OPT #11 - Wellness, Homelessness, and Sharing Communities...

Our ESIC Booth

I have felt very busy lately - it has been tons of fun, but sadly blogging has paid the price - So what is new? As you may or may not know there are 12 Community Inclusion Networks (CINs) in the province, 8 of them have been approved, and we at ESIC are in the process of supporting these 8 CINs, while encouraging and assisting the remaining 4 get their applications into the ESIC board for approval - this takes allot of time, because of the inclusive nature of a community INCLUSION Network it is best to get mostly everybody around the table from the start.

So to recap from the last blog: I attended a workshop in St. Andrews where they explored community values and the impact on decision making around policy development in Gov't- very interesting - I learned much about the ocean and those that protect it from the sea and the land, also that the roads from St. Andrews to Fredericton are a little bumpy.

Rock Stars of Thursday Night

Then I met with the United Way, Vibrant Communities, The Saint John Learning Exchange and the Human Development council around the possibility of some Food Security funding - there is an astonishing amount of great things happening in this area in NB.

There was a full day meeting with the committee that is working hard towards the reforming of the Social Assistance system in NB.

Stéphane moderating a panel session

Then two days at the Provincial wellness conf. in Moncton - Martin Latulippe was outstanding vrai ou vrai? Theresa Blackburn video weblogged it all check out her blog - The Drummers and dancers from Elsipogtog First Nation were awesome and Bill Ninacs was very powerful speaking about inclusive communities as a road to poverty reduction - we also learned why Medavie Blue Cross is such a great place to work - The Boss.

I was in the Miramichi on Monday meeting with a group that is looking to form the Community Inclusion Network based on the strength of that community - then down to Moncton for a series of community conversations with the awesome people at the United Way of Greater Moncton and Southeast NB - Friday I'm heading back to Miramichi to talk about Food Security with the NBFSAN then the weekend to recharge and get ready to change the world, one sharing at a time - be good to each other.

"Being busy does not always mean real work. The object of all work is production or accomplishment and to either of these ends there must be forethought, system, planning, intelligence, and honest purpose, as well as perspiration. Seeming to do is not doing."
Thomas A. Edison