Motivating and Engaging People – a development necessity

(Participants at a CED workshop on the Lower North Shore in Quebec – rural remote communities along the coast without a road network) At a recent working session in Bonne Bay, Newfoundland entitled “Bonne Bay a Treasure and a Resource” there was much discussion on the way forward for Bonne Bay in light of it […]

A Pre-Community Economic Development Process

There is an ever growing movement towards Community Economic Development (CED) as an approach to economic renewal in both the developed world and developing world as everyone adjusts to the transformations and shifts in industry, wealth and social needs.  There are many definitions, approaches and concepts which fall under what is called CED.  There are […]

The Complexity of Engaging Communities

Introduction: For over 20 years I have pursued community, economic and sustainable development in peripheral regional communities in Atlantic Canada, North Eastern Scotland and most recently in Quebec, a province of Canada.  Each of these regions has gone through some crisis or challenge or has been languishing in the wake of such events.  A multitude […]

People – their humaness

Globalization and the global community are words used to address a phenomenon causing the breakdown of geographical boundaries among the nation states of the world.   We are slow to recognize that the collapse of local borders in our community-based structures is also occurring. As the world becomes borderless, ultimately everything we do will become borderless. […]

The Fragility of Communities

(The Picture – Heading to the office on my rental machine that will be used to travel along the string of communities along the Lower North Shore of Quebec to engage people in a series of CED workshops to address their serious issues of fisheries collapse and its implications) This presentation was delivered to our […]

An Indian Experience -a report to the Commonwealth Foundation

 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This study tour was made possible with the support and assistance of many.  First and foremost, Sam Chelladurai and his family who provided accommodation, guidance and a varied itinerary.  The Commonwealth Foundation who provided support for travel costs.  Numerous development groups, local community associations and individuals who shared their work, knowledge and hospitality. To […]

The Challenge of Change – dependency and its origins

This was a presentation to a fisheries based conference in Aberdeen First of all I am delighted to be able to participate in this forum dealing with the opportunities and future for fishing communities. In particular, it is encouraging to discuss these issues with the knowledge that a human tragedy hasn’t happened or is in […]

Rural Communities – creating a stable environment

  We happen to be living in one of the most interesting periods in human history.  Societal shifts unlike any we have witnessed before are testing and stretching our ability to comprehend either the problems or their solutions.  The resulting quagmire is generating negative forces, some being unleashed in Canada as a mechanism of constraint […]