Walk A Mile, Part 2

Photo Credit: Richard Chicoine iCopyright 2009

Your Personal Challenge

It's the first week of December... a time when many of us shop more, eat more, socialize more, drive around more...

Rush!!!!!!  stop......

Let's walk a mile in someone else's shoes for just one week...

Join us in getting hungry for answers...

Poverty in Ontario is at an all time high. As the economic crisis grows, so does the number of people relying on social assistance and food banks.

Does a single person on social assistance receive enough income to live with health and dignity? Do The Math to find out!

Step 1:  Log into http://dothemath.thestop.org/index.php and complete the survey.

Step 2:  Track your spending for 1 week (before our next CLD).  Every penny.  Divide your monthly bills into a one week allotment.  Use the survey form on the website. 

How does your family budget compare with the max allotments for social assistance?

Step 3: Optional -  Can you NOT SPEND for 7 days - use what you have in your cupboards, cut back on driving, take public transit or car pool, say "no" to treats....for just one week...  leave your wallet and credit cards at home...

The Challenge:  How many of us are willing to step into the shoes of so many others experiencing this for real...?

Step 4:  READINGS FOR THIS MONTH:

Bookmark the site and read the links at Poverty in Ontario http://dothemath.thestop.org/links.php

Hungry?

The Dew Drop Inn at St Andrews RC Church (Red River Road) provides lunchtime meals for anyone in our community...no questions asked.   Daily, 2:30 to 4 pm.

 

Until We Walk A Mile...

Photo Credit: Richard Chicoine iCopyright 2009

When Does Reality Really Hit Home?

"People who are homeless are not social inadequates.  They are homeless."  -  Sheila McKecknie

April in San Francisco is more like early spring in northern Ontario, rather than the hint of summer in the rest of California.  I hadn't done my weather-homework and had only packed a light jacket expecting tropical temperatures and sun-soaked days under the Golden Gate.   With the damp ocean breezes blowing briskly, I was freezing, wishing I'd brought along a pair of gloves and my favourite scarf. No matter, the Hard Rock Cafe would warm me up and then the sightseeing would continue.  Fun atmosphere, cool folks at the bar, souvenir hurricane glass to bring back home... on with my tourist type adventure.

Little did I know at that point, that I would finally come face to face with a new understanding of one of our society's most ignored scenarios.

Belly full and admittedly a little tipsy, I turned and headed up one of San Fran's famous hills.  My face to the bright sun, and not really paying attention to what was ahead, I was startled to bump into a shopping cart.  It was driven by a craggy faced man with very gentle eyes almost hidden by a mane of eyebrows.  He smiled; I think I may have said hello.  He kept going. So did I.

I remember that moment of "shift" in my thinking from my personal expectations of my experience to what was happening on the streets.  Under stairwells, on stinky sewer grates, anywhere away from the wind, lived communities of people.  They understood each others' language, asked no questions about past lives, and shared secrets of survival.  Cardboard boxes and chunks of plastic wrap were their castles.  And, as I found out later the municipal library was their "salon", offering showers, private areas for grooming and the luxury of real toilets.

My goose bumps and failure to pack the right attire seemed so miniscule in comparison to the reality of living on the streets.  Why had I never really seen these people before?  How harshly I had judged.

Let's explore the realities of homelessness and poverty together over the next 3 weeks.  Watch for next week's "Challenge" for you and your family.  Perhaps you won't need to travel all the way to the west coast, and will "Find your heart (in San Francisco)" if you haven't already.

"We think that poverty is only being naked, hungry and homeless.  The poverty of being unwanted, unloved and uncared for is the greatest poverty.  We must start in our own homes to remedy all poverty."  - Mother Teresa

***

Where is this mural and who is the famous artist?  Be the first with the correct comment to win a Canadian book!

Let's Do Lunch

Photo Credit: Richard Chicoine iCopyright 2009

"Small cheer and great welcome makes a merry feast."
- William Shakespeare

Shakespeare may not come to mind immediately when we think about great leadership.   Yet  this literary giant knew of what he spoke.  He understood that the time spent in laughter and feasting would become the source of many of his anecdotes and scenes, the centre of his craft and the base for his large "fan club".  So, too, it is with leadership.  Yours is the art of "showing up" to connect and learn with others.

"Let's Do Lunch"

So that brings us to the topic of doing lunch in a world much different than the old bard's neighbourhood.   It's not necessarily about the food; it's the connection ... relationship... the act of sharing both meal and time that remains the same regardless of century or occupation. 

Leaders Doing Lunch

So here's the rub (yes, more Shakespeare). 

Lunch at Leadership Thunder Bay is an integral part of the program.  It's not an optional activity "just to eat". 

Here's 10 reasons why we feast ensemble:

• we get to know one another casually and build relationships - have a laugh or two -  that may last for a lifetime
• we invite speakers, sponsors and alumni to lunch specifically to meet YOU
• you get to pick the speaker's, sponsor's and alumni's brain
• you strengthen your leadership network in a personalized atmosphere (six degress of separation!)
• you have time to delve into the topic of the day with others who may not have experienced what you already know
• you have the opportunity to speak privately with organizational representatives and connect with common interests
• you can just relax - pause - for a while
• you stay "on topic"
• you are nourished
• you develop that way you "be" in leadership, not just what you "do" in leadership.

Let me quote Rabbi Shapiro's grace...for a universal perspective:

"We eat not simply to satisfy our own appetites,

we eat to sustain ourselves in the task we have been given.

Each of us comes into the world with a gift no other can offer: ourselves.

We eat to sustain our task of world repair,

our quest for harmony, peace and justice

We give thanks for the power that makes for meeting,

for our table has been a place for dialogue and friendship.

We give thanks to Life.

May we never lose touch with the simple joy and wonder

of sharing a meal.

*  If, by chance, you have an important appointment that conflicts with a learning day, "use your best judgement" as a leader.  Try to keep our learning days free of other activities (from 8:30 am to 5 pm, inclusive). 

The Curriculum Committee has this guideline: 

"Is it a matter of life and death?".

If this is what you term "a matter of life and death", please notify us well in advance so that we can order the correct number of meals. 

If you must leave, please position yourself in the room so that you do not interfere with the presentation by having to disturb others when you exit and return.

Bon Appetit my friends!

Salut!

ps...the mushroom = a symbol for leadership at the Retreat...click on "comments" to remind us about the connection

The Power of Respect

Photo Credit: Richard Chicoine iCopyright 2009

If we could create a wave of silent respect...
11 am on the 11th day of the 11th month...

Invisible soldiers finally become visible

Elders Voices says:

It is estimated that between 7,000 to 12,000 Aboriginal Peoples fought for Canada in the Korean War and in World Wars I and II. 35 per cent of those who were eligible to enlist did so—the highest among all ethnic and cultural groups in Canada.1 Because accurate records were not kept, the actual number of Aboriginal soldiers who fought in the wars will never be known.




For many of the young men, enlisting provided an opportunity to assert their manhood.    For almost all, the overseas journey alone brought with it life-changing goals and challenges, from learning to speak English to dealing with culture-shock and discrimination.



It did not take long, however, for both the Canadian military and for enemy soldiers to discover that Canada’s Aboriginal troops were some of the finest there were. Their traditional hunting expertise and ability to move discretely and efficiently through land helped them carry out dangerous tasks with great proficiency. Many of the Aboriginal troops possessed precise aim and they were assigned to sniping— a task in which they excelled. They also fulfilled vital positions in reconnaissance missions, which involved slipping past enemy lines to determine the enemy’s location and weapon power and secretly relaying this information back to their side of the fighting lines.



Another important role, and often one that could only be filled by an Aboriginal soldier, was that of code-talker. Military messages were translated into Aboriginal languages such as Cree, which were unique to North America and which even the most skilled infiltrators had trouble decoding. A Cree soldier on the receiving end would translate the message back into English before passing it on to military officials.



The courage and the relentless spirit displayed on the front by the Aboriginal troops earned them a laudable reputation as well as numerous medals and commendations. Throughout the wars, thousands of letters from the battlefront were sent to Indian and Northern Affairs Canada commending Aboriginal soldiers.



The contributions of the Aboriginal Peoples to the war effort were not limited to the fields of Europe. On the home front, Aboriginal farmers increased production, while women organized Red Cross and Salvation Army societies and gathered provisions to send overseas. Bands offered financial aid by purchasing war certificates or donating a portion of their annual treaty payments to the national treasury.   Many generously gave up reserve land to be used as defence posts, airports, and rifle ranges.



Sadly, it took more than fifty years for the government to recognize the wartime contributions of the Aboriginal Peoples, on the home front and battlefront alike. Overseas, Aboriginal soldiers fought proudly alongside Canadian men of many other races, fuelled by a shared purpose and pride. Upon their return to Canadian soil, however, many First Nations, Inuit, and Métis soldiers found that this equality no longer held. They received no warm welcome. In fact, many came back to find that their land had been taken away or divvied up among non-Aboriginal farmers to increase wartime crop production, never to be theirs again. They also found that they would not share in the same benefits that other members of the Canadian forces enjoyed, including educational and vocational training, employment offers, and housing.

Only during this last decade!...

For years, Aboriginal veterans dealt with the harsh memories of war, all the while struggling with the painful realization that their wartime efforts seemed to be of little worth to the Canadian government. In 2002, almost six decades after the end of World War II, First Nations veterans and their spouses were offered settlements of $20,000. However, this deal overlooked both non-status First Nations and Métis veterans. In response, the National Métis Veterans Association launched a class action law suit against the federal government in August 2002. They also filed a claim to the United Nations Human Rights Commission against Canada stating that the actions of the Canadian government was in violation of two articles in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The federal government has responded to these requests by providing some funding through existing programs and allocating more funds to recognize the Métis veteran’s contribution during the wars.


In November 2004, the federal government provided $50,000 for the Métis Veterans Outreach Program, which will act to bring information to Métis veterans about the benefits now available to them. The federal government provided an additional $50,000 for the National Métis Veterans Association to produce a report on the state of Métis veterans and to create a documentary about the military contributions of Métis veterans and their experiences upon returning to Canada.



For US,  A Moment of Silence. 11/11/11

Imagine waiting decades for respect...

http://www.sharingculture.ca/medicinewheeltest.php

POWER Source

Photo Credit: Richard Chicoine iCopyright 2009  "Sibley Sunrise"

"Power":
or when is it errr, "KaPOW"?

There's a positive side, and a negative view of "Power" and how leaders use its many elements. 

Thinking about diversity, racism, white privilege, discrimination (which will be discussed at our November CLD)
... a number of terms come to mind. 

These are all associated in some way with "power", or the lack of power...

In her thesis, "Making Meaning of Whiteness: Explorations by White Community College Faculty, Frances Trowsse offers these definitions for our understanding of "the basics":

Stereotype:  "A false or generalized conception of a group of people that results in an unconscious or conscious categorization of each member of that group, without regard for individual differences." (Henry 7&Tator, 2006)

Oppression:  "The domination of certain individuals or groups by others through the use of physical, psychological, social, cultural, or economic force." (sic)

Marginal:  "The status of groups who do not have full and equal access to the social, economic, cultural or political institutions of society." (sic)

Racism:  ""Everyday racism involves the many and sometimes small ways in which racism is experienced by people of colour in their interactions with the dominant White group.  It expresses itself in glances, gestures, forms of speech, and physical movements.  Sometimes it is not even consciously experienced by its perpetrators, but it is immediately and painfully felt by its victims."  (sic)

Systemic Racism:  "Racism that consists of policies and practices, entrenched in established institutions, that result in exclusion or advancement of specific groups of people." (sic)

So what about "Power" itself?

Gloria Steinam says:  "A river of Truth ends at a dam of bias - Truth floods and moves on."

Stacy Schiff writes:  "Is it possible for a woman to weild power without reference to her gender?  Can she prove herself competent, effective, articulate without being dismissed as either a bimbo or a bitch? 

Power has for so long been a male construct that it distorted the shape of the first women who tried it on, only to find themselves in a sort of straight-jacket.  Powerful women were caricatures of their male counterparts.  No wonder early feminists hoped the concept of power would vanish entirely when women ran the world."

"Money has no power of its own.  You alone are the power source." says Suze Orman.

"Real power," states Martha Beck, "is usually unspectacular, a simple setting aside of fear that allows the free flow of love.  But it changes everything."

What do YOU think?  What's your definition and how does "power" show its face in your work and life?  Send a comment: click on the link at http://www.xowhat.blogspot.com/

PS:  Remember to reflect on the power of nature's sunrises, sunsets and seasons...

- Maggie