National Community Economic Development Conference
With the help of financial support from the Nelson and District Credit Union I had the opportunity to attend this year’s National Community Economic Development Conference which was held in St. Johns, Newfoundland. This was an amazing experience which included five full days of networking, workshops, and other great learning experiences. Outside the formal conference activities I also got a chance to explore the St. Johns area and take in some of the vibrant east coast culture, including enjoying some incredible live music and Irish dance, visiting Cape Spear (the most easterly point in Canada), and seeing some of the early ice flows.
This there was the greatest representation of youth that the conference has ever seen and our presence was definitely noted. There were several workshops targeted at youth and youth engagement, as well as an entire half day Youth Forum followed by an evening of youth produced films. I met dozens of other youth from across the country who are interested in Community Economic Development and was continually inspired by the creative and successful projects they are involved in back in their own communities.
One of the common themes that kept coming up in my discussions with other youth at the conference was that many of our peers and family members back home didn’t always have a clear idea of what Community Economic Development (CED) is and why we are so passionate about it. CED differs in many ways from more traditional economic development (such as trying to attract large industry to town without much thought to how sustainable the jobs are going to be, or what impact the industry will have on the local environment). In more traditional approaches to economic development profits ($) are the principal goal. In the case of CED the fostering a strong economic future for the community is one of the main goals, but it is closely combined with consideration for social, environmental and cultural well-being of the community as well. CED can encompass a wide range of activities and projects aimed at creating socially just and economically and environmentally sustainable communities.
The conference I attended is co-hosted every year by the Canadian CED Network which defines CED as:
-CED can be defined as action by people locally to create economic opportunities and enhance social conditions in their communities on a sustainable and inclusive basis, particularly with those who are most disadvantaged.
-CED is a community-based and community-directed process that explicitly combines social and economic development and fosters the economic, social, ecological and cultural well being of communities.
-CED has emerged as an alternative to conventional approaches to economic development. It is founded on the belief that problems facing communities – unemployment, poverty, job loss, environmental degradation and loss of community control – need to be addressed in a holistic and participatory way.
You can check out CCEDNet’s website at http://www.ccednet-rcdec.ca/.
There are more and more youth becoming involved in CED as it is an great way to ensure you have a say in the future of your community (and country). The Canadian CED Network also has a committee called Emerging Leaders aimed directly at increasing youth involvement in CED and ensuring the youth voice is heard in this quickly growing field. More information about Emerging Leaders can be found at http://www.ccednet-rcdec.ca/en/pages/emergingleaders.asp, where you will also find some profiles of some of the amazing work already being done by youth in CED across Canada.
I am currently working for an organization in Nelson called the Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurial Leadership. CIEL is a Canadian Centre of Excellence in community, entrepreneurial and economic leadership. CIEL provides tools, training and innovative solutions, allowing communities and organizations to realize their potential. The tools and services CIEL has developed include: The Business Vitality Initiative, The Community Vitality Initiative, The Communities Matrix and the Leading Communities BC program. For more information on CIEL and its tools and services please visit the website at www.theciel.com. I was fortunate to get this position through a work creation program called CreateAction, which is a program of the Canadian CED Network (CCEDNet) that is aimed at helping youth get into the CED field. These are 6 month paid internships, for more information contact Marie-Germaine Chartrand at mchartrand@ccednet-rcdec.ca.
So, Thank You again to the Credit Union for assisting me in getting to this conference. It was a truly inspiring experience and I have been eagerly spreading the word about the great opportunities for youth in CED. Hopefully this will motivate more young people to learn more about CED and get involved.
