I was a hippie kid. On the day my father was supposed to register at his local draft office, my folks came to Canada from the United States as conscientious objectors to the war in Vietnam. I was raised in a communal lifestyle: ashrams, free love, and all the rest. My father still lives “back to the land,” and my mother makes her living as a yoga instructor. Although my lifestyle is much different than it was in my childhood, most of the values that were shaped during that time stuck. The trick is living them.

It’s a trick that leaders such as Lewis and Graham have somehow mastered. That each of them has survived the political process and still remains committed to civic engagement is even more admirable.

 

In person, Graham is very much as you would expect. What you see is what you get. When we met, we talked about how families cope with loss (he lost his wife and mother in the same year), about our kids, and about nice places to walk in the woods. As we chatted about corporate social responsibility and his Envision Halifax project, it reconfirmed to me that there are many ordinary people who live their values and are committed to convincing others to do the same.

 

Envision Halifax (www.envisionhalifax.ca) was founded by the United Way and the Shambhala Institute. According to its mission statement, it is “igniting a culture of civic engagement across the Halifax region by fostering networks of community-oriented leaders, cultivating new emerging leaders, and providing input into key community issues.”

 

Envision Halifax’s flagship Community Leadership Program began in September of 2005. Through learning, retreats, and research projects, a group of 30 people are engaging in community issues while increasing their own leadership capacity. Some of the organization’s other projects include a number of “village square” sessions. According to its website, Envision Halifax, which has come together from across sectors and across the Halifax region, is challenged to see complex problems in new ways, while developing the skills and knowledge needed to build on strengths and generate forward-moving action.

 

Another group of interested businesspeople and community leaders recently formed Spirit Nova Scotia (www.spiritnovascotia.ca) to work together to ensure that the qualities that make us uniquely Atlantic Canadian remain intact as we continue to progress and prosper. One of its recent initiatives revolves around the concept of local food production and distribution.

 

In the U.K., there is an annual conference gaining momentum called Be

The Change (www.bethechange.org.uk). Its purpose is to bring people together to change the way we think about issues that are not currently being solved and to inspire action. Every year hundreds of people participate in workshops to learn how to apply the education in their own communities.

 

Corporate social responsibility is about translating values into action. Organizations such as Envision Halifax and movements such as Spirit Nova Scotia and Be The Change are also about taking action. How do we tie it all together? Obviously, we need inspired leaders who, with their conviction, show us what’s possible. Then, as individuals, we need to live those values. Just imagine what, collectively, we could achieve.

As Margaret Mead famously said, “Never doubt that a small group of committed people can change the world.” Let’s roll up our sleeves and get started.