Renewal News and Blog

Summer Reflection

Thea Richmond — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 15:19:33 -0700

The following is an excerpt from a letter to Joel Solomon. Daniel Harris is a student who spent this past summer in Vancouver, visiting from Nashville, volunteering his time on a number of different initiatives including Gregor Robertson's mayoral nomination campaign.

I want to express my deep and sincere gratitude for the enriching experience that you constructed for me this past summer.

You instilled in me the value of purpose driven work. I feel like this is now engraved in both my soul and my being and that this philosophy will continue to be a part of me for the remainder of my time on earth.

I also have a much better understanding now of the importance and urgency of sustainability. While I was vaguely familiar with the triple bottom line before coming to Vancouver, I feel like I have a grasp on how these concepts must directly correlate with a company's growth.

The best part about all of this is that I have an incredible opportunity to co-create a sustainable business model with Mark Deutschmann as we begin to think about growing Village Real Estate over the next 20 years throughout progressive cities in North America. First Charleston, NC then Vancouver?

I am now writing Village Real Estate's Green and Sustainable plan and truly believe that we can use the real estate transaction to help change the world. I look forward to the opportunity to discuss this with you in the future.

I wish you the best and feel blessed to have you as an ally on my journey!

Vancouver's Nicole Rycroft Detained in Beijing

Thea Richmond — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 17:03:03 -0700

The following story about Nicole Rycroft, Executive Director of Markets Initiative and Endswell Foundation grantee, is from Linda Solomon's article in the Vancouver Observer.

Nicole Rycroft and another activist representing Students for a Free Tibet are pictured above earlier today in Beijing on top of a billboard reading: Beijing 2008. Rycroft and the other activist unfurled a banner that said: "Free Tibet." It remained in place for a half an hour, before authorities removed it and arrested the activists, Mel Raoul, a member of Students for a Free Tibet said tonight. Rycroft is currently being detained.

Before her arrest, Rycroft explained in an email to friends why she was risking being detained:

You know me as one of Canada’s leading environmental activists and social entrepreneurs, but before I moved to Canada and founded Markets Initiative I did war zone human rights work in Burma. Knowing this you may be a little less surprised when you find out that I am currently under arrest in China for having protested the ongoing human rights abuses of Tibetans. I participated in a peaceful direct action in Beijing where I unfurled a large banner from one of the Olympic promotional billboards with a number of other pro-Tibet sympathizers.

I hope to be back safe and sound in Canada, running my organization very soon. Even more I hope that the people in Tibet can practice their culture, live without fear of reprisal and live in freedom and peace. Part of this peace will be the right to a government of their choice and an assurance that their sacred spaces are not being despoiled for resource extraction to feed China’s industrial machinery.

As many of you already know, I was an elite athlete (rower) in Australia in the 1990’s. Little did I know, when I was training to be in the Olympics, that my principles would take me to “the games of peace”, to act more directly for peace outside the stadium walls.

For me, China holding this important event, while practicing such egregious human rights abuses, is beyond irony. I feel strongly that I have a responsibility, as a former athlete, and a person of conscience, to put as much towards my principles as I once did towards my training.

This is what my heart beats for. I’ll communicate again once I am released back to Canada.

In peace,

Nicole

Raoul described the "action" as follows:

"They climbed a billboard that was advertising the Beijing 2008 games which was right in front of CCTV, the main television network for China. Five activists were involved in the action, Nicole and a British man climbed over the edge of the billboard and unfurled a banner.

"They found an access point and managed to get to the top of it. They climbed over the edge and rappelled down the billboard. Both of the climbers had Tibet flags on their backs.

"They were on the billboard for about 30 minutes, Raoul said.

Hollyhock's 22nd Summer Gathering

Joel Solomon — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 10:36:24 -0700

Rick Ingrasci and Torkin Wakefield knew each other because they served along with their respective spouses, Peggy Taylor and Charles Steinberg, as chairs of the Humanistic Psychology Association. Rex Weyler and Shivon Robinsong met in the founding times of Greenpeace. Together with a few other friends from arts, psychology, and activism, they founded Hollyhock in 1982.

For most of the 26 years since then, Rick and Torkin have teamed up to produce and host an annual crafted gathering during glorious mid summer at Hollyhock's Cortes Island campus. As the first of what is now a series and variety of these gatherings at Hollyhock, this one is still known as “The Summer Gathering.”

Having historically limited attendance to the more intimate 70 or so number of attendees, this year they turned up the volume. The result was 110 exceptional thinkers, writers, teachers, activists, artists, leaders, funders, entrepreneurs, organizers, and musicians.

Morning plenaries played off the rapidly adapting "TED format" with 15 minute presentations on a diverse range of topics. Afternoons were full of Open Space breakouts. Evenings saw creative experiences, social events, talent sharing, and parties.

Olatunji Hall was the venue this year and it served well. The presence of Babatunde himself can be felt throughout this stunning Hall. He came to Hollyhock many times before his passing several years ago. The heir to his teachings in West African traditions, as expressed through drumming, dancing, singing and spiritual practices, Gordy Ryan and his wife Zoe, built this extraordinary space in his honour.

The Summer Gathering is another highlight event of social networking technology that Hollyhock and its producer collaborators are building upon year after year. Once again, I met so many fabulous people and only scratched the surface. The real treasure of it all is the growing linkage of a wide range of phenomenal people across north america and beyond. That's true gold.

More people need to think about the arts of intentional social network gathering. As Rick likes to say, “throwing a better party is crucial to effective community engagement”. Citizenship, friendship, synergistic action, and peer learning, are but the more obvious products of this type work. The ultimate goal is a just and peaceful society we can leave for our descendants.

Exciting Lunchtime Lecture Series Announced

Thea Richmond — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 16:13:09 -0700

Urban Lunchtime Lecture Series - “Leadership for Change - Making Change Happen”.

Want to make a difference but don’t know how? Explore the tactics, creativity, pitfalls, and challenges of what it takes to create change in the world. A potent mix of storytelling and skill sharing, this series brings together leaders who used creative thinking and courage to change the world. Speakers come from the worlds of activism, business, the arts and many others. With this series you’ll learn new ways to make change in your community and beyond, by hearing their personal struggles and what they did to overcome the odds.

Our long time partners, Hollyhock and Hollyhock Leadership Institute, in collaboration with UBC and Vancity, have developed a fabulous lunch time speakers series entitled: Leading for Change – Making Change Happen. This dynamic series will feature some of the best Social Venture Institute (SVI) and Social Change Institute (SCI) speakers (David Eby, Peter Robinson, Tzeporah Berman and Judy Rebick) and will take place once a month from September thorugh December at UBC Robson Square during lunchtime (12:00 - 1:30 pm). Organic coffee and tea will be provided.

The cost is $15 per lecture and $12 for non-profits, seniors and students. Please note that there is a 10% discount for signing up for more then one lecture. To register, call UBC Continuing Studies: 604.822.1444.

For further details about the speakers and each lecture topic please see our Upcoming Events page.

Carol Newell in the News

Thea Richmond — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 11:37:15 -0700

Carol Newell, Renewal's Principal, is featured in BC Business Magazine's article, 'The Inheritance Problem'. Click Here to read about how Carol activated her inheritance to make positive change and how she encourages others to do the same.

Momentous Momentum Conference

Joel Solomon — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 11:04:06 -0700

I had a memorable experience a couple of weeks ago in San Francisco at the stimulating Momentum Conference, produced by the Tides Foundation.

Momentum gathered activists, philanthropists, and intelligentsia, drawn primarily by the call to consider strategies for solutions around the most challenging issues of the times, in light of the looming leadership change in the White House. The brainchild of Tides founder and CEO Drummond Pike (also board chair of the Endswell Foundation and a founding board member of Tides Canada Foundation), Momentum was patterned on the renowned TED and Idea City conferences, all with a progressive agenda focus.

I was asked to share my experience with the Canadian health care system as it related to my November 2007 kidney transplant. The idea was to help raise the profile of the national health care agenda and help debunk some of the negative propaganda about Canada. It was a moment to tie my health diagnosis 30 years ago, to my choice of life purpose, and to give a sketch of the work of Renewal.

My carefully planned talk was redesigning itself and eventually falling into disarray as I listened to a series of brilliant speakers before me. Following Stephen Lewis, one of Canada's greatest orators, was both a great honour and a wonderful opportunity for humility and learning. From the moment I’d seen who was speaking before me, I knew that Ambassador Lewis would have the audience spell bound and far beyond their comfort zones. Hearing him speak is always a priority for me.

Stephen's remarks instantly ripped open our hearts. He gave a litany of statistics about sexual violence being perpetrated against women as a war tactic. He went through country after country, war after war, including Iraq and Afghanistan. He implored us to demand our nations halt their silent complicity.

For 18 minutes the images and facts poured forth almost as fast as he could speak. Most of the room was stunned and in tears.

Upon conclusion to a resounding standing ovation, Drummond wisely called for a period of silence. The outrage and horror of the wealthiest and most powerful nations on earth standing by and for the most part ignoring these atrocities, sunk into our souls.

"I'm glad the next speaker is my friend, because he has no choice but to come on up to the podium and be the next presenter."

With that slight break of the tension in the room, the reality of the situation settled into me enough and I stood up and walked on stage.

Renewal2 in the News

Thea Richmond — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 15:50:39 -0700

Paul Richardson, President of Renewal2, was interviewed by the Venture Capital Journal for their article on Socially Responsible Investing (SRI). Click Here to read more about what Paul and other key players in the SRI realm have to say about the evolving model, deals and responsible exiting strategies.

Hollyhock Leadership Institute for Hire

Joel Solomon — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 10:57:23 -0700

HLI Launches New Fee for Service – Free Consultation Available

The Endswell Foundation has been a long time founding and general support funder of Hollyhock Leadership Institute (HLI). We are proud of HLI's role in bringing leadership and organizational skills to the non profit sector across issue areas, geography, and diverse strategies. Their work is steadily helping build alliances across historical dividing lines in many arenas, including with the for profit sector, both entrepreneurial and corporate. They are adding value for high impact leaders.

They have a strong solutions orientation, along with the unique vantage point of intelligence from a wide range of sector leadership, goals, and strategies. That combination has created demand for their Advisory Services from an impressive list of Public, Private, and Institutional organizations. They provide high level strategic thinking around community engagement, creation and navigation of successful cross sector collaborations, and maximizing social impact.

Hollyhock Leadership is offering a free one hour consultation during August, depending on availability. Call or email darcy@hollyhockleadership.org or 604-669-4802 ext 252 for more information.

Seventh Generation Named Best Company

Anna Strom — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 14:31:58 -0700

Renewal investee, Seventh Generation, named Best Company on the Planet

In The Better World Shopping Guide, How Every Dollar Can Make a Difference, by Ellis Jones, Seventh Generation was selected as the #1 best company on the planet based on a comprehensive analysis of it’s overall record of social and environmental responsibility, for the past 20 years. Seventh Generation was listed ahead of Patagonia, Ben & Jerry’s, Working Assets and Tom’s of Maine. Seventh Generation was listed as the best product in every category they competed in. All the information is available at their web site: www.thebettershopper.com. You can order the book and even download the ratings to your iphone or ipod.

Mark Albion’s “More Than Money” Offered to Business Schools

Anna Strom — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 15:23:50 -0700

Check out SVN member company, publisher Berrett-Koehler. They are offering business schools free electronic copies of Mark Albion's new book "More Than Money."

This short career guidebook is intended to help MBAs navigate a fulfilling life of contribution and comfort. The book is based on the 40 or so speeches Mark gives each year at business schools, as co-founder of Net Impact.