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Learning to Get Out of the Way

The Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) conference in Edmonton from May 28-30 was phenomenal. The thoughtful planning provided participants with a rich learning environment. The program and set-up allowed people engage in meaningful conversations and make connections with others. This kind of learning environment let me explore how this subject touches all aspects of my life. At the end of the conference I could easily see myself applying it to my volunteer work, professional life and especially in my personal life.

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Learning to Love Community

As a student, I attend academic conferences regularly – they are a great way to share your research, and to better understand others’ research. What’s missing from academic conferences though, is a community of practice – an intentional space for conversation and critical reflection. Practitioner conferences are a great supplement to academic conferences for this reason. It is a wonderful opportunity for networking, being part of a community practice, and participating in critical reflection as a group.

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The Heart of Interconnectedness

The ABCD: Healthy Neighbourhoods, Healthy Cities Conference in Edmonton was one of the most profound conferences I’ve been to; a plethora of experts, changemakers, wisdom-imparters, and entertainers – the combination could found in each presenter respectively. There was a palpable energy of support, encouragement, positivity, and kinship in the room, vast as it was, holding the collective community of over 300 people, who were there to learn from the greatest in Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) and each other.

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Home Sweet Neighbourhood: Transforming Cities One Block at a Time

We really weren’t trying to upset anyone. Honest. We just wanted vine-ripened tomatoes, picked fresh (Think of them in a salad, with a bit of basil!). We had the pots, the soil, the seeds, a sunny parking spot, and no car. Bringing the little plants downstairs from our apartment seemed like an excellent plan...until I felt the wrath of an infuriated neighbour. “Gardening encourages conversations! I don’t want extra noise outside my window!”

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Passing on the Gift

The great thing about Tamarack is that we are a network of learners with some great examples of people, organizations and communities that are putting this basic concept into practice. Consider just a couple of the examples featured in the 2018 Annual Report.

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Evaluation: Stop, Listen, and Change

Evaluation takes courage and the willingness to change. When everything seems to be going well, it is especially important to take the time to reflect, to ask the tough questions and to be willing to hear inconvenient answers. What if the work you are doing is popular but not achieving its intended outcomes? What if you learn that the good work you are doing is actually increasing vulnerability and stigma for the people it’s intended to help?

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