Atkinson Field Notes
Learning Through 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:
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by Media: Blog
27 Mar 18
Recently, I was looking up whether a couple of the TV shows I like were going to return for another season. To my dismay, one of my favourites was characterized as being “on the bubble” - a new phrase for me. I learned it’s showbiz-speak for being on the cusp of cancellation or renewal. The show’s future rests in powerful hands. This seemingly innocuous term struck a surprising and deep chord. Read more >
1 Nov 17
I was a kid who loved the weekend comics but who never quite became a comic book nerd. I discovered Chester Brown's now acclaimed graphic novel on Louis Riel while in university. It was a revelation to me to see such serious information delivered in an entertaining and sensitive way. While the playful illustrations pulled me in
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25 Oct 17
On a unseasonably hot and sunny mid September morning, an Ontario-based group of community leaders travelled to Buffalo, New York. Our mission was to see first hand how organizers are building coalitions to support public policy advocacy for community benefits Read more >
17 Oct 17
In the same year as the Unemployment Insurance Act was passed by the House of Commons, Joseph Atkinson turned 75. The effects of the Great Depression had been so intense that in 1940 federal and provincial governments were finally willing to take bold measures to prevent its repeat and to mitigate the unpredictability of the economy. 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 >
25 Apr 17
“What about the other 96.5%?” is a question preoccupying many foundations here in Canada and elsewhere. This is the amount of capital that foundations generally do not grant out to their charitable partners each year. Read more >
26 Aug 16
“How many of you work in tech?” It’s International Women’s Day and I’m hosting a panel on women in tech, with … women in tech. As I try to get a sense of who is in the audience, most hands go up.
It’s International Women’s Day and I’m hosting a panel on women in tech, with … women in tech. As I try to get a sense of who is in the audience, most hands go up. Read more >
12 Aug 16
Last month I travelled to Buffalo for a conference that brought together community organizers, advocates and academics to talk about strategies for a people and planet-centre economy. Buffalo, only two hours south of my home in Toronto, is making an ambitious comeback after a long economic decline.
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7 Jun 16
Today, Jenn Miller and I are attending the Responsible Investing Association (RIA) Conference on behalf of the Atkinson Foundation. The conference has brought together more than 300 investment professionals from Canada and around the world to Toronto. Read more >
9 May 16
At the heart of the internet, if you look closely, people are having a conversation. Whether it’s asking Google a question, on anything and knowing you’ll get a decent answer quickly, or chiming in on a Facebook comments thread around the breaking news story of the day ... Read more >