Workforce Leaders Chart Course for Non-profits’ Future

by Zack Gross

A year of meetings, networking, events and engagement with government have led to the Manitoba non-profit sector taking stock of its past and present, and embarking on its future.   The Manitoba Federation of Non-Profit Organizations (MFNPO) has made a solid connection with our provincial government, enlisting the participation of its Statistics Bureau in quantifying and analyzing the situation of the sector in Manitoba’s changing demographic.

            Wilf Falk, Chief Provincial Statistician, says that the non-profit sector needs to know what the trends are in the province and how they will impact on our population and on our organizations.  For instance, we have 16,000 new immigrants arriving every year, the greatest number since the end of World War II.  We need to understand how this will change our province and change the role of non-profits – what the needs will be and what the workforce will need to be capable of.

            As our aboriginal population grows, greater efforts are being made to get the advice of First Nations leaders in order to meet their needs both as a community as a workers in the non-profit sector.  Similarly with new Manitobans from overseas, we need to see how to connect with new-to-us cultures.  No longer is it acceptably to say that so-called “minority groups” must adapt to our way of doing things. Florence Okwudili, a Manitoban of Nigerian origin and MFNPO Board Member, says that we need to understand the change that is happening in our province, and that leaders in our workforce and government need to pay attention to that change and to society’s needs.

            Says Wilf Falk:  If we are going to get off the merry-go-round, we need to engage in planning based on knowing the facts of our province’s current development.  This includes dealing with the changes that will take place when the Baby Boom Generation retires.  He asks:  How will the sector adapt to the loss of knowledge and replace the people, skills and networks that now exist?  How will we ensure that competent, energetic people want to work in the non-profit sector?

             Adds Monika Feist, CEO and Director of the Success Skills Centre, we need to share our stories, challenges and hopes.  It doesn’t matter whether we are from Winnipeg, a rural area or the North, we are likely dealing with many of the same issues.  Bev Stuart, Director of the Alliance of Manitoba Sector Councils, says that the non-profit sector is one of the largest entities in the industrial workforce, standing at 33,000 employees and set to rise to as high as 100,000 as the province grows and the sector takes on a larger role.

            Along with the newer cultural diversity reality of Manitoba, the non-profit sector also has to connect with youth as clients and as workers.  Stuart praises the MFNPO for its efforts to make training opportunities available around the province to sector workers, and to reach out to communities not necessarily included in the past.  Ultimately, she says, there needs to be a collective approach to workforce development.  People need to get the facts, understand the trends and work together on strategies to deal with future challenges.

            How government support, in the way of new streamlined procedures and longer-term funding, will impact on this process is still too early to tell.  And the level at which government will be willing to engage with the non-profit sector is still “yet to be determined”.  Says one government staffer:  The pilot projects are at an early stage and we don’t know yet what we will learn from them.  Says another:  We need to renew the process that got us started on this road and reconnect with our non-profit sector partners. 

            How the MFNPO’s efforts will impact on its own sector is a challenge that its leadership is undertaking.  Executive buy-in is key.  Can the leadership at the top levels of staff and Boards understand how planning needs to be done collectively to strengthen the sector - and that by strengthening the sector as a whole, they are ensuring the on-going success of their own organization to find the resources it needs, to do the administrative and programmatic work it was created for, and to benefit the people to whom it is dedicated?

             Only time will tell, and as one MFNPO leader suggests:  This is urgent.  We need to prepare for the future now.

Zack Gross has spent a forty-plus year career in the non-profit sector, from volunteer to Executive Director.  He has participated in national and provincial committees of the international development assistance movement, and of the overall non-profit sector

Provincial Initiative Could Streamline Non-Profit Administration, Benefit Programs

By Zack Gross

            In the Throne Speech, delivered in April of 2011, Manitoba Premier Greg Selinger committed his government to implementing a two-year four-point strategy that would stabilize funding and clear away red tape to the benefit of the non-profit sector, and therefore to the benefit of the vast majority of Manitobans, as they work for, volunteer with or are the clients of the programs and services of our sector.  Non-profits hope that this will be a long-term provincial commitment, rather than a short-term fix.

            “Non-profit groups are everyday heroes”, said Selinger at the time, “who help improve the quality of life for Manitobans.  They should be allowed to focus on programs not paperwork.”  The four-point strategy includes:

·      Piloting multi-year, multi-program funding with a few non-profits with a proven track record and then expanding this initiative after evaluation.  Methodology and criteria for evaluation will be key and non-profits hope for input into this process.

·      Creating a single-window application process for provincial funding and an on-line non-profit web portal.  Best practice advice could come from the model used by the Winnipeg Foundation.

·      Eliminating duplication in reporting requirements for organizations dealing with multiple provincial programs. Harmonization will take wisdom and courage but would be unique in Canada.

·      Helping organizations to save money by encouraging shared services such as legal, human resources and accounting.

The Manitoba Federation of Non-Profit Organizations (MFNPO) is a key partner in working with the province on these three pilot streamlining initiatives.  Along with changes that will help non-profits focus on programs instead of paperwork, MFNPO is also engaged with the province as a partner in delivering workforce planning and training, through Human Resources Hubs in Winnipeg and Thompson, skills training (two series), and labour market information collection and analysis.  A robust and sustainable non-profit sector will require on-going commitment.  Many don’t realize the size and value of the sector as an often under-funded, over-worked, passionate deliverer of programs and services in health, social support, immigrant and aboriginal concerns, youth projects and more.

            The sector believes that this financial process streamlining will save organizations untold hours in filling out applications and reports when they receive funding from several departments.  Stable, multi-year funding allows non-profits to plan long-term initiatives and to know their needs in terms of staffing, space and resources, while allowing them to build long-term relationships with their clientele.  This will make their programs more efficient and effective.  A one-stop shop and one-window application process would be a dream come true! That is the belief!!!!

            Beyond these promised nuts-and-bolts improvements in the way non-profits are funded and in how they apply and report, the MFNPO is seeking a long-term collaboration or engagement with the province that would see both sides work hand-in-hand to research, plan and deliver programs and services of benefit to Manitoba communities.  This means that the two sides, although both sincere about supporting the betterment of our society, but who conceive of delivery in quite different ways - and at times have been at loggerheads or just talking past one another - will have to seek ways to share planning and programming space.

            This is not easy for a “funder” and a “fundee” to pull off!  Nor do the various government departments or indeed the “grassroots” speak with one voice!  The direction that this effort might take could well be unique within Canada.  However, high quality and relevant programming cannot be delivered by the non-profit sector with not just a seat at the table, but also a voice that is valued.  To see the role and future of the sector in a long-term sustainable way, and to undertake the necessary research, planning, development and training to understand the province and its needs today and down the road – and meet those needs - the sector needs to engage with government on a regular basis and be respected as a partner.

            With a provincial election well past and new Ministers and staffs named, and with a major conference on the sector, the Collective Impact Colloquium, in the offing for MFNPO February 28^th to March 2^nd at the Canad Inns Fort Garry in Winnipeg, it is time to address the province’s commitment again, and make sure that words are followed by action.

Zack Gross has worked in the non-profit sector throughout a forty year career and has participated in several initiatives to improve our sector and Manitoba communities. He was awarded a Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal in 2002 in recognition of his contribution to global and local development efforts.

New Initiatives by Non-Profits the Product of Decade of Sector Development

By Zack Gross

           In today’s economic and social climate, Manitoba non-profits face many challenges.  First of all, there is the challenge of the issues that the non-profit sector deals with – poverty, health, immigration, literacy, the environment, youth, crime, and the list goes on and on.  Secondly, there is the issue of how non-profits deal with the administrative and funding challenges that pre-occupy them when they are really trying to get to that first set of issues.  Finally, there is always the question of ensuring the competence and sustainability of the sector, making certain that we know how to do our jobs, that the public trusts us, and that our sector can be sustained into a future that includes demographic, skill and cultural changes.

            To that end, MFNPO as a human resource sector council has worked tirelessly for more than a decade to explore and address these concerns. It started many years ago with the Manitoba Voluntary Sector Initiative (MVSI) and its Secretariat on Voluntary Sector Sustainability, and then continued with the Voluntary and Non-Profit Sector Organization of Manitoba and other related projects, which have conducted social and labour market research to determine what the key issues are facing people in our province, and how our sector can offer programs and services to its betterment.  These initiatives have also brought non-profit workers together in surveys and focus groups to get a perspective on the non-profit sector from people “in the trenches”.  And, finally, through conferences and workshops, the sector has forged agreements and alliances with labour, business and government to celebrate and plan the future role of non-profits in our society.

            A number of issues were identified in the first decade of the new millennium that impacted on the non-profit sector.  The change in the population’s work hours, from a 9 to 5 weekday society to much more shift and weekend work, and the fact that now both spouses in a relationship work full-time has meant great changes in the availability of working adults and parents to the sector.  The growth, particularly in cities, of aboriginal and immigrant populations, has meant a cultural change to how non-profits approach both their programs and their recruitment of volunteers.  Our sector, at that time and still today, was staffed largely by women – overworked, underpaid, undertrained and, therefore, often ready to move on, creating a revolving door at the staff entrance. 

Changes in technology have meant that non-profits are constantly struggling to upgrade equipment and train staff and volunteers.  Connecting with youth in a meaningful way necessitates finding out what role they want to play in our sector – what issues stir their passions and also what they expect from the “adult” age group.  Finally, rural, remote and northern non-profits experience extra challenges, with even less human and financial resources with which to confront the issues in their communities and their own development.

            In 2008, our provincial government stepped up its involvement in this process with a collaborative project, called the Non-Profit Labour Market Initiative, led by our Manitoba Federation of Non-Profit Organizations (MFNPO) in partnership with the Manitoba Bureau of Statistics, Department of Entrepreneurship, Training & Trade (ETT), and Other government departments, such as Health, Culture, Heritage & Tourism and Family Services & Housing were also connected to this process, along with The Winnipeg Foundation, the United Way of Winnipeg, the Manitoba Immigrant & Refugee Settlement Sector Association, the Aboriginal Council of Winnipeg and others.

            As the process has unfolded, aimed at strengthening first of all the health and social services side of the non-profit sector, partners have focused on our needs in training, recruitment and retention, and planning.  The commitment of government to this process has been welcomed as a sign of recognition of the key role played by the sector in daily life in the province, as an employer and as a service provider, and with the hope that there will be significant, timely and long-term benefit to the sector.

            It is to this backdrop, that the provincial government announced plans in the Throne Speech in April 2011 to engage with the non-profit sector in cutting red tape, offering stable funding, thus enabling organizations to focus on their reason for being, programs and services dedicated to the betterment of their constituencies.  What exactly the government’s announced commitment is will be addressed in the next article.

Zack Gross has worked in the non-profit sector throughout a forty year career and has participated in several initiatives to improve our sector and Manitoba communities.  He was awarded a Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal in 2002 in recognition of his contribution to global and local development efforts.  

Beyond Nonprofit

By Jeusa Raflores

 “I see myself in a leadership position five years from now. It could still be in the nonprofit sector but if I had a choice, I would rather be in government because of the stability that exists,” says Chelsea Berezuk Training Coordinator  of Manitoba Construction Sector Council, a nonprofit organization committed to strengthening the skills of Manitoba’s construction sector workforce.

Chelsea, 25 would be in the prime of her career in a few more years and she says if everything was the same (compensation, benefits, pension plan) among the government sector, nonprofit sector, and private sector, she would choose to work in the nonprofit sector. “I believe I can help more people here,” she declares.

Despite this belief, Chelsea is one of many individuals who would rather work for a different sector specifically the government. “The government has a union and you can’t lose a job as easily because there is a process that has to be undergone and in the nonprofit sector, when funds are cut, in an instant, you could end up jobless.”

Chelsea adds that the government covers employee pension plan and other extra benefits. Chelsea gleefully shares though that starting Monday February 20, she will be getting benefits. “We have been working on this and it has finally come!,” she exclaims.

But not all nonprofit employees are as lucky. In a discussion paper entitled “The State of Health of the Non-profit/Voluntary Sector in Nova Scotia by Gardner Pinfold (2010), a cited 2008 national study reveals that the more common small-sized nonprofit organization (with less than 10 employees), has an average of 60.8% employers providing employee benefits that cover: prescription drug plan, dental care, other medical coverage, life and/or disability insurance, vision care, and Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP) contribution. Meanwhile, 34.9% of nonprofit employers give a pension plan or pension plan contribution.This means that an average of 40% of nonprofit organization employees do not get benefits, and an average of 65% do not get RRSP contribution a pension plan, or pension plan contribution.

With these statistics, Chelsea’s vision may not be an isolated one especially with the government sector giving benefit programs that include the Ambulance & Hospital Semi-Private (AHSP), Dental, Vision, Prescription Drugs, Extended Health, Travel Health, Long-Term Disability (LTD) plans and Health Spending Account. This is in addition to the Registered Retirement Savings Plan meant to promote savings for retirement.

While Chelsea and most other nonprofit sector employees find more meaning and reward in providing human services that impact everyone’s quality of life, their own quality of life must not be ignored.

Hopefully, nonprofit employees would still see themselves or wish to be in the nonprofit sector five or ten years from now. In this way, human services will continue to be provided and it will be truly for all.

Jeusa Raflores is an Instructor and tutor at Workplace Education Manitoba, and a building facilitator for the Alliance of Manitoba Sector Councils.  She also does freelance research and writing in addition to being a reading specialist.

Living on Less: A Choice or Misfortune?

By Jeusa Raflores

She wears a knitted maroon sweater, showing some wear. She has gray slacks and flat shoes—nothing fancy, not in any way close to stylish office get up.

With white hair and bangs that touches her black eye glasses, she smiles and talks about affordable housing in Winnipeg. She grabs the Home section of a newspaper, shows and explains bank and credit union interest rates and then she gets another bunch of real estate magazines, explains more, and offers that you take the magazines home for more reading. And then, she will grab a marker and write on a white board explaining how a thirty-year interest could kill you.

She explains everything in detail, looking at you in the eye, and with a sweet smile and a voice of conviction that exhibits expertise on the subject.

It is only a matter of time before you realize that you are talking to a woman of passion and dedication to work. She shows real concern, she epitomizes commitment.

When she educates and guides you on your quest to find your own dwelling, you will feel like you’ve known her for long or that she is family. She would discuss in detail the process of attaining and retaining decent affordable housing in Winnipeg, even relating her own experiences living at the heart of downtown— along Young Street. She would give photocopies of information she has collected and explain each one carefully, making sure you understand her as she knows English is not the normal first language of newcomers.

Her name is Karen Giesbrecht, Housing Advisor of New Journey Housing Resource center, a non-profit organization established to assist and train newcomers as they search for decent, affordable housing.

Karen is 60 and has helped people most of her life through nonprofit organizations such as Spence Neighborhood Association and Habitat for Humanity.

 “I like helping people to understand and make use of government grants and other programs that assist low-income learners,” she says.

In a couple of years though, she might be retiring and she declares, “I have learned to live on little, so I am not afraid.” Karen explained that she has not gotten any extra pension or benefit from nonprofit organizations she worked for. “I just have CPP and Old Age Security, and I try to prepare for my retirement as much as I can.”

Karen believes that if nonprofit sector employees would get additional benefits and pension, only half as many beneficiaries of nonprofit organization projects would get funded. And so she says, “I have accepted whatever compensation package offered by nonprofit organizations because even if there is not a lot of money, I like to help. When I retire, I will just live on less.”

Like Michael Owen, retired President and Chief Executive Officer of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Winnipeg, who served kids in poor economic areas and provided kids with different activities, scholarships, recreational and leadership trainings, sport events, and the like, Karen believes that working for the nonprofit sector is “a choice.”

“Even if we spend time dedicated to work and contribute to society, people are unaware of that contribution that is why we are not that recognized…It is sad, but we chose this life,” Michael Owen confirms.

Karen and Michael are just two of many nonprofit retirees/soon retirees who have come to the conclusion that nonprofit organization work is a sacrifice. Getting good compensation, pension, and benefits is a privilege or rather a challenge to acquire, and so living on less even until retirement is a choice made upon working for the nonprofit sector.

But once Karen and the few others like her who seem content with their upcoming retirement finally do retire, who will fill their shoes?  

In a survey done by the National HR Council on Non Profits in 2008 entitled “Toward a Labour Force Strategy for Canada’s Voluntary & Non-Profit Sector” it was found that of those employees who were looking for a new job, 41 per cent mentioned

dissatisfaction with salary as their primary reason.

Another research by McLean, Linda (2006) entitled “Sustaining Passion and Commitment: An Examination of Staff”  “Non-profit employees consistently rank satisfaction with intrinsic rewards as high; however, they consistently rank satisfaction with extrinsic rewards as low.”

In a perfect world, many people might be waiting to replace people like Karen and fulfill their community dreams however, in an imperfect world with people who have their own needs for security, what awaits the future of the nonprofit sector?

Jeusa Raflores is an Instructor and tutor at Workplace Education Manitoba, and a building facilitator for the Alliance of Manitoba Sector Councils.  She also does freelance research and writing in addition to being a reading specialist.

Telling Our Stories of the Nonprofit Sector

Innovation Stories is a continuing MFNPO initiative dedicated to telling stories about the community-based human services component of the Manitoba nonprofit sector.  In the coming months, citizen reporters will trek through organizations to investigate and develop stories that highlight the learning  taking place in addressing need and transforming how our nonprofit sector operates.

This initiative will go beyond  a mainstream media focus on clients, and go deeper into the organizations themselves. Changes are taking place, especially with innovative leaders who move from a charity mindset to social investment culture, pioneer distinct responses to rural, northern and Aboriginal communities, manage workforce challenges and sustain the sector despite financial barriers. We are interested in how community organizations already work in collaboration and can continue to do so.

Reflect with us as we document stories that go beyond the norm, stories that describe the novel experiment  taking place in trying to better deliver human services to Manitobans across the province.

The next two stories are about the MFNPO convening a full day session with the HR Council by inviting the Manitoba provincial government to learn from the BC government’s experience through the Government Nonprofit Initiative.

Government is not “The Borg”

“The Government is not like the Borg,” said Heather Dickson with a broad smile. Unlike the fictional  cybernetic organisms that menace the Star Trek universe, “government departments have different mandates and cultures,” said Dickson, explaining that contrary to the views of many in the non-profit sector, governments are not monolithic, cohesive or unified.

Dickson, a former British Columbia provincial government ADM who ran the BC Government Nonprofit Initiative (GNPI),  was in Winnipeg Sept. 20 to participate in a workshop entitled Provincial Governments and Non-Profit Sector Relations in the 21^st Century – Challenges and Possibilities – Manitoba and British Columbia. With her on the panel was Sid Frankel, Manitoba Federation of Non-Profit Organizations member, associate professor of social work at the University of Manitoba and a director of the Social Planning Council of Winnipeg.

They began by discussing how the nonprofit sector can help the government “do its job better.”

Drawing on her rich experience working with BC`s non-profit sector, which includes seven years as provincial chair of the Canada-BC Labour Market Development Agreement Management Committee, Dickson said that nonprofits have to “appreciate what government is going through” and understand that while “nonprofits are disparate – so is government.”

Picking up on this theme, panellist Sid Frankel observed that government confronts three problems: a lack of “knowledge in action,” insufficient resources in a “low tax, small government culture,” and low public esteem.

In most policy areas, Frankel said, government knowledge is research-based and “the experts disagree” on many questions — “for example, who should be trained for what job, or child care or child welfare.” The missing element, according to Frankel, is the “tacit knowledge” or “knowledge in action” possessed by the non-profit sector.

Frankel said the non-profit sector is positioned to help government offset its resource challenges by identifying strategic investments that government can make. In the public’s eye, he said, government suffers from “a legitimation problem.” In contrast, nonprofits enjoy broad popular support and can help government “build legitimation” for its programs.

Dickson said that the shift to third-party delivery of services means that “expertise no longer resides in government.” She described this shift as “huge” and said it is important that nonprofits understand the difficulty this poses for government and the “sense of threat” felt by “some government people.” She noted that while nonprofits are charged with program delivery, governments are responsible to the citizenry as well as to the clients of these programs. The clients are “their shared common ground.”

Dickson cautioned that when nonprofits “stand on their higher moral ground” it suggests that government has “lower moral standing.” This can cause some government people to “shut down” and therefore harms non-profit sector-government relations.

Nonprofit sector is economically significant, but faces challenges

“Non-profit organizations need to begin thinking of themselves in business case terms,” says Heather Dickson, the former provincial chair of the Canada-BC Labour Market Development Agreement Management Committee.

Speaking at a joint session of the Boards of the Manitoba Federation of Non-Profit Organizations (MFNPO) and the HR Council for the Nonprofit Sector, Sept. 20, Dickson said “there is a business case because of your size and prevalence in delivering government services,” adding it was necessary to “present yourselves as an equal partner, rather than [merely] a funded program.”

Dickson’s observation was underscored by data presented by MFNPO co-chair Martin Itzkow, who said that the Manitoba non-profit sector consists of 8,200 community-based organizations that employ approximately 100,000 people. “Together, we account for 6 percent of provincial GDP,” he said.

Itzkow suggested that the non-profit sector in Manitoba faces major challenges in the areas of labour market intelligence, skills development, finding ways to enhance the collective impact of all participants in the sector and securing sustainable funding for all labour market programs.

Bonnie Shiell, the HR Council’s research manager, underlined the need for better labour market data.  “Labour market information is poor,” she said, adding that “we need [both] data [and] the people to interpret it.”

This need will be addressed, in part, by a Statistics Canada survey of the non-profit sector that is to be conducted in 20012. As well, she said that the HR Council would be launching a new study in the next few months to model labour supply and demand for the non-profit sector. The target for completing this initiative is March 2013.

The challenges faced by the Manitoba non-profit sector are mirrored across Canada. According to Shiell, “Recruitment and retention are chronic challenges [and will be] more so in the future” with the main competition for personnel coming from government. For Shiell, this points to the need for the  integration of HR management in overall strategic planning.

For Heather Dickson, meeting these challenges requires a businesslike approach. “Productivity, research & development and investment – these are important to business and should be to the non-profit sector, as well,” she said.

“Add to that – innovation,” said Kelly Holmes, executive director of Resource Assistance for Youth, who summarized the mood of the discussion by observing “we have to be smarter than the problem.”

You’re Invited…

WHAT?

Join us to celebrate the success of our Manitoba Social Innovation Stories Project and for the launch of phase two of this initiative: a brand new bi-monthly series of public forums on a range of topics inspired by social innovation.

Be Inspired:

Listen to Manitoba social innovators share stories about how their work is transforming the non-profit sector in Manitoba today.

Speed-Dating for Social Change:

Speed-dating is not just for the loveless and lonely… it’s a powerful networking tool that innovator’s can use to supercharge connections for social transformation. Bring your big ideas and get ready to make a match!

Join the Conversation:

Innovation starts at the grass-roots and is nurtured through dialogue. The proposed bi-monthly series of innovation forums will provide a platform for citizens to share ideas and mobilize for social change. We want to hear your ideas about how to make this series exciting and relevant.

WHEN?

Tuesday, June 28th. From 6pm-8:30pm

WHERE?

Social Planning Council

300 - 207 Donald Street (corner of Donald and St. Mary Avenue) Winnipeg, MB

WHY?

Last year, the Manitoba Federation of Nonprofit Organizations Inc. in partnership with the Canadian Non-Profit Innovator’s Network launched the Social Innovation Stories Project to engage Manitobans in a conversation about the role of social innovation in building and sustaining a vibrant civil society in our province.

Our blog is one of our tools and through this blog we have been highlighting social innovations in Manitoba and beyond: from stories on alternative urban food-systems to social inclusion programs for newcomers; from innovative aboriginal youth leadership programs in Winnipeg’s inner-city, to social-enterprise and alternative financing models.

Beginning this September, the Manitoba Federation of Nonprofit Organizations wants to bring these stories to life. We are initiating a bi-monthly series of public forums that we hope will provide a space for citizens, and social innovators of all stripes to come together and incubate ideas for social change. Think TEDtalks only less elitist and more fun!

Join us on June 28th as we kick off Phase Two of the Manitoba Social Innovation Stories Project. Learn more about our plans for our social innovation forum and how you can get involved. We’ll open the night with a fun and informal “Speed Dating for Social Change” networking session to get the innovation juices flowing. A few short presentations from some of our project partners will give a taste of what to expect from the Manitoba Social Innovation Stories Project in the coming year. Light refreshments and big ideas will be the order of the day.

Come one and all!

For more information and to RSVP to this event, contact Helen Burston at the Social Planning Council: HBurston@spcw.mb.ca or (204) 943-2561

Marrying the old and new through innovation

By: Katrina Elisse Caudle

New times brings new ways of thinking. Every minute every day something is changing. But in times of rapid change, it’s important to find the balance between the new and old, to honour what has come before while not being strangled by it. Embracing those ways of thinking is the essence of innovation.

New media has been touted as the great equalizer. Any individual or organization can have a widespread media influence through the Internet, social media tools, and computers that give access to technology to shorten the gap between professional and personal. This is no small thing. Commentary on the recent Egyptian uprising has pointed back to social media being very influential accelerating the action and transmitting information. Youtube has become such a powerhouse that music companies have accounts that can officially release new videos. Through e-mail and the Internet, a local feminist group named FemRev was able to mobilize across the country to find local team members in every province for support.

The message is no boundaries. We can do anything, talk to anyone, and accomplish so much more than we could alone. It’s startling and inspiring.

But as we embrace these tools and cut our teeth on them, it’s important to recognize that the new does not erase the old. Because many of us embrace them, it doesn’t mean that they are universally better or more effective than older forms.

After all, can 140 characters on twitter replace the feeling of holding a newspaper? Does an old event on Facebook replace the torn tickets in your wallet? The digital is inherently intangible which gives it the freedom to spread like wild fire across the country. But there are some things that even the most inspiring, most advanced technology won’t ever be able to do.

And maybe, they shouldn’t. We’re physical creatures and while the Internet and digital technology have opened worlds of possibility, we will always need to see people, talk to them instead of text, hear the smile in their voice instead of reading the emoticon. We can do powerful things, but we will always need physical connection.

Understanding and recognizing that need is what will make us wiser and more innovative as a whole. Just because we can mass produce clothing, doesn’t mean that everyone feels good about what they wear or that our quality of life has gone up. It’s how we use those technologies that make a difference on a human scale.

Our globalization of our food systems has made it so that I can have any fruit I want, literally any time of the year. But because of how we developed food systems, the majority of produce grown is thrown out before it reaches the store. Another half of that is thrown out at the store, and even more gets thrown out in the home. Food banks get left with piles of farm fresh local vegetables while families take the packaged food they recognize because the vegetables look different (they’re more natural) than what’s familiar. Plus the dirt makes them look unclean. Is this an effective use of our resources? Some say there’s a hunger problem, but I’d call it a problem in how we utilize our resources. As a culture, we are definitely not very efficient.

Once we’ve developed the technology to influence our environment, it’s important that we turn an eye to how to ensure these technologies are being used and if they’re being used for the highest good of all. This might take some of the old wisdom to balance out. What if instead of globalizing, we used modern technology to re-localize food production? In the end, technology didn’t necessarily solve our need for food - but based on what we’ve learned, maybe we’re ready to refine it again. By now, we’ve got many years of experience under our belt - why not refine the process to eliminate the waste and detrimental effects on our environment? Use engineering and modern convenience to establish roof top and indoor gardens where no green space in available. Use social media to spread the word on how important it is to localize food production. Use our brains with our brawn to use what we’ve got more intelligently, with more innovation.

But we understand that. As individuals who have seen the Internet develop, gone through information overload, and seen the dangers and flaws of becoming too plugged in - we’re developing the savvy to know when to use a pen and when to use a keyboard. We’re beginning to understand that an e-mail can be sent in a moment, but that a handwritten letter will feed us in a way the computer can’t. Because the Internet and the new can never replace the old. It can only honour what we know and help it reach new heights.