Wintery Walks throught Montreal

This is an excerpt from my personal blog: throughthesepages.wordpress.com but I thought it was appropriate to the Sauvé Program. Enjoy.

The New Year snuck up quickly, with a whirlwind tour of southern Ontario with family and friends filling the holiday season. On the penultimate day of the year, a group of friends from Waterloo jumped in cars and drove through the snow to celebrate the end of 2011 in the Sauvé House in Montreal. It was a fabulous reunion of friends who are now spread literally around the world. Following that, I found myself in Ottawa at the Engineers Without Borders Conference engaging with passionate folks who are working hard to create meaningful change in livelihoods in Africa. My first weeks of January were full of people, activities and stimulation. So much so that I hardly realized that winter had finally arrived in Montreal, the days were short and the climate ranging from -30C and snowy, to 1C with slushy rain. Neither being overly pleasant.

As the adrenaline ran out, I found myself more contemplative, tired and prone to stay in the warm and dryness of my home.

So, as part of my personal wellness goals, I've begun walking, skiing and skating on the mountain (Mont Royal) in my backyard. It has been great to create a meditative space where I can figure out some of the decisions I need to make in the coming year; great for my vitamin D intake and even a bit of cardio. But most of all, it is a beautiful walk which I thoroughly enjoy and each wandering presents something a little different. Below are a few pictures from my adventures on Mont Royal.

Enjoy,

Josh

Snow covered benches line the trails up the mountain

A beautiful sapling weighted down with snow and ice.

On a sunny day people fill the slopes by Beaver Lake to slide around.

Frozen Roses frame the Plateau and east side of Montreal

My dear cousin Matt joins me for this icy walk. Climbing up the stairs is done by pulling ourselves along the railing.

The melting ice on the trees and the rising sun created a winter fairy land.

More ice, trees and sun.

The rising clouds and the ice were truly magnificent.

The ice had coated every part of the trees.

This pine was looking regal with its halo of light and snow tipped shoulders.

The Mohawk Trail Long House: Spirit of Wellness Community Social. Saturday November 19th, 2011

When Kahienes Sky, the Sauvé Foundation’s Liaison and confidant at the Kahnawake Survival School invited the scholars to her community of Kahnawake, none of us knew what was in store. Apart from the Kahnawake Survival School we had never heard of the Kahnawake Shakotiia’takehnhas Community Services, who were to be the sponsors of a community-wide Traditional Kanien’kehaka Social at the Mohawk Trail Long House; nor had we heard of an official Kanien’kehaka Welcoming/Condolence. We were eager to learn about the protocols between Nations and quickly gathered for a small orientation with Kahienes on some important details to be mindful of such as a respectful dress code and a quick training to the women on the Women’s Shuffle dance! Excitement’ was the word.

The Mohawks of Kahnawá:ke (Kahnawákeró:non) are an ancient people with a vibrant culture and rich history. They are one of the eight communities that make up the Mohawk (Kanien:keha'ka) Nation and have historic, spiritual, political and cultural ties based on Honor, Trust and Respect to the Oneida, Seneca, Onondaga, Cayuga and Tuscarora Nations of the Northeastern part of North America.

In ancient times, these nations achieved a major and innovative development by forming a Confederacy and devising a system of governance known as the Great Law of Peace. In all of the world's history, there are very few examples of such a coming together of nations for the purpose of peace; the formation of the Iroquois (Haudenosaunee) Confederacy is one of them. It is highly believed that both the American and Canadian constitutions derive their unification ingenuity from the prototype of this confederacy.

Our five-car convoy weathered the evening chill of Montreal to get off the island for the Welcoming Ceremony and the community Social. After half an hour, we rounded off the last bend to the Mohawk Trail Long House. The house had two entrances, one on each end. One entrance was for women, the other for men. There were benches along the length of either side of the hall, facing the centre of the room. The woodstoves exuded some warmth and tobacco was to be burnt inside one of them.. Tobacco plays a significant role in the Kanien’kehaka culture, and is always burnt during special ceremonies. This was a special ceremony.

There were four Mohawk men and two Mohawk women, representing each side of their House- - Bears and Wolves/Turtles in the room with the Sauvé contingent. Jeanne Sauve Foundation Board member Nancy Wright, her son David Wright, Alumnus Eloge Butera and Liam McHugh-Russell, including Sauvé program Staff members Simone Hanchet and Valerie Colas all joined the scholars for the event. Nobody else was allowed in. This was a private ceremony. The Welcoming Ceremonial is an important ritual extended to visiting Nations who come within the Mohawk Territorial boundaries to honor their roles and responsibilities in life and to welcome them.

Things began on a low and gradually picked up, the room temperature followed suit. Words of wisdom flowed from two men that were the Faith-Keepers for each side of their Clan; Bear and Wolf. The words were known as “Ohen:ton Kariwentehkwen” or the Thanksgiving Address which was followed by the “official welcoming condolence”.

Aniahtarenken (Clear water) Joe McGregor, the Wolf Clan Faith Keeper and Otsi’tsakaren (Speckled Flower) Charlie Patton, Bear Clan Faith Keeper, both alternated in conveying the most beautiful message in the most poetic manner that drew me into the world of my late grandfather and great grandfathers back in rural Kisumu, Kenya. The words spoke of the people turning their minds and thanking the spirits of life, water, earth, food, forests, seasons, sun, the moon, rainfall, stars, women, animals and health to welcome visiting nations. As a person with immense environmental interest, I was exploding with pride, especially when the elders referred to the earth as Mother Earth. Kind and affectionate. The community is always trying to find ways in which Kahnawáke can go back to its roots of being one with nature, yet still live in today’s modern world. Interestingly, Clear-Water later confided in me that these words have never been written down. That they are passed by word of mouth, from one Clan Faith Keeper to another, and in the Kanien’keha/Mohawk language, not English, yet the message had never been lost in over 500 years!

After an hour or so of these flowing riches, the house swelled with more people and the session gave way to Kanien’kehaka Traditional Social songs and dance. The different water drummers and the soloist got everybody to their feet. The Mohawk men in their Mohawk hairstyle and colourful outfits led the way and the women joined in. Slowly, the scholars got up and everyone was soon on the dance floor. The dance looked simple but very tricky to pull off. I can remember Dechen, Yimin, Maria, Stephanie and Mohammed struggling to maintain step. Simangele and the ‘fifteenth scholar’ Fredrick Dolmans, were actually good at the dance. The water drummers took turns, including the Kanehsatake Women’s Singing Society who did a couple of songs and dances.

By the time the Social/dance was midway, we were all sweating. Outside the Long House, the rain pounded hard, almost as if trying to keep pace with the drummers. We didn’t notice this peculiar rivalry. We were busy chanting, shuffling feet, jumping and changing partners to the amusement of the local folks.

At 9:30pm, we gathered for dinner but kept close to the elders to get some insight into the words that were spoken and the meaning in the symbol of the “Spirit of Wellness” campaign for the Kahnawake Community. I remembered the invite-poster that Kahienes had sent to the Scholars inbox and I wanted to understand it. The image on the background of the poster had five individuals holding close, like a family, complete with children. The foregrounding was more telling. What appears like the open palm of a human hand exposed an imprint of a little girl watering a runner-like plant. The plant then twines its way round the open palm in five shoots moving in different directions. The longest shoot hugs the family in the background, ending in a soft curl, cooed by the symbol of love. The other shoot ends in an animal footprint, two others end boldly with the symbol of love and one ends in a sphere with the colours yellow, red, white and black. Two animal footprints complete the image, flanking either side of the Palm, a Bears’ on the right and a Wolfs’ on the left.

Nobody asked for the meaning of the symbol, because deep down we all knew it had been elaborated in the “Ohen:ton Kariwentehkwen” or the Thanksgiving Address. I looked around the walls of the Long House, there were all manner of gifts and artefacts from around the globe, each speaking in silence of the meaning from each country. I knew that very soon our gifts would join those on the walls. Each a symbol of friendship and each a Symbol of The Spirit of Wellness.

May this words stay in your minds!

Paul Omonge, 2011-2012.

Deal or No Deal?

Social Impact Forum 2011: Investing in Good Deals

December 13^th-14^th, 2011, Toronto, ON

Is it possible to make a good business deal, while fulfilling your role as a global citizen? 

This was one of many of the questions posted by individuals who attended the 2011 Social Finance Forum, hosted by the MaRs Centre for Social Impact Investment in Toronto December 13^th and 14^th. 

As a current Sauvé Scholar, I consider myself an “accidental” social entrepreneur. With a background in development and social enterprise, followed by years in management consulting in the public and private sector. Currently, I am on the horizon of starting my own social venture related to engagement of young professionals through the use of technology and new media, in order to spur engagement in social issues. An alternative news network, if you will – a MTV meets 60 minutes flavor, that is accessible, smart, and edgy. As I take this year as a Sauve Scholar to launch my project, this conference was of special interest to my own learning, and professional development. 

On the evening of Tuesday, December 13^th, the group of 8 Sauve Scholars attended the opening reception to kick off the conference, hosted at MaRs, home of the newly launched Centre for Impact Investing in downtown Toronto. This year’s conference - 2011 Social Finance Forum: Investing in good deals – marked the anniversary of the Canadian Task Force on Social Finance landmark report, Mobilizing Private Capital for Public Good, launched in December 2010. During the evening’s cocktail reception, we were treated to keynote speaker Antony Bugg-Levine, formerly of The Rockefeller Foundation and now head of Nonprofit Finance Fund. 

Mr. Bugg-Levine was the guest speaker for the evening, as he spoke about ideas related to social entrepreneurship, including trends and challenges, articulated in his recent publication, Impact Investing: Transforming How We Make Money While Making a Difference. During his keynote address, he iterated that impact investing offers a fundamentally optimistic vision about what can be achieved when all our assets work in unison with our values and beliefs. Bugg-Levine shared that his work helps to chart the path of a new industry, showing how “impact investing is and can be a positive disruptive force”. He affirmed that impact investing can be a successful venture to entertain, and provides an opportunity to address social and environmental problems with investments that generate financial profits. In short, you can still conduct business with sound process, with a degree of ethics, while turning a profit and making the world a better place. 

Likewise, his keynote serviced to set a strong foundation for the sessions offered by the forum the following day, on Wednesday, December 14^th. Targeting social ventures, impact investors, and mainstream finance practitioners, the forum featured pitch sessions, workshops and keynote addresses by renowned leaders on social finance, to further drive the development of the impact investment marketplace, and network in Canada.  

As a group of Sauve Scholars and emerging social entrepreneurs, the practical education and professional development we received was invaluable to the development of our own personal ventures. Importantly, we received multiple opportunities to connect and learn from social entrepreneur gurus, mobilize support from both public and private sector individuals, while exchanging great ideas and forming important relationships for further collaboration. 

On the morning of Wednesday, December 14th, the forum’s main activities were kicked off with a panel discussion entitled “Progress and Potential: A look at the Task Force recommendations in today’s social finance community”. The purpose of this discussion was get an in-depth look at the development of impact investing as it relates to the recommendations made by the Canadian Task Force on Social Finance in 2010. Representing foundations, the community and private markets, the following industry leaders discussed their experiences with moderator Antony Bugg-Levine, in an interactive morning plenary session with all attendees:

• ¥ (Moderator) Antony Bugg-Levine, CEO, Nonprofit Finance Fund (NFF)
• ¥ Stanley Hartt, Chairman, Macquarie Capital Markets Canada
• ¥ Nancy Neamtan, President & Executive Director, Chantier de l’economie sociale
• ¥ Stephen Huddart, President & CEO, J.W. McConnell Family Foundation
• ¥ Bill Young, Founder, Social Capital Partners (SCP)

The panel was engaged and addressed a number of key questions, posed by moderator Antony Bugg-Levine, and a very engaged audience.  What are the most important and/or exciting opportunities in Canada for new policies and instruments for social investment? Amidst a changing mindset, what is it going to take to achieve the goals of impact investment? How do we mobilize our communities and partners from across sectors, to recognize legitimacy in this line of work? There was not one answer – but rather an interesting discussion across the panel members and audience members. 

Without a doubt, it is clear that the line between charity, non-profit, and for-profit organizations is becoming increasing blurred. Previously, in my role as a development officer and donor relationship manager for a non-profit organization in Toronto, I saw this shift starting to happen over 7 years ago. At this time, non-profits and charities started to realize and see the benefit of private sector partnerships, and the impact of shared skills and resources could make to the impact of their programming and mission. What continues to be unclear are the rules of engagement, namely the criteria for partnership, timing, and the policies governing the relationship between the two entities. 

Later, following my work in the management consulting sector, working with public and private sector clients, including work in a specialized consulting wing working with social enterprises and non-profit organizations, I witnessed the pressure this sector is under generate cash flow to support operations and deliver on their respective mission statements. Clients often asked at what point is a charity, non-profit, and for-profit no longer solely playing in its legally defined space? Rather, can a charity or non-profit behave like a business, but still retain its identity at the core of its operations? 

These are the types of questions and discussions that occurred over the course of the day, both in the opening plenary session, and in smaller workshops. J.W. McConnel Family Foundation CEO and President, Stephen Huddart, shared his thoughts on overcoming this period of transition, and lack of definition in the policy space for social investors. Huddart strongly believes that it is possible to create capacity within this sector to increase legitimacy in this line of work, following the examples set by early adoptors. Examples of social investment projects in Hamilton, Edmonton, and Ottawa has seen organization commit to investing 10% of revenue in social projects, making it a key organizational priority to invest back in their local communities. Huddart stressed that a “broad based approach at all levels is required, including dialogue between leadership in all sectors” to redefine the rules of engagement in this space. 

Likewise, Nancy Neamtan, President & Executive Director, Chantier de l’economie sociale, agreed with Mr. Huddart. She stressed that success stories to be “systematized”, and cited the need for greater investment in a social enterprise market, including the creation of favorable market conditions to attract investors from across sectors. Moreover, Stanely Hartt, Chairman of Macquarie Capital Markets Canada, emphasized that private capital allows governments to not “use their own balance sheets to invest in projects”, and is being used to fund projects that governments may have funded in the past. Hartt contended that since “traditionally charities and business do not meet….we need rules to be put in place for a social impact bond that could be sold under our securities laws….we need a tax law to motivate investment in this space – in order to develop the appropriate instruments to support social investment.”

Following the panel discussion, Amit Bouri, Director of Strategy & Development, Global Impact Investing Network (GIIN), presented and outlined his thoughts on Global Perspectives on impact investing, based on reporting released GIIN. Following this presentation, we had our choice of attending one of several workshops that were the highlight of the conference. 

In the morning, I participated in “Idea Jam”, which provided an opportunity to engage in a structured networking and problem-solving session, with a variety of leaders in the impact investing space. At my table, I was able to connect with senior leaders from Engineers Without Borders (EWB), the 519 Centre in Toronto – an umbrella network supporting a number of smaller community organizations, a policy analyst/researcher from the Ontario Government Economic Forum, and two non-profit management leaders. Our conversation was fascinating! 

Working with our facilitator from the MaRs Centre, we contributed to a discussion that mapped our thoughts and challenges about impact investment, and recommendations for specific actions that need to be undertaken to stimulate further activity in this space! While each of the 12 groups in the session shared their group’s recommendations, a scribe captured the output of the session in an interesting way! Having worked in the consulting sector for a number of years and having been responsible for countless client workshops and “mind mapping” activities, this was one of the most creative (and fun!) outputs of our session I have ever seen (See picture inserted). 

In the afternoon, a few of the scholars who have developed an idea and structured plan for their social venture attended a valuable session, entitled “Insiders Guide: What Investors Want”. During this session, a group of Canada’s largest and most influential impact investors shared their advice on what it takes to get a deal “done”, secure funding, and successfully launch your venture:

• • (Moderator) Annie Malhotra, Project Coordinator, Social Venture Exchange
• • Andrew Heintzman, Co-founder, Investeco
• • Beth Coates, Financial Manager, Canadian Alternative Investment Council
• • Geoff Moore, Founder, TBC Capital 

Key questions moderator Annie Malhotra posed to the group included: How do investors determine if an organization is deal-ready? What are the deal breakers, the dealmakers and the things you may not realize matter to investors? As the audience contained a mix of medium sized non-profit organizations, grass root charities, and corporate entities, the types of discussion and subsequent discussion that was generated was fascinating. Andrew Heintzen emphasized to group, who inquired funding opportunities for their respective groups, that organizations must be clear about who they are, their goals and objectives, and ultimately what they want. Importantly, when making a pitch to a social investor, indivduals must understand their audience, and have a good understanding of who they are talking to (i.e. understanding the background, history, and needs of the social investor). This session was extremely important, as it identified that many groups are just looking for funding, and are not always clear of what their value proposition is to the social investor they are engaged with. Without clarity in the objective, purpose, and impact of the venture the group is pursuing, they run the risk of not being successful in obtaining funding. 

I attended this session with two fellow scholars, Jeeshan Chowdhury and Alia Whitney-Johnson. With a background in medicine and philosophy, Jeeshan is spending his year as a Sauve Scholar launching accessible health care technology projects, while Alia is focusing on creating structures to foster organizational growth and development within her non-profit organization in Sri Lanka. One of the observations we made during the session was the lack of business acumen and business development skills within the non-profit and charitable community. Given my personal background in non-profit, and then consulting for non-profit clients, this session was a gentle reminder of the importance of capacity building in this sector. With my own clients – across sectors and industries – many organizations are dealing talent management and capacity building issues, mitigating through the challenges of the current economy. 

Following the session, we had the opportunity to spend time with Geoff Moore, founder of TBC Capital, and engage in a dialogue with him about the future of investment in social enterprise, nad the landscape for social investment. If only these organizations and their leaders had an opportunity to participate in something similar to the Sauve Scholarship Program, he remarked. Geoff encouraged Jeeshan, Alia, and myself to continue to look for professional development opportunities in the social investment space, and continually refine our “project pitch” to acquire the funding required to launch our initiatives. We are delighted to have the opportunity to continue our dialogue with Geoff in the new year, during his planned visit to the Sauve Scholar House in Montreal. During this time, we will have the opportunity to engage with Geoff, in a more intimate setting, to continue to develop our pitching skills, and work through ways to acquire funding for our projects from the social investment community, based on his lessons learned and insights in this realm. 

Overall, attending the forum was extremely valuable for all scholars, regardless of concentration and project focus. The networking opportunities have been incredible, as many of us have already been in touch with individuals we met to establish follow up meetings. Above all, it was important for students in our program to be connected to this network, to be exposed to key leaders in the social investment sector and learn from their insights and experiences. 

We are appreciative to Stephen Huddart and his team at the JW McConnel Family Foundation, for providing the time and space for scholar involvement in this conference. As an organization committed to funding programs that support Canadians in building a more innovative, inclusive, sustainable, and resilient society, it was our honor to learn alongside its key leaders in exploring options for a more innovative, socially inspired, Canada. 

As the Sauve Scholars transition into the second part of the fellowship year in Montreal, my passion for using media and film as a tool for social engagement has been re-ignited. I look forward to strengthening my existing relationships within this community, and working toward creating a model of convergence between the sectors in support of social investment in Canada. 

MTV meets 60 Minutes….here I come! 

A day with Sally Armstrong

I have always been inspired by women, be it the love of a mother or the struggle and accomplishments of women in general. There is no doubt that one thing I would remember of my Sauve year would be meeting a host of inspiring Canadian women. Never in my life had I the opportunity to meet so many inspiring women!

Scholars pose with Sally Armstrong

Sally Armtsrong is among the long list of incredible women I have come across so far. She is the woman who brought to the world’s attention the heart wrenching stories of women and girls in the conflict zones across the globe from Somalia and Bosnia to Afghanistan and Rwanda. The unwavering will and determination with which she worked to bring to light the stories of oppressed women earned her numerous awards and honors including the Amnesty International award and the Order of Canada. 

We met Sally Armstrong on the 17^th of November. She was the speaker for the annual 2011 Jeanne Sauve Address.  It was only fitting that Sally Armstrong was the Speaker for the Address that is held to honor Madame Jeanne Sauve, who was another incredible Canadian woman, remembered for her strength and vision. 

The address was scheduled in the evening at the l’Ermitage, Collège de Montréal.  So much to our delight, we had Sally Armstrong all to ourselves the whole afternoon. It was amazing how well she connected with all the Scholars. The highlight of the day was our lunch with her and the conversations and the laughs we shared round the lunch table.

Scholars Luncheon with Sally Armstrong

Charlotte and I had another beautiful moment with Sally Armstrong. As the Sauve Communications Committee team we got an opportunity to interview her. She talked about how she became a passionate advocate for women and girls. She recounted some of her experiences taaking us back to the days she spent in the conflict zones covering stories of women and girls being assaulted, raped and tortured almost every day.

What struck me and touched me deeply was her warm personality and humility. It is one thing to meet highly accomplished people but it’s another thing to meet great people who are so strongly grounded in humility. She is one of the nicest and real people I have interviewed in my six years as a journalist. Her message for the Sauve Scholars who aspire to change the world for better was you can do it, so go for it.

Later in the evening after her address, the Equality Effect (E2), a charitable organization that uses international human rights law in creative ways to transform the lives of women and girls launched its “160 Girls” Project in Kenya. The project is a legal initiative that aims to achieve justice and protect against rape for all girls in Kenya.  What an apt moment to launch the project (in the presence of an ardent human rights activist Sally Armstrong)!