Events

Energetic Events

Date: March 6 to
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There were two types of participants in Energetic Olympics: Municipal and Individual

Each participant logged their energy-saving activities and scored points for their various actions. Check out the different actions by clicking on the links below.
 

Energetic Olympics - Congratulations to our Winners!

Date: February 28 to
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One Sky congratulates its Energetic Olympics winners!
Two years ago, One Sky invited BC communities and their residents to reduce their energy consumption through a friendly competition. Sixteen responded to the challenge and we’re pleased to announce our gold, silver and bronze medal winners in two categories: Heavyweight (for communities with 5,000 or more residents) and Lightweight (for communities with less than 5,000 residents.)

Heavyweight
1st/Gold: City of Terrace: 33,540 points
2nd/Silver: City of Dawson Creek: 31,070 points
3rd/Bronze: City of Prince Rupert: 15,000 points

Lightweight
1st/Gold: Village of McBride: 13,300 points
2nd/Silver: Village of Queen Charlotte: 10,210 points
3rd/Bronze: Village of Burns Lake: 6,780 points

One Sky would also like to recognize the efforts all its participating communities and their residents. Together, they have taken steps to significantly reduce their carbon footprint and greenhouse gas emissions.

READ MORE ABOUT HOW IT WORKED

New Base

Date: August 13 to
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One Sky has shifted it's base to Gibsons, on the Sunshine Coast, just an hour north of Vancouver. This provides us access to policy discussions and public engagement in the Vancouver area, while continuing to plant roots in community sustainability here on the Sunshine Coast.

Integral Leadership Development

Date: May 28 to
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One Sky has designed and developed an Integral Leadership Program which it has delivered in Peru (Enhancing Environmental Capacity) in 2007-2009, in Nigeria (Leading From Within) in 2008-2013, and in Bolivia and Peru (Integral Leadership of the Brazil Nut Value Chain) in 2013-2014. This cutting-edge application of Integral Theory towards sustainability leadership is really one-of-a-kind. We continue to develop partnerships and opportunities with the civil soceity and private sectors, and are developing a Handbook based on this methodology.

More details to be posted soon.

Transforming Value Chains Towards Sustainability

Date: May 28 to
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This project engages the value chain as a holarchy—of nested wholes of greater and greater depth—and develops leadership capacity at each fulcrum point of that holarchy. One Sky has sought to activate the emergent nature of transformation towards greater perspectivism throughout the value chain: fostering more trust between business partners and moving product to market more swiftly, as well as foster a shift towards greater investment in community wellbeing, workers rights, and environmental wellbeing.

The One Sky team took its integral leadership curriculum from our work in West Africa and adjusted/aligned it to be used in Peru and Bolivia. Our core team includes Michael Simpson, Gail Hochachka (Canadians) and Cesar Moran (Peruvian). Cesar was the previous Executive Director of the Amazon Conservation Association, has a Masters from Yale in Social and Ecological Systems, and is also an Aikido sensei. Alex Streubel (Colombia) and Marcia Kodama (Brazil) joined the team as Integral Coaches, and Santiago Jimenez (student of Genpo Roshi, able to facilitate Big Mind).

Approx 28 people involved, who come from every point in the value chain: local harvesters, leaders of indigenous peoples' associations, landowners with large brazil nut concessions, people involved in shelling, buyers and sellers, and some individuals from the public sector (government offices who regulate various aspects of the brazil nut trade) and from the nonprofit sector (NGOs in the region who support brazil nut harvest due to the fact that it can both serve conservation and community development objectives).

Methodology and Design

In terms of our curriculum for this, and the methodology we are using, here's an overview:

We have five retreats over the year. Each one is designed with the quadrants in mind, with both activities and pedagogy reflecting first-person, second-person, and third-person perspectives. 

We are using various 'loops' of learning (a la Torbert), both learning direct facts, as well as learning about one's way of thinking and being, as well as learning about the deep principles at play behind phenomena. 

We've lightly held a U-Process (a la Scharmer) in which we brought the group to, and then rested at, the bottom of the U without predetermined goals and habitual reactions, and will begin some prototyping between the end of retreat 2 and retreat 3. Integral Coaching occurred in November 2013 and some perspective-taking and shadow work with Big Mind occurring in Feb 2014.

The entire program is designed with an ego-centric, socio-centric and world-centric flow: enabling people to be challenged and supported individually at first, and then increasingly expanding that out into the groups' social-identity and beyond into world centric principles and intentions. The fourth retreat culminated in some fascinating self-generated strategies for sustainability. The fifth and final retreat will be held this coming September.

Integral Social Change An IWB Retreat with Ken Wilber

Date: February 3 to
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These opportunities to meet with Wilber are few and far between, as you may know that his health has not been well and has thus reduced his public appearances to a bare minimum. He has generously offered to have our Integral Without Borders group come to his loft for an afternoon, as part of this weekend retreat.

As one of IWB's board of directors, Wilber consistently supports the work we are doing, as a global community, to bring a more integral approach into international development and social change. Though indeed he is a philosopher working with generalizing orientations, he is one that can share insights that greatly clarify the work on the ground.

Given that his loft only accommodates a certain number of people, we first invited a certain number of IWB members who have been more active and participatory in IWB meetings, sangha calls, and projects. We are now moving this into an open registration. It will be sent to our entire IWB network as well as go out on Integral Life. We are already half full, so if you are interested, please hold your spot by paying your deposit soon.

This retreat will continue our on-doing discussions on integral praxis, and will weave together some of the themes we have explored in past events, such as self-as-instrument, engaging social holons, and the Basic Moral Intuition. IWB members are active in solving real world problems in innovative ways, and so this will be an engaged and inspiring group of folks to go on retreat with!

This is the place to bring your deep-seated questions, doubts, and reflections, to explore in a community of like-minded souls who care just as deeply as you do for the state of our planet.

We hope you'll consider accepting this invitation by paying a deposit to hold your place, and/or the entire registration fee. Space is limited. Email us here, if you have any questions.

Adventures In The Amazon

Date: January 31 to
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The Brazil Nut tree grows in pristine rainforest environments. By working with Brazil Nut farmers, traders and exporters as well as companies that buy Brazil Nuts we are working to ensure that communities are more resilient and the environment is protected in one of the most biodiverse areas on the planet.

 

This project is in collaboration with one of the largest retailers in North America on their brazil nut value chain, an innovative company that is frankly and deeply concerned with the fact that certain global issues will put at risk their supply chains. They contracted One Sky to work with members of the entire value chain (from local producers in native communities through to exporters in Lima) in a program that will support them to protect their supply through greater sustainability.  They were interested to work with one sky primiarly because of our theory of change and the innovative methods we take to engage in change. Though we can indeed finetune this collaboration, there are a lot of insights we can derive from it, namely: that CSOs and private sector have a lot to share and can create powerful synergies.

 

While private sector is in the business of large scale finance; CSOs are in the business of social change. We know most intimately and sophisticatedly how change happens across a society, and so are well situated to carry out this change process. And, climate change requires nothing short of a transformative change across multiple sectors in society, which is simply something better carried out by CSOs than directly by business. While, at the same time, the private sector is increasingly seeing their own need for this change to occur.

 

The program has held the objective of laying emergent ground for transformation of this value change, towards an intrinsic sustainabilty and community resilience. It has included five leadership and sustainability retreats in Peru and Bolivia, with the last one to occur this October 2014.

Leading From Within The Private Sector

Date: January 10 to
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One Sky - One Sky has been working in very difficult contexts around the world on issues of sustainability, environmental stewardship and community resilience. Since the year 2000 we have worked with dozens of organizations and placed over fifty individuals in remote locations.  Places like war-torn Sierra Leone with child soldiers, the crisis ridden Niger Delta on energy issues or deep in the Amazon on rainforest conflicts.  To work in these kinds of contexts we developed a personal leadership capacity development program. We also worked in Canada developing international capacity to tackle these kinds of challenges. Recognizing that capacity is one of the most serious obstacles toward improving our planet we started evolving our project work toward developing leadership in a variety of contexts. Recently we started working with the private sector because we recognized how quickly and powerfully enterprising leaders or teams of leaders in the private sector can make changes.  Today we are working to expand our work on developing group leadership throughout supply chains that impact sustainability or community resilience.  We have been privileged to work with well-known companies like COSTCO and Candor. So far, the results have been convincing with a more efficient bottom line, positive impacts in the community and better environmental stewardship.

 

Integral Theory - Key to our work is the use of integral theory and emergent design. Simply put, our experience in a variety of cultures and contexts convinces us that there are similar recognizable patterns of human behavior and that they are all developmental. They change over time in identifiable ways.  Rather than tell people how to be a leader or what to do to change the world we simply use an integral toolkit to create fertile ground for this leadership to emerge on its own. Instrumental in this approach is the exploration of the self.  Changes in the self inevitably result in changes on the ground.  Changes in group identity can create explosive, positive results.  While this sounds promising it is actually impossible to make promises about, because we start each program not knowing what the results will be. Emergent leadership is exactly that…it emerges into its own.  The results, however, inevitably surprise everyone.

 

Each context for a leadership immersion is different. To date we have worked with groups of 20-30 individuals who volunteer their participation and are chosen based on being open minded and strategically placed.   We have been using an application process or pre-selecting participants and we tend to choose pre-existing leaders.  We don’t expect everyone to be leaders and we don’t work with people who don’t want to dive into the program fully. Our immersion courses have been extremely challenging and we don’t expect everyone to complete the program. If we start with 30 we are happy if 20 graduate.  Our theory is that it does not take that many people to change a specific group context or solve a problem but they do need to have a strong unified vision, be committed and trust each other and they need to work hard. The nature of the curriculum is that participants are pushed, pulled and drawn of their own accord in this direction. This process is not always easy, and certainly not for everyone.

 

Leadership Intensives - The course is based on five intensive retreats over an eighteen-month period during which the participants commit to 3.5 days of intense work and introspection.  Usually this starts on a Thursday evening and allows participants to get back to work on Monday. During the interim period of four months they are tasked with various initiatives and exercises. The intensives include individual coaching with trained integral coaches and a variety of specific skills training from conflict resolution to effective communication and project management. Normally the groups work in cohorts to hone their group skills. By far the most challenging component of what we do concerns individual personal development.  We use various techniques to encourage each individual to explore their interior as well as the interior of their specific cultural or group context.  This includes the use of voice dialogue with a trained practitioner. While this can result in a creative burst of energy the trick is to sustain these changes over enough time and with enough group support that the results stick. Eighteen months goes by quickly.

 

Our facilitators and coaches prefer to travel to the group and work as close to the context as possible. Because the intensives build consecutively, sharing meals and evening discussions is important.  Participants attend them sequentially and remain present throughout each retreat. This is best accomplished by using a physical space that is close to where they live but far enough away that they cannot pop in and out of the sessions.  Part of what we do involves exploring group dynamics and a physical retreat atmosphere promotes this.

 

Core Team - Our ideas are evolving and so is our team. So far, each leadership cohort group of up to thirty people has required two core facilitators and a dedicated local contact.  Over the entire period of the course we will bring in, at a minimum, a certified integral coach and a voice dialogue practitioner.  As we develop capacity ourselves, we intend to use each intensive to facilitate internships for emerging coaches and facilitators as well as invite local experts on key subjects.  We are not experts on individual supply chain dynamics but there are experts out there. Each intensive will average three facilitators and presenters.  At a minimum we need 15 participants and ideally between 24 and 30 to maximize resources.

The Basic Moral Intuition

Date: January 8 to
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The Basic Moral Intuition in the Context of Social Change

Retreat, May 9-11th, 2014

Scroll down to end of article to access registration information

 

“The intuition is given; the unpacking is our moral dilemma, always.” Ken Wilber

Are you inspired to change the world and to reach your own potential? To leave this planet a better place for future generations? Ever wondered where to focus your efforts? There is no shortage of good causes and worthy deeds. How do we determine our priorities?  Is guiding the very first steps of a faltering toddler as worthy as solving a global crisis or tackling climate change? Maybe addressing your own needs is as important as those of others? Should we focus our efforts on individuals or the greater whole? You have limited time and resources. You cannot commit to everything so how do you choose?

 

It is 2014. The concept that we will save all species from extinction, alleviate poverty or achieve gender equality by next year through reaching the 2015 Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), or even succeed in achieving the most minimal of climate change targets has become yesterday’s dream. So, how does this situate us as global social change agents today? The definitions of sustainable development have always focused on “meeting our needs without compromising those of future generations,” yet the moment where that might have been achievable passed many years ago.

 

As an example, let’s review some recent species extinctions. As of 2013, the Formosan Clouded Leopard is now officially extinct and the last Black Rhino died in 2012.  The last of the Japanese River Otters died in 2011 and the last remaining Pinta Island Tortoise, affectionately called Lonesome George, expired on June 12, 2012. These are just a few examples of the estimated thousands of species that scientists estimate we are losing every year. Some put the figure as high as 50,000. Historically this has been a huge loss of biodiversity on our planet and we face an increasingly serious future.  Some argue our species is perilously close to instigating systemic collapse. Whether that’s true or not, we are definitely steadily losing ground when it comes to maintaining species and ecosystems for future generations.

 

While our species is struggling on this front, we have managed to achieve remarkable, unprecedented gains in others. We are interconnected like never before. We can share information at an exponential rate and technological achievements like the Internet have literally changed our world. And, recalling the Arab Spring, using these new forms of communications and other social networking possibilities enable people to participate in changing the world in ways they never had before. Our collective knowledge is doubling every five years, building up an immense resource of information and wisdom that is available to anyone anywhere, by a few clicks on a track pad.  Our world seems to be able to handle increasing levels of complexity and the human mind has access to achieving higher and higher levels of potential like no other time in history. We have overarching frameworks such as the International Human Rights Charter to aspire to. Most nations do in fact agree with the MDGs; whether or not those have been achieved, it is an achievement in and of itself that most nations agree with such a worldcentric set of goals. Some collective systems, such as fiber optics and computer networks, can literally move ideas regarding, for example, spiritual and moral development around the planet at the speed of light.  We are living in remarkably complex times!

 

The Basic Moral Intuition (BMI), a concept outlined by Ken Wilber in his groundbreaking work on integral theory, helps us orient ourselves in such a complex world.  Wilber (and before him Koestler’s) notion of holarchy explains the concept of interconnected whole-parts, where each part is autonomously and yet simultaneously part of a larger whole. These holarchies are everywhere. Atom, molecule, cell, and organ. Seed, seedling, sapling, and oak tree. In a pyramidal way, the earlier holons, such as atoms and seeds, are always in greater number, or in greater span. Whereas the later holons, such as organs and oak trees, are usually in smaller number, and yet they have more depth, meaning that there are more levels of complexity present in their make-up. For an oak tree to exist, it has to have at least these three levels of the holarchy present: seed, seedling and sapling, thus it has greater depth than just a seed for example. The atom on the other hand has more foundation because of its span. Millions of atoms are needed to create a seed and if you take away this earlier more foundational level of the holarchy the seed does not exist and neither does the oak tree.

 

The BMI suggests that we intuit the need to protect and promote the greatest depth for the greatest span. We intuit it’s preferable to eat a carrot than to eat a primate. Or, another example as Wilber describes: “What’s worth more, one ape or a thousand frogs? Perhaps it is an ape…. On intrinsic value alone, we would choose the ape. But, if we discover that the frogs are part of a fragile ecosystem and their death would disrupt the entire system [since they have more fundamental value than the ape], then we would choose to save the frogs, since that would preserve the greatest depth for the greatest span, including probably the lives of other apes.” We are constantly and intuitively working out such moral decisions as we act in the world.

 

The BMI explores this relationship between depth of complexity and span of numbers—or simply, depth and span—and brings a whole new way of understanding the moral decisions that must be tackled regarding our planet’s future.

 

Wilber’s point is that while we need the earlier holons for their fundamental value, we cannot only protect those earlier holons at the expense of the later, more complex holons. So, the physiosphere is the foundation upon which the biosphere (the sphere of life) and the noosphere (the sphere of mind) function, we cannot only orient toward protecting the physiosphere and not also attend to the greater depth present in the biosphere and the noosphere.

 

Simply put, social change can’t only be about the numbers of trees standing. It has to also be about the poet or songwriter or an obscure-yet-transformational-philosophy-book-on-a-dusty-shelf-somewhere, matter. These matter, because they hold greater depth and, thus, may have potential to protect greater span. They have to be factored into our intuitive moves in the world today.

 

The key to understanding Wilber’s concept of the BMI is that without a physiosphere and without a biosphere, humans have no ability to exist or move toward complexity. Without chemicals you have no life, and without life you have no poetry. Poetry, he argues, has more complexity than a rock or a stone, and should have an important place in our moral decision-making.

 

Perhaps, for some, he is stating the obvious but his work introduces a major conceptual twist based on an exquisite articulation of holarchy that has not yet been brought into the current debate regarding the state of the planet. 

 

Although we are undoubtedly worse off when it comes to the foundational value of biodiversity or ecosystem health, we are arguably a significantly more interconnected and complex global society than we were just twenty seven years ago when the term sustainable development was first coined by the Bruntland Commission.  Depth and span are related, but not on the same axis. And this has important ramifications for today’s moral decisions.

 

The definition of sustainable development, for example, posits “a desirable future state for human societies in which living conditions and resource-use meet human needs without undermining the sustainability of natural systems and the environment, so that future generations may also have their needs met.” That speaks only of span and not of depth. What depth of consciousness needs to be protected and promoted and included in this conception of sustainable development to provide humanity with the interior scaffolding to carry out such a vision?

 

The BMI is something that is intuited. But, how to implement this basic moral intuition is not given with that pure intuition. How to grapple with these moral dilemmas and implement decisions become part of the intersubjective and cultural and social project that all of us must discuss and decide. Or, as Wilber puts it:

 

“The intuition is given; the unpacking is our moral dilemma, always.”

 

Unpacking the BMI is the challenge of this century. How do we focus our efforts? Do we spend our time tackling a globally pressing issue like the radioactive water leaking from Fukushima, which is affecting entire marine ecosystems and impacting our planet for tens of thousands of years or do we work with a single child who may grow up and, given the opportunity, evolve in complexity to solve these kinds of foundational problems. Where in the map of span versus depth do we reside? Are there tipping points or fulcrums of change, leadership opportunities, or historical vantage points we can see in this map or do we play this particular game of life by ear; working one moment on larger scale issues, the next moment on the intensely personal? How do you decide? Wilber argues that this decision is entirely personal and it depends on where your talents and passions lie.  Do you know where your talents and passions lie?

 

This simple statement—‘protect and promote the greatest depth for the greatest span’—changes the entire sustainable development game. No longer is our collective challenge just about survival of numbers, or ensuring the broadest spectrum of species gets a chance to live. It is also about ensuring that each conscious being, from an ant to an artist, gets a chance to achieve her fullest potential. Suddenly we have a framework to understand the matrix of Millennium Development Goals and the world consensus on Agenda 21 while at the same time understanding why spiritual development, academic achievement or pushing our human understanding of music, poetry or art is equally valid and worthy.  The human rights charter comes into perspective as a statement not just about our equal right to live but also our equal opportunity to achieve our greatest depth of consciousness possible. Definitions of poverty change from poverty of material goods to include poverty of depth, or that is, a poverty of complexity of mind and extension of care.

Exploring the BMI and its manifestation in our global world is also about reaching into our interiors and exploring our individual selves to understand exactly who we are in a developing context. We change, we evolve, and we often cannot see ourselves clearly.  Where is our boundary of self and with whom do we identify?  Are we egocentrically focused or do we identify with the group or broader horizons?   There are few techniques more effective than the practice of Big Mind when it comes to exploring our interior landscapes. Each of us has a plethora of personalities, which we draw upon as our context changes. Yet some aspects of our selves seem constant, some seem to change, and some seem hidden or disowned. In the practice of Big Mind participants give voice to some of these interior identities through a process of group facilitation.  Voices like the victim, the saviour, the perpetrator, or the voice of care are all fascinating explorations of our psyche and identity boundaries in a social change context. The magic of Big Mind arises when we collectively explore interior voices to discover boundaries, uncover motivations and understand who we really are right now.

 

On the weekend of May 9-11, 2014 a group of global practitioners will gather near Vancouver, Canada to work with Zen Master and Big Mind facilitator Genpo Roshi as well as hear from philosopher Ken Wilber on this very topic.  This intimate retreat is being offered by the global development think-tank Integral Without Borders (IWB), closely associated with the Integral Institute, which has been leading global workshops, gatherings and peer learning events since 2006. The three-day session will commence on Friday afternoon May 9, 2014 with an introduction to the key concepts of the BMI to be followed on Saturday wth a Big Mind session exploring some of the primary aspects of self involved in social change. Saturday will also include group activities and an evening social and guided exercise. Sunday morning will be a chance to integrate what has been learned, network and understand how to apply the BMI.

The retreat itself is open to public participation and discounted for Integral Without Borders, Big Mind or Integral Institute members. 

Is this event for you? IWB events are non-denominational, pluralist, apolitical opportunities for peer learning that explore critical emerging issues relevant to our global challenges.  People who attend tend to be open minded, willing to learn in a peer environment and keen to explore emerging ways of thinking using an integral framework as a foundation. Many people come to these events who have read Wilber’s work and are finding a like minded community of practitioners to further explore his philosophy. If you are familiar or interested in integral theory and the way in which it can be applied in the world of social change these are rare opportunities to be in a room full of energetic, intelligent and friendly people who will be happy to meet you.  This event will also be an opportunity for those interested in Big Mind and its application to social change to explore this nexus.

 

We encourage you to attend, particularly if you feel like you have both something to learn and something to offer. We call these events retreats because we do less teaching and more reflection, peer learning and group explorations of new ideas and methods. The impact tends to be inspiring.

 

How much will it cost?  We try to break even on IWB events or at least keep the costs as accessible as possible. Discounts are available for IWB members, Integral Institute Members and members of Big Mind. If you can afford the full tuition we encourage you to pay it (or more) and if you cannot, we encourage you to contact us so we can find a way for you to attend.

 

Registration for Spirit ‘n Action –Basic Moral Intuition weekend (Fri-Sun) 

Full Registration fee: $425 

Active Members of IWB, II or BM: $350

Sponsorships: Contact us:  mike@onesky.ca

To pay reserve participation please send us a 200 dollar deposit or pay in full with Paypal:

Registration Fee

 

Retreat times:

Friday May 9th, 1pm-9pm

Saturday May 10th, 9am-9pm (with a dinner break)

Sunday May 11th, 9am-4pm

 

Retreat location: The retreat location is in Gibsons, B.C., at Chaster House, a venue located on the ocean waterfront with lovely beach and hiking in the area.

 

To get to Gibsons:

Public transit is easily accomplished from the Vancouver International Airport (YVR) via the Skytrain to downtown Vancouver (20 minutes) and then the 257 Express Bus to Horseshoe Bay (45 minutes). (Approximate fare is $10 as it varies according to time window, Vancouver Public Transit website for planning your transportation is here: http://tripplanning.translink.ca/). Depending on participants there may be some carpooling or ridesharing from YVR available. A short ferry ride from Horseshoe Bay in Vancouver to Gibsons takes 40min (return fare for an adult is $14.55). Pickup to and from the ferry terminal can be arranged in Gibsons. The ferry takes 40 minutes so the latest ferry you should plan to catch on Friday is currently listed as an 11:30 am ferry (schedules seasonally change so please check prior to travel). 

 

Accommodation and travel: You are responsible for your own accommodation and travel expenses.  Most of the local B&B’s will provide breakfast. Local Bed and Breakfast facilities can be found here:

Very comfortable accommodation is available directly across the street from the retreat location at the popular Bonniebrook Lodge. We will be reserving some shared spaces here so please contact us if you would like to stay there or share a room.

Book early if you want to stay at the Bonniebrook Lodge which is the most convenient place to stay.

 

Local billeting will be made available on a first come first serve basis and free camping is within two blocks of the retreat location in a pocket of local rainforest.  Bring your own camping gear or communicate with us prior to the event.

 

Meals:

You are only responsibility for your breakfasts on Sat and Sun for the duration of the retreat. Please make your own arrangements for these two breakfast meals. We will provide lunches on Fri, Sat and Sunday, as well as dinner on Fri and Saturday, and refreshments during the day. All meals provided will be vegetarian in order to keep our lives simple. Please advise if you have specific health requirements and we will try to accommodate you.

 

Visas: Canadian visa requirements vary by country. Please check the internet to see if you require one and if you require an entrance visa letter of invitation contact us with the details well in advance of the retreat. Visa applications for Canada can be very slow so do not delay in this regard.

 

Registration Information:

You can hold a seat at the event by paying a $200 deposit  or a payment in full on Paypal. Please send a note to mike@onesky.ca  via e-mail as soon as you can and we will confirm that your participation is reserved . Don’t hesitate to let us know a little bit about yourself or the organization you are affiliated with. Participation will be allocated on a first come first serve basis with priority given to the first 30 participants who can pay the full tuition and a limited number of six sponsorships given out after this threshold has been achieved. The maximum participation will be 60 participants.  It really helps us to plan if you apply early!

Cutoff for the minimum number of paying participants will be 18 days prior to the event in which case we will individually inform you that we have cancelled the retreat.  Registration is considered complete once you have paid in full. A full refund is available up to two weeks in advance if we are given written notice. A partial refund (50%) is available until seven days prior and after that we don’t give refunds.  Full payment is due seven days prior to the event. 

The Basic Moral Intuition

Date: January 8 to
Time:
Venue:
City:
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Contact Info:

The Basic Moral Intuition in the Context of Social Change

 

By Michael Simpson, Executive Director of One Sky and Co-Director of IWB

 

“The intuition is given; the unpacking is our moral dilemma, always.” Ken Wilber

 

Are you inspired to change the world and to reach your own potential? To leave this planet a better place for future generations? Ever wondered where to focus your efforts? There is no shortage of good causes and worthy deeds. How do we determine our priorities?  Is guiding the very first steps of a faltering toddler as worthy as solving a global crisis or tackling climate change? Maybe addressing your own needs is as important as those of others? Should we focus our efforts on individuals or the greater whole? You have limited time and resources. You cannot commit to everything so how do you choose?

 

It is 2014. The concept that we will save all species from extinction, alleviate poverty or achieve gender equality by next year through reaching the 2015 Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), or even succeed in achieving the most minimal of climate change targets has become yesterday’s dream. So, how does this situate us as global social change agents today? The definitions of sustainable development have always focused on “meeting our needs without compromising those of future generations,” yet the moment where that might have been achievable passed many years ago.

 

As an example, let’s review some recent species extinctions. As of 2013, the Formosan Clouded Leopard is now officially extinct and the last Black Rhino died in 2012.  The last of the Japanese River Otters died in 2011 and the last remaining Pinta Island Tortoise, affectionately called Lonesome George, expired on June 12, 2012. These are just a few examples of the estimated thousands of species that scientists estimate we are losing every year. Some put the figure as high as 50,000. Historically this has been a huge loss of biodiversity on our planet and we face an increasingly serious future.  Some argue our species is perilously close to instigating systemic collapse. Whether that’s true or not, we are definitely steadily losing ground when it comes to maintaining species and ecosystems for future generations.

 

While our species is struggling on this front, we have managed to achieve remarkable, unprecedented gains in others. We are interconnected like never before. We can share information at an exponential rate and technological achievements like the Internet have literally changed our world. And, recalling the Arab Spring, using these new forms of communications and other social networking possibilities enable people to participate in changing the world in ways they never had before. Our collective knowledge is doubling every five years, building up an immense resource of information and wisdom that is available to anyone anywhere, by a few clicks on a track pad.  Our world seems to be able to handle increasing levels of complexity and the human mind has access to achieving higher and higher levels of potential like no other time in history. We have overarching frameworks such as the International Human Rights Charter to aspire to. Most nations do in fact agree with the MDGs; whether or not those have been achieved, it is an achievement in and of itself that most nations agree with such a worldcentric set of goals. Some collective systems, such as fiber optics and computer networks, can literally move ideas regarding, for example, spiritual and moral development around the planet at the speed of light.  We are living in remarkably complex times!

 

The Basic Moral Intuition (BMI), a concept outlined by Ken Wilber in his groundbreaking work on integral theory, helps us orient ourselves in such a complex world.  Wilber (and before him Koestler’s) notion of holarchy explains the concept of interconnected whole-parts, where each part is autonomously and yet simultaneously part of a larger whole. These holarchies are everywhere. Atom, molecule, cell, and organ. Seed, seedling, sapling, and oak tree. In a pyramidal way, the earlier holons, such as atoms and seeds, are always in greater number, or in greater span. Whereas the later holons, such as organs and oak trees, are usually in smaller number, and yet they have more depth, meaning that there are more levels of complexity present in their make-up. For an oak tree to exist, it has to have at least these three levels of the holarchy present: seed, seedling and sapling, thus it has greater depth than just a seed for example. The atom on the other hand has more foundation because of its span. Millions of atoms are needed to create a seed and if you take away this earlier more foundational level of the holarchy the seed does not exist and neither does the oak tree.

 

The BMI suggests that we intuit the need to protect and promote the greatest depth for the greatest span. We intuit it’s preferable to eat a carrot than to eat a primate. Or, another example as Wilber describes: “What’s worth more, one ape or a thousand frogs? Perhaps it is an ape…. On intrinsic value alone, we would choose the ape. But, if we discover that the frogs are part of a fragile ecosystem and their death would disrupt the entire system [since they have more fundamental value than the ape], then we would choose to save the frogs, since that would preserve the greatest depth for the greatest span, including probably the lives of other apes.” We are constantly and intuitively working out such moral decisions as we act in the world.

 

The BMI explores this relationship between depth of complexity and span of numbers—or simply, depth and span—and brings a whole new way of understanding the moral decisions that must be tackled regarding our planet’s future.

 

Wilber’s point is that while we need the earlier holons for their fundamental value, we cannot only protect those earlier holons at the expense of the later, more complex holons. So, the physiosphere is the foundation upon which the biosphere (the sphere of life) and the noosphere (the sphere of mind) function, we cannot only orient toward protecting the physiosphere and not also attend to the greater depth present in the biosphere and the noosphere.

 

Simply put, social change can’t only be about the numbers of trees standing. It has to also be about the poet or songwriter or an obscure-yet-transformational-philosophy-book-on-a-dusty-shelf-somewhere, matter. These matter, because they hold greater depth and, thus, may have potential to protect greater span. They have to be factored into our intuitive moves in the world today.

 

The key to understanding Wilber’s concept of the BMI is that without a physiosphere and without a biosphere, humans have no ability to exist or move toward complexity. Without chemicals you have no life, and without life you have no poetry. Poetry, he argues, has more complexity than a rock or a stone, and should have an important place in our moral decision-making.

 

Perhaps, for some, he is stating the obvious but his work introduces a major conceptual twist based on an exquisite articulation of holarchy that has not yet been brought into the current debate regarding the state of the planet. 

 

Although we are undoubtedly worse off when it comes to the foundational value of biodiversity or ecosystem health, we are arguably a significantly more interconnected and complex global society than we were just twenty seven years ago when the term sustainable development was first coined by the Bruntland Commission.  Depth and span are related, but not on the same axis. And this has important ramifications for today’s moral decisions.

 

The definition of sustainable development, for example, posits “a desirable future state for human societies in which living conditions and resource-use meet human needs without undermining the sustainability of natural systems and the environment, so that future generations may also have their needs met.” That speaks only of span and not of depth. What depth of consciousness needs to be protected and promoted and included in this conception of sustainable development to provide humanity with the interior scaffolding to carry out such a vision?

 

The BMI is something that is intuited. But, how to implement this basic moral intuition is not given with that pure intuition. How to grapple with these moral dilemmas and implement decisions become part of the intersubjective and cultural and social project that all of us must discuss and decide. Or, as Wilber puts it:

 

“The intuition is given; the unpacking is our moral dilemma, always.”

 

Unpacking the BMI is the challenge of this century. How do we focus our efforts? Do we spend our time tackling a globally pressing issue like the radioactive water leaking from Fukushima, which is affecting entire marine ecosystems and impacting our planet for tens of thousands of years or do we work with a single child who may grow up and, given the opportunity, evolve in complexity to solve these kinds of foundational problems. Where in the map of span versus depth do we reside? Are there tipping points or fulcrums of change, leadership opportunities, or historical vantage points we can see in this map or do we play this particular game of life by ear; working one moment on larger scale issues, the next moment on the intensely personal? How do you decide? Wilber argues that this decision is entirely personal and it depends on where your talents and passions lie.  Do you know where your talents and passions lie?

 

This simple statement—‘protect and promote the greatest depth for the greatest span’—changes the entire sustainable development game. No longer is our collective challenge just about survival of numbers, or ensuring the broadest spectrum of species gets a chance to live. It is also about ensuring that each conscious being, from an ant to an artist, gets a chance to achieve her fullest potential. Suddenly we have a framework to understand the matrix of Millennium Development Goals and the world consensus on Agenda 21 while at the same time understanding why spiritual development, academic achievement or pushing our human understanding of music, poetry or art is equally valid and worthy.  The human rights charter comes into perspective as a statement not just about our equal right to live but also our equal opportunity to achieve our greatest depth of consciousness possible. Definitions of poverty change from poverty of material goods to include poverty of depth, or that is, a poverty of complexity of mind and extension of care.

 

Are you interested in joining this discussion on the BMI in development and social change work? Are you willing to bring your own moral dilemmas to the conversation, helping us all deepen our practice, and laying some emergent ground for enacting this intuition in the future? One Sky is hosting an international weekend retreat May 9, 10, 11 in Gibsons, B.C.  Social change practitioners will gather to discuss the BMI using voice dialogue and other methods in a peer-learning environment. More information can be found at www.onesky.ca look under stories and scroll down to the bottom of the page to find site and venue information or integralwithoutborders.org or e-mail Mike Simpson directly at mike@onesky.ca. Participation is limited. 

Integral Without Borders in Peru

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One Sky is excited to partner with the Integral International Development Center (also known as Integral Without Borders) to host a learning event and world tour in Peru this winter...

Engaging Cultures, Societies, and Systems: Applying an Integral Approach to Sustainable Development in Peru

NOTE: DATES HAVE CHANGED

Dates: Oct 16-Oct 26, 2012

Application deadline: August 1, 2012

Cost: $1500 (Includes accommodation, in-country travel, food, entrance fee to ruins, organization and facilitation. Does not include airfare.)    

The theme for the Peru event is “Engaging Cultures, Societies, and Systems: An Integral Approach to Sustainable Development in Peru." In partnership with One Sky, the Association for the Conservation of the Amazon Watershed (ACCA), Drishti and Integral Institute, we’ll explore the nuances and complexities of engaging social groups, cultures, and systems in development issues. We’ll visit the Amazon, the internationally acclaimed city of Cusco, the Sacred Valley of the Incas, and Machu Picchu. See here for more information.

Video on integral leadership for sustainable development in West Africa

Date: January 31 to
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Leading From Within - Video on integral leadership for sustainable development in West Africa

This 27min video explores One Sky's integral leadership program in Nigeria, entitled Leading From Within. Thirty participants explore issues like HIV/AIDS, climate change, rainforest conservation, governance, widow's rights and youth empowerment in the context of leadership development. The three-year program, involving 30 participants and a dozen facilitators from several different countries, was designed with an integral approach in terms of curriculum, pedagogy, coaching, and program design. The program resulted in seven Breakthrough Initiatives and the formation of the African Integral Development Network. The video may be of particular interest to development practitioners interested in integral theory and psycho-social models of leadership development, however it does not require prior knowledge of the integral model. Includes scenes of village life in Nigeria, including ceremonies with chiefs and traditional songs with women, and also gives the viewer a felt-sense of how the Nigerian leaders in One Sky's program are making sustainable changes throughout the South-East corner of this country. Note to educators: this would be an excellent resource for university, college or even high school students.

One Sky welcomes comments and feedback, as we are still refining the video and this may not be the final version.

Leading From Within - Video of the integral leadership program

Date: January 30 to
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Leading From Within - Video on integral leadership for sustainable development in West Africa

This 27min video explores One Sky's integral leadership program in Nigeria, entitled Leading From Within. Thirty participants explore issues like HIV/AIDS, climate change, rainforest conservation, governance, widow's rights and youth empowerment in the context of leadership development. The three-year program, involving 30 participants and a dozen facilitators from several different countries, was designed with an integral approach in terms of curriculum, pedagogy, coaching, and program design. The program resulted in seven Breakthrough Initiatives and the formation of the African Integral Development Network. The video may be of particular interest to development practitioners interested in integral theory and psycho-social models of leadership development, however it does not require prior knowledge of the integral model. Includes scenes of village life in Nigeria, including ceremonies with chiefs and traditional songs with women, and also gives the viewer a felt-sense of how the Nigerian leaders in One Sky's program are making sustainable changes throughout the South-East corner of this country. Note to educators: this would be an excellent resource for university, college or even high school students.

One Sky welcomes comments and feedback, as we are still refining the video and this may not be the final version.

African Integral Development Network launches!

Date: December 8 to
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Opening Address

African Integral Development Network (AIDEN) in Advance to the 21st Century with a New Approach to Effective Leadership for Africa.

By Etim Omini, President of AIDEN

Today, we hold the second AIDEN International Conference in Calabar. We consider this very significant because Calabar has always played the role of a birth place for many revolutionary social movements in history. For example, it was here that a revolutionary International Development Professional, Mary Slessor, in the 18th century, started the great social movement that led to the abolition of stigmatization of twins, here which later spread to all parts of Africa, thereby saving millions of lives over the years.

 Today we are here launching yet another social revolutionary movement, which has the potential of transforming the entire African continent through a leadership approach that transforms the self and all, both within and without. This cutting edge approach is based on Integral Theory, which views reality from all perspectives, bringing together all breakthroughs of the classical studies, science and technology and the distilled wisdom of all religious studies of all ages. Solutions to human problems emerging from this kind of comprehensive analysis become balanced, accurate and sustainable.

 Leaders around the world are now fast embracing the Integral approach as a way of living; African Integral Development Network (AIDEN) is a pioneer in this revolution within the African continent. This conference is designed to introduce this cutting edge knowledge and application to intellectuals, professionals, leaders and the general public all around Africa.

 This conference is significant as it offers all the opportunity to share experiences and explore possibilities that will enable all to make significant contributions to the transformation of Africa. It will also advance Integral research, knowledge and application in the continent.   AIDEN implores all to contribute in the discussions as the outcomes will set a new thinking on leadership in Africa.

 The Conference is hosted by AIDEN in collaboration with the University of Calabar and supported by One Sky Canadian Institute of Sustainable Living, Canadian University Services Over Sea-Volunteering Services Over Sea (CUSO-VSO), Cross River State Tourism Bureau and the Nigeria Institute of Management (NIM). More than 500 leaders from different sectors and professions from different countries have been invited to attend this conference. We express sincere welcome to all for participating in this epoch making conference.

 AIDEN emerged out of the work of One Sky’s project entitled “Leading From Within: Integral Application to Sustainable Living in the Niger Delta, Nigeria” which started in March 2009, with 30 leaders from the NGO sector in the Niger Delta. The program offered the participants the opportunity to transform themselves, develop their leadership capacities and conflict resolution skills for three years. As part of the program, participants used the new skills and ideas acquired to Execute Community Development projects in communities in Cross River State. This community development projects served as laboratories for participants to replicate their learning. It is these 30 participants that labored hard to give birth to AIDEN and formed the foundation membership. Now new members are joining rapidly and all are hereby invited to join. The birth of AIDEN is to promote the development of Integral Theory and Practice for the transformation of Africa. We are the first to embrace this approach in Africa and we are determined to achieve our vision.

AIDEN has an effective and efficient governance structure with a board of trustees and advisers, an elected Executive Council, Committees and Members.

 Our vision is a transformed, harmonious and sustainably developed African society. To realize this laudable vision our programs and projects target positive social change, human development, research, policy and analysis.  AIDEN strategically utilizes partnership, collaboration and participatory approaches driven and guided by the Integral approach. We therefore extend hand of fellowship to all organizations represented here.

AIDEN is a platform that provides mutual support for members’ professional development and advancement in their diverse field.  AIDEN membership is drawn from different disciplines and sectors but united by the Integral framework. The framework is transdiciplinary and its application advances sustainable solutions to all problems. In AIDEN we share a common vision and devoted to creating a cadre of dedicated and qualified leaders with the appropriate mindset and values that will bring about the transformation of Africa. We are ready to nurture the growth and development of second-tier oriented individuals and groups in all sectors, actively connected to the global integral movement to build synergy, and pull resources together to impact society.

 AIDEN is working to support and promote the establishment of an Integral Institute in Africa. We are using this opportunity to appeal to all stakeholders especially the Cross River State Government, University of Calabar, Nigeria Institute of Management and One Sky Canadian Institute of Sustainable living to come together and put strategies in place for the establishment of an Integral Institute which will be the first in Africa and second in the world, after the pioneer Integral Institute in Boulder Colorado, United States of America. On our part, we are willing to share our Leading From Within experience and we entreat all to join AIDEN.

Finally, I wish the conference a complete success and all the participants, our partners and friends, a good time in the paradise city, Calabar.

Moving Towards Resilience: September Meeting

Date: August 29 to
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On September 8th and 9th, 2011, One Sky-Canadian Institute of Sustainable Living in conjunction with Bulkley Valley Research Center, Northwest Community College, Office of the Wet’suwet’en, with funding support from BC Hydro, we will be hosting a two-day community event. The event combines community organizing with policy dialogue, and will include adaptation scenario planning, asset mapping, community conversations on resilience, and energy conservation.

 

Interested participants should sign-up by contacting Gail Hochachka by email before September the 7thor at the One Sky office, as spaces are limited.gail@onesky.ca

Moving Towards Resilience - An Inquiry Into Leadership And Energy In The Northwest

Date: July 4 to
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Moving Towards Resilience - an inquiry into leadership and energy in the Northwest

 

One Sky, as many of you may know is a non-profit organization that promotes sustainable living, energy conservation, renewable energy, and sustainability leadership. We have done projects in regards to these themes in places such as Africa, Sierra Leone, in the Andes and the Amazon of Peru, and in our own Bulkley Valley. Our goals in British Columbia are to lead by example, tackling the energy issues derived from an ever-changing world with demanding energy needs, by promoting sustainable living and alternate energy resources as well as promoting energy conservation.

 

Our focus on the project ‘Moving Towards Resilience’ is to initiate and foster leadership, energy conservation and community resilience starting locally in the Northwest of British Columbia. We will also explore climate change impacts and adaption, focusing on the skills, capacities and consciousness needed for sustainable living.

 

Moving Toward Resilience intends to bring people together to explore energy issues in the context of climate change and to move toward community resilience in the Northwest. The event will connect existing efforts, identify gaps, and unite diverse actions taken at multiple scales. Come strategize, reflect, and discuss on how we, as individuals, organizations, and as a community, face energy decisions in the situation of climate change today, and how can we develop and sustain our own leadership for resilience in the Northwest.

 

The first July meeting is for a smaller group of participants to identify key themes, to do big picture thinking, and to design an agenda for the larger workshop. The larger workshop, held in early Sept, is open to anyone interested in these issues. We hope you’ll plan to attend!

 

 

September 8-10th

Smithers, BC

Venue TBA

Last day includes site visits to renewable energy systems in the Bulkley Valley

Political Culture in Nigeria

Date: March 4 to
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Good Governance and Human Rights Groups (GGHRG), Cross River State, Nigeria

(A Break Through Initiative Group Created and Formed by One Sky Canada)

By Akamo Etim Okon

The above BI consist of six members drawn from various NGOs working currently in Nigeria, who participate in One Sky’s Leading From Within programme on integral leadership. The BI members have observed the unrepresented democracy in Nigeria especially in Calabar’s municipal council in Cross River State. The group sees the need of initiating a new concept known as the stakeholders dialogue, a forum for bridging the gap between the elected representatives and the electorates which has never existed in Nigeria. The project took a new direction, which had a media publicity in Cross River State as an activity, and included advocacy /orientation visits to ten council wards in Calabar municipality. Over two hundred (200) citizens in the wards were sensitized on the new concept of stakesholders dialogue, which was appreciated by all. Posters featuring the activities of the BI were used in the first pilot ward for effective awareness creation and mobilization of members in the ward. The BI group also paid a courtesy visit to the councilor of the pilot ward and also organized a stakeholder forum for the implementation of the project. More, there is a plan to visit the leader of the legislative chambers next week. On the aggregate, the concept was welcomed by all the councilors and next week Tuesday has been scheduled to meet them after their session to her better from the group and their unprecedented unique concept.
 

Thanks,


Akamo Etim Okon (member)

Background on the Political Scene in Nigeria...

Nigeria is ranked number 124 on the Economists Democracy Index out of 167 countries. On the one hand, it supposedly functions as a democracy, yet when assessed on the specific criteria for a democratic system, it is actually categorized as an “authoritarian” state (according to the 2008 Democracy Index). Extremely excessive corruption continues to constitute a major challenge to Nigeria, and vote rigging and other means of coercion are practiced by all major parties in order to remain competitive. Given its lucrative oil wealth, perhaps one of the central flaws of the democratic system is prebendalism. Prebendalism was a term first used in reference to Nigeria, in which elected officials, government workers, and members of the ethnic and religious groups feel they have a right to a share of government revenues. In other words, the political elite skims money from the state coffers feeling a sense of entitlement due to their position of power.

What does this actually mean for the people who live there? Well, Oxford's Paul Collier (2007, p 101) explains how the country has made approximately 280 billion dollars in oil revenue over the past 30 years, and yet on the Human Development Index the country remains 158 out of 182, with over half of the population living on less than $2/day. He explains, “This is far larger than any realistic scale of aid to a bottom billion country. Yet Nigeria has depressingly little to show for it.”

In this context, the breakthrough initiative described by Etim Akamo plays an incredibly important role in supporting an informed and empowered civil society. The role of political culture in an emerging democracy is vital. It helps to facilitate a more informed, aware citizenry, who make better voting choices, participate in politics, and hold government accountable.

One Sky launches on line media channel

Date: February 2 to
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Using an on line video tool similar to Youtube One Sky has launched a video channel capable of hosting  longer high definition video documentaries on Vimeo. 

We think it is pretty cool and are curious if it works for you? As we get to know how to use it we would love to hear your feedback. Send us an e-mail and tell us how we can improve it. Go to Channel here

New Leadership Network born in West Africa

Date: January 31 to
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The African Integral Development Network was recently formed as a result of One Sky's Leading from Within leadership program. Dr. Oliver Ngodo is the author of an article on AIDEN in Integral Leadership Review. Read more here.

Wanted - 50 Athletes

Date: January 27 to
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Be a One Sky Athlete for Africa!

It’s simple and brilliant:

You excel in your sport. People sponsor you. We support leadership in Africa. And, Africans make positive changes for sustainability.

This is the most funwe’ve had fundraising for Africa, and certainly the healthiest. Everybody wins!

Africa has plenty of capacity to create positive change. There is a wealth of motivation, potential, and heart. Where One Sky currently works in Nigeria, most people live on less than $2/day.  Thirty leaders have stepped forward to make changes.  Simply put: One Sky works to support these leaders. We offer leadership training and help find funding for their grassroots development projects. Most of all, we work together to tackle global problems in innovative, transformative ways.

By being a One Sky-Athlete for Africa, you can run, swim, kayak, dance, do yoga…the athletic activity is up to you. Challenge yourself and help us support African leaders.  You do the sport you enjoy the most and everybody wins.

Here’s how it works:

1.    You sign on as A4A athlete with One Sky;

2.    We help you with sponsorships for your athletic event by getting you set up with your own webpage for donations;

3.    Sponsors give a donation and instantly get a tax receipt; and

4.    The donation goes straight to One Sky's projects in Africa.

Sign on as an One Sky-Athlete for Africa!

For questions and more details, email us.

Doing the Math:

If you donate $100 (you’ll get up to $50 back via tax receipt) and then the Canadian government matches it with $3 for every dollar we raise. So, you’ll see your $100 turn into $400 for Africa. And the amount we spend on administration is $0.

 

Larry McCulloch did the Ironman 2010 and raised over $1800 for sustainability work in Africa.

Ejibwa Irek works for the Organization for Rural and Community Development on women’s empowerment and poverty alleviation through microenterprise. Her organization's projects have directly benefited from donations from One Sky-A4A athletes!

If you're interested in becoming an Athlete for Africa or would like more information about this program, please email us. We look forward to hearing from you!

Dr. Oliver Ngodo joins One Sky team in Nigeria

Date: January 20 to
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One Sky welcomes Dr. Oliver Ngodo to our Calabar One Sky office. We located Dr. Ngodo in Malaysia where he was finishing his dissertation on transformative leadership for his recently completed doctorate. Oliver is a CUSO/VSO cooperant who will be joining us for 18 months. His adventures with One Sky started in October when he came to Canada. He spent some time with us in Vancouver before doing an orientation training with CUSO in Ottawa. He then participated in our 9th leadership intensive before ten days of field work on monitoring and evaluation with executive director Mike Simpson. The intense trip involved visiting all of One Sky's breakthrough initiatives in rural and urban Cross River State as well as a side excursion to Akwa Ibom to visit a gas flaring site. Dr. Ngodo brings an amazing amount of enthusiasm and knowledge, as a native Nigerian from Abia State, and a proponent of integral theory. We are excited to have Oliver on board

 

Oliver listens to community leaders in northern Cross River State on the issue of HIV/AIDS

Give a Gift for Change

Date: January 4 to
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When you give a Gift for Change, not only do you show your loved ones how much you care, but you also support sustainability in a part of the world that is in need. 

One Sky's Gifts for Change are great for any special occasion -- for the holidays, birthdays, or anniversaries. Whether it is a cow, a workshop or a youth empowerment program, we have a suitable gift that can be given in the name of that person you love. Through One Sky’s online alternative giving program, you support sustainable livelihoods for African villagers and make a meaningful contribution to the well-being of both people and the planet.

These gifts will be used to support leaders in our Leading From Within program who are working in local villages to make important steps to achieve greater human and environmental sustainability.  In other words, you are essentially giving the gift of human potential, empowering African leaders in non-profit organizations to meet the pervasive needs in this part of the world. One hundred percent of your donation will go directly to these projects, and the Canadian government matches your gift with $3 for each dollar raised. So, for example, your $100 gift actually becomes a $400 gift for supporting sustainable livelihoods. These are truly a gifts for change!

Click here to purchase a Gift for Change

HOW TO BUY A GIFT FOR CHANGE

There are three simple steps to buy a Gift for Change all of which you can do when you go to One Sky's Gifts for Change webpage. But first, take a read through these steps below, and be sure to peruse the gift descriptions below.

 

Step 1: Choose your gift

Choose which gift you are going to give from one of the following options:

$10 Plant 10 trees in the rainforest

$25 Produce 10 HIV/AIDS handbooks in indigenous language

$50 Install one solar cooker to help villagers cook sustainably

$75 Provide one livelihood training workshop for youth

$100 Seed fund for Widows’ Empowerment

$150 Cow for the village

See below for more details about each of these gifts.

 

Step 2: Choose the type of card you would like delivered.

You can choose to send your recipient a personalized e-card or hard copy card. Alternately, One Sky will send a personalized card on your behalf.

*Please note: During the holiday season in December, to receive a hard copy certificate by Christmas, please donate no later than the 17th of December.  After Dec 17th, please choose an e-card option. 

 

Step 3:  Fill out your personal details, the details of your ‘giftee’, and make your payment.

Fill out your personal details, and be sure to include the contact information of your ‘giftee’.  Then click on the PayPal link to complete your purchase. 

If you have any questions, email giftsforchange@onesky.ca and we will respond promptly!

Thank you for your contribution, and for supporting West African leaders to make important steps to achieve greater human and environmental sustainability.

With gratitude, The One Sky Team

giftsforchange@onesky.ca

 

Descriptions of One Sky’s Gifts for Change:

Plant Trees

Plant 10 trees in the rainforest for $10

Ninety percent of the rainforests in the Niger Delta have been lost, endangering the rare wildlife and plants that are found there, and contributing to the poverty of the people that have inhabited these forests for millennia.  Animals, plants and people are increasingly being impacted by climate change.  Planting trees in this region will reverse some of the impacts of severe deforestation and the impacts of climate change. 

 

HIV/AIDS Handbooks

Produce 10 HIV/AIDS handbooks in indigenous language for $25

HIV/AIDS rates in West Africa continue to rise, however, much HIV/AIDS educational material is not available in local languages.  By translating HIV/AIDS handbooks into the local languages, villagers will be able access the information and understand how to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS.  For $25 you can buy 10 HIV/AIDS handbooks to be distributed to local villagers.

 

Solar Cooker

Install one solar cooker to help villagers cook sustainably for $50

Solar cookers help villagers with alternative energy sources for cooking so they don’t need to cut down the forests for their wood-burning stoves.  While decreasing the impacts on the planet, villagers also learn about local issues of climate change and what actions they can take to support the health of their village and their ecosystem.

 

Youth Livelihood Training

Provide one livelihood training workshop for youth for $75

With few skills and opportunities for work, many West African youth are drawn into being hired for financial gains from corrupt individuals who use them to perpetrate election violence.  By providing livelihood training to youth in beekeeping and snail farms, they are empowered to rise out of poverty and contribute meaningfully to the social and economic development of their regions. 

 

Seed Fund for Widows’ Empowerment

Seed funds for Widows’ Economic development activities for $100

Through a microcredit program, women are trained and provided a seed fund to create and grow sustainable businesses, thus attaining financial independence. With proceeds from their businesses, widows will be able to provide for their children’s educational, health and welfare needs, contribute to community development, and promote gender equality and social participation.

 

Cows for Villagers

Buy a Cow for the village for$150 to save endangered monkeys and support the nutrition of local villagers

When you buy a cow, you support hunters to use alternative sources of protein.  Traditionally, monkeys and other primates are hunted but now are endangered in the rainforests of the Niger Delta.  With rampant protein shortages, villagers are being trained in how to raise and use cattle to feed themselves and their families.  (A cow actually costs $750, so your contribution of $150 is approximately 1/5 of the total cost.)

Click here to purchase a Gift for Change

Letter from Africa

Date: December 7 to
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Dear One Sky sponsor,
 
            With great intentions I set about writing up a synopsis of my trip this summer that I was going to send to each and every one of you. Instead I find myself in Nigeria, months later, late at night feeling impelled to write and thank you. The trip went well. I have almost finished that write up, which I will send. It was an adventure to kayak up north. We completed the crossing and with the help of other Athletes for Africa we raised almost ten thousand dollars this summer. I came within 150 dollars of my personal fundraising goal of 3000 and it ain’t over till its over. Our success has been entirely due to your generosity.  Thank you.
 
This week I have been visiting the breakthrough initiatives to which your money was allocated. Yesterday it was a youth empowerment group that required the sanctioning of all the local chiefs, clanheads and women to make it official. There were libations to the ancestors, breaking of cola nuts and dancing. Most importantly there were speeches and fifteen youth stepped forward to participate with the approval of the ENTIRE village.  It is one of three villages participating in that initiative. Fifteen youth promising their dedication while literally hundreds of villagers watched. The day before it was a governance group trying to explain the concept of constituency meetings to an urban stakeholder group within a fledgling democracy barely capable of holding an election.
 
Today twenty widows gathered in a dusty village hall to try to understand how to fill out assessment forms. The leaders were trying to gather basic baseline information. “How old are you?” stumped most of them.  No idea but it was the year that such and such happened.  The most perplexing question was “What difficulties do you face?”
 
It seemed like such a strange question after being abandoned by all their relatives and left to fend in old age entirely on their own often stripped of their belongings.  Even the local chiefs had taken pity on this particular group given their age and circumstances. Life is difficult for them said one young man with a limp and empathetic expression.  Perhaps a more pertinent question might have been what difficulties do you not face every day when you get up in the morning.
 
The significance of these various initiatives is what impresses me most. After the workshop the widows wanted to pray. One old lady started up in her native language and although I could not understand the words her countenance spoke a thousand feelings. Her devotion broke her voice and clamped my throat. They are pinning their hopes on being trained in how to sell fish and the way she affirmed her commitment, intoned her voice, and beseeched her God with humility was hard to witness. Three days ago it was a group of hunters pinning their hopes on learning how to butcher cows instead of hunting gorillas. A couple of days ago we visited the conflict ridden Bakassi Peninsula where again a group of widows has agreed to form a cooperative. Each and every one of these initiatives has come from the leaders themselves with their collective knowledge of the villages and the circumstances people face.  In each and every case the work has been sanctioned by the chiefs and understood in the context of their culture.
 
Our leadership course is about working with people who are already committed to change. Your money goes directly to their ideas on the ground here in Nigeria.  Although it looks like you are supporting a widows group, or a climate change project or an alternative livelihood initiative what you are actually supporting is “leading from within” or African leadership. This is as much about helping young leaders run projects, manifest ideas and learn from a global community as it is about local changes on the ground. I don’t know how successful they will be and cannot promise anything in that regard. But I do know that over the past couple of weeks here I have seen the basic ingredients that can change the world and seen hundreds of people who have been touched by just thirty engaged individuals.
 
Tomorrow we drive North to participate in a workshop on woodstoves and the next day on climate change. None of this is possible without raising funds from Canadians to match our grant. A big warm thank you for making it possible.  In my opinion your money is being well spent.
 
 
Michael
 
 

Gifts for Change!

Date: December 7 to
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One Sky announces Gifts for Change! This holiday season, give a Gift for Change; a gift to someone you love that enables sustainability in a part of the world that is in need. 

Whether it is a cow, a workshop or a youth empowerment program, we have a suitable gift that can be given in the name of that person you love.   Through One Sky’s online alternative giving program, you can support sustainable livelihoods for African villagers and make a meaningful contribution to the well-being of both people and the planet. A One Sky gift for change connects you and your local loved ones with the global community and makes a statement about the true meaning of the holiday season.

A gift purchased through One Sky will be used to support leaders in our Leading From Within program who are working in local villages to make important steps to achieve greater human and environmental sustainability.  In other words, you are essentially giving the gift of human potential, empowering African leaders in non-profit organizations to meet the pervasive needs in this part of the world. One hundred percent of your donation will go directly to these projects, and the Canadian government matches your gift with $3 for each dollar raised. So, for example, your $100 gift actually becomes a $400 gift for supporting sustainable livelihoods. Your choice to shop here is truly a gift for change.

Click here to purchase a Gift for Change

 

HOW TO BUY A GIFT FOR CHANGE

There are three simple steps to buy a Gift for Change all of which you can do when you go to One Sky's Gifts for Change webpage. But first, take a read through these steps below, and be sure to peruse the gift descriptions below.

 

Step 1: Choose your gift

Choose which gift you are going to give from one of the following options:

$10 Plant 10 trees in the rainforest

$25 Produce 10 HIV/AIDS handbooks in indigenous language

$50 Install one solar cooker to help villagers cook sustainably

$75 Provide one livelihood training workshop for youth

$100 Seed fund for Widows’ Empowerment

$150 Cow for the village

See below for more details about each of these gifts.

 

Step 2: Choose the type of card you would like delivered.

You can choose to send your recipient a personalized e-card or hard copy card. Alternately, One Sky will send a personalized card on your behalf.

*Please note: To receive a hard copy certificate by Christmas, please donate no later than the 17th of December.  After Dec 17th, please choose an e-card option. 

 

Step 3:  Fill out your personal details, the details of your ‘giftee’, and make your payment.

Fill out your personal details, and be sure to include the contact information of your ‘giftee’.  Then click on the PayPal link to complete your purchase. 

If you have any questions, email giftsforchange@onesky.ca and we will respond promptly!

Thank you for your contribution, and for supporting West African leaders to make important steps to achieve greater human and environmental sustainability.

With gratitude, The One Sky Team

giftsforchange@onesky.ca

 

Descriptions of One Sky’s Gifts for Change:

Plant Trees

Plant 10 trees in the rainforest for $10

Ninety percent of the rainforests in the Niger Delta have been lost, endangering the rare wildlife and plants that are found there, and contributing to the poverty of the people that have inhabited these forests for millennia.  Animals, plants and people are increasingly being impacted by climate change.  Planting trees in this region will reverse some of the impacts of severe deforestation and the impacts of climate change. 

 

HIV/AIDS Handbooks

Produce 10 HIV/AIDS handbooks in indigenous language for $25

HIV/AIDS rates in West Africa continue to rise, however, much HIV/AIDS educational material is not available in local languages.  By translating HIV/AIDS handbooks into the local languages, villagers will be able access the information and understand how to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS.  For $25 you can buy 10 HIV/AIDS handbooks to be distributed to local villagers.

 

Solar Cooker

Install one solar cooker to help villagers cook sustainably for $50

Solar cookers help villagers with alternative energy sources for cooking so they don’t need to cut down the forests for their wood-burning stoves.  While decreasing the impacts on the planet, villagers also learn about local issues of climate change and what actions they can take to support the health of their village and their ecosystem.

 

Youth Livelihood Training

Provide one livelihood training workshop for youth for $75

With few skills and opportunities for work, many West African youth are drawn into being hired for financial gains from corrupt individuals who use them to perpetrate election violence.  By providing livelihood training to youth in beekeeping and snail farms, they are empowered to rise out of poverty and contribute meaningfully to the social and economic development of their regions. 

 

Seed Fund for Widows’ Empowerment

Seed funds for Widows’ Economic development activities for $100

Through a microcredit program, women are trained and provided a seed fund to create and grow sustainable businesses, thus attaining financial independence. With proceeds from their businesses, widows will be able to provide for their children’s educational, health and welfare needs, contribute to community development, and promote gender equality and social participation.

 

Cows for Villagers

Buy a Cow for the village for$150 to save endangered monkeys and support the nutrition of local villagers

When you buy a cow, you support hunters to use alternative sources of protein.  Traditionally, monkeys and other primates are hunted but now are endangered in the rainforests of the Niger Delta.  With rampant protein shortages, villagers are being trained in how to raise and use cattle to feed themselves and their families.  (A cow actually costs $750, so your contribution of $150 is approximately 1/5 of the total cost.)

Click here to purchase a Gift for Change

GO2 Carshare now has a truck!

Date: November 8 to
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GO2 Carshare is proud to announce it has added a used truck to its fleet.

The truck is a 1994 GMC Sierra 3/4 ton pick-up. It is a manual, 4wd, and we also have three different sized ball-hitches for trailer capacity (although we do not presently have a trailer.)

The truck is located at One Sky's office, and is available to be booked on-line or by phone/email.

As the truck is more costly to operate than the Prius, the per km rates are slightly higher: $0.52/km for 100 km and less, $0.47/km for 101-300 kms and $0.37/km for 300+ kms. The hourly and daily rates remain the same ($1.50/hour and $60/day.) As is the case with the Prius, the hourly rate includes the cost of fuel and the daily rate does not.

Please note we have insured the truck for 6 months, for a trial basis, to see if the usage warrants us acquiring a truck permanently. So having a truck as a permanent part of our fleet is really dependent on whether people will follow through on their "I will join when you get a truck" feedback. We hope this will be the case!

To learn more, contact us at (250) 877-6030 or by email.

One Sky’s GO2 Carshare Wins!

Date: October 25 to
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One Sky is proud to announce that its GO2 Carshare Cooperative won "Environmental Business of the Year" at the Smithers District Chamber of Commerce Community & Business Awards on October 23, 2010.

The award is great recognition by chamber members that businesses and social enterprises can be both environmentally and financially sustainable. We thank all chamber members for their support - and a big shout out to our mystery nominator!

Want be a member of this respected, progressive organization? Join GO2 Carshare today!

GO2 Carshare wins!

Date: October 25 to
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The GO2 Carshare Cooperative is proud to announce it won "Environmental Business of the Year" at the Smithers District Chamber of Commerce Community & Business Awards on October 23, 2010.

The award is great recognition by chamber members that businesses and social enterprises can be both environmentally and financially sustainable. GO2 thanks all chamber members for their support - and sends a big shout out to its mystery nominator!

Interested in being a member of such a respected, progressive organization? Join today!

Carsharing Articles

Date: October 5 to
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This list is a work in progress; as we come across helpful articles and resources, we will post links here.

We are sharing the following articles in the hopes that as you learn more about carsharing, you will discover how it can fit your lifestyle and meet your transportation needs.

Automobile Magazine, December 2008

Rural Writers Retreat

Date: October 4 to
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The Rural Writers’ Network, in cooperation with One Sky, hosted its first-ever Rural Writers in Residence. This retreat-style event took place Oct. 21 to 24 at a Driftwood Lodge in a relaxing setting just outside Smithers, B.C. It included workshops designed to further professional development, personal project development time and group discussions about challenges and benefits to being a writer in northern British Columbia. Partipants got their creativity flowing with (optional) morning yoga classes and afternoon walks.

The event initiated the Rural Writers Network, which will be an ongoing, community-building presence for northern B.C.’s professional writers. The Rural Writers Network assists in building a sustainable rural economy, where writers contribute their insight, creativity and information into the culture and society of the north.

For more information, email Coordinator, Amanda Follett afollett@bulkley.net and see the blog.

Who was this for?

The event was held for anyon involved in writing in a professional capacity (such as, jouralists, people in communications positions, authors, poets, and more) as well as those who might be intrigued to hone their writing in a personal sense. Also, consultants and those other positions that require excellent writing skills attended.  If you have questions or need more clarity, please email Amanda at afollett@bulkley.net.

 

Carsharing Industry Facts & Figures

Date: September 30 to
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Congratulations on being part of a growing international movement!

Here are the latest North American carsharing stats, courtesy of our friends at the Transportation Sustainability Research Center at U.C. Berkeley:

- As of July 2010, there were an estimated 67,526 members sharing approximately 2,285 vehicles among 19 carsharing organizations in Canada.

- As of July 2010, 27 U.S. carsharing programs had an estimated 448,574 members sharing approximately 8,120 vehicles.

Visit the research centre's website to find out more.
 

Find out what our carsharing friends in Vancouver, Victoria and Nelson are up to:

Cooperative Auto Network

Victoria Car Share Co-operative

Nelson Carshare Co-op

GO2 Nominated

Date: September 29 to
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GO2 Carshare Cooperative is one of three finalists for the Smithers District Chamber of Commerce's "Environmentally Friendly Business of the Year" Award.

Nominations from the public were submitted to the selection committee over the summer, and now the three finalists will be voted on by the more than 200 chamber members. The winner will be announced at the chamber's Community and Business Awards dinner on Saturday, October 23, 2010 at the Aspen Inn.

Wish us luck! If you are a chamber member, we hope you will consider voting for us.

GO2 Carshare a finalist for 2010 Environmentally Friendly Business of the Year Award!

Date: September 29 to
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One Sky's GO2 Carshare Cooperative is one of three finalists for the Smithers District Chamber of Commerce's "Environmentally Friendly Business of the Year" Award.

Nominations by the public were submitted to the selection committee earlier this summer, and the three finalists will now be voted on by the more than 200 chamber members. The winner will be announced at the chamber's Community and Business Awards ceremony on Saturday, October 23, 2010 at the Aspen Inn.

Wish us luck! We'll be sure to report back after the event to let you know if we were successful.

Take our GO2 Carshare survey!

Date: September 17 to
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GO2 is currently collecting feedback from non-members. Take a few minutes and tell us why you haven't joined the carshare and what we can do to change that! Download the survey.

Women’s Cooperatives

Date: September 2 to
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Women in most communities in Cross River State are homemakers. Though they may farm the land and engage in petty trading, this is done with the consent of their husbands. Educated women who engage in paid employment most often have to submit their earnings to their husbands or provide most of their salaries for the upkeep of the family. The situation does not enable them to have savings and plan for their own future.

Due to the prevalence of unattended health problems among men, ranging from HIV/AIDS, high blood pressure, cancer, diabetes, acute malaria, tuberculosis along wtih inter-tribal wars, there is an alarming increase in the number of widows. As this is the case in all the local government areas that make up Cross River State, Ikom Local Government Area is not an exception. Nevertheless the inhuman nature of widowhood practices in this LGA has informed our group’s decision to situate a project there.

The breakthrough initiative group will help establish three women's co-operatives to train the women in chosen skills of interest to them so that they can become empowered economically. The main project activities shall include advocacy visits and sensitization meetings; meetings with stakeholders in the community; selection of project beneficiaries; formation of the 3 co-operative societies; trainings; provision of start-up kits (seed grants) for the co-operative societies; and monitoring and evaluation. The overall purpose/goal of the project is to empower 20 less privileged widows in Ikom Local Government Area to be self-reliant, assertive and contribute to decision making process in their communities through working in groups.

The main and direct project beneficiaries will be 20 less privileged widows selected in Okuni community. The breakthrough initiative group believes that it is possible to provide these widows with alternative source of livelihood to take them out of poverty, want and misery and thus enhance their self-worth and empower them economically. With effective intervention measures like formation of co-operative societies, capacity building, provision of seed grants and mentoring/coaching, the group believes that it is possible for the widows to assume a normal and better life with their families. This in turn will positively affect the entire community.

 

At Home in these Landscapes

Date: August 4 to
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This month's World Cafe event features premieres of two documentaries: a locally produced film about One Sky's groundbreaking work in Peru followed by "Where Hope Resides: A last chance for wild salmon and people to coexist." Both films centre on human connections to land and resources and particularly on collaborative conservation and management frameworks that recognize indigenous knowledge and rights. The event is supported by partnerships with both the Bulkley Valley Research Centre and SkeenaWild Conservation Trust.

One Sky's aim for the evening is to bring people together for some thoughtful discussion on how we can apply lessons from local conservation efforts to international work and vice versa.

Gas Flaring and You

Date: July 19 to
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Gas flaring is a major issue both in Canada and abroad. An article in the Georgia Straight in 2008 reported that the B.C. sector of this industry flares, or needlessly burns off, about
960 million cubic metres of natural gas every year - enough to heat more than 300,000 Canadian homes annually. To put that in perspective, there are about 38,000 homes in all of northern BC.

Worldwide, some 150 billion cubic meters of natural gas are flared or vented annually, according to the World Bank. The 35 billion cubic meters flared annually in Sub-Saharan Africa alone could generate half of that continent's power consumption. Instead, as One Sky has frequently witnessed in Nigeria, gas flaring occurs alongside subsistence communities that are forced to degrade their natural surroundings in their search for biofuels.

How can you get involved? First of all, find out more by following some of the links below.

Georgia Straight backgrounder

Articles from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives

Environmental Rights Action (Friends of the Earth Nigeria)

Backgrounder on gas flaring in Nigeria from Friends of the Earth UK

 

Then sign the petition from Friends of the Earth International

and keep an eye on the One Sky site for updates from the international press and on our preparations leading up to the Rio +20 Earth Summit in 2012.

Fire and Ice

Date: July 19 to
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This past summer I paddled a kayak from Igloolik to Pond Inlet, crossing Baffin Island by going up the Ravn River, portaging over the height of land and then navigating down a creek to Milne Inlet. From there we paddled out toward Davis Straight and Pond Inlet. It was a lot of fun and brought us through some spectacular scenery and wild places. I was trying to raise funds for our leadership project through a group called Athletes For Africa. They are a unique non profit group that is able to issue tax receipts and support charitable projects such as our leadership program in Nigeria. So far we are doing well and have raised some significant funds toward our goal of 100,000 dollars.  Thank you to all of you who supported me and continue to support my efforts to raise awareness about gas flaring, climate change and arctic ice melt.


 

Update from Nigeria

Date: July 19 to
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At the beginning of June, I travelled back to Nigeria for my third visit to our office there, and to the incredible group of leaders that are a part of our Leading from Within project in Cross River State.  We are now halfway through the three-year program, and the changes in the way that the participants are seeing, acting and being are profound and inspiring.  Inquiring into, questioning, experiencing and embodying what we have shared with them at the Retreats, they have made the learning their own as it connects to their own goals and visions. 

 

The participants of Leading From Within are currently engaged in developing Breakthrough Initiatives where they apply the learning through the program to a small project where they use innovation to ‘breakthrough’ into new territory around a social change issue that previously seemed unachievable.  With projects ranging from the translation of an HIV/AIDS handbook into a local language, to economic empowerment for widows, to alternative livelihoods for youth involved in election violence, the participants have been hard at work developing the ideas and proposals for these projects.  Click here for more information about each of these projectsTheir dedication and commitment to creating change is evident in the application of their learning in these projects, and it is exciting to see this new and powerful group of leaders emerging.

 

One of the key outcomes of the program thus far has been the establishment of the African Integral Development Network (AIDEN), formed by the participants to create a forum and collective space to grow this new group of leaders, and to work collaboratively around new ways to engage social change.  The Network is entirely the idea of the participants of Leading From Within.  While I was there, elections were held for the board positions, and the network was in the process of being formalized.  

 

It is a long, long journey from the West Coast of Canada to the Niger Delta.  And, yet, it is a place that has gained a particular familiarity for me.  As I arrived at the One Sky office, it was a bit like coming home into a space that is comfortable and known. The staff at the office has been working hard to create a welcoming and operative space, a feat that is not easy in a place such as Nigeria.  The State electricity is on for just a few hours a day on a good day, and often not at all for days at a time. This means no access to computers, lights, printers, email, faxes – all of the aspects that are required in to make an office functional.  That is, unless you have a generator. 

 

So, it was with great excitement that the first day of my arrival coincided with the arrival of the new generator for the office.   This means we have access to electricity at any time which represents a big step forward for the office, and means that we can use computers, printers, projectors, lights whenever we need them.  The garden that the staff has started in the grounds around the office is beginning to produce vegetables – I even was there to try the first batch of okra!  The team at the office provides a great foundation and strong support for the overall work of One Sky in Nigeria, and their leadership is continuing to advance the work and One Sky’s vision of supporting sustainable living globally.

 

Fortunately, my visit overlapped with the World Cup, and was able to witness the football fervor that overtook the country with Nigeria’s participation as one of the African nations.  In fact, we even had to end our Retreat early one day because of the 3pm start time of one of the games. Despite the severe lack of electricity, “coincidentally” there was electricity during each of the Nigeria World Cup games!  Being there for the World Cup, I was also struck by the global connections that exist and continue to grow.

 

As I sat at the office one afternoon on the weekend, I could hear a chorus of singing children approaching.  I went outside to watch a formation of about 30 young boys running down the street singing the World Cup anthem, a song that is written by K’naan, a Somali Canadian.  Soon after, a group of girls came running by, animated by a Nigerian folk song and the collective joy that their singing inspired.  The boys ahead turned back their formation, and the two groups met right in front of the office driveway.  And then they continued on their way, filling the streets with their creative play and music.  I was struck by the truly global nature of the world that we live in.  In the heart of sub-Saharan Africa, there were this group of boys singing a song by a Canadian who originally is from Somalia, a song that is being sung all over the world in different contexts and different meaning. 

 

And this is how this leadership project finds its context.  We live in a globalized world.  Even when the majority of the world doesn’t have access to experiencing that world, we continue to impact and be impacted by each other in profound ways. The skills, perspective and concepts that are needed to deal with the environmental disasters of the Niger Delta oil region, the diminishing rainforests, women’s inequalities and poverty all require solutions that can take into account and address the global context, even while working at the local level.

 

It was a visit full of energy, excitement, inspiration, and ultimately deep relationship with these participants.  They are lit up by what integral theory offers their theory and praxis, and are so open to embracing and exploring what integral offers their work and their lives.  The space of learning becomes a place of deep sharing as we grow together on this path of supporting fuller and richer expressions of Self and Group.  I continue to feel blessed and so inspired to have this opportunity to share a new way of Being together that supports a more awake, open and fuller expression of consciousness.

One Sky partners with Athletes for Africa

Date: July 16 to
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A new partnership with the Toronto-based charity Athletes for Africa has given One Sky an exciting new outreach and fundraising opportunity. Anyone looking for ways to get involved with and support One Sky’s work now has two new options: sponsor a One Sky athlete or become one yourself.

To view One Sky’s online platform at the Athletes for Africa site, find out more about the partnership and log on as a participating athlete, click here. To learn more about individual One Sky athletes and their goals, click their name below.

Greg Brown

Lisa Gibson

Gail Hochachka

Larry McCulloch

Mike Simpson

 

If you're interested in becoming an Athlete for Africa or would like more information about this program, please email us. We look forward to hearing from you!

GO2 and Victoria Car Share

Date: July 12 to
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GO2 has signed a reciprocal use agreement with the Victoria Car Share Co-operative. This means GO2 members can use Victoria carshare vehicles and pay those rates instead of the more costly option of renting a vehicle when they are in Victoria for work or pleasure.

Find out more about the Victoria Car Share and its rates and vehicles.

If you are a GO2 member interested in booking a Victoria Car Share vehicle, call or email GO2.

Not a GO2 member? Join today!

Fire and Ice Event Offers Perspectives and Solutions on Climate and Energy Issues

Date: July 9 to
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One Sky – Canadian Institute of Sustainable Living will host a climate change speaking presentation at the Old Church on Thursday, June 15th at 7:00 p.m. The event, “Fire and Ice,” features four local experts on global climate change and solutions including senior ecologist Dr. Jim Pojar, One Sky Executive Director Mike Simpson, Energy consultant Greg Brown, and Dawn Hanson, a Community Capacity Facilitator.

The event takes its name from One Sky’s current work in regions of Nigeria that are heavily impacted by the oil and gas industry and from its upcoming expedition in the Canadian Arctic.

“There are fires in Nigeria and they’re melting the poles,” explains One Sky Executive Director Michael Simpson, referring to unnecessary industrial gas flaring in the Niger delta and rapidly melting arctic sea ice. “We need to solve the problem of climate change in a very short period of time. The best thing to do is find strategies that are easy and cheap.”

This summer Simpson will undertake a 650 km kayak trip along the inlets and waterways of Baffin Island from Igloolik to Pond Inlet to draw attention to the interconnectedness of environmental issues and the importance of scaling up individual actions to help influence international policy.

Senior ecologist Dr. Jim Pojar brings a strong conservation message based on the findings of his research and peer-reviewed report “A New Climate for Conservation” released earlier this year.

“Climate change is forcing us to re-evaluate the way we protect nature,” says Dr. Pojar. “A minimum conservation target of 50 per cent is what's necessary to give our plants and animals a fighting chance to adapt.”

Greg Brown, who earlier this month travelled to the Gulf of Mexico with a delegation of BC Coastal First Nations, has returned with a cautionary tale from his firsthand experience of the BP oil spill that has now spread throughout the wetlands of coastal Louisiana.

The event is by donation. All proceeds support One Sky’s project supporting transformative leadership for sustainable development in Nigeria.

For more information:  Emily McGiffin or (250) 877-6030

Climate Change Adaptation

Date: July 5 to
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Nigeria's high vulnerability to climate change stems first from its geographical location – in the tropics and with a long coastline. Secondly, we are a developing country with little capacity to adapt to climate change due to low levels of awareness, inadequate sources of information, lack of adequare human and financial resources, and little institutional and technological capability. As a developing country, we are particularly vulnerable because a large share of our economy is dependent on climate-sensitive natural resources.

The focus of this project will be the rural communities where about 70% of the population of Cross River State is located and where resources are limited and poverty is endemic. In the communities of Nsan and Betem, conditions have become appalling as a result of severe deforestation, mineral exploition and limestone quarrying. The main goal of this project is to work with these rural communities to improve their living conditions and reduce their vulnerability to climate change impacts. Strategies will include alternative and clean source of energy to address the over-exploitation of the forest for fuel wood, tree planting and establishing agroforestry systems similar to the oil palm establishment found in Betem.

By the end of the project, community members will have become aware of the issues and are able to take action. Local knowledge about issues of climate change will have been documented and level of awareness about issues of global warming, their causes and effect would have become public knowledge. Also about 5,000 trees, including economic trees are planted and about 50 solar cookers will be constructed for the two pilot communities.

In this photo, the women's committee in Ekuri village hold up the UN award Ekuri Initiative won for its innovations in community forestry. Finding alternative, sustainable uses of intact forests is an important strategy for adapting to, and mitigating, climate change.

Save the Primates

Date: July 5 to
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The Cross River Gorilla inhabits the forest around the headwaters of the Cross River in the Cameroon-Nigeria border region with less than 300 individuals surviving in the wild. It is one of the most endangered primates in Africa. Illegal hunting for bush meat and deforestation are major threats for the Cross River Gorillas. Increased hunting imposes more pressure on a population that is already critically endangered.

Conservation efforts include creation of protected areas in government and community owned forests, enforcement of existing wildlife laws, raising awareness of issues affecting continued survival of the Gorillas and research have been carried out by various local, national and international organizations. However, there have been few efforts directed at addressing the livelihoods of those directly involved in hunting wildlife. This is a significant shortfall as 70 percent of the rural dwellers around the rainforest zones are dependent on the forest for their livelihood and directly on the wildlife for bush meat. Enforcing forest laws without empowering the forest dependent people with an alternative means of livelihood or alternative domestic meat supply in this case is a one-sided and unsustainable solution to the problem.

This project aims to

  1. Reduce poaching and killing of gorillas by 50 percent by training hunters in cattle husbandry, thereby providing an alternative source of livelihood for the hunters.
  2. Provide an alternative meat supply for community members through the provision of one matured cow for slaughtering and sales to community members at a subsidized rate.
  3. Provide a healthy environment for meat processing through the provision of a slaughterhouse and meat stalls.
  4. Create more awareness on the environmental impacts of hunting gorillas and chimps through community sensitizations.

HIV/AIDS

Date: July 5 to
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My name is Emilia Ibitham, I live in Umon Village in Biase Local Government area. I have being hearing of HIV/AIDS messages and campaigns for some time now, but I don’t understand them because I don’t understand English language very well. I want people, organizations and government to bring these messages to us in our local languages. That way I will understand what STI, sexual intercourse means.

Emilia Ibitham, Umon Village

The above statement was made by a 16 yrs old girl in Umon Village who wants to know more about the effects of HIV/AIDS. But how can she know more if the information is not made available in her own language? We believe that there are thousands of people like Emilia who will listen to the message of HIV/AIDS if only it is being passed on to them in their ancestral language. Translating an HIV/AIDS handbook to Bekwara language will create a conscious awareness of HIV/AIDS in the minds of the readers. The end result is that they will reduce the spread of the infection.

This photo shows an NGO educational project for orphans and vulnerable children, many of whose parents have died from HIV/AIDS or are living with the virus. Finding ways to raise awareness and change behaviors, in this case through improved communication, is critical for stemming the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

Youth Empowerment and Leadership

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Long standing inequalities in the distribution and opportunities given to youth have placed them at a disadvantage compared to older men and women of their communities. This has hindered their effective participation in developmental projects and also affects their economic independence. In spite of efforts made at setting up a Ministry of Youth Affairs, youth in Nigeria - especially in Cross River State - are still absent from key decision making forums. They also need specialized skills to become gainfully employed and to contribute meaningfully to the social and economic development of their regions.

The Youth Empowerment and Leadership Project (YEL) project will organize a series of activities geared towards empowering youths and equipping them with livelihood skills. This project will help address the problem of unemployment while building their capacities for leadership positions. This training will give youth an alternative to being hired for financial gains from corrupt individuals who use them to perpetrate election violence. Project activities include:

  1. Mobilization/Sensitization/Selection of participants
  2. Leadership training
  3. Skills training
  4. Rallies (anti election violence)
  5. Advocacy visits to Local  government chairman
  6. Formation of youth cooperative groups and enterprise development.
  7. Evaluate performance during and after the training and select participants to benefit from the micro-credit scheme

The main beneficiaries will be 45 youth, with 15 youths each from 3 communities in Obubra and Ikom local governments will benefit from the trainings thereafter they will step down the knowledge to other youth of their communities.  Before the skills training, the youth groups will be formed into cooperatives, and thereafter empowered to start up small businesses of their own.  The project is innovative in the areas of micro enterprise development and cooperative management and development; there is training for the youth on how to access financial resources for the start up and development of enterprises.

From this age onward, what opportunities youth have in a society is surely a key indicator of its health and well-being.

Women’s Economic Empowerment

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Widowhood is associated with poverty largely due to cultural practices where a widow does not inherit her late husband’s property as well as their lack of employment skills. This Economic Empowerment Initiative proposes to empower 20 selected widows of the Ikot Inwang community of Bakassi L.G.A, Cross River State, with entrepreneurial skills and alternative livelihoods.

Empowering these widows with skills in micro-enterprise management will transform their lives by alleviating their extreme poverty and suffering. A seed fund of twenty thousand naira (NGN 20,000.00) will be extended to the trainees to enable them create and grow sustainable businesses, thus attaining financial independence. With proceeds from their businesses, widows will be able to provide for their children’s educational, health and welfare needs, contribute to community development, and promote gender equality and social participation.

 

Good Governance

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The Local Government System in Nigeria is the closest form of government to the people at the grassroot. In this system, a Chairman and Vice Chairman are elected directly by the electorate as the leaders of the executive arm. Councilors from each of the wards of the local government are elected by citizens to represent the ward in the legislative arm.

Despite the democratic system of government at this level, elected representatives rarely interact with their constituents. Regular dialogue is necessary in order for elected representatives to remain accontable to their constituents as well as to seek public opinion on policy formulation and execution. This breakthrough initiative is an innovative and timely approach to intervene and bridge the gap between these two key stakeholders - citizens and their elected representatives - while also building the capacity of committed local facilitators to sustain the dialogue at the conclusion of the initiative.

We solicit the support of donor agencies to strengthen the democratic ideals and human rights at the very grassroot level of Nigeria’s political system in a municipality that is fast becoming Nigeria’s Tourism paradise. We in the Good Governance and Human Right Breakthrough Initiative Group believe passionately that with our effort and yours in partnership, sustainable change and lasting peace is possible in our local government system.

 

Breakthrough Initiatives

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The Breakthrough Initiatives are the most tangible and powerful part of the Leading from Within project. Through these initiatives, participants will apply what they learn directly into their organization’s work and operations. Beginning with an assets-based assessment of a development and environmental issue, participants develop their chosen Breakthrough Initiative by compiling “stretch goals” that extend their thinking and planning beyond what was previously considered possible. To enable them to meet these goals, One Sky trains participants in new techniques and participatory methodologies that produce creative and lasting results.

For an initiative to be called a “breakthrough”, it must be both cutting-edge and sustainable. This means that it must draw on innovative models of change that expand the scope of innovation and impact. These initiatives not only anchor learning in action, they also achieve lasting results for sustainability and human well-being.

Some examples of Breakthrough Initiatives include:

  1. Initiatives that leap to a higher scale of impact (for example, synergizing efforts for promoting conservation at the community-level with the inter-community bioregion and beyond),
  2. Initiatives that effectively include a focus on the unseen factors contributing to a development problem (such as the traditional worldviews held by religious leaders that perpetuate stigma and thwart effective HIV/AIDS reduction strategies), and
  3. Initiatives that extend microenterprise skills development to broader entrepreneurial capacity and marketing at regional and global scales


Our projected outcomes of these Breakthrough Initiatives include:

  1. A larger generative force of leaders and new conversations within the environmental sector in Niger Delta.
  2. Increased potential for healthy and highly functioning multi-stakeholder dialogue.
  3. The presence of civil society leaders with a heightened awareness of the positive role that corporations can play through Corporate Social Responsibility and the potential for shared solutions.
  4. Breakthrough initiatives at multiple scales, which increase overall sustainability.

One Sky is working hard on fundraising efforts to support the six Breakthrough Initiatives that Leading from Within participants will work on in teams over the coming two years. For details about each intiative or to make a valuable contribution please follow the links below.

Climate Change and the Arctic

Date: June 29 to
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In 2004, after four years of research by hundreds of scientists and experts in traditional knowledge, the Arctic Climate Impact Assessment released a report confirming that the impacts of climate change on the Canadian Arctic are among the most severe and dramatic impacts seen anywhere on earth.

"By the latter part of this century, annual average temperatures are projected to rise across the entire Arctic, with increases of roughly 3-5ËšC over the land areas and up to 7ËšC over the oceans. Winter temperatures are projected to rise significantly more, with increases of 4-7ËšC over the land areas and 7-10ËšC over the oceans." ACIA Impacts of a Warming Arctic: Arctic Climate Impact Assessment, 2004

Over the last several decades, average temperatures in the Arctic have risen almost twice as quickly as those in the rest of the world. Thinning sea ice, changes in precipitation and melting permafrost all have serious ramifications for Arctic ecosystems and human inhabitants. The impacts are also felt globally. Large scale melting of glaciers and sea ice change both sea levels and salinity, which in turn impact ocean currents. Permafrost, a major carbon sink, releases carbon dioxide as it thaws and begins to decay. Both of these changes contribute to or exacerbate the impacts of climate change.

Gas Flaring and Rio +20

Date: June 29 to
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Gas burning or flaring is used worldwide as a means of disposing of the natural gas produced during the extraction of crude oil. Flaring is an important emergency measure to reduce the pressure in the extraction system. Non-emergency flaring, however, carries heavy environmental and economic consequences:

  • Worldwide, about 150 billion cubic meters of gas are flared or vented into the atmosphere each year.1
  • This is equivalent to 25% of the gas consumption of the US or 30% of the gas consumption of the EU.1
  • It results in lost revenue of about $31 billion each year and adds about 400 million tonnes of CO2 to the atmosphere annually.1 African countries received $30 billion in aid programs in 2008.
  • In BC, industrial gas flaring results in the unnecessary burning of 960 million cubic meters of gas each year – enough to heat more than 300,000 homes.2 There are 38,000 homes in northern BC.
  • Flaring accounts for almost 3% of BC’s carbon emissions.2 Since no extraction royalties are charged on gas flaring, the practice represents government revenue losses of about $50 million annually.2 The budget deficit that led the closure of 14 schools in the Prince George district earlier this year was $7 million.3
  • Global and regional initiatives to curb flaring are underway, but developing countries face particular challenges related to lack of infrastructure and regulatory frameworks.

The Rio Earth Summit in 2012 marks 20 years since the 1992 Earth Summit where the concept of Sustainability was coined in the Brundtland Report. One Sky is currently involved in the early stages of creating a roadmap for civil society involvement in this world conference. During this process, we plan to join other environmental non-governmental organizations in calling for a UN resolution on unnecessary fossil fuel flaring.

Sources:1World Bank, 2Georgia Straight, 3The Dominion: News from the Grassroots

Health & Personal Benefits

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Chances are, if you become a car share member, your physical health will benefit, in addition to saving money and reducing your carbon footprint!

In the Cooperative Auto Network’s Social and Environmental Report 2008, 39 per cent of the co-op’s members reported they are overall more active since joining CAN. So choosing a more sustainable transportation option, like joining GO2, can also lead you to make more active transportation choices, like walking and cycling, which can positively affect your physical, mental and emotional health. Read more about the benefits here.

On-Line Booking Instructions

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Prior to booking on-line for the first time, the coordinator will provide you with an account number (which is your membership number) and password. Use these to access the site; you will be able to change your password once you are logged on.

  1. When you click on the "Book on-line" link, you will be directed to an external site, Carshare Everywhere, which will ask you for your GO2 account number (which is your membership number) and your password.
  2. You will be directed to the "My Bookings" screen. You will see there are five vertical tabs across the screen. Click on "My Membership" to confirm your details and to change your password. 
  3. Click on "New Booking" to make a booking.
  4. Select your "Pick-up at" and "Return by" date and time (note a 24 hour clock is used for the times). For future dates, scroll down to either "Choose another date" or use the calendar icon to select the month and date. You must also choose a vehicle from the drop-down list under "Location". Once you've chosen your date and times, and your vehicle, click the "Book It" button.
  5. A confirmation email will be sent to the email address we have on file.
  6. To change or cancel your booking, go to the "My Bookings" screen. Click in the "select" box and either change or cancel the booking by clicking on the appropriate button.
  7. Remember to Log-out (tab on the farthest right at the top of the screen) once you are done.
  8. Any questions? Call (250) 877-6030 or email.

Ready? Book on-line

Earth Day 2010 activities

Date: April 22 to
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Energetic Olympics lives on! The City of Terrace, the Energetic Olympics gold medal winner in the Heavyweight division, has used its prize to support the efforts of the Greater Terrace Beautification Society. The society is a group of volunteers who are committed to promoting beautification of the Terrace area. They have been working for years to transform an abandoned gas station site in downtown Terrace into a green space, and this year with the support of the city and its Energetic Olympics prize, it is becoming a reality.

The city collaborated with the society and used the prize money to purchase native plant seedlings and supplies, with Terrace Mayor Dave Pernarowski and city councillors pitching in to help society members.

Check out their efforts and results below! You can also view media coverage of the event or find out more about the society.

Mayor Pernarowski (centre) and society President Chris Hansen (to right) hard at work

 

 

 

 

 

The results!

GO2 Carshare Cooperative begins operations

Date: April 21 to
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The GO2 Carshare Cooperative is officially up and running. Individuals and organizations interested in joining can call (250) 877-6030 or find out more on the website.  You can also email the carshare.

As a bonus for Earth Day, anyone joining the co-op on April 22nd will get a $10 credit on his/her account!

Peru March 2010

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Nigeria March 2010 workshop

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Carsharing in Canada

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In Canada, the car sharing movement includes 19 car share organizations, 2,285 vehicles and 67,526 members.

The first two car sharing organizations (CSOs) in BC were among the first in North America. The Victoria Car Share Cooperative, established in 1996, has 400 members sharing 19 vehicles. The Cooperative Auto Network (CAN) in Vancouver was established in 1997 and over the past 13 years it has grown steadily to reach a current membership of 6,300 sharing 230 cars.

The most significant success story as far as the Smithers car share is concerned, however, is the thriving Nelson Carshare Cooperative with branches in Revelstoke, Kaslo, Kimberley, and Fernie.

In the eight years it has been operational, the Nelson car share has expanded to five communities with a total of 180 members and 18 vehicles. In Nelson, the largest of the five, there are 90 members sharing nine vehicles. Revelstoke, with a population very similar to that of Smithers, has three vehicles shared between 20-25 members.

To learn more, visit:

Cooperative Auto Network

Victoria Car Share Cooperative

Nelson Car Share Cooperative

Carsharing Success

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How successful is car sharing?

Car sharing is attracting increasing numbers of members worldwide and is on the rise in North America; between 2007 and 2009 car sharing in North America grew by 117 per cent. From major metropolitan centres to small rural towns, it’s a transportation option that makes sense for many people: it offers the convenience and flexibility of cooperatively owning a vehicle at a fraction of the cost of private vehicle ownership. It makes it possible for households to use several vehicles without the associated costs of fuel, insurance, maintenance and repairs.

Car sharing can also lead to reduced overall driving; studies show that car share members often become healthier as they chose walking and cycling more often when there isn’t a car sitting in the driveway. In the Cooperative Auto Network’s Social and Environmental Report 2008, 39 per cent of the Coop’s members reported they are overall more active since joining CAN.

Car share members are also likely to forego the purchase of a first or second vehicle; this can translate into up to 20 fewer private vehicles on the road per car share vehicle.

Car sharing's popularity is a testament to the financial benefits it provides in the face of rising fuel costs and a struggling economy. It also reflects changing attitudes towards personal needs and an increased willingness to embrace cooperative vehicle ownership – especially when that vehicle is needed only on an occasional basis. If this sounds good to you, give us a call today: (250) 877-6030 or email us.

Access to other carshares

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Flying to Vancouver or Victoria and need a car while you're there?

GO2 Carshare is pleased to announce that it has signed reciprocal use arrangements with Vancouver's Cooperative Auto Network and the Victoria Car Share Cooperative! This means that GO2 members can use those car share vehicles and pay carshare rates instead of the more costly option of renting a vehicle when they visit Vancouver or Victoria for work or pleasure.

Find out more about the Victoria Car Share Co-operative.

And here's Vancouver's Co-operative Auto Network.

If you are a GO2 Carshare member interested in booking a Vancouver or Victoria Car Share vehicle, call or email us. Not a GO2 member? Become one today!

Environmental Benefits

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The GO2 Carshare Cooperative also aims to help reduce GHG emissions in the Bulkley Valley.

Personal vehicle emissions from cars, trucks, and SUV's are responsible for 35 per cent of all of Smithers' GHG emissions (Community Energy & Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory, 2009). These emissions contribute to particulate matter that reduce air quality in the community. By establishing a car share in Smithers, we hope to reduce vehicle emissions and improve air quality, along with increasing the community's sustainable transportation options and providing financial benefits for our members.

We hope to reduce vehicle emissions in a few ways:

  • By encouraging residents to join the cooperative instead of purchasing a second vehicle (that may only be used occasionally);
  • By encouraging those who don't own a vehicle to join the cooperative instead of purchasing a vehicle;
  • By encouraging residents with high-emissions vehicles to join the cooperative so that they can access a lower-emissions vehicle for longer trips; and
  • Finally, we hope to reduce the number of single trips people make in their vehicles. By combining mulitple errands into a single trips, members will drive more efficiently and reduce the overall number of vehicle trips they will make.

Cost Scenarios & Comparisons

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A low-use GO2 member who drives a co-op vehicle 10 kms in two hours to run errands around town will pay: $8.14

  • Hourly Rate: 2 hours * $1.50/hour = $3.00
  • Mileage: 10 kms * $0.40/km = $4.00
  • Additional Fees: 10 kms * $0.027/km = $0.27

Subtotal: $7.27

  • Taxes (GST, PST): $0.87

Total: $8.14

Remember gas, insurance, maintenance, cleaning and repairs are all included

A high-use GO2 member who books a co-op vehicle for a weekend trip to and around Prince George will pay: $137.40

  • Daily Rate (Saturday, Sunday): 2 days * $60/day = $120
  • Taxes (GST, PST): $14.40
  • PVRT: 2 days * $1.50/day = $3.00

Total: $137.40

The daily rate does not include the cost of gas but does include insurance, maintenance, cleaning and repairs

Curious to know how much your trip may cost? Please call us at (250) 877-6030 or email us with your trip details and we'd be happy to prepare a quote.

GO2 Taxes

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  • As of July 1, 2010, HST will be charged at the current rate of 12% on all relevant charges.
  • Bookings longer than eight (8) consecutive hours are subject to the Passenger Vehicle Rental Tax (PVRT) of $1.50/day.

GO2 Additional Fees

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The car share has a few additional fees that will help the cooperative accomplish some of its long-term goals. These include:

  • $0.002 / km for a Carbon Offset Fund, which will be used to purchase carbon offsets to counter the co-op vehicles' emissions.
  • $0.025 / km for an Emergency Reserve Fund, to be used for unforeseen circumstances.

In order to ensure the co-op runs smoothly for the benefit of all its members, additional fees will be charged for a member's mis-use of a co-op vehicle or for violating the co-op's Rules, Policies, Procedures or the Membership Manual. This could include things like: late vehicle return, losing a key, or returning a vehicle with excessive mess and / or dirt.

For more details, please consult our Price List (pdf).

GO2 Administration Fees

Date: March 25 to
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There will be a monthly administration fee for each member who uses a co-op vehicle in any given month. To reflect the level of administrative work involved each month, the fee will vary based on the mileage driven in any one month.

  • $5 if you drive 100 kilometres or less in a month
  • $10 if you drive between 101 and 300 kilometres in a month
  • $35 if you drive more than 300 kilometres in a month

If you do not drive a vehicle in any given month, you will not pay an administration fee.

GO2 Mileage Rates

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GO2's mileage rates vary based on the distance driven in any one month. You will pay:

  • $0.40 / km if you drive 100 kilometres or less a month
  • $0.35 / km if you drive between 101 and 300 kilometres a month
  • $0.25 / km if you drive more than 300 kilometres a month

For trips involving a long distance, it you may want to consider paying the flat daily rate of $60. Even though this rate does not include the cost of gas, it may still be a cheaper option than paying the hourly and mileage rates. Call us at (250) 877-6030 to discuss your options!

GO2 Hourly Rate

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The hourly charge for booking co-op vehicles is $1.50. Please note:

  • There is a minimum booking of 30 minutes ($0.75); after that the vehicles can be booked in additional increments of 30 minutes.
  • After a booking of eight consecutive hours, the hourly rate drops to $0.50.
  • After a booking of eight consecutive hours, the booking becomes subject to the Passenger Vehicle Rental Tax (PVRT) of $1.50 a day. (The PVRT is charged by the Ministry of Small Business and Revenue)
  • There is no charge for the vehicle between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. when booking by the hour.
  • For longer bookings, you may want to consider booking the vehicle for the daily rate of $60, but please note the daily rate does not include the cost of gas.

GO2 Membership Share

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Membership shares keep the co-op running and allow it to provide great service to its members. A GO2 memberships share is a life-time purchase and is fully refundable.

The membership share for individuals to be a Full Member is $500. Additional individuals residing in the same household as a Full Member may join as an Associate Member for $250. Corporate memberships are also available; the corporate membership share is $750 and includes four drivers.

A monthly payment plan is available for our individual members so please contact GO2 to discuss this option.

Membership fees can be paid by cheque or cash, and are fully refundable you ever choose to leave the co-op. If you leave, you might like to consider keeping your share invested in the co-op, to allow it to continue to provide its great service to its members and the community. You might also like to donate your share to a less-fortunate member of the community who would otherwise not be able to afford to join the co-op.

We encourage you to give careful consideration to joining the car share. To minimize our administration costs, members cannot redeem shares within the first six months of joining GO2. After that time, member shares are redeemable upon written request.

Another Quote

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"On a personal level, the more efficient you can be with your own vehicle, the better. Do you have a full car load of people? Are we driving our car for a one kilometer trip to the store when we could be walking or biking? Those kinds of actions collectively do have a big impact." - Dr. Michael Brauer, School of Environmental Health, UBC


 

Home Page Quote

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Flying to Vancouver or Victoria over the holiday season?  Carshare members have access to Vancouver's Cooperative Auto Network and the Victoria carshare too!  There's a car for you there when you need one -- email us for details!

Site Map

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Announcements

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Become a carshare member

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To be a GO2 member, you:

  • Are 19 or older;
  • Have a clean driving record for three or more years.

To become a GO2 member, you:

  • Attend an orientation session;
  • Submit an application form and proof of your driving record;
  • Become a member of the cooperative and purchase a membership share (which is fully refundable should you ever leave the cooperative);
  • Agree to bide by the terms and policies of Membership Manual and other car share polices.

To sign up for an orientation session, please email GO2 Carshare or call us at (250) 877-6030.

The membership share for individuals to be a Full Member is $500. Any additional individuals residing in the same household as the Full Member may join as an Associate Member. A Associate Membership share is $250. Membership shares can be paid by cheque or cash, and a payment plan is available, so please feel free to talk to us about this option.

Download an application form (pdf), or call (250) 877-6030 or email GO2 Carshare to request one.

As part of your application form, you must provide proof of your BC Driver’s License and a Driver’s Abstract of your driving record for the past three years. You can obtain a Driver’s Abstract by calling 1-800-663-3051, or visiting the Government Agent's office at 1020 Murray Street, Smithers, between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday to Friday.

You may submit an application form and purchase your membership share before attending an orientation session but you will not become an official GO2 member and be able to book the vehicle(s) until you have attended the orientation session and your application has been approved.

Become a corporate member

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The GO2 Carshare Cooperative could provide substantial savings in your employees’ work-related travel expenses.

The car share's initial vehicle, a 2010 Toyota Prius, is ideal for highway trips to branch offices or to visit clients and the cooperative’s rates could be less than the current Treasury Board of Canada reimbursement rates.

The Benefits:

  • The costs include gas, insurance, maintenance, cleaning and repairs;
  • Your cooperative shares are fully refundable;
  • Your corporate membership automatically includes four drivers;
  • You receive one monthly invoice from the car share cooperative instead of separate expense claims from your employees; 
  • Your employees do not have to absorb the costs of depreciation and wear and tear on their personal vehicles while using them for work; and
  • Your membership includes a reciprocal arrangement with the Victoria Car Share Cooperative and the Cooperative Auto Network in Vancouver. This means you can use those car share vehicles and pay our car share rates instead of the more costly option of renting a vehicle when you are doing business in Victoria and Vancouver.

The Numbers:

  • There are three billing packages, based on high, medium and low usage of the vehicles.
  • Your monthly invoice is adjusted automatically to reflect the vehicle usage – if your employee usage falls into the low use plan, then you pay those rates. If usage is higher the next month, then you are billed accordingly with the medium or high use plan rate.
  • A daily rate of $60.00 is also available and it may also be booked for overnight travel. (Please note the daily rate does not include the cost of gas.)
 

Low Use Plan

(100 or fewer kms/month

Medium Use Plan

(101-300 kms / month

High Use Plan

(300+ kms / month)

Administrative Fee $35.00 $35.00 $35.00
GO2 Carshare Cooperative Corporate Rates
Hourly Rate $1.50 $1.50 $1.50
Mileage Rate $0.43 / km $0.38 / km $0.28 / km

 

How it works:

  • We conduct an on-site information / orientation session for you and your employees.
  • Your company / organization joins the cooperative with a one-time purchase of fully-refundable shares worth $750.
  • Each of the primary drivers submits an application form, proof of their valid B.C. driver's license and their clean driving record (driver's abstract).
  • Additional drivers can be added to your membership with the purchase of one additional share ($250) per driver.
  • Once the administrative details are confirmed, your employees can begin booking and using the car for their work-related travel.
  • You receive one monthly invoice with all travel and trip details fully documented.

To join, please call (250) 877-6030 or email GO2 today.

Resources

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Rideshare Week is October 4-8, 2010. Pledge to carpool this week to save money and prevent harmful emissions. There are many great resources out there, including information on how to set up a carpool for your workplace. For more ideas, and a chance to win great prizes, visit Jack Bell Ride-Share for BC.

The goal of Carpool.ca's Annual Carpool Week Campaign is to increase program awareness and encourage commuters to try carpooling. Carpool.ca holds a variety of promotions in towns and cities across Canada. There are also a lot of great carpooling ideas and resources, including savings calculators, on carpool.ca's website.

In the "Other Things We Think are Cool" category...check out BEST (Better Environmentally Sound Transportation). BEST also runs an "AutoObesity" program, which encourages car owners to get "Auto Fit".

About Carsharing

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From humble European beginnings over twenty years ago, car sharing has become a fast-growing global movement. Car sharing organizations (CSOs) owe their popularity to the convenience and financial benefits they offer individuals and households needing only occasional access to a vehicle, as well as to the multiple environmental and community benefits they provide.

Car shares offer flexible access to a vehicle for people who:

  • Are concerned about the environmental impacts of vehicles and are actively seeking ways to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and ecological footprint;
  • Would like to save a significant portion of the $10,700 a year it costs the average Canadian household to own and operate a vehicle*;
  • Occasionally need different types of vehicles for different types of tasks; and
  • Embrace the spirit of co-ownership.

Unlike car rental agencies, the cooperative structure of car sharing allows members to become part owners of a multipurpose fleet of vehicles that they can reserve and use on an as-needed basis. As such, the cooperative is governed by a board of directors, and run democratically with each member having equal voting rights at the cooperative’s Annual General Meetings.

The model provides the benefits of private vehicle ownership while diffusing ownership and operating costs and tasks. Combined with other sustainable transportation modes – biking, bussing and ridesharing – car shares add to a range of possibilities, enabling members to choose the optimal form of transportation for a given situation.

The benefits of car sharing are far reaching, ranging from financial rewards for individual members to environmental benefits that are global in scope. Individuals, especially those in lower income brackets, benefit from new opportunities to save the time and money associated with owning and maintaining a vehicle. Communities benefit from improved air quality along with increased transportation options and improved mobility for residents. Reduced automobile usage can reduce greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to pressing global issues such as climate change and global warming.

* Taken from the Canadian Automobile Association’s 2009 Driving Costs brochure.

About GO2 Carshare

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The GO2 Carshare Cooperative aims to significantly reduce carbon emissions in the Bulkley Valley.

Personal transportation (cars, trucks, and SUV's) accounts for 35% of the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the Bulkley Valley, and residents who are interested in reducing their GHG gas emissions are encouraged to join the car share cooperative. By cooperatively owning a vehicle, co-op members have the convenience of using a vehicle without the associated costs of maintenance, repairs, insurance and fuel, and have the satisfaction of knowing that the emissions from the vehicle will be countered through the purchase of carbon offsets.

Car sharing organizations (CSOs) owe their popularity to the convenience and financial benefits they offer to households needing only occasional access to a first or second vehicle, as well as to the multiple environmental and community benefits they provide.

Car shares offer flexible access to a vehicle for people who:

  • are concerned about the environmental impacts of vehicles and are actively seeking ways to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and ecological footprint;
  • would like to save a significant portion of the $10,700 it costs the average household to own and operate a vehicle each year (figure taken from CAA’s “Driving Costs”, 2009);
  • occasionally need different types of vehicles for different types of tasks; and
  • embrace the spirit of co-ownership.

Unlike car rental agencies, the cooperative structure of car sharing allows members to become part owners of a multipurpose fleet of vehicles that they can reserve and use on an as-needed basis. The system provides the benefits of private vehicle ownership while diffusing ownership costs and maintenance tasks. Combined with other sustainable transportation modes – biking, taking the bus and car-pooling – car shares add to a range of possibilities, enabling members to choose the optimal form of transportation for a given situation.

Want to learn more?

Give us a call at (250) 877-6030 or email GO2.

Want to get involved?

We are currently recruiting board members and volunteers. Get in touch with GO2 to sign-up or if you have any questions. Or, come visit us at the One Sky office at 3768 2nd Avenue, Smithers.

This project received funding from Environment Canada's EcoAction Community Funding Program.
GO2 also acknowledges the support of One Sky - Canadian Institute of Sustainable Living, enterprising non-profits (enp), Vancity Community Foundation, and the Bulkley Valley Research Centre.

Join

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As a GO2 co-op member, you can enjoy all the benefits of using a vehicle without any of the headaches associated with owning one.

To be a GO2 member, you:

  • Are 19 or older;
  • Have had a clean driving record for three or more years.

To join GO2, you:

  • Attend an orientation session;
  • Submit an application form and proof of your driving record;
  • Become a member of the cooperative and purchase a membership share (which is fully refundable should you ever leave the cooperative);
  • Agree to bide by the terms and policies of Membership Manual and other car share polices.

To sign up for an orientation session, please email GO2 Carshare or call us at (250) 877-6030.

The membership share for individuals is $500. Any additional individuals residing in the same household as the Full Member may join as an Associate Member. An Associate Membership share is $250. Membership shares can be paid by cheque or cash, and a payment plan is available, so please contact us to discuss this option.

Download an application form (pdf), or call (250) 877-6030 or email GO2 Carshare to request one.

As part of your application form, you must provide proof of your BC Driver’s License and a Driver’s Abstract of your driving record for the past three years. You can obtain a Driver’s Abstract by calling 1-888-715-7775 or by visiting the Government Agent's office at 1020 Murray Street, Smithers, between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday to Friday.

You may submit an application form and purchase your membership share before attending an orientation session but you will not become an official GO2 member and be able to book the vehicle(s) until you have attended the orientation session and your application has been approved.

Corporate members are also welcome. Find out more.

Savings & Benefits

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According to the Canadian Automobile Association's 2009 "Driving Costs" brochure, Canadians spend a average of $10,700 a year on the ownership and operating costs of their vehicles. GO2 members can pay a fraction of that amount.

  • The Cooperative Auto Network in Vancouver estimates its members spend $1,400 per year, for annual savings of approximately $8,400.
  • Nelson Carshare Co-op members spend $750-$2,400 per year, depending on their rate of use, so they save anywhere from $7,400 to $9,050 per year.

The industry rule of thumb is that if you drive less than 13,000 kms a year, or need to use a car less than five days a week, car sharing may be right for you.

Costs

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The GO2 fee structure is based on the industry norm of combining an hourly usage fee with a per kilometre fee. While our hourly rate is fixed at $1.50/hour, our mileage rates vary based on whether you are a low, medium or high use member. Members also pay a monthly administration fee, which again will vary based on your month-to-month use of the vehicles.

Our fees include the costs of fuel, insurance, maintenance and repairs! And if you do not use a vehicle one month, you are not charged any fees.

For longer trips, we also offer a daily rate of $60, but this rate does not include the costs of gas.

There are five different types of fees associated with being a GO2 member:

Unfortunately, there are also taxes…but remember, you do not pay for fuel, insurance, maintenance or repairs!

In order to ensure the co-op runs smoothly for the benefit of all its members, additional fees may also be charged for misuse such as: late vehicle return, losing a key, returning the vehicle with excessive mess or dirt, etc.

Book a Vehicle

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On-line booking is now available to our members! To see if your requested date and time are available, you can check the June and July booking schedules (pdf) here.

Please read the instructions below before booking on-line for the first time.

You can also book the vehicle the old-fashioned way: Members can email or call the GO2 Carshare at (250) 877-6030 with their requests.

Not a member?

Join the GO2 Carshare Cooperative so you can book a car share vehicle and start saving money and reducing your carbon footprint. Call or email us today!

How it Works

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As a Smithers GO2 Carshare Cooperative member, you use the vehicle whenever you need it, for as long as you need it.

GO2 Carshare

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Need Wheels?

  • Want ACCESS to a car without the cost and hassle of owning one?
  • Want to become a SINGLE CAR family but still need occasional access to a second vehicle?
  • Looking to SAVE money?
  • Want to REDUCE your carbon footprint?

If you answered "yes" to any of those questions, then being a GO2 member may be right for you!

The GO2 Carshare Cooperative is a new way to get around Smithers. As a member you can use the vehicle whenever you need it, for as long as you need it.

How does it work?

  1. Login to the website and book the vehicle online.
  2. Drive it where you need to go.
  3. Return the vehicle to same spot.
  4. Receive a monthly bill based on usage. Your fees include the costs of gas, insurance, and maintenance!
  5. Others use the vehicle when you don't need it.

Join today! Call (250) 877-6030 or email GO2.

This project received funding from Environment Canada's EcoAction Community Funding Program.

The GO2 Carshare Cooperative is also proudly supported by One Sky - Canadian Institute of Sustainable Living, enp (enterprising non-profits), the Vancity Community Foundation and the Bulkley Valley Research Centre.

GO2 has gratefully received in-kind donations from Bachrach Communications, Bulkley Valley Consulting and Spark Design Co.

Energetic Olympics Heavy Weight Winners

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Energetic Olympics Officially Closed Banner

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Energetic Olympics Light Weight Winners

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General

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Sierra Leone

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Peru

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One Sky in Smithers

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One Sky AGA 2007

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Mali

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Nigeria

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Interns

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Photo Gallery

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Events

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Home

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Contact Us

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Head Office:


1635 Grandview Road

Gibsons, British Columbia

Canada V0N 1V5

Tel 1-604-886-0508

cell 1-604-989-9402

Site Map

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What is holarchy?

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In 1967, Arthur Koestler put forward a theory of holarchy (The Ghost in the Machine) that seemed to underpin how natural systems are organized. He coined the term “holon” for an entity that was whole in and of itself and also part of a greater whole; a whole-part. He suggested that we are organized, in embedded or nested degrees of increasing complexity.  Each whole becoming part of a greater, more complex whole. As letters make up words, and words make up paragraphs, and paragraphs make up pages, and pages make up books, so too are we organized psychologically, physically and socially in ever increasing complexity. Something unique and powerful happens at each level of complexity, which is more than the sum of the parts, an important observation in terms of development or environmental sustainability theory.  The simplest rule of holarchy is that if you take away holons of lesser complexity the more complex ones disappear. No letters and there are no words, no words means no sentences, and so on. Conversely, if individual social change agents are skilled leaders, organizations tend to be strong. Healthy networks are the product of active, engaged and healthy organizations. There is a direction and development to the embedded or nested holons.  Some elements depend on others. It is not possible to have a healthy organization or network unless there are strong individuals on whom to rely. Ken Wilber, an American philosopher, later developed the concept and expounded on twenty tenets of holarchy that underpin the theory.

 

How does this relate to our web page?  Note that One Sky is a holon… an organization made up of many individuals.  But One Sky is also in partnership and in networks that make it a part of a greater whole.  Ultimately these partnerships and networks are part of a global movement toward sustainability.  Why is this important and why did we structure our web page this way? Well, it all starts with “you” or “I” and from you and I we move to the concept of “us” and when we realize that “we” are part of a greater “we” it all starts to make sense that we “all live under One Sky”.  But remember the rule of holons...if you take away holons of lesser complexity the more complex ones disappear.  That is why individuals are so important to the functioning of One Sky and hence you will note an underpinning philosophy within our organization on personal ecology, personal health and the need for personal leadership.  That is why “we” at One Sky thought it was important to include a section on “you” on our webpage.

If you would like to read more on holarchy we were particularly inspired by the work of Ken Wilber and his exquisite writings on integral theory.

News

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