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Cities Reducing Poverty: Bringing All Voices to the Table

Poverty is a complex issue. It’s an issue that cannot be approached in isolation or solved by a select few – it effects everyone, is experienced by people in different ways, and involves a significant number of interrelated elements and stakeholders. We know this. We know that when working on complex problems, such as poverty, finding comprehensive solutions requires communities to come together to leverage and better understand their assets – knowledge, experience, skills and resources – to truly see and act on the issue from all angles.

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Let's Make International Women's Day Every Day

Today is International Women's Day when the attention of one half of the world's population is brought to the entire world, suggesting that maybe this day is best honoured the other 364 days as well. Time to consider how this might look. 

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Cities Reducing Poverty Summit: A Catalyst for Community-level Change

The 2017 Cities Reducing Poverty Summit: When Business is Engaged event, hosted by the City of Hamilton, is fast approaching and I can barely contain my excitement that this event is literally happening in our backyard.  We’ve got a significant contingent going this year and I look forward to sharing this inspiring learning opportunity with my members and volunteers.

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This Process is Personal

Community change is personal.  It is, at its very core, about changing citizens and communities for the better.  However, we often depersonalize this process.  We talk about services, programs, statistics and organizations in a way that removes the face of citizens.  Perhaps this makes the process easier.  It also removes the urgency of the issue.  If we don’t reflect on the daily impact that citizens are facing in our communities, we can spend endless time in conversation about the problem.   

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How Can Data Transform the Sector?

Recently, there was a gathering in Toronto focused on how the voluntary or community benefits sector engages with data to advance and even transform community outcomes. This was the second stop on a world tour by the Data on Purpose group from Stanford University.

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Historical Moment for Unanimously Endorsed Neighbourhood Strategy

It's official. The City Council of Kitchener, Ontario unanimously endorsed an inspiring new neighbourhood strategy that allows residents to take the lead.

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