ALLA GUELBER, 29 MAR 2010

Climate change presents not only the greatest social and environmental problem of our time, but also the greatest opportunity for our civilization to come together in truly collaborative, cooperative ways and work together to find viable solutions that will meet our economic needs today without sacrificing the well-being of future generations. The time for action is now!

When over 1000 young activists gathered on Parliament Hill on October 26, 2009 as part of Powershift Canada, their message was clear:  We want action on climate change now! As they danced in green hardhats in the rain [Youtube link], they were showing that the youth of this country are not going to stand on the sidelines passively. They came "together to create a fresh, positive, and inspiring vision of the future, one focused on our potential to overcome the challenges of the 21st century, build a clean energy economy, create millions of green jobs, increase global equity, and revitalize our economy."

So how do we line up our values with the work that we do to make a living?

In a month, I will be hosting a workshop called Meaningful Work: Green Jobs + Social Innovation in partnership with Alberta Acts on Climate Change, Waterlution, and Big Sky Permaculture that will provide a forum for young professionals to explore this very question.

Powershift Canada was part of an international day of action focused on putting pressure on governments to invest in a clean energy economy.

My friend - and eternal source of inspiration for all things youth innovation, Dev Aujla, has been grappling with this question for a long time. In "Training Ourselves for our Future", Dev and Billy Parish write in the Huffington Post about the way young people are leading the shift to a green economy. 

Dev's organization, Dream Now, based in Toronto, is all about generating ideas and helping people - predominantly youth - to do "good work" in the world.

To that end, Dev was one of the initiators of the ebook Occupation: Change the World which collects the inspiring stories of youth who are both struggling with, and coming up with solutions for, bridging the way they want to make a difference in the world, and the things they have to do to make ends meet.

Now, Dev and his collaborator Billy Parish, an accomplished clean energy organizer in the US, are working on a book that will collect inspiring stories and solutions of the Green Collar economy emerging all over North America.

A shortage of social innovation in Canada?

Clearly, Canada's young people want to create a new vision for the future, and yet we are falling behind other nations in rising to the environmental and social challenges of our time with creative solutions. Ideas relating to social innovation and social entrepreneurship have been gaining momentum in Canada and internationally, but we seem to lack the financial structures and political will to fully invest in a radical shift within our economy. The authors of the report Social Innovation in Canada: an Update state:

"While there is no consensus on a universal definition, there is agreement that social innovation can bring about transformative change if it is implemented successfully. At the highest level, the goal of social innovation is to address the social challenges the world faces through innovative means. These challenges can be as large-scale as fighting global climate change and reducing poverty or as small-scale as creating a community garden (Goldenberg, M. et al, 2009)[PDF]"

In addition, the report highlights that Canada is falling behind other developed nations such as the United Kingdom, the USA and Australia in encouraging social innovation. The authors write, "Canada has missed opportunities to encourage SI [social innovation] by failing to develop adequate models for public support, engagement and funding" (Goldenberg, M. et al, 2009).

Green Jobs is another term that is starting to be reported on more widely in the media. In general, this idea means pursuing meaningful, paid employment that makes a positive environmental and social difference, and is purposely left open to interpretation by participants and guests in the workshop, and the focus will be on creating one's own green jobs, or seeking/changing one's role within an existing organization to make it a green job. 

According to GoodWorkCanada: [A] green job is any job or self-employment that genuinely contributes to a more sustainable world. A green job is the coming together of a company or organization, with an individual motivated and capable of performing the role. The company or organization can either be in a 'green' sector (e.g. solar energy), or in a conventional sector but making genuine and substantial efforts to green its operations..."

The term "Green Jobs" is literally being defined and redefined day-to-day as various environmental and labour groups in the United States and Canada  - such as the Blue Green Alliance - roll out dramatic campaigns and initiatives to convince governments on both sides of the border to support jobs that benefit the environment and stimulate the economy.

Canada's youth are ready, willing and able to take part in a Green Energy Economy, now! Listen to Public Radio International on Canada's Green-Collar Economy (Image courtesy www.greenforall.org)

There is so much evidence that the old economic structures of our society are no longer working. With climate change, the end of cheap oil - and the latest economic crisis, we know that we need to shift the way we live and work. The new economic and social structures, on the other hand, still need to be created. 

The Meaningful Work Retreat is part of my own response to our current reality. By bringing youth together to learn more from accomplished professionals and each other, share skills and knowledge, and envision a better future - we can start moving on creating the kind of meaningful work that is ecologically integrated, socially just and spiritually fulfilling we need in order to be able to deal with some of the enormous challenges we are dealing with right now.