Our content curator, Charlene, sifts through the Google hits to entertain and inform you.

Getting Youth to Read Local Books

Subtitle: Social media good–?

Digitally Lit is an organization that is led by youth, and supported by publishers. The goal: to engage youth ambassadors like Moriya Boyle to use social media to encourage her peers and others to read Atlantic Canadian books. I follow the Digitally Lit crew on Instagram and they never fail to entertain and captivate.

https://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/digitally-lit-moncton-teen-uses-social-media-to-encourage-others-to-read-local-1.5541920

Speech not as free as it once was, says poll

Subtitle: Social media bad–?

Older, Conservative Canadians believe that social media has hurt open debate. Okay, that is the detailed breakdown from the end of the article… it actually says about half of Canadians overall believe this is true. 

Social media has opened the door for more voices to join the conversation, while hampering the nuance that is often needed to come to a position of compromise.  So, is it a force for good that just needs law enforcement to catch up and deal with the bullies? Or is it a negative influence on our ability to fight misinformation and polarizing opinions? Or is it just a tool caught up in larger forces in society?

What do you think? 

https://www.saltwire.com/atlantic-canada/news/half-of-canadians-believe-social-media-has-hurt-open-debate-poll-100620617/

Feeling too good about your life?

Then join me in listening to the most recent Insights podcast, featuring Don Mills and David Campbell talk about Atlantic Canada’s culture of dependence with Mark Leger. I shouldn’t impose my cynicism on you, though. You can make up your own mind! You are not dependent on me. 

See what I did there?

A few things I keep in mind…

• generations of economic policy that have centralized production and manufacturing jobs and seen wealth drawn out of the region as political power centered in Ontario and Quebec.
• Demographics of our region.
• “People don’t want to work because EI / CERB / etc” often seems to fall down when people have meaningful employment that pays adequately, but my evidence is equally anecdotal to the evidence for us being a land of lazy lumps. 

I am 8 minutes into this brisk 65 minute listen. Will I make it? Someone check on me in 20 minutes and make sure my head hasn’t exploded. 

Podcast: Do We Have A Culture Of Dependence In Atlantic Canada?

Federal Govt Announces Funding for Social Purpose Organizations

“The Investment Readiness Program (IRP) is a two-year, $50 million program that builds on the work already accomplished during its pilot phase. Through the IRP, the Government of Canada supports SPOs in building capacity to become investment-ready so that they can participate in Canada’s growing social finance market.”

https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/government-of-canada-announces-first-round-of-calls-for-proposals-for-the-renewed-investment-readiness-program-875050700.html

Reparations

I predict that over the next 20 years, reparations are going to be a topic that will occupy a lot of time for those of us in the social sector, and HOPEFULLY for those in government also.  Historic wrongs have disadvantaged Black and Indigenous peoples across this continent and beyond. The wealth we have accumulated through colonization and racism should be redistributed. It’s only fair.

(I can’t wait to hear the Insights podcast on this topic! That’s irony. I can wait.)

This post on the Centre for Law and Social Policy blog is a good place to dip into the discourse: https://www.clasp.org/blog/debt-be-paid-why-reparations-new-deal-youth

I was going to find more, but that podcast really took it out of me. Have a great weekend everyone!