Events
1999 | 2002 | 2004-2005 | 2007 | 2009 | 2010
2010
2009
Managing Non-Profits in Turbulent Times: A Symposium sponsored by the Carold Institute and Langara College
On November 30th and December 1st 2009 a hands-on learning experience was held for leaders of non-profit community service organizations in British Columbia. The event was based on the newly released Carold Institute – Langara College Continuing Studies publication, Staying True, Staying the Course. In a unique educational design the senior managers of the ten organizations studied over a ten-year period in the book met individually for 1.5 hour consultations with each of the 40 participants to ensure that there was a true sharing of experiences. This was supplemented with a round-table with the ten managers on Staying True to Your Mission and a panel on Learning and organizational Change.
The symposium coincided with the official launch of the book. Though the ten case studies are from British Columbia agencies, the themes have wide applicability for anyone involved in working, volunteering, governing or funding non-profit community services.
For further information contact: Leslie Kemp, Langara College Continuing Studies: lkemp@langara.bc.ca
2007
Pioneers of Adult Education honoured in Vancouver
In June 2007, more than 30 adult educators gathered in Vancouver to honour three of the pioneers of adult education in Canada. John Friesen, Alan Thomas and Gordon Selman were the guests of honour at a luncheon held at the Sylvia Hotel. The event was hosted by the Carold Institute and planned to coincide with a meeting of the Board of Directors. Michael Clague, President of the Institute, presented the pioneers with an engraved glass sculpture to mark the occasion.
Friends and colleagues paid tribute to the remarkable contributions made by the three, both singly and in collaboration, over more than fifty years. Professor John Friesen was the Director of the Department of University Extension at the University of British Columbia in the late 1950’s, when Professors Alan Thomas and Roby Kidd (Alan was to succeed Roby as Director of the Canadian Association of Adult Education) taught the first graduate courses offered in Canada in adult education. UBC was itself a pioneer in granting degrees in adult education. Gordon Selman joined the UBC Department of Extension in 1954, served as associate director from 1960 to 1965 and later as the Director of the School of Continuing Studies until his retirement in 1992.Trailblazers and mentors to many of those who joined them for the Vancouver reunion, John Friesen, Gordon Selman and Alan Thomas have inspired generations of adult educators, through their teaching, research, writing and organization.
2004-2005
Learning Circles: Building Local and Global DemocracyOne of the purposes of the Carold Institute is to create spaces where civil society practitioners can openly reflect on their work and express their ideas. The “Building Local and Global Democracy” Project arose out of this intention, bringing together a group of (mostly) Canadian and international educators and activists to explore how the growing link between global and local realities impacts different forms of local engagement.In collaboration with the Montreal International Forum (FIM), the Carold Institute created a “rolling seminar.” Working with a facilitator over a two-year period (2004 – 2005), participants gathered periodically to create and reflect on a number of specific case studies. These concrete examples of democratization and citizen engagement from various regions of Canada and other parts of the globe allowed them to identify the challenges of enhancing democratic participation in the face of increased globalization and focus on national security.The report Building Local and Global Democracy (PDF, 4.2 Mb ), which includes the case studies, is now available.
2002
Citizenship and Globalization: Exploring Participation and Democracy in a Global ContextThe second Carold Seminar, co-sponsored by the Canadian Commission for UNESCO and Langara College was held in Vancouver in June 2002. The goal of the Symposium was to contribute to an informed understanding of extra-parliamentary movements and their contribution to furthering democratic institutions and participation, locally and globally.Four prominent speakers representing four key social movements presented papers for discussion: John Foster (North South Institute) on Human Rights; Lorraine Guay, (World March of Women) on Women; Elizabeth May (the Sierra Club of Canada) on the Environment; and Nancy Neamtan, (Chantier de l’économie sociale) on the Social Economy. Twenty-five participants from across the country were invited to participate based on their extensive experience in these four social movements.The report, Citizenship and Globalization: Exploring Participation and Democracy in a Global Context (PDF, 1,7 Mb) elaborates on the focus of the presentations, the lessons learned and questions for further discussion and dialogue.
1999
Clare Clark Memorial Symposium: Voluntary Action and Organization in Canada: The Last Decade and BeyondThe decade 1989-1999 was a period of tumult and crisis for the voluntary sector. Dramatic funding cuts to nonprofit organizations accompanied commensurate reductions in government funding of health, welfare, education and the arts, increasing the burden of service on all the relevant voluntary sector organizations.In response, the Carold Institute and George Brown College of Applied Arts and Technology co-sponsored a three-day symposium in Toronto. They invited twenty-five leaders in Canada’s voluntary sector to explore the key issues and challenging facing a vibrant but vulnerable sector.The report, Voluntary Action and Organization in Canada: The Last Decade and Beyond (PDF, 448 Kb) includes a synopsis and analysis of five major presentation topics as well as recommendations on the future direction of government policy and on new initiatives within civil society organizations.