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Block Connector programs: Learning from our members

Posted by Christine Hadekel on March 19, 2021

Have you ever needed to borrow a cup of sugar? Or wanted advice about your garden? Or needed someone to house sit while you were away? For these situations and so many others, your neighbours might your answer!

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Forging Deeper Connections to Community by Shifting Power Dynamics

Posted by Abigail Goodwin on December 7, 2020

Six years ago, Palm Health Foundation made a risky decision. Dissatisfied with the short-term gains of responsive grantmaking, the foundation launched the Healthier Together initiative in an effort to forge a deeper connection to community through the social determinants of health. With no roadmap to follow, the foundation granted $1 million to six communities and asked residents to lead the way in creating lasting, systemic, transformative change. 

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Exploring Deepening Community in Atlantic Canada

Posted by Dan Ritchie on November 25, 2020

Hi, I’m Dan Ritchie, the newest member of the Cities Deepening Community team. As a Manager of Cities, I will support members who want to develop neighbourhood plans. Joining the Tamarack Institute at the beginning of November has been an exciting experience for me, especially during this period of great uncertainty.

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It takes a mindshift to put citizens at the center of your work

Posted by Heather Keam on November 12, 2020

Have you ever thought about whose role is it to build community? Whose role is it to fix the problems? Is it government, maybe social service programs? Is it groups and associations? Sometimes, I think that communities are looking for a superhero to swoop in and fix all their problems. But this superhero does not exist. What we need is a group of superheroes such as Marvel's Avengers, with each hero bringing their own gift and knowledge, and when its used as a group big changes can happen.

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10 Ways to Rekindle Democracy

Posted by Christine Hadekel on October 19, 2020

In a recent webinar discussion hosted by Tamarack, Cormac Russell talked about his new book Rekindling Democracy: A Professional's Guide to Working in Citizen Space. Cormac, who describes himself as an itinerant storyteller, filled the book with stories from his travels while asking the question what these stories might call forth from us. His overarching thesis is that citizens must be at the center of any authentic democratic response to the challenges we face.

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CBYF National Collaborative First Meeting

Posted by Brandon Montour on October 15, 2020

The National Collaborative is a committee that provides a national network for accessing evidence-informed practices, leveraging resources and capacity, and identifying national opportunities for shifting policies and systems with a goal of supporting improved outcomes for under-represented youth as they navigate transitions from high school to post-secondary education, training and careers.

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