As part of the City of Victoria’s 10-Year Official Community Plan (OCP) Update, last Saturday, I attended an OCP engagement event at my local (James Bay Neighbourhood) community centre. Like many urban neighbourhoods, mine is diverse. There’s a range of people, places and opinions. A common divergence of opinion that comes up circles around the […]
Consider Maslow’s hierarchy in response to NIMBY development concerns
The Trust Menu: A constructive response to broken trust and damaged relationships
Sometimes, you come across opposing politicians exhibiting civil constructive dialogue and you go, wow – I didn’t know that was possible. From a recent exchange in Canada’s parliament, involving members Charlie Angus and Sean Fraser (Minister of Housing), on the topic of funding for homeless: Now, if we could get the same level of civil […]
Bridging the communications gap in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Ethiopians love coffee. They incorporate coffee into important ceremonies. They sell it around the world. The are the GOAT of coffee, the original origin of coffee, or so the legend goes. One of my favourite local coffee suppliers, Level Ground Trading, sell a fair-trade Ethiopian roast that I adore. Ethiopians produce great coffee. Period. I […]
Field notes on advocating for low-income seniors
Mabel is direct in her communications. Aged 67, of low-income, her tenancy at-risk, and loaded with all sorts of health concerns, Mabel leaves no doubts. She isn’t ready to give up. She wants to maintain her independence for as long as possible. She just needs help doing that. Seniors’ Entitlement Services Mabel’s attitude typifies that […]
Is swearing good for you and your team?
I feel like I’m opening a can of worms with this post, about swearing. I’ve been blogging for ten years. This is my 401st post. I rarely swear. As best as my memory serves me, the number of times I’ve cussed on this blog is not far removed from zero. That seems a bit odd […]