Though he admits it might sound strange, Lyall Gardiner says being an adjudicator within the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement process has been the best job he’s ever had.
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Sandra Hayes-Gardiner shares the story behind her passion for Right Relations Sandra Hayes-Gardiner is known within her Calgary congregation as someone who is passionate about Right Relations, currently involved in many activities aiming to foster Indigenous learning and understanding. Sandra’s roots, career and volunteerism have contributed to her own shift in perspective. Sandra grew up in
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Members of Calgary’s Metro Alliance for the Common Good (MACG – Calgary) are using community organizing to tackle issues together in the city at the root causes through shared power. This year, the two focus work areas are reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people and supporting seniors.
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‘What does it mean to love our actual neighbours?’
Howard Lawrence is exploring what happens when we activate the invitation to love those within our neighbourhoods. He says the idea has sprung forth that “maybe God is calling us to love our actual neighbours.”
“It’s a powerful notion, it’s a challenging notion for people to say what does it mean to love our actual neighbours?”
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Neighbourhood connections create complex benefits
Howard Lawrence, co-founder of the Asset-Based Neighbourhood Organizing Association, says many cities have a long-standing relationship with Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) and the Abundant Community Initiative is a new version that drills down onto every block in every neighbourhood.
“We can say to municipalities, ‘you’ve been doing this kind of work, particularly in troubled neighbourhoods, for 30 years . . . here is an update,’” Lawrence says.
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Music, faith and justice: Calgary choral group creates values-based community
It looks like a giant connect the dots, a series of highlights made possible through relationship and invitation. An elementary school in Amanzimtoti, South Africa is the first dot. Here several members of Harmony through Harmony (HtH), a choral ensemble from Calgary, join hands in a huge circle around the school gym and lead the students in singing songs in Zulu.
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Building Respectful Relations with Indigenous People
Helena Lamb’s interest to learn more about Indigenous people was sparked in 2013, when she saw the documentary We Were Children at a film festival.
The film centres on two residential school survivors. “I just sobbed through the whole thing,” says Helena. “I could not believe this had happened in Canada, I had no idea about the residential schools and that was the beginning for me to learn more.”
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Thrive launches new program to help entrepreneurs grow and create community impact
Calgary social entrepreneurs with a desire to grow and improve business skills are invited to apply for Thrive’s spring Accelerator program. The program is also designed for existing entrepreneurs that are curious about integrating social and environmental impact into their business.
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Thinking back to Feb. 1, an image Murray Nicholson will remember from Calgary’s inaugural UN World Interfaith Harmony Week is seeing different religious leaders standing together during the opening ceremony.
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People were fully engaged and looking for more
Feast for the Common Good and Calgary-based Refugia Retreats partnered to create a two-day opportunity for personal and collective action. “We believe Calgarians deserve space and community in which to have the tough conversations of our time”
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Refugia provides opportunities for tough conversations and deep dialogue. “Refugia was born out of desire to see more spaces that offer opportunities for retreat in Alberta and particularly to create a space that invites people into thoughtful dialogue and action around personal, social, and environmental change,” says Jodi.
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Calgary’s interfaith community is hosting Habitat for Humanity build days Feb. 4 and Feb. 7 during UN World Interfaith Harmony Week.
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In today’s busy and noise-filled world, when did you last purposely take time for silence?
In today’s busy and noise-filled world, when did you last purposely take time for silence?
About 30 people in Calgary attend an early morning mid-week contemplative service. The hour-long service includes teaching, reading, music and a block of silence. Usually around 20 minutes, the silence portion may last longer or shorter depending on other content and what’s going on.
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City to celebrate its first UN World Interfaith Harmony Week, February 1-7, 2017
Calgarians can visit open houses at 11 places of worship and attend other events to celebrate the city’s inaugural observance of UN World Interfaith Harmony Week.
Rabbi Shaul Osadchey is on the Calgary Interfaith Council steering committee and approached Calgary’s mayor, who issued a proclamation to support the week. Various faith communities in the city are collaborating on special programs and events during the Feb. 1 to 7 celebration.
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Calgary's Soul of the Next Economy Forum on Oct. 3-4 is the next step in the local transition conversation
The Soul of the Next Economy Forum 2014, at Ambrose University College Oct. 3-4, continues Calgary’s conversation about how we can build an economy that’s profitable, sustainable, and serves local goals.
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