Atkinson Field Notes
Learning in Action
News, presentations and reflections from Atkinson’s Chief Executive Officer Colette Murphy and the rest of the Atkinson team.
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by Category: Democracy
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by Media:
2 Feb 24
The reality of Ed Broadbent’s death is sinking in slowly. He seemed ageless and invincible at 87. A much respected main character in the story of this country – and in the lives of many individuals and communities with whom he made common cause. Atkinson was one of the organizations with whom Ed collaborated over several decades to advance a broad, shared vision... Read more >
14 Apr 23
After five years at Atkinson, I’m leaving to become Councillor Ausma Malik’s Chief of Staff at Toronto City Hall. Ausma and her entire team share a belief that the city can be more equitable and livable – one of many things we hold in common with voters in Spadina-Fort York. In making the move from social justice philanthropy to municipal politics... Read more >
21 Dec 22
The Atkinson Foundation turned 80 this year. We arrived at the threshold of a new decade quietly, in stark contrast to the boisterous celebration of our 75th anniversary at 1 Yonge Street, in the space that once housed the Toronto Star’s printing presses. In October, Atkinson’s Board and staff members raised their glasses to Joseph Atkinson and Elmina Elliott... Read more >
5 Jul 22
“Musicians are the original gig workers. Same as Uber drivers and food delivery workers. I realized we’re in the same fight.” Rollie Pemberton (aka Cadence Weapon) said this in response to a question about artists as workers at a public reading of his new book, Bedroom Rapper. Read more >
6 Feb 22
Ever since the news of John Honderich’s sudden death broke, like many of you, I’ve been taking in the story of his life. Friends, co-conspirators and rivals alike have attested to John’s brilliance, tenacity, and principled pursuit of stories with the power to re-shape the world. At the Atkinson Foundation, we witnessed all of these leadership qualities... Read more >
16 Apr 20
In this first month of the crisis, we’ve been seeing organizers in lower-income communities do what they do best: amplifying the voices of people most affected by this crisis, and keeping them connected to each other. Read more >
23 Nov 17
Opening remarks for a panel discussion on "making economies work for everyone" at the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Global Conference of Young Parliamentarians on Friday, November 17, 2017 in Ottawa by Atkinson’s Executive Director Colette Murphy. Read more >
11 Sep 17
A new reporting position has been created at the Toronto Star to increase coverage of issues related to democratic renewal with our help — and we’ve been wondering what Mr. Atkinson would think about this decision. We can imagine the current state of the news industry would keep him up at night. But it would be the news itself Read more >
12 Apr 17
These places where we live and work matter to us – or we wouldn’t be here. Nor would we put our names on ballots, put our savings on the line to start businesses, or put countless hours into our communities to make them even more vibrant than they already are. But the people with whom we live and work matter to us even more... Read more >
19 Apr 16
“Let us realize the arc of the moral universe is long,” advised Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., “but it bends toward justice.”
The words of Dr. King mean so much to so many. In my own commitment and work to build a more just world, these words have given me reassurance and perspective. Read more >
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