The Resources Section is organized into eight sections, and each section provides key web portals and websites, films and print resources. The sections are:
Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives: policyalternatives.ca CCPA produces research studies, policy briefs, books, editorials and commentary, and other publications, including The Monitor, a monthly magazine. Most of these resources are available fro download at no cost. CCPA has offices in a number of Canadian cities, and engages in political advocacy on many issues.
Centre for Global Research globalresearch.ca. This site, based in Montreal, has an extensive archive of news articles, in-depth reports and analysis on issues which are barely covered by the mainstream media.
Centre for Native Policy and Research cnpr.ca is an Aboriginal-run advocacy and information clearing house. It conducts research, as well as providing important links on Aboriginal issues.
Centre for Social Justice socialjustice.org conducts research, education and advocacy on issues of equality and democracy in Toronto and in the rest of Canada.
Corporate Accountability Project: corporations.org sponsored by Action PA, provides organizing resources for the environmental justice movement in the United States, especially on waste, energy and toxics issues.
The Dominion. dominionpaper.ca . The Dominion is a monthly paper published by a network of independent journalists in Canada since May 2003. It can be read online, or delivered via a print subscription. It is a project of Canada's first media cooperative, jointly owned and democratically controlled by its readers, contributors and editors. It is an excellent resource.
ETC. Group (Action Group on Erosion, Technology and Concentration) etcgroup.org is “dedicated to the conservation and sustainable advancement of cultural and ecological diversity and human rights. To this end, ETC Group supports socially responsible developments of technologies useful to the poor and marginalized and it addresses international governance issues and corporate power.” ETC Group stays abreast of developments affecting our issues at international forums.
Global Issues globalissues.org. This is the website of Anup Shah, who is based in England. He has maintained this useful site for over ten years. It contains a multitude of articles and facts.
GRAIN grain.org. GRAIN is a international non-profit organisation that works to support small farmers and social movements around the world in their struggles for community-controlled and biodiversity-based food systems. Research and links on the political economy of food.
Halifax Initiative halifaxinitiative.org monitors Canada’s role in international financial institutions such as the World Bank as well as our Export Credit organizations.
IFI Watch IFIwatch.net monitors international financial institutions (IFIs) such as the World Bank, IMF, and regional development banks.
MiningWatch Canada miningwatch.ca is Canada’s watchdog on mining issues. It provides a searchable website with research and information on mining in Canada and Canadian companies around the world. “Mining Investors”, a website publication, tells you how to how to research the ownership and legal structure of mining companies.
Public Information Network endgame.org/links.html is a superb links page for citizen research, organized alphabetically.
rabble.ca Good source of news and resources for activists in Canada
sedar.com This is the website of the Securities Commission where publicly traded corporations in Canada have to post their documents such as annual reports, financial statements and “material changes”.
straightgoods.ca A Canadian online newspaper, that provides analysis from the perspective of the Movement.
Achbar, Mark Jennifer Abbott and Joel Bakan. The Corporation. A film about how corporate power works. Available from their website: thecorporation.com .
Chomsky, Noam and Edward S. Herman. Manufacturing Consent: The Political Economy of the Mass Media, 1992. Analysis of the relationship between corporate power and media, now on-line.
Carroll, William. Corporate Power in a Globalizing World: A Study in Elite Social Organization. Oxford University Press, 2003,
Clement, Wallace. The Canadian Corporate Elite: An Analysis of Economic Power. McClelland and Stewart, Toronto, 1975.
Ellwood, Wayne. The No-Nonsense Guide to Globalization. The New Internationalist and Between the Lines, 2007.
Gindin, Sam. The Terrain of Social Justice. CSJ Foundation. 2001.
Kneen, Brewster. (n.d.) Invisible Giant: Cargill and its Transnational Policies (second edition). Ramshorn, ramshorn.ca/books.html.
Korten, David. When Corporations Rule the World. Kumarian Press, New York, 2001.
Kuyek, Devlin. The Real Board of Directors. The Construction of Biotechnology Policy in Canada. 1980-2002. ramshorn.ca/RBOD.html
E.F. Schumacher Society has a website smallisbeautiful.org which provides links to films, publications and other groups engaged in holistic , sustainable development.
Earth Charter Initiative earthcharter.org is a set of values, principles and goals for a sustainable future that have been endorsed by hundreds of thousands of individuals and organizations worldwide. The website includes means to promote the Charter values.
Indigenous Environmental Network ienearth.org “A network of Indigenous Peoples empowering Indigenous Nations and communities towards sustainable livelihoods, demanding environmental justice and maintaining the Sacred Fire of our traditions." Provides links to indigenous research, organizations and action.
On the Commons. onthecommons.org a U.S. citizen-based website with a variety of strategies, solutions and links to “commons-based” work, including an annual report on the state of the movement.
Yes! Magazine yesmagazine.org is a US-based on-line resource providing news and links to practical ideas for holistic change maintained by the Positive Futures Network.
Bopp, Michael and Judy Bopp. 2009. Recreating the World: A Practical Guide to Building Sustainable Communities, Four Worlds Press, “a down-to-earth exposition of models, principles and strategies for understanding what community development is and how it can be promoted. The second is a rich collection of stories, games, activities and tools that can be used to help others to learn about various aspects of community development practice.”
Coover, Virginia, Ellen Deacon, Charles Esser, and Christopher Moore. 1978. Resource Manual for a Living Revolution. New Society Press, Philadelphia. The classic on organizing for social change. It looks at change from all levels: personal growth, group dynamics, strategies for non-violent action, and includes a discussion about matters like first aid and cooking for large numbers. A good source book for ideas.
Hawken. Paul. 2007. Blessed Unrest: How the Largest Social Movement in History is Restoring Grace, Justice and Beauty to the World, Penguin Books.
Kahn, Si. Organizing. McGraw-Hill, 1982. This is an excellent resource for community organizers.
Lee, Bill. 1999. Pragmatics of Community Organization. CommonAct Press. A straight-forward manual for community organizers in Canada.
Nozick, Marcia. No Place Like Home: Building Sustainable Communities. Canadian Council on Social Development, Ottawa. 1992. Although some of the examples are dated, the book provides a very useful over-view and insights into holistic community development in Canada.
Rebick, Judy. 2009. Transforming Power: From the Personal to the Political. Penguin Group. A discussion of strategies for building the movement, based on her experiences in the Global Justice Movement.
Roberts, Wayne and Susan Brandum.1996. Get A Life! Get A Life Publishing House. A compendium of ideas about such things as acid rain, breastfeeding, chaos theory, community supported agriculture, cops on bikes, diet, energy service companies, green taxes, meat, solar landscaping.
Shragge, Eric.2003. Activism and Social Change. Broadview Press. Good examples and analysis of community development and its limitations.
Group Dynamics, Processes and Development wilderdom.com/Group.html is the website of James Neill (2007). Provides links to workshops, training, and exercises for effective group work.
Group Dynamics and Community Building website, maintained by Jerry Hampton (2004) http://www.community4me.com/Resources.html An index of group exercises and writings for group dynamics. They can be used or adapted for many types of groups; there are also poems, stories, wisdom, and discussions that can be helpful with group dynamics.”
Biagi, Bob. Working Together: A Manual for Helping Groups Work More Effectively. Citizen Involvement Training Project, University of Massachusetts. .1978.An excellent resource for people working with groups; contains workshop ideas and hands-on learning situations. Illustrated and approachable.
Bishop, Anne. Becoming an Ally: Breaking the Cycle of Oppression in People. 2nd edition. Fernwood Publishing. 2002. A readable and useful resource for understanding the complexity of oppression in the lives of individuals and the structural, historical and political roots of oppression.
Centre for Conflict Resolution. Building United Judgement: A Handbook for Consensus Decision-Making. Madison, 1985 and A Manual for Group Facilitators. Wisconsin, 1978. One of the best resources around on consensus decision-making.
CCEDNET ccednet-rcdec.ca is a network of CED activists and practitioners which provides a wealth of information in this area, and advocates for increased government and private funding for the area. “ The Canadian Community Economic Development Network is a member- led organization committed to strengthening communities by creating economic opportunities that improve environmental and social conditions. We bring people and organizations together to share knowledge and build a collective voice for CED action. Our members are part of a movement creating community-based solutions to local and global challenges”
Canadian Social Economy Hub provides links and analysis for work in Canada socialeconomyhub.ca. It acts as a facilitator promoting collaboration among six regional research centres across Canada , and creating opportunities and exchanges with international networks.
Ecological Fiscal Reform- organizations with an interest in this area are listed on the Pembina Institute website: greeneconomics.ca
Canadian Cooperative Association provides help with co-operative ventures coopscanada.coop/en/hub/Core-services
Canadian Worker Cooperative Federation canadianworker.coop supports the development of worker co-ops
dollarsandsense.org. An on-line magazine with world wide analysis and examples of economic alternatives and theory.
enterprisingnonprofits.ca . Is a website sponsored by a number of British Columbia credit union sthat provides tools and links for doing CED (or “social enterprise”) as they call it.
Povnet: povnet.org. An online resource for advocates, people on welfare, community groups and individuals involved in anti-poverty work.
Brandt, Barbara. 1995. Whole Life Economics: Revaluing Daily Life. New Society Publishers.
Centre for Community Enterprise has developed the Community Resilience Manual, which provides an array of 26 sets of perceptual indicators, that can be used to predict how people in a community will react to adversity and can be used as an organizing tool (65a). It can be downloaded from cedworks.com/communityresilience01.html.
Lotz, Jim and Gertrude Anne MacIntyre. 2003. Sustainable People: A New Approach to Community Development. UCCB Press.
Loxley, John, Jim Silver and Kathleen Sexsmith. 2007. Doing Community Economic Development. Fernwood Publishing and the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives-MB.
McKibben, Bill. 2007. Deep Economy: The Wealth of Communities and the Durable Future. Holt Paperback. Lots of examples of ways to integrate the work across sectors, although teh political analysis is weak.
Melnyk, George. 1985. The Search for Community: From Utopia to Co-operative Society. Black Rose Books, Montreal. A study of co-operative forms from the kibbutz in Israel to Basque co-ops in Spain to Hutterite communities in Western Canada, with an assessment of their effectiveness and shortcomings.
Shiva, Vandana. 1993. Monocultures of the Mind: Biodiversity, Biotechnology and the Third World. Zed Books.
Shragge, Eric ed. 1997. Community Economic Development: In Search of Empowerment, Black Rose Books, Montreal, New York, London. The book provides practical case studies of local attempts to create employment and counter poverty; contributions highlight Canadian examples with the exception of a chapter on a case Botswana and two from the US. It includes one on the important US-based Institute for Community Economics.
Zalent, Kim. 1987. Economic Home Cookin': An Action Guide for Congregations on Community Economic Development. The Community Workshop on Economic Development, Chicago. A resource for community groups full of ideas and exercises.
Food Secure Canada provides an excellent portal with links in its “Bits and Bytes” section to food system activists and tools: foodsecurecanada.org
Living Oceans Society. livingoceans.org A non-profit organization committed to the preservation of marine biological diversity and creation of sustainable fisheries.
Peoples Food Policy Project links people across Canada to find ways to reclaim decision-making power in the food system. peoplesfoodpolicy.ca
Pimbert, Michael. (n.d.) Towards Food Sovereignty: Reclaiming Autonomous Food Systems.. http://www.grain.org/g/?id=188. is an online book with linked video and audio files, published by International Institute for Environment and Development.
Ramshorn.ca . The website and newsletter of Brewster and Cathleen Kneen. Excellent resource on the food system, with many down-loadable publications by Brewster and others.
Seigert, Taggart (director). The Real Dirt on Farmer John, available from cinemapolitica.org
Mongrel Media. The World According to Monsanto. “The true, unsettling story of how the clean, green image conveyed by the company's advertising serves as a smoke screen for Monsanto's quest for market supremacy “available from cinemapolitica.org
Fernandez, C. & Mayhew, M. (2006) Community Supported Agriculture: Putting the "Culture" Back into Agriculture. Sault Ste. Marie: Algoma University College.
Kneen, Brewster. (n.d.) From Land to Mouth: Second Helping, Understanding the Food System. Ramshorn books. Ramshorn.ca/books . “The book provides a clear and precise analysis of the global food system—from barnyard to boardroom to biotechnology.”
Kuyek, Devlin. Good Crop, Bad Crop. Between the Lines, 2006. An analysis of the politics of seeds.
Salm, Amunda. Eight tips from the experts to make your community shared agriculture project a success. http://eap.mcgill.ca/MagRack/COG/COG_E_97_04.htm
Cooperative Housing Federation of Canada chfc.ca "CHF Canada is the nation-wide umbrella organization for co-op housing and Canada’s link with co-op housing around the world."
Co-Housing Network http://www.cohousing.ca promotes the creation of cohousing communities as a model for sustainable development by raising public awareness about cohousing and by bringing people together to form communities.
FRAPRU. Le Front d’action populaire en réaménagement urbain frapru.qc.ca is a Quebec-wide group advocating the right to housing, and social justice. It has over 130 member groups and has been around since 1978.
Low Impact Housing website http://lowimpacthousing.com/housing/resources.htm
Ontario Coalition Against Poverty. ocap.ca A direct action anti-poverty coalition based in Toronto.
Planet-Friendly Network planetfriendly.net/community.html#intro is a portal for many different housing alternatives in North America.
Right to Housing Coalition http://righttohousing.ca is a Winnipeg-based coalition of individuals and organizations working together to address the current housing crisis and the chronic need for social housing. “We promote and lobby for safe, quality social housing (where rent is geared to income) and housing policy solutions on a local, provincial and national level as part of a comprehensive strategy to eliminate poverty.”
Gordon, David (ed.) 1990. Green Cities: Ecologically Sound Approaches to Urban Space. Black Rose Books, Montreal. This project of the Pollution Probe Foundation brings together examples and ideas for an ecologically sound city.
Shapcott, M. 2007. Ten Things You Should Know about Housing and Homelessness: Policy Primer. Wellesley Institute.
Ward, Jim. 1989. Organizing for the Homeless. Canadian Council for Social Development, Ottawa,. Full of examples from first-hand experience, this book is a good mix of practical organizing ideas and theoretical analysis.
The Climate Action Network climateactionnetwork.ca provides links, news, research and publications on issues of climate change including a guidebook for action.
The Green Communities Association gca.ca/indexcms has a member contact list and a number of programs to reduce energy use at home.
The Pembina Institute for Appropriate Technology has a renewable energy page at re.pembina.org and another page communities.pembina.org which deals with sustainable energy policy for communities.
Centre for Health, Environment and Justice chej.org. The US Center for Health, Environment and Justice (CHEJ) is an excellent resource for education and community action on toxics issues.
Environmental Defence Canada. environmentaldefence.ca has a “Toxic Nation” campaign that addresses contaminants issues.
Sierra Club Canada sierraclub.ca frequently takes on toxics issues with communities; as does the David Suzuki Foundation davidsuzuki.org
Legal Help may be available from either Ecojustice Canada ecojustice.ca
or the Canadian Environmental Law Association cela.org
You can find out about pollutants in your postal code area at pollutionwatch.org, a website maintained by Environment Canada, based on the results of the annual National Pollutant Release Inventory.
Algoma University’s Community Economic and Social Development Program works closely with First Nations in northern Ontario. auc.on.ca (There are other institutes that specialize in Aboriginal community development issues which we have not researched here.)
Carleton University’s Community Economic Development and Technical Assistance Program works with hundreds of projects across the country. CED Across Canada (CEDAC) is a member-only knowledge network portal: cedcanada.ca.
Concordia University Institute for Management and Community Development provides training for practitioners. instdev.concordia.ca.
Simon Fraser University Community Economic Development Centre also provides training, support and publications for practitioners: sfu.ca/cedc.
University College of Cape Breton has a Community Economic Development Program and has published The Third Wave. Based in the coal and steel industry experience of the region, the study is the most directly pertinent to mining communities wishing to engage in CED. uccb.ca/ced.
The Community Arts Network communityarts.net is a US-based website exchanging information, links and ideas about community arts. In Canada, most provinces have their own community arts networks (which can be accessed on-line).
Films for popular education can be found on the website: citizenshift.org CITIZENShift is the National Film Board of Canada’s participatory Web platform that explores issues such as poverty through film.
Popular Education News. popednews.org/resources has excellent web-linked tools and resources.
Reporters without Borders rsfcanada.org has published a Handbook for Bloggers and Cyber-Dissidents which coversphotography, articles, blogs and podcasts.
Macy, Joanna. The Work that Re-connects. joannamacy.net (2006). Training DVD and book distributed by New Society Publishers.
Ripper, Velcrow. Fierce Light: When Spirit Meets Action. Seville Pictures in co-production with the National Film Board of Canada. 2008. fierecelight.org
“Cinema Politica cinemapolitica.org is a Montreal-based media arts, non-profit network of community and campus locals that screen independent political film and video by Canadian and international artists throughout Canada and abroad.CP is volunteer-run and all screenings are by donation.” Fabulous list of alternative films.
Adams, Frank. 1980.Unearthing Seeds of Fire: The Idea of Highlander. John. F. Blair Publisher. The history of the Highlander Education Centre in Knoxville, Tennessee told by Myles Horton, its founder. An inspiring and helpful book about education through action.
Arnold, Rick et al. 1991. Educating for a Change. Between the Lines. Excellent information and guidebook for popular education.
Barndt, Deborah (ed). 2006. Wildfire: Art as Activism. Sumach Press. A collection of examples of popular education methodology.
Barndt, Deborah. 1989.Naming the Moment. Between the Lines, Toronto. How to do "conjunctural analysis", a process of analyzing the social/cultural/ economic/and political forces at work in a given historical moment, so that appropriate strategies might be chosen. Great educational tool.
Boal, Augusto. 1992.Games for Actors and Non-Actors. New York: Routledge.
Friere, Paulo. 1983. Pedagogy of the Oppressed. Continuum, New York. The seminal work on popular education methodology.
Hedges, Chris. 2009. Empire of Illusion: the End of Literacy and the Triumph of Spectacle. Knopf. An analysis of celebrity culture and the cult of the self in North America that form the basis for the “Culture of Illusion”, although it does not really address solutions.
marino, Dian. 19996. Wild Garden. Between the Lines. Excellent resource for the role of community and participatory art in activist education.
Starhawk, Truth or Dare. 1987. Harper and Row Publishers, New York.. A holistic description and analysis of the state of the world, with ideas, exercises and incentives for working to change it.
Ura, Michael. 1988. Making the Media: A Guide to Using the Media. West Coast Environmental Law Research Foundation, Vancouver. A short and useable guide to working with media for community groups.
Dobson, Charles. The Troublemaker’s Teaparty. A Manual for Effective Citizen Action. New Society Publishers. 2003. A toolkit packed with advice on community organizing from a very experienced organizer in Vancouver.
Gaventa, John.1980. Power and Powerlessness: Quiescence and Rebellion in an Appalachian Valley. University of Illinois Press. A seminal work describing the organizing of citizens in Apalachia, through participatory research.
Kahn, Si. 1970. How People Get Power, McGraw-Hill. A book filled with social analysis and detailed information from peoples' struggles in the United States.
Keating, Donald. 1972.The Power to Make It Happen. Greentree Press, Toronto. The story of the Alinsky-style Riverdale organization which won over 200 issues in 4 years
Lee, Bill. 1996. Pragmatics of Community Organization. CommonAct Press, Mississauga, 1996. Concise, short book about organizing by an organizer.
Lotz, Jim and Gertrude Anne MacIntyre. 2003. Sustainable People: A New Approach to Community Development. UCCB Press.
Mansley, Mark and Nicholas Hildyard. 2002. Financial Market Lobbying: A New Political Space for Activists. The Corner House. cornerhouse.org.uk . A guidebook for organizing to shift power in financial markets.
May, Elizabeth. 2006. How to Save the Planet in Your Spare Time. Key Porter. An excellent, idea-packed handbook for activists in Canada .
Moyer, Bill. 2002. Doing Democracy: the MAP Model for Organizing Social Movements, New Society Publishers. Sets out the strategies of the Movement Action Plan in the United States, and includes analysis of movements like gay rights, civil rights.
Speeter, Greg. 1980 Power: A Repossession Manual: Organizing Strategies for Citizens. Citizen Involvement Training Project. University of Massachusetts. 1980. Describes different strategies for social change in a non-intimidating style. It contains a number of &dlquo;how-to&drquo; exercises and information about planning, structures, and taking action.
Labornotes.org. US-based Labor Notes “is a media and organizing project that has been the voice of union activists who want to put the movement back in the labor movement since 1979.”
labourstart.org. LabourStart is an online news service (maintained by Eric Lee) which serves the international trade union movement by collecting and disseminating information -- and by assisting unions in campaigning and other ways. There is a Labour Start Canada.
Slaughter, Jane.2008. A Troublemakers Handbook: How to Fight Back Where you Work and Win. Labor Notes. Full of ideas about workplace organizing.
Blaser. Mario, Harvey A. Feit and Glenn McRae. In the Way of Development: Indigenous Peoples, Life Projects and Globalization, International Development and Research Centre and ZED books, 2004. A number of case studies of struggles for indigenous sovereignty, including one by Brain Craik on the fight to stop the Great Whale dams in northern Quebec, that is really excellent.
Careless, Ric. 1997. To Save the Wild Earth: field notes from the environmental frontline. Raincoast Books. Detailed accounts of environmental conservation struggles to get parks in B.C. wilderness by the organizer.
Clairmont, Donald H. and Dennis Magill. 1987. Africville: The Life and Death of a Canadian Black Community. Canadian Scholars Press, Toronto. A detailed study of the growth and removal of Africville, and the struggle of the people to stop it.
Cunningham, Frank, Sue Findlay, Marlene Kaldar, Alan Lennon and Ed Silva (ed.).1988. Social Movements/ Social Change: The Politics and Practice of Organizing. Between the Lines, Toronto. Activists from a number of fields describe and analyze their work including the DisAbled Women's Network, the campaign for abortion clinics in Ontario and the Quebec Labour Movement.
Flaherty, Jordan. 2010. Floodlines: Community and Resistance from Katrina to the Jena Six. Haymarket Books. A fine, detailed study of community organizing in New Orleans post-Katrina.
Kahn, Si.. 2010. Creative Community Organizing: A Guide for Rabble Rousers, Activists and Quiet Lovers of Justice. Berrett-Koehler Publishers. Stories of work in the US from one of their greatest community organizers.
Laduke, Winona. 1999. All Our Relations: Native Struggles for Land and Life. Southend Press, 1999. Excellent interviews with indigenous organizers about their battles.
Laduke. Winona. 2005. Recovering the Sacred: The Power of Naming and Claiming. Between the Lines. Solid accounts of battles to save sacred places in North America.
Lotz, Jim and Gertrude Anne MacIntyre. 2003.Sustainable People: A New Approach to Community Development. UCCB Press. Unflinching accounts of the difficulties in undertaking CED work in small communities.
Loxley, John, Jim Silver and Kathleen Sexsmith. 2007. Doing Community Economic Development. Fernwood Publishing and the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives-MB. Largely based Manitoba stories, this book provides a number of solid case studies.
May, Elizabeth and Maude Barlow. 2000. Fredrick Street: Living and Dying on Canada’s Love Canal. A Phyllis Bruce Book. The story of the fight to clean up the Sydney Tar ponds.
Rebick, Judy. 2005. Ten Thousand Roses: the Making of a Feminist Revolution. Penguin Books. Stories of feminist organizing for change from the lives of activists.
Starhawk. 2002. Webs of Power: Notes from the Global Uprising. New catalyst books. Starhawks’ first-hand account of her involvement in a number of global protests, accompanied by her analysis.
The movement—which has a number of incarnations, such as the Climate Justice Action, Peoples Global Action Network—is a made-up of other movements and networks. It includes the following:
Via Campesina, viacampesina.org "an international movement which coordinates over 150 peasant organizations of small and middle-scale producers, agricultural workers, rural women, and indigenous communities from around the World.”
Peoples’ Global Action Network apg.org originally called into being by the Zapatistas, played a significant role in co-ordinating early protests.
Friends of the Earth International, foei.org a network of organizations in over 77 countries, it is the world’s largest environmental network.
Focus on the Global South focusweb.org an international, non-governmental organisation, based in Thailand since 1995, affiliated with the Social Research Institute of Chulalongkorn University.
Global Exchange globalexchange.org an international human rights-based organization
Third World Network .twnside.org.sg is a think tank and an international network of organizations and individuals involved in issues relating to environment, development and the Third World and North-South issues, its secretariat is in Penang, Malaysia.
In Canada, the Council of Canadians canadians.org, the Polaris Institute polarisinstitute.org and the Etc. Group etcgroup.org , among others, play key roles.