Telelearning Session 14: Procuremet and the Social Economy

Thank you to all who took part in this event!
TELELEARNING SESSION PODCAST

Procurement and the Social Economy Telelearning Session 14
May 13th, 2009
English
MP3, 58 mins, 24.9 MB
  1. What is the impact of different purchasing policies on community development?
  2. What challenges do governments face in developing ethical purchasing policies?
  3. How does ethical trade fit in as a component of the alternative response to the global economic crisis?

These questions were answered by:

J.J. McMurtry, Coordinator of the Business and Society Program at York University, and Brendan Reimer, Prairies/Northern Territories Regional Coordinator for the Canadian CED Network, in an engaging telelearning session hosted by David LePage Program Manager of Enterprising Non-Profits.

Presenter Biographies:

Dr. J.J. McMurtry holds a doctorate in Social and Political Thought from York University.  His research focuses on linking contemporary social, political and economic theory with the practice of co-operatives and the social economy using a life-theory perspective.  Professor McMurtry has presented his work at conferences across North America and in Europe.  He has published works on social theory, politics, literature, and the social economy in scholarly and popular media. He has also been active in a number of movements and organizations for over two decades including co-operative businesses, a research firm, unions at the local and national level, as well as various community and volunteer organizations.

Brendan Reimer’s early days in Paraguay set the stage for his passion and commitment to social justice. His parents were actively involved in community development and social justice, and their influence echoes through Brendan’s life path. Brendan began working in the restorative justice field, and ran a social enterprise with men with various disabilities. Following that, he volunteered with CED organizations and earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in International Development Studies and Sociology from the University of Winnipeg. He was a volunteer board member with LITE for 10 years, a CED fundraising organization with a core mandate to promote public, government, and private sector procurement practice in Winnipeg. Brendan enjoys playing soccer, running, gardening and spending time with his kids.

Background readings for each presenter:

Dr. J.J. McMurtry

  • Co-operatives in a Global Economy: The Challenges of Co-operation Across Borders (Cambridge Scholars Publishing), 2009 (edited with Darryl Reed) Living Economics: Canadian Perspectives on the Social Economy
  • Co-operatives, and Community Economic Development, Emond Montgomery Publications, 2009. 
  • “Ethical Value-Added: Fair Trade and the Case of Café Femenino,” Journal of Business Ethics, Volume 86, Supplement 1 / April, 2009.

Brendan Reimer

  • Brendan Reimer , Dan Simpson, Jess Hajer, John Loxley, “The Importance of Policy for Community Economic Development: A Case Study of the Manitoba Context,” www.ccednet-rcdec.ca/files/Manitoba Policy Paper.pdf
  • Carly DuBoff and Brendan Reimer, “Travelling Lite: A Winnipeg Non-Profit Helps Bridge the Gap from Charity to CED,” making waves 16:4, Winter 2005, 23-27.

Additional resources

  • University of Toronto Social Economy Centre Webcasts
  • April 23, 2009 “Purchasing our Futures” Panel Presentations, socialeconomy.utoronto.ca
  • December 3, 2008 “Social Purchasing,”  142.150.98.64/SEC/20081203-120756-1/rnh.htm
  • The Social Purchasing Portal, www.sppcanada.org
  • Manitoba Aboriginal Procurement Initiative www.manitoba.ca/mit/psb/api/ab_proc.html
  • Colloque sur les approvisionnements responsables « Une société durable, ça PAR de nous ! » Concordia University, April 23, 2009 www.ciso.qc.ca/colloquePAR09/index.html
  • David LePage, “Ripple: The Potiential Power of Purposeful Purchasing,” making waves, 19:3, Autumn 2008, 21-24.

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