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