It's a start.

The meeting today was interesting and for the most part went faily well.  I was really pleased with my presentation and it was well received.  The group unanimously agreed to adopt the upgraded framework and use it for the next stage of work, so it was very rewarding.   I received some nice comments from the participants.

My brain is a bit mushy now and so probably have more to say that I am saying.  There was some discussion about hiring someone to finish writing the homelessness plan.  I've let my name stand and may get the opportunity to bid on the contract.  I'll need to see the terms of reference before I make a final decision.

So tonight I am home and I know that I am going to sleep well.  I don't think I'll wake at 0430 like this morning.  My mind has moved on to next week's presentation in Edmonton with Community Foundations of Canada.  I have a short presentation to make there and then sit with the panel to discuss the emerging leadership crisis in Canada and the widening social gap. 

Essential much of the thinking used today around the importance of connections in a community is relevant to this discussion, but there is the another layer — voice.  How do you give voice this the various communities and organisations to help them be understood in the larger community?  This in many ways has to do with integration of newcomers to Canada and the  connections needed into the larger Canadian community.  We are experiencing a time in our history that people are coming to Canada but because of the internet and communities of immigrants already estalished here, newcomers are not forming the connections they once did.  They maintain strong roots in their country of origin.

This is leading to social issues across the country.  Much of my recent thinking is around addressing a need to create cross cultural connections in our Canadian fabric.  This doesn't just relate to ethnicity but also to marginalized Canadians, which includes low income, invisible minorities, and class.

How does one give voice to such a wide and disparte group, when in many cases are they have in common is the country?  As I mentioned earlier the connection to Canada for some immigrants is not strong to start with.  And now as I write this I begin to think about the work that I need to do around this concept of connection and voice and believe that these questions may be the right way to frame a PhD discussion.

I keep coming back to space, the need for shared spaces that we all own and interact in.  Maybe this is one of the tactics that we use to help create a forum for shared voice.  Must think more about this.

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