Community Planning and Diversity
The conference was outstanding!
Sincere thanks to all the planners, speakers and participants!
Please visit this website again soon for an online photo album.
Partnerships for inclusiveness,
social justice, and community well-being
A first international meeting of
community social planning
leaders and practitioners
from throughout the United States and
Canada
TORONTO, CANADA, MAY 4-7, 2006
Co-Sponsors
National Association of Planning Councils (NAPC) - United States
Social Planning Network of Ontario (SPNO) - Canada
Purpose .
Conference Schedule,
Topics & Speakers .
Resource Fair
Hotel .
Visiting Toronto
Download
the conference
brochure .
Download the
conference registration form
To National Association of Planning Councils (NAPC) Website
To Social Planning Network of Ontario (SPNO) Website
In communities throughout the United States and Canada, social planning councils are leading and supporting community initiatives to address community issues and bring about positive change. This conference provided a first opportunity for community planning leaders and practitioners from both countries to explore key issues...gain new perspectives, information and tools...find new colleagues... and learn from one another.
PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS
Increasingly, diversity is a key issue for communities everywhere. This conference explored:
- diversity in promising partnerships for community planning and action
- diversity in emerging social and health issues, and in approaches to addressing them
- diversity in the arenas in which councils are working for social justice
- cultural and ethnic diversity, successful perspectives and practices
- similarities and differences between Canada and the United States in community social and health planning viewpoints and practices
Participants had opportunities to:
- learn what works, from leading practitioners
- develop valuable new relationships and exchange ideas, experiences, resources, and tools with peers from across both countries
- see first-hand some interesting community building work under way in Toronto, Canada’s most diverse city
- exchange materials
- enjoy social and networking activities...get acquainted and have fun
- explore the wonderful city of Toronto
CONFERENCE CO-SPONSORS
The National Association of
Planning Councils (NAPC)…U.S.A.
NAPC is a private non-profit organization which promotes quality
community planning and supports its members as they provide leadership for
community-based human services and health planning and action. Planning
councils bring people together to identify needs and work toward solutions,
mobilizing community involvement, developing and coordinating services,
advocating for informed decisions by funders and policy makers, and linking
people with community resources.
Online: www.communityplanning.org. 11118 Ferndale Road, Dallas, Texas 75238; 1-800-795-9834; email - napc@communityplanning.org
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The Social Planning Network of Ontario (SPNO)…Canada
SPNO is a coalition of social planning councils (SPC), community development councils (CDC), resource centres, and planning committees located in various communities throughout Ontario. Each of the individual organizations has their own mandates but are connected in the cause of effecting change on social policies, conditions, and issues.
Online: www.spno.ca
CONFERENCE SCHEDULE, TOPICS, AND SPEAKERS
The conference theme of diversity was explored from several intriguing perspectives through a series of conference panels.
Presenters introduced aspects of the topic, then participants exchanged ideas and shared experiences–focusing on what works, learning from each other, and drawing inspiration, through dialogue and networking.
Please visit this website again soon to view selected presentations online.
Thursday, May 4th
Pre-conference meetings:
10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.: National meeting of leaders of social planning councils from throughout Canada (at the Harbourfront Community Center
1:00-4:00 p.m.: National Association of Planning Councils Board of Directors meeting (at the hotel)
5:00-7:00 p.m.:
THE CONFERENCE OPENED with a
RECEPTION AT CITY HALL
...hosted by Mayor David Miller
Since his election in 2002 with the support of an informal coalition of labour, social justice, and community organizations, Mayor Miller has won praise as a champion of Toronto’s diverse communities, and has provided national leadership in pursuing a "new deal" for Canadian cities in terms of funding and influence.Toronto City Hall, designed by architect Viljo Revell from Finland, is an internationally-recognized landmark–arguably the city’s most distinctive structure (and the CN tower provides tough competition!).
Afterward, participants joined others for dinner at area restaurants.
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Friday, May 5th - at the Radisson Admiral Hotel - Toronto Harbourfront
7:15-9:00 a.m. Conference registration—resource tables opened
7:30-8:10 a.m. Breakfast buffet
and breakfast roundtables—topical
small-group sessions:
8:10-8:50 a.m. Breakfast buffet
and breakfast roundtables—topical
small-group sessions:
9:00-9:30 a.m. Welcome from the conference sponsors:
Co-chairs John Campey and Elaine Andersen, and NAPC President Pam Kestner-Chappelear
Participant self-introductions/networking
9:30-11:45 a.m. Morning topic—panel and discussion:
"Diverse allies and promising partners for community planning and action"
Moderator: Fred Butler, NAPC Vice President and member of the conference committee; Executive Director, Community Action Network (Austin, Texas)
Perspectives from key community sectors…
Universities: Gregory Vincent, Vice Provost, University of Texas (Austin, Texas)
Labour: Winnie Ng, Toronto and York Region Labour Council (Toronto, Ontario)
Business/corporate sector: Nancy Findeisen, NAPC Board member; Executive Director, Community Services Planning Council (Sacramento, California)
Government: Pam McConnell, Toronto City Councilor; past Co-Chair, Toronto’s Inclusive Cities Initiative (Toronto, Ontario)
Funders: Amanuel Melles, Director of Organizational Capacity Building, United Way of Greater Toronto; past Co-Chair, Toronto’s Inclusive Cities initiative; former Vice-President, CSPCT Board (Toronto, Ontario)
Service provider agencies: Heather McGregor, Executive Director, YWCA (Toronto, Ontario)
Noon-1:30 p.m. Buffet lunch
Lunchtime topic—panel and discussion: "Social indicators as tools for community change"
Moderator: Elaine Andersen, Conference Co-Chair; NAPC Board Member; Executive Director, Human Services Council (Norwalk, Connecticut)
"Tools you can use…how work being done by NAPC and CIC can help support and enhance work in your local community"…Ben Warner, NAPC Secretary and Social Indicators Team Leader; Deputy Director, Jacksonville Community Council, Inc. (JCCI) (Jacksonville, Florida); Board President, Community Indicators Consortium
PowerPoint--Tools You Can Use 2006 Update, NAPC Social Indicators Report
"Vital Signs: the city’s annual check-up"…Anne Swarbrick, President and CEO, Toronto Community Foundation (Toronto, Ontario)
1:45-4:00 p.m. Afternoon topic—panel and discussion:
"Diversity and social justice…perspectives on emerging issues and effective initiatives"
Moderator: Linda Terry, member of the conference committee; Executive Director, Social Planning Council of Cambridge and North Dumfries (Cambridge, Ontario)
Greg Brown, NAPC Board Member; Executive Director and President, The Center for Community Solutions (Cleveland, Ohio)....Chair of NAPC’s National Voice Committee...a discussion of effective strategies for using councils’ knowledge of community needs to impact public policy
Martha Blaine, NAPC Board Member; Executive Director, Community Council of Greater Dallas (Dallas, Texas)...played a key role in organizing Dallas’ response and resettlement of 25,000 people following Hurricane Katrina; reflections on problems revealed and lessons learned
Marvyn Novick, Professor, Ryerson University (Toronto, Ontario)...has been one of Canada’s leading thinkers, researchers, and authors on social and economic justice, poverty, and social inclusion for over thirty years
Soirée
(food and drinks) at the restored "Cabbagetown" Victorian home of conference host John Campey
... 5:00 p.m.-->
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Saturday,
May
6th
-
at the Radisson Admiral Hotel - Toronto Harbourfront
Saturday, May 6th
- at the Radisson Admiral Hotel - Toronto Harbourfront8:00-9:15 a.m. Breakfast buffet, and
the NAPC Annual Meeting
9:30-11:45 a.m. Morning panel session and discussion:
"Negotiating Diversity in Social Planning: Toronto’s Social Development Network"
Moderator: John Campey, Co-Chair of the conference committee; SPNO Board Member and Executive Director, Community Social Planning Council of Toronto (Toronto, Ontario)
The Toronto Social Development Network was established by the City of Toronto to bring together the diversity of organizations engaged in social planning in Toronto. Its initial membership included:
- Community Social Planning Council of Toronto
- Portuguese Interagency Network
- African Canadian Social Development Council
- Toronto Neighbourhood Centres
- Council of Agencies Serving South Asians
- Hispanic Development Council
- Chinese Canadian National Council, Toronto Chapter
- Toronto Women’s Network
- Aboriginal Peoples’ Council of Toronto
- Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants
Over the past year, the Network has been engaged in developing a framework and analysis for social planning that truly reflects the growing diversity of Toronto’s communities. This workshop outlined the development of this process, the challenges it is addressing, the issues it has raised, and the opportunities this model presents for creation of truly inclusive planning processes in any diverse community.
Noon-1:15 p.m. Buffet lunch...and
small-group discussions: social indicators, national voice, NAPC
strategic planning
1:30-5:00 p.m.:
Bus
Tour and commentary... "Toronto—Canada’s most diverse city: a look at some
neighbourhoods and successful community-building initiatives"
Toronto takes pride in the diversity of its neighbourhoods–the city motto is "Diversity our Strength." A narrated bus tour provided a "taste of Toronto," stopping in a sample of our communities, and showcasing some of the organizations and institutions that support them. The tour included:
