Community Development More Than Jobs: Joseph
Wednesday, October 14, 2009 at 12:06
A civic activist says community development doesn’t start with starting up businesses or creating jobs — it starts with healing people.
Priscilla Joseph, a First Nations educator and community volunteer from Prince Albert, was the keynote speaker this morning at the “Building Strong and Supportive Communities” conference, hosted by La Ronge’s Kikinahk Friendship Centre.
Joseph says as people’s needs are recognized and met, and they begin to see themselves as healthy, whole individuals, they can start to build their communities from the inside out.
“It’s a win-win situation, where they will develop strong families and strong communities that are thriving. And out of that, of course, the spin-off at the end is dollars, but we don’t start with the focus on dollars, because we can have all the institutions — however, if we don’t have healthy individuals, what have we gained?,” she says.
The conference continues this afternoon, with a workshop on using theatre for community development and a wrap-up of the day’s events by emcee Winston Wuttunee, followed by a banquet and a show by the Saskatchewan Native Theatre Company’s Fire Spirit Players.