold Toynbee

Strengths-based Quality RelationshipsWorldviews & Values Belonging

Place-based Community decides priority issues Capacity-building & Collaboration

Human Dignity Human Capacity Human Potential

A Neighbourhood-Based Approach

We have worked with all communities… Elders, Youth, Families Indigenous, Newcomers & Canadian Born People living with disabilities LGTB

On their priority challenge… Newcomer Integration Poverty, Housing Elder Financial Abuse Isolation & loneliness, etc..

Outcomes and BenefitsResidents Personal transformation; increased connection to community Residents-led self organizing projects such as:

Youth & Elders Mapping ProjectConversation CafesHousing (Inclusive, affordable)

OrganizationsIdentify needs & strengths for programming & service improvement; volunteer leadership development; intercultural cohesion.CommunitiesCivic engagement, intercultural cohesion and community wide collaboration to address priority social issues.Government: identify emerging trends for making better decisions.

3 LESSONSListen to People and Act on What We Hear

1. Listen to people with lived experience

1. Listen for opportunities

1. Listen to each other

Lesson #1: Listen To PeopleELDER FINANCIAL ABUSE & AWARENESS PROJECT

It started with listening to Elders share their stories about what makes home and whatthey care about most…

Lesson #1: Listen To PeopleThe Invitation

• Bi-cultural / bilingual• Fables• Leadership

Lesson #1: Listen To PeopleOnce Convened

We listen to

What creates Home & what they care most about

Their thinking about Root Causes, including values at stake

Their Ideas for addressing the root cause

Home is where people respect, honour and listen to you. Love is the foundation.

From Selfishness to Kindness & Caring

SEED PROJECTSSouth Asian Punjabi Finding Home™ Dialogue Group

• Sisters and Daughters Day – New South Asian Punjabi Ceremony• Storybook on Kindness & Caring• South Asian Punjabi Skits and Presentations

We make home with laughter, passion and honesty with each other. If there is no love,

passion and interest then our house is like a shelter and is not a home.

Elder Respect in the Family

SEED PROJECTS

Afghan Puppet ShowInstitutionalized Elder Financial Abuse Awareness

Afghan Finding Home™ Dialogue Group

When the sense of home grows within each of us, it will affect all of humanity.

EMPOWERMENT

SEED PROJECTS

• Victims To Champions Speakers Bureau• Tips on Personal Power For Seniors• Video Project

North Shore Finding Home™ Dialogue Group

Lesson #2: Listen For OpportunitiesBuild on Strengths & Address Needs

We Show We Heard By:

Visual Materials Connect to Community Resources Building leadership capacity

Lesson #2: Listen For OpportunitiesConnect To Community

Celebrating Success

Inter-Agency & Seniors Planning Tables

Project launches

Media

Within 1.5 years over 2.5 million reached

Lesson #2: Listen for OpportunitiesMeaningful cross-cultural engagement

Iranian River Party

Mah-Jong & Bingo

Musqueam 101 and Salsa Dancing

Lesson #3: Listen To Each OtherLeverage Strengths

Working Together Elders’ Council Working Group Leadership Training 3 Elder Dialogue Groups

Partners Working Together Leveraging Strengths

Elders Neighbourhood Houses: ANHBC, SVNH, NSN, JBCC, Settlement sector: ISSBC, Mosaic Seniors Sector: BC CEAS,BC ACRN, Public Guardian &Trustees Community Policing Vancouver Coastal Health Elementary Schools Post Secondary Institutions Toastmasters; Arts Health &Seniors Project United Way of the Lower Mainland Province of British Columbia Federal Government (HRSDC)

Scaling Up Project Sustainability Tools

We Listened:

We HeardKeys To Success

1. Understand Resources Needed

2. Readiness Assessment

3. Internal Team

4. Community Partnership Model

5. Community Wide Change Approach

6. Reconciliation Tool

Understand Resources Needed

When all the staff, volunteer time, space, food, printing, interpretation & translation and recognition are accounted for, the host agency and partnerships need to commit

$12,500 to support the convening and subsequent emerging leadership in elders-led initiatives like Finding Home.

Readiness AssessmentSupporting elders’ capacity building programs requires

organizational and community capacity

Necessary Ingredients for Anchor Organizations:

Resources (cost projection tool)

Active seniors program with at least one dedicated program staff

Volunteer & transportation program

Internal Champion & Community Champion

Community Partnerships

Strength based values & ethos

Sample Internal Team

Community Partnership Model

Elders-Led Community Change Model1. Readiness Self Assessment

2. Get Started (internal team, partnerships, data collection tools, etc.)

3. Prepare for Seniors/Elders’ Dialogues

4. Elders’ Dialogues

5. Elders Take Action

6. Data Collection

7. Cross-Cultural Training for Front Line Workers

8. Celebrating Success

9. Final Report & Dissemination

Reconciliation Tool

“The Finding Home Program is one of the best approaches I know of. It builds that sense of belonging and inclusion for everyone, laying the foundational building block for reconciliation on the political and economic levels.”

~ Chief Robert Joseph,Gwa Gwa Enuk First Nations,

Reconciliation Ambassador

MORE TOOLS

Host Agency Handbook

Community of Practice

Digital Resources

3 Lessons In SummaryListen to People and Act on What We Hear

1. Listen to people with lived experience

1. Listen for opportunities

1. Listen to each other

MUNICIPAL APPROACH

City of Surrey’s Seniors Volunteer Engagement Strategy

Your TurnTurn to two of your neighbours and discuss:

How can the Finding Home approach and / or the sustainability tools created help you achieve your organization’s / community’s goals?

What is one action you can commit to towards this goal of finding and creating home in our neighbourhoodsand cities?

What’s Next

Roadblocks To Home: Community Led or Tyranny of the Loudest?

More Workshops….