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Dear friends and supporters, 2011 has been an extraordinary year for Bridges Social Development, marked by the beginnings of many new and meaningful relationships, the overcoming of challenges as we’ve been invited to work with communities yet unfamiliar, and excitement as we’ve grown in size and scope. Here are a few of the highlights: We [...]
October 26, 2011 By: Tara Beaver Source: Cochrane Eagle Online I recently went to a workshop in Calgary with Canada Bridges. It was quite the experience. I found out about it through a woman I met. I told her about my column in The Eagle and she directed me to Canada Bridges. I visited the website [...]
by Kelli Stevens At the end of what seemed an extremely long week, my only wish was to spend the weekend asleep. But I’d already committed to attending part of an Unveiling Youth Potential workshop so I could get a tiny glimpse of what Bridges is all about. So I dragged myself out of bed [...]
In October 2010, Bridges Social Development hosted a one-day event at Mount Royal University, alongside a number of Aboriginal partners. Youth from across several Southern Alberta Aboriginal communities were invited to hear the inspiring stories of three Aboriginal guest speakers; youth participants were also encouraged to explore their personal leadership potential. The goal of the [...]
by Kuir Aguer Seven months ago a long, exhausting and frustrating job search ended in a job offer at Telvent Canada Ltd. Relocation from Hamilton, Ontario to Calgary, Alberta was obviously quick despite the fact I was going to miss all the friends who made the five-year stint there a successful experience. A job offering [...]
By Nancy Lowery I often feel like someone stumbling towards enlightenment and then when I hear others’ stories, I realize how far I still have to go. A recent event sponsored by Bridges Social Development gave me pause for reflection when Judge John Reilly offered his perspective on his awakening to the concept of world view. [...]
Bridges’ Unveiling Youth Potential program trains youth leaders as social entrepreneurs. With a similar purpose in mind, Bridges is delighted to announce an inspirational seminar series tailored for people like you…Bridges’ volunteers and supporters. To launch this series, we invite you to our Volunteer Enrichment Series, Session 1: Staying Inspired in a Turbulent World, featuring speaker Judge John Reilly. We hope [...]
Dear friends, Bridges was created as a small Calgary-based voluntary organization and registered charity in 2002. We started work in Yemen, and our journey has brought us back to Canada where we are focused on building the capacity of youth leaders and social entrepreneurs. The people who have come alongside this NGO are incredible, and [...]
Press Release FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 5, 2011 One of Canada’s ‘Top 100 Most Powerful Women’ to Lead Dynamic NGO CALGARY, AB—May 5, 2011—Bridges Social Development (“Bridges”) is pleased to announce the appointment of Lindsay Mitchell as the organization’s Executive Director. A self-proclaimed “social engineer”, Ms. Mitchell brings unique experience in business development and corporate-professional [...]
“Youth: The New Engines of Change” event held on March 16 was a great success! Thanks to all of our guest speakers for sharing updates of the social entrepreneurial projects they are pursuing as a result of their involvement with the Unveiling Youth Potential program. In case you were unable to attend the event or [...]
“The Godmothers” are here to keep UN Women on track! Bridges’ Founder, Donna Kennedy-Glans, recently became a “Godmother”, joining a global network of “men and women who think women everywhere deserve a chance. Together they’ll watch over UN Women, help keep it on track and protect it from people who’d like to see it fail – everything a good godmother would do. By making sure UN Women gets the powers and funding it needs, The Godmothers can make life better for millions of women worldwide.”
On Saturday, October 30, 2010, eighty-five Aboriginal youth and adult facilitators gathered at Mount Royal University for a workshop called Aboriginal Youth Leading Change. The vision for the workshop was to bring Aboriginal youth from various communities – on reserve and off reserve – together to explore their potential as leaders of positive change. Click [...]
Thanks to everyone who helped Bridges get through Round Two of the Aviva Community Fund Contest…but now we need your help once again to make it through Round Three! Vote for our “Winning Idea’ by visiting the Aviva Community Fund and click ‘Vote Now’ to help us make it through to the final round. If [...]
Judge John Reilly, a close friend of Bridges and our partner in the Aboriginal Youth Leading Change initiative, was recently featured in the Calgary Herald! His new book, Bad Medicine: A Judge’s Struggle for Justice in a First Nations Community is a must-read for those interested in Aboriginal Human Rights and the relationship between the Canadian [...]
Good morning, friends of Bridges! Have you built a bridge today? Chances are good that you have. A smile, an encouraging word, giving up your seat on the train…there are so many ways in which we build bridges with people each and every day. Well, we’ve been building bridges too: bridges between communities, bridges between [...]
The Aviva Community Fund was created in 2009 to support people within Canadian communities in creating the positive changes they desire. This year, Bridges has entered Aviva’s “Winning Idea” challenge, and we need YOU to help us out by voting! Visit http://www.avivacommunityfund.org/ideas/acf8135 to read all about our great idea, and click ‘Vote Now’ to show your [...]
After experiencing tremendous success with the May 2010 Healthcare Training Workshops in India, we are set to return next month! In mid-November, a team of Bridges volunteer doctors and nurses will travel to Calicut and Quilon, India to teach the Advanced Pediatric Life Support course to local physicians. The medical centres in each of these cities have [...]
It’s relatively easy to understand why people are kind to people they know – their family, their friends, their neighbours. But why are people kind to people they don’t know? Why do people travel on humanitarian missions to places like India, donate organs to anonymous beneficiaries, support military and humanitarian operations to fight for justice [...]
By Donna Kennedy-Glans It was an amazing weekend with the youth leaders from MOSAIC – Calgary’s Pakistani community – plus others from the Indian community and Jamaica. Thanks to all the Bridges’ Learning Coaches for their dedication and professionalism – Jennifer, Nicolle, Shashi, Ayoub, Omar, Devon. And, many thanks to special guests, Dr. Mark Durieux, [...]
Excerpt from May 2010 Training in Kerala State, India: Today we held a day-long Advanced Pediatric Life Support (APLS) workshop at Government Hospital. Fourteen physicians participated, many of whom work in community-based health centres. Lectures included: Pediatric Assessment, Respiratory Emergencies, Shock and Fluid Management, and Sepsis. All delegates participated in three “hands-on skill stations (Basic [...]
Today we met with team members of the Floating Dispensary. This is a 1-year old program that provides care to patients who live on a group of 11 islands off Kerala. The team includes a physician, nurse and pharmacist. Patients are assessed and medications are dispensed; a week’s worth of medications are dispensed at a [...]
We have successfully survived our travel and our first days in Cochin. Our flights and travel were unremarkable, no complications. Yesterday, we did very little. Napped, toured around a little not much else. Graham and I were up early this morning with Dr. Joseph and went for a walk and run before it got too [...]
By Donna Kennedy-Glans This past weekend, Bridges launched the first pilot of its Unveiling Youth Potential workshop. WHAT AN EXCITING and INVIGORATING LAUNCH! Everyone involved—the 18 youth leaders from Yemen who participated, the Bridges’ Learning Coaches, and the Bridges’ Board of Directors and supporting team—are all still on a high. This first leadership workshop was [...]
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