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Mark Holmgren

Mark Holmgren
Mark Holmgren is the Executive Director of the Edmonton Community Development Company and a former Tamarack Director. He is known for his track record in developing social innovations, including the development of Upside Down Thinking, an approach to thinking differently, if not disruptively.

Recent Posts

Why Speak Ill of Charity?

Posted by Mark Holmgren on December 5, 2015

It’s sad. There are too many people who speak ill of charities.

Some make sweeping accusations or conclusions without any real evidence or understanding.

Some prefer to focus on the mistakes charities make (and of course they make some) rather than the good they deliver.

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Whats Wrong? People are suffering

Posted by Mark Holmgren on August 28, 2015

never understood “don’t shoot the messenger” as the stereotypical retort the messenger must use to defend her delivery of a message. Maybe we need a new cultural utterance like “You know how the messenger shoots those who don’t listen.”

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Let's lock up the homeless, you know, for their own good

Posted by Mark Holmgren on August 6, 2015

When I think of a "wellness" centre, I imagine a place where one might be able to exercise, see a nutritionist, take a course on personal development, learn more about parenting, or see a counselor. Some of you might imagine a wellness centre as something akin to a health spa where you can spend an arm and a leg to get your arms and legs massaged or exfoliated or poked with acupuncture needles.

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How We Keep the Poor Living in Poverty

Posted by Mark Holmgren on July 19, 2015

It's not that we do so on purpose. Our intentions are good, but how we go about trying to help the poor often ends up keeping them poor.

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The Other Day I Did the Unthinkable

Posted by Mark Holmgren on May 23, 2015

The other day I did the unthinkable.  I went to Walmart.

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Seeing What Matters

Posted by Mark Holmgren on May 23, 2015

Jim is in his 50s and had been homeless on and off for much of his adult life. He was known by many on the street and in our drop-in centre. Our housing first workers began talking to him about getting his own place and he was, to say the least, excited about that. It took a while but it happened and one day our staff person – let’s call him Jack – took Jim to his new place, handed him the keys. Jim said to Jack, “I can’t remember a time when I had keys.”

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