Keynote
Igniting Change: Catalyzing Conversations of Personal Empowerment and Community Activism
Change from Within
How do we find it within ourselves, our campuses, and our communities, to enact the changes we seek in the world? Leading by example requires valuing local knowledge and assets, reflecting on where we have come from, and being honest about where we are.
Igniting Change provides a venue for three local sustainability and social entrepreneurs to come together and share their experiences concerning place-based culture, knowledge, and innovation.
The three short keynote presentations will be followed by a moderated discussion among the presenters, sharing ideas and insights as to what it takes to change the world from within.
When and Where:
Saturday Feburary 18, 2012
8:00pm -9:30pm (doors open at 7:30)
Djavad Mowafaghian Cinema, SFU Woodwards
A reception will follow at The Hive.
Admission is free and this event is open to the public!
Keynote Speakers:
Andrea Reimer – Councillor, City of Vancouver
Andrea Reimer was elected to Vancouver City Council in 2008 and re-elected in 2011. She previously served as a Vancouver School Board Trustee (2002-2005), the first to be elected in Canada under the Green Party banner.
A long-time supporter of sustainability and community economic development, she has volunteered with many community organizations including serving as: past President of the CCEC Credit Union and the Canadian Women’s Voters Congress; Vice-Chair of the local Farmer’s Market Society; and a former Co-Chair of the City of Vancouver’s Food Policy Council. She currently serves as a Director of Environmental Education Action Project, and sits on the Vancouver Foundation’s Health and Social Development Advisory Committee. Andrea was also one of the first elected officials in the country to maintain a blog while in public office, part of her commitment to accountability and transparency. Prior to being elected to City Council, Andrea was the Executive Director of the Wilderness Committee, a position she held from 2002 – 2010, and is a recognized leader in BC’s environmental movement.
Heather O’Hara – Executive Director, Potluck Catering and Cafe
Since 2006, Heather O’Hara has been the Executive Director of Potluck Café & Catering, a social enterprise located in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. Heather is a passionate advocate for social enterprise as a model for inclusive community economic development. Through her work at Potluck, Heather leads a dedicated staff team which includes DTES residents with multiple barriers to employment. The entrepreneurial drive of the Potluck team has assured its continued success as a leader in social enterprise. Potluck Café & Catering serves thousands of catering clients and invests its business revenues into its social mission which includes creating DTES jobs and serves up to 30,000 free, healthy meals to local DTES residents each year. Heather is currently Board Chair of the Hastings Crossing BIA and Board Treasurer of BOB. Heather’s educational background includes an MBA, a BA in International Relations and Native Studies along with an Environmental Studies degree. Heather is also a designer, avid equestrian and dog lover.
Ken Lyotier – Founder, United We Can
Ken has lived and worked in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside (DTES) for the past 30 years. The DTES is an economically and socially depressed area of the Vancouver. Motivated by social justice issues, Ken has attempted to change inconsistencies in his own response to the world as a starting point for the constructive engagement of others in his community. Through a very gradual process, these efforts have resulted in the development of a community economic and social organization called United We Can.
United We Can operates several employment development projects including a self-sustaining recycling centre. These projects provide an economic framework on which the group is weaving opportunities for positive change and growth of its individual members. All United We Can’s projects are intentionally designed to offer opportunities for peer supported “grass-roots” community service as distinct from traditional service delivery models that rely more exclusively on professional/client relationships.
Ken believes that effective social transformation occurs by seeking a better understanding of how things actually are and then taking specific action aimed at moving us closer to how we think they ought to be. Evidence of change needs to be continually assessed and new actions adjusted to reflect our changing understanding of reality.
Moderator:
Ginger Gosnell-Myers – Researcher and Activist, Environics, Centre for Native Policy and Research
Ginger Gosnell-Myers – of Nisga’a and Kwakwak’awakw heritage – is passionate about advancing Aboriginal rights and knowledge, while breaking down barriers between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people.
Throughout 2008-2011 Ginger worked on the Environics Urban Aboriginal Peoples Study as both Project Manager and Public Engagement Director. The UAPS is Canada’s largest research study on Aboriginal people living in urban environments, and has become the leading research on urban Aboriginal people’s values, aspirations, experiences, and identity. In 2010 the UAPS received the Public Policy Impact Award by the Marketing Research and Intelligence Association, and the IPAC/Deloitte Public Sector Leadership Award for not for profit organizations.
Ginger is an Action Canada 2004 Fellow, former Commissioner to the Assembly of First Nations Renewal Commission, sits on the Editorial Board for the First Peoples Child and Family Review, and is an Associate of the Centre for Dialogue with Simon Fraser University. She also worked as the Western Assistant to former Minister of Indian and Northern Affairs Development Andy Scott, advising the Minister on issues pertaining to BC and Alberta.
She has facilitated and spoken at several provincial, national and international events, including the International Indigenous Women & Wellness Conference, the Senate Standing Committee on Aboriginal Peoples, and the United Nations Permanent Forum of Indigenous Peoples.
Ginger is featured in the inspirational book: Notes from Canada’s Young Activists: A Generation Stands up for Change (2007). In 2012 as part of the CBC documentary series “8th Fire”, Ginger was highlighted and profiled for her views on Aboriginal issues and relations in Canada. She is completing her Masters degree in Public Policy at Simon Fraser University, and continues to be active within Vancouver’s Aboriginal community.
Agenda:
8:00-8:10 Keynote Opening
8:10-9:00 Keynote Presentations (3 x 15 minutes)
9:00-9:15 Moderated Discussion
9:15-9:30 Multi-Directional Q&A
9:30-10:00 Reception
Sponsors:
