CIP Niagara conference: Communities on the competitive edge
Tags: Climate Change, Clyde river, Hamilton, Niagara Falls, Nunavut, social enterpise
The first plenary session this morning is focusing on economic development. The panel contrasts two very different communities- Hamilton, Ontario, whose main challenge is poverty and more conventional economic development, and Clyde River, Nunavut, which is suffering from climate change.
The first speaker, Mark Chamberlain, is an entrepreneur in Hamilton. Chamberlain argues that like good, competitive businesses, communities have to put people first. Many of our economic problems have root causes that we do not fully understand or address, like poverty. Poverty, or socioeconomic status, is the largest indicator of health, wellness, future earnings, and use of the healthcare and criminal justice systems. Hamilton is heading towards a community where collaboration and innovation address root causes of social ills as a form of economic development. One way Hamilton is going about this is the creation of social enterprises. Social enterprises … Continue Reading
