Happy holidays! At these times, the usual daily routines seem to be temporarily suspended, and modified with extra family time, neighbourhood socials, community happenings, and temptations… too numerous. Oh, and yes, conflict too. Yet, I’m not going to go there, at least not in the usual way. I love what different cultures have to offer. […]
Self-organizing for stronger neighbourhoods and the world: Video book reviews
December 16, 2010 by · 3 Comments
It’s almost Christmas. Looking for a book to gift someone with? Maybe a little something on self-organization? Great! I’ve got a couple of suggestions. I introduce them in this video (click here if you can’t see it), and have a bit more to say as well… The Abundant Community Authored by John McKnight and Peter […]
15 Ways to bridge the gap between cultures and communities in conflict
December 6, 2010 by · 14 Comments
I shed tears this weekend. They weren’t for me. They were for others, and their stories, I heard, as a participant, along with 200+ others, in the first ever Truth and Reconciliation conference between Aboriginals and non-Aboriginals in Victoria. The conference was titled Open Hearts, Clear Minds: A Road to Reconciliation, and took place at […]
You are not alone
November 29, 2010 by · Leave a Comment
Before my parents passed away, I was a family caregiver, from a distance. Mom and Dad lived half a country away, in southern Ontario. They lived apart, although in the same city. I would visit multiple times a year (as would my siblings, who also lived at a distance), usually a week or two at […]
Good-bye to Warren Argo and Bob Boardman: May your spirits live on!
November 14, 2010 by · Leave a Comment
One of my favourite events is the Festival of American Fiddle Tunes, located at Fort Worden State Park in Port Townsend, Washington, and not all that far from my home in Victoria. Fiddle Tunes is a celebration of music, dance, tradition and community. I’ve attended a number of times, and previously posted the many reasons […]
The Department of Mad Scientists: Lesson in innovation from DARPA
November 8, 2010 by · 3 Comments
Are you involved with a science-based organization looking to innovate? Does that organization have a science fiction writer on staff? If it doesn’t, maybe it should! This is one of the innovation insights I drew from reading Michael Belfiore’s The Department of Mad Scientists: How DARPA is Remaking Our World, from the Internet to Artificial […]
