Relações intergeracionais

My research has reveals a very common problem in Vancouver that is rooted by language barriers with inter-generational relationships. Without a meaningful path of communication, personal relationships are often lost, therefore empathy and wisdom is lost.

The retiring baby-boomers are the most knowledgable, skillful and employable talents to take on retired life and so they could be a resource to draw from as communicative mediators to conversations in foreign languages.

An example of how my solution will make impact is by arranging "play-dates" with the youth and elder where a translator can mediate a meaningful conversation. The play-dates would be time that the youth and elders can spend time together doing an activity such as restoring old furniture and while they spend time, a translator will open a path of personal dialogue between the two as they work together. The job of the mediator is to facilitate deeper dialogue which otherwise, would be hindered by lack of expressive language.

Mexico Appleseed recognizes that migrants need this information both before they migrate to the U.S. and before they leave the U.S. to return home – whether forced or voluntary. The English and Spanish manuals available via Mexico Appleseed’s website serve as the basic information that migrants need to protect their assets.

We will also make the material in our manuals “live” by transmitting the content via film, friendly videos (or spots), written summaries and media in both countries.

Mexico Appleseed has developed close relationships with government agencies in Mexico that are interested in being part of this effort and helping to provide public education and plans to continue these relationships with the new administration:

• Banxico: Banco de México = Mexico Central Bank
• CNDH: Comisión Nacional de Derechos Humanos = National Commission for Human Rights
• CONDUSEF : Comisión Nacional para la Defensa de los Usuarios de las Instituciones Financieras = National Commission for the Defense of Users of Financial Institutions
• IME: Instituto de los Mexicanos en el Exterior = Institute of the Mexicans Abroad
• INM: Instituto Nacional de Migración = Migration National Institute

We will also develop pro bono clinics to provide legal support .

Spirit Garden Parties

Fall, 2012 - Root Harvest and Plant Garden Party
Traditional Knowledge Keepers from the Ktunaxa, Colville Federated Tribes, and Okanagan Nation will be invited as guests to show party attenders how to harvest, prepare and cook fall ripening plants, especially roots. Some of these roots will be the first plants in the Gathering Place plant beds. Stories, photos and illustrations will be recorded in a the Gathering Place gardening book, an oversized book placed in the elders room and meant for recording and sharing knowledge.

Spring, 2013 - Renewal and Cleansing Garden Party
Traditional Knowledge Keepers from the Ktunaxa, Colville Federated Tribes, and Okanagan Nation will be invited as guests to show party attenders how to harvest, prepare and cook spring plants, especially tonics for cleansing. Some of these plants will be placed in the beds. Stories, photos and illustrations will be recorded in a the Gathering Place gardening book, an oversized book placed in the elders room and meant for recording and sharing knowledge.

Summer Garden Party, 2013 - Preserving for the Winter
Traditional Knowledge Keepers from the Ktunaxa, Colville Federated Tribes, and Okanagan Nation will be invited will be invited to instruct on how the programming in the Gathering Place building and gardens can prosper and be properly maintained. A celebratory garden potluck will follow the discussions.

Fall, 2013 - Spirit Garden Official Opening
To celebrate the work of the past 18 months a celebratory official opening of the garden will take place.

In our experience working with community change-makers, we find the environmental movement struggling to effectively involve ethnic communities to make enduring lifestyle changes despite a real desire to meaningfully engage. Without much resources, many organizations simply translate materials and do one-off consultations--which is a basic necessity but not a holistic strategy of involvement. In a report by the HR Council (2008), recruiting visible minorities is a clear imperative for the nonprofit sector in general: they are a vital source of talent but are underutilized. They cited language, culturally insensitive processes and approaches, lack of investment, and oversight of cultural nuances as some of the top barriers to involvement.

2013-2014 Activities:

(1) An intensive three month weekly skills-based leadership program for 10-13 participants starting in February 2013, accompanied by an end-of-program weekend training retreat and family celebration (*Please note: the first year will be a pilot program of three months with intentions to extend the program to a six-month program, in addition to making it an annual program);
(2) Three community dialogues with the theme of “Environmentalism in a Hua Ren context” and an online network to facilitate further discussion on current events and community connection; and
(3) Two large community events including a documentary screening and/or cultural celebration with approximately 100 guests in attendance of each event themed “What We Eat, Family Health, and Our Environment.”

1. Ask host organization "What's your question?"
2. Collect and discuss ideas, and identify the one question that is clear, results and action focused, and engaging.
3. Gather participants from a broad spectrum, preferably from different and inherently creative sectors.
4. Find a unique and positive setting.
5. Get participants in the same room, either physically or electronically.
6. Facilitate participation and discussion, using both proven and newly developed methods that allow fresh perspectives to emerge.
7. Aim for the 'ah-HA!' moment and capture it when it happens.
8. Give the organization space and support to grow their new idea or solution.

Six elements are needed for the model to succeed:

1. Good question.
2. Right space.
3. Right people.
4. Expert facilitation.
5. Willingness and openness of participants.
6. Support after the event to give their innovation a chance to grow.

The model is not prescriptive and is process-oriented. We cannot predict what will happen in the space, or say how the organization will use the experience. We cannot say what support will be needed, or for how long. However, we believe that this process has the potential to allow fresh, exciting and challenging ideas to emerge, and make a real change to how an organization approaches its work. An organization needs to be willing to participate, inferring that they are hungry for fresh perspectives.

We also believe all participants will benefit from the model, and newer, broader communities of practice may arise.

Planting Day: Sept 7, 2012. 20 volunteers will plant and transplant vegetables as SEED moves into the 2 city greenhouses in Lakeside Park. Youth learn plants/soils skills.Plant for 1/2 greenhouse; start small.Schedule gardening crews.
End Oct, begin Nov: first harvest. Donate to food cupboard.Rotating harvests.Plant and expand to 3/4 greenhouse. Youth build planter boxes/ learn gardens skills.
Dec, 2012-Do feasibility study, to plan sales and shares.Project yields and value.
-Nov/Dec: renovations..set up light units..sparkling and welcoming greenhouses!Involve youth .
-Jan, 2013: do website: involve local youth and talent.
-do online campaign for marketing.
Sept 2012-Oct 2013: film SEED events, for our documentary`Oscar night,` Nov 2013. Involve youth.
Feb 2013: Harvest.Donate.Train youth.
March 2013: expand planting to full greenhouse.
-Set up veg plot for people with disabilities, Nelson Cares clients.
May/June/ 2013: harvest for donate and small sales.
Summer: not in use.
Aug 2013: resume planting, BOTH greenhouses.
Sept 2013: set up social programs, with seniors,disabilities group, schools, college.Workshops on veg: growing, preserving, cooking and nutrition.
Autumn, 2013: expand sales and marketing. Target 6 market outlets in community. Goal $2,000.sales, through to end of Spring,2014.
2013-2014: sales to completely finance the sustainability of the greenhouses.$5,000. by end 2014.
2015: lobby for third greenhouse to build on city green space.

We would like to bring Ivan E. Coyote to town to give a reading at the local highschool. This event would be open to the public. Ms. Coyote provides a living example of a successful Canadian literary personality. Her work addresses issues of identity, self-expression and bullying. She is an important voice for compassion amoungst contemporary Canadian writers. Her work addresses many issues for youth at risk, especially gay, lesbian and transgender youth.
This event would include discussion circles, radio interviews, and other follow up to help process the information and find ways to share the message with a wider audience.
Some of the other artists we hope to engage include Zaccheus Jackson Nyce, a young aboriginal poet and Starr Muranko, a dancer with ties to the Lillooet community. We will seek further partner and community input before focusing on other programming.
Each event will include newspaper and radio coverage, focus group discussions and evaluations.
The artists we chose all have important messages to share. They have life experience, cultural backgrounds and artistic passions which members of our communities can relate to and connect with. We are looking for unique, cutting edge cultural programming with a specific intention to disseminate ideas and open up the world of possibilities.

This solution makes a difference because it utilizes a proactive educational approach to reach teenage women and adult women who utilize social networking websites to communicate with others. Our primary activities will include a monthly workshop series for adult women and yearly conference for teenage women.

Through these primary activities, we will reach women of every age and educational background in Texas. In addition, we will strive to recruit women of different ethnicities and races in Texas.

Family volunteers are matched and placed on a list that identifies whether they wish to provide support/mentor or receive support/mentoring. A list of grandparents are also included as an option for those seeking intergenerational support versus full family support. Matching by strengths/needs, interests, activity levels, culture & language, desired level of contact and ease of social access by questionaire and inteview.

Laurie is given a free I Share sign from a booth at a community event. She learns more about sharing and the I Share campaign from the I Share website and decides to initiate more sharing in her neighbourhood. She decides to invite neighbours on her block to a BBQ to talk about developing a sharing network and puts flyers in their mailboxes.

Several neighbours show up and start brainstorming what to share. Brian has blackberries and apples to share. Mika offers to share her cooking magazine subscriptions and even cooking lessons. Sandeep has a daily commute downtown he'd like to turn into a carpool. And Laurie would like to share dog walking by agreeing to walk some neighbours' dogs in the evening in exchange for them taking her dog out during the day.

They go to the I Share website for a checklist of questions to ask when setting up sharing and download simple sample agreements for the items they thought required more organization and commitments.

They are off to a great start. The signs in their windows and the discussions across fences have stirred up interest and other neighbours are now connecting about sharing. The block now has quarterly BBQs and the block next door is starting something up.

Laurie barely recognized most of her neighbours a few months ago. She rents her duplex and had only lived there a short time. Now she knows a bit about most of her neighbours and they say "hello" to her on the street. She has a new sense of safety and belonging in her nieghbourhood, and feels an increased commitment to the well-being of her community.

Rural communities are engaged to participate, on their own terms. Before we enter a community with a proposition to facilitate an information session on how to tan hides and offer avenues for sales, we research who the most appropriate people to contact are, and we follow protocol in native communities. We respect each community's need for varying amounts of time and relationship building. Once community approval is achieved and desire is identified, we facilitate a workshop on tanning hides. A community appropriate action plan for the ethical harvesting and tanning of hides will then be made. Agreements for the sale of hides are also made, thus supporting the desire to continue with the activity, and likely providing motivation for younger generations to participate. With purchased hides we produce fashion accessories and garments, which provides an initial market for the leather, widens availability of sustainable leather goods, and increases awareness of indigenous traditions. A percentage of the proceeds from sales of leather and leather goods will go to the environmental conservation organization of the community’s choice.
The first rural community that we will go to is Kitigan Zibi in Quebec. A local expert, Pinock, will be sharing and teaching his skills. We will expand into additional communities as the need for naturally tanned leather increases, with the goal to have larger-scale tanneries close to the most active communities.