This past month I attended my first Democracy R&D Conference in Vancouver, BC. Hosted by the crack team at MASS LBP and the New Democracy Foundation and attended by practitioners from around the world, this was my first exposure to a way of facilitating democratic processes that taps into the agency of the public at large.

The world felt very different on March 1, 2020. On that day, we officially launched our UpSocial Canada Caring Communities Challenge, extending an invitation to Toronto-based community organizations to join us in exploring how we might collectively look after each other better in the places where we are.

Caring cities. Connected cities. The work of UpSocial Canada begins here, but it follows and draws strength from a long history of committed activism, organizing, passionate volunteerism and community development. Join us in this challenge to cultivate communities where we look after each other better in the places we live, work and play.

The galvanizing capacity of the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is of significant import for government and policy makers and highlights where environmental and social justice communities are often already hard at work. In addition, they reflect changes underway that create opportunities for ventures to improve and deliver new products and services that fit with and contribute to a better future.

There is no lack of desire, no lack of energy, grit and intelligence that goes into the quest to make this world more just and equitable. There are shining examples of programs, ways of governing, transformational policy and effective practices that create brights spots on the planet and healthier environments in communities all around the world. Yet for all of the effort dedicated, there are still daunting and complex challenges we face every day. So, what is missing?