You have more power to achieve the changes you are after than you think. Not as much as you might like. But more than you realize.

The trick is to claim it. And not let the boundaries of that power be defined by others, particularly government.

How much should you claim?

There is a hardy breed of activists who have set themselves the rather lofty goal of civilizing capitalism. This renaissance of capitalism will be achieved by reinventing businesses and corporations, transforming markets, recreating Wall Street, and humanizing investments.

As satisfying as your new project or initiative is, there is no rule that states it has to continue. In its current form at least.

That line from the anti-nuclear bomb folk song “Atomic Talking Blues” has been swirling around my brain since the release of recommendations by the joint Parliamentary Committee on physician-assisted dying.

Prévoyance is the ability to prepare for the unexpected in a world of uncertainty while maintaining your principles.

There is a warm line between you, your heroes and their mentors that unites memory and imagination. I witnessed this in 1995 at the first gathering of the Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) Institute. John McKnight opened the gathering providing an overview of ABCD bedrock – asset focused; internally reliant and relationship driven.

Whenever my petty mind thinks about denouncing and denigrating someone or some initiative they’ve launched, I remember these lines (by Gerard Manley Hopkins). Which in turn reminds me of the number of times an opponent or adversary surprised me with actions that made the world more just.

Something is in the air in my home town. Posters on bulletin boards everywhere including my favourite bagel shop. Daily op-ed features in the Vancouver Sun. An ambitious, week-long “public square” celebration and dialogue beginning September 18th, hosted by Simon Fraser University, on the glue that binds us together as community; our connections with each other and our engagement in community.

Together: Respecting the Future is now online at SocialInnovationBC.ca. This draft report represents the current thinking of members of the B.C. Government’s Advisory Council on Social Entrepreneurship on how best to address our province’s tough social challenges now and in the future.

On November 25, 500 social innovators will gather at Vancouver’s new Convention Centre for B.C.’s first Non-Profit Partnership Summit: Collective Impact through Social Innovation. The event, hosted by the B.C. government, has been designed to stimulate conversation among business, labour, government and community. To do that they’ve invited 5 impressive presenters; thoughtful panelists; mystery guests and you.