Public Expenditure in a Tough Economy: Spending Smart in Hard Times
By Alan Broadbent (Maytree Opinion, January 2012)
The great challenge for governments in these hard economic times is reducing spending without doing harm. National, provincial and municipal governments are all considering how to economize, and are looking at cuts to programs and services. As Alan Broadbent writes, there is a frontier of smart public expenditure that can produce bang for the buck.
Sticky Fingers and Social Glue
By Ratna Omidvar (Maytree Opinion, December 2011)
It bears remembering. Toronto’s defining feature is its diversity. It is why so many people come here; it is why other countries want us to tell them about our experiences. For the 50% of Torontonians who weren’t born here, Toronto offers an opportunity to give legs to their hopes and dreams. But it’s not all romance. Dark clouds have formed over us. Inequality is growing in Canada. In Toronto, those at the bottom are more likely to be minorities, many of them recent immigrants. Are there solutions?
The Occupy Movement: A Lesson in the Risk of Inequality
By Alan Broadbent (Maytree Opinion, November 2011)
The Occupy Wall Street movement has puzzled many people. The lack of organization, elaborated message, or visible leaders has left some people asking for more, and the presence of young people with no clear political or social agenda in the tent parks has left others wondering if it is just a dropped-out caravan. The simple message of the 99% facing off against the 1%, the vast majority against the very rich who have corralled the bulk of the wealth created in the last quarter century, seems pretty clear, but is portrayed as not enough of an analysis. But the data doesn’t lie. The gap between the richest and the poorest has been growing, as has the gap between the richest and the rest. And in the developed world the middle class has been disappearing.
Five Good Ideas in the Top Right Drawer!
By Alan Broadbent (Maytree Opinion, October 2011)
It’s no secret. Managers working in the non-profit sector wear many hats and have to be awfully good at doing many things very well. One day you’re asked to be a communications expert, the next you’re handling the HR duties of your organization, and then, without blinking an eye, you balance the books. But how can you even begin to learn so many things in a time-effective way? In this month’s Maytree Opinion, Alan Broadbent recommends that you consider the just published Five Good Ideas book as your go-to non-profit management handbook. Whether for a deep read, or quick reference, keep it handy in your top right hand desk drawer.
From land grants to tax incentives: investing in Canada’s future
By Alan Broadbent (Maytree Opinion, September 2011)
Tax credits to support skilled worker employment are a good idea that has been distorted by politics. As Alan Broadbent explains in this month’s opinion, targeted public policy does not pit some residents against others.
Move beyond half-measures and remove the processing fee for refugees
By Alan Broadbent (Maytree Opinion, August 2011)
Currently, there is a 180-day time limit for inland refugees to apply for permanent residence. The government is proposing to remove this limit. This would be a reprieve for refugees who need more time to save for the processing fee that must accompany their application. But, as Alan Broadbent points out in this month’s Maytree Opinion, it won’t deal with the real issue: the processing fee is unaffordable. It costs a family of four $1,400, which is more than a month’s salary at minimum wage. The obvious step is to remove the time limit and the fee.
Canada’s Population Riddle
By Alan Broadbent (Maytree Opinion, July 2011)
As the federal government undertakes its annual review of immigration levels, Maytree chairman Alan Broadbent takes a more long-term view. Immigration level discussions, unless they are part of a larger population policy, could be seen as nothing more than twiddling the dials. Alan argues for a dramatic increase in our population – which he insists is feasible and desirable as long as the right processes are in place.
Diversity in Leadership, by Design
By Alan Broadbent (Maytree Opinion, June 2011)
While we live in one of the most diverse city regions in the world, there remains a curious diversity disconnect at the leadership levels. Diversity in leadership won’t happen by accident. We need to be deliberate and systematic. We need to develop and deploy strategies for making change. Because making sure that there is diversity in leadership is not just important to fuel the region’s prosperity, it’s also the right thing to do.
Stupid Rules
By Alan Broadbent (Maytree Opinion, May 2011)
One of the first lessons we learn in life is to play by the rules. At home, at school, on the playground, or in the neighbourhood, it is the rules that make the world go round, we are told. If it weren’t for the rules, we’d descend into chaos and confusion. But what about stupid rules? What do we do when we’re faced with rules that not only don’t seem to make sense, but seem to run counter to our best interests? And what do we do when our best interests aren’t just personal to us, but to those who depend on us to deliver services or goods that make their lives better? This is a dilemma that is increasingly facing people working in the community sector, as the cold hands of auditors general, regulators, and public sector funders tighten their grip on the activities in the sector.
Successful money management, successful settlement, successful nation
By Ratna Omidvar, President, Maytree (March 24, 2011 – Forum on Financial Literacy for Newcomers to Canada)
Every day, we make a complex array of financial decisions – from choosing a bank, to finding a mortgage to managing consumer debt to taking out student loans, signing the rental lease for the first apartment, negotiating a service contract, buying life insurance, sending remittances back home. Compared to people who are born in Canada or whose families are Canadian, many newcomers have a natural diffidence and lack of confidence in making financial decisions about products, services, vendors and advisors. As a result, they are more vulnerable than others to fall prey to bad and sometimes downright unethical products and services. There is a lot to learn and sadly few opportunities to do so.
Look West!
By Alan Broadbent (Maytree Opinion, March 2011)
In this month’s Maytree Opinion, Alan Broadbent looks west to the city of Hamilton to find that, unlike most cities, Hamilton has decided that poverty is a major civic concern. With the strong support from the Hamilton Spectator, the city is pressing forward to make poverty visible and force everyone in Hamilton to confront and own it so that action can be taken.
We need a new number
By Ratna Omidvar (Maytree Opinion, February 2011)
Canadians love numbers. And for those of us who work on immigration issues, it is no different. We wait patiently for the Citizenship and Immigration’s Facts and Figures document to tell us exactly how many permanent residents arrived the previous year, and how many temporary workers. And lo and behold, we find out that Canada exceeded its targets in almost every category. But wait, in the next breath, the government announces plans to reduce the overall numbers of family members and skilled workers. You’d better believe there will be a reaction.
But there are some numbers we don’t talk much about. And because we don’t talk about them, we don’t quite know how to handle them.
Diversity is our Strength – Bob Marley Award
By Ratna Omidvar (Bob Marley Day Awards, Toronto, February 3, 2011)
We remember Bob Marley as a powerful influence in music and culture. He was a strong advocate for social justice, speaking out against oppression and poverty and FOR peace and human rights. His music and message of hope resonated across cultures, across boundaries, across races – and still does today. In that spirit, my message is about diversity – and hope.
The Next Dream
Based on a lecture delivered by Ratna Omidvar on January 17, 2011 at the Martin Luther King Lecture of the Körber-Foundation, Hamburg.
“I have a dream.” – Dr. King’s words are forever etched in our sensibilities. But in truth, as the youngest ever recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, he did much more than dream. Dr. King was a man of action — a social change agent, an activist, a crusader for the rights of the poor, a catalyst in the struggle against apartheid, and a leader in the fight to end the Vietnam war. He was a campaigner and a movement builder, who fought for radical change with radical methods.
Settlement Funding Cuts: Short-term Vision, Long-term Pain
By Ratna Omidvar (Maytree Opinion, January 2011)
In this month’s Maytree Opinion, Ratna Omidvar argues that it seems too early to cut funding to the traditional landing points without making sure that recent immigrants have access to services they still need. This funding will reap us benefits in the future. For one, we face increasing competition. Traditional source countries, including China and India, will have their own growing middle class and increased opportunities for skilled individuals. Other countries, such as Germany, have joined the competition for skilled immigrants. For another, successful immigrants in Toronto (and elsewhere) have access to global networks, new markets and customers to help us grow our economy, if not today, then certainly tomorrow.
Visions of 2011
By Alan Broadbent (Maytree Opinion, December 2010)
As 2010 winds down, our thoughts at Maytree are turning to what we might hope to see in 2011. The holiday season offers us all some time to reflect on the past, and to begin to think of the things that will make our country and communities better. And thus we each begin to shape our agenda for a new year. Here are some things we see arising from 2010 that we hope to see blossom and flower.
Welcome Mayor-Elect Rob Ford
By Alan Broadbent (Maytree Opinion, November 2010)
The city does not belong to its political leaders alone, writes Alan Broadbent, as he welcomes Rob Ford to Toronto’s mayoral office. It belongs to all of us, and we all can play a role in city building. In a dynamic city, many actors will continue to play many roles on many stages. This is the fact of life in cities, which must always be in motion and always striving, lest they fall back. Mayor-elect Ford will know that there are many hands extended to help him succeed in the vital job of city building.
A Canadian in the Making: Letters to Canada
On May 13, 2010, Ratna Omidvar gave the 4th annual June Callwood Lecture at the Toronto Reference Library. Unlike most of her speeches, Ratna’s lecture “A Canadian in the Making” was of a much more personal nature and she chose to write four letters to Canada. “As I prepared for this year’s lecture, I thought about the thirty years since my arrival in Canada, and how much Canada and I have changed,” says Ratna. “How much we both are a work in progress.”
Let’s Talk About Canadian Citizenship
By Michael Adams, Writer and Founder of the Environics Institute, and Ratna Omidvar, President, Maytree (Originally published in The Mark)
Last weekend, German Chancellor Angela Merkel summed up her country’s failure to integrate a large number of Turkish “guest workers” and their children with a stark statement: she announced that multiculturalism in Germany had “failed utterly.” It would be understandable if this remark agitated Canadians. Canadian society, arguably more than any other, has adopted “multiculturalism” not just as a policy framework but as a cornerstone of our national identity. When Canadians are asked to state, in their own words, sources of their pride in Canada, multiculturalism comes in fourth – tied with health care and in line behind our democracy, our quality of life, and a caring/humanitarian outlook.
Immigration Discourse not just for the Old Elite
By Alan Broadbent (Maytree Opinion, October 2010)
The last couple of decades in Canada have seen a lively and rich discourse on immigration policy, process and practice, writes Alan Broadbent in this month’s Maytree Opinion. Participating in the debate are a broad range of Canadians, including politicians, academics, advocacy groups from various perspectives, lawyers speaking for their clients, public servants charged with policy and program development and implementation, and citizens. So it is surprising that a new organization, the Centre for Immigration Policy Reform, has hit the ground complaining about the lack of discourse, or at least what they suggest is a lack of honest discourse.
The Problem With Campaigning Against Cities
By Alan Broadbent (Maytree Opinion, September 2010)
It is hard to believe what a terrible city Toronto has become. One candidate says we can’t take care of the 2.5 million people who live here. Another warns darkly about “more of the same” that has left us in “the current mess.” Only one, the deputy mayor who is carrying the legacy of the incumbent regime, is upbeat on the city, but he gets drowned out in the raucous litany of abuse. Failure lurks around every corner, financial collapse is at hand, dispirit darkens every city street.
Towards a Dumbed-Down Future
By Alan Broadbent (originally published in The Mark)
One of the definitions of high intelligence is an enhanced ability to perceive relationships – the perception of patterns or correlations that can lead to new insights and to innovation. It is through the observation of data that we derive the information from which knowledge is created.
A place for equity policies
By Ratna Omidvar (originally published on August 14, 2010, as an op-ed in the Toronto Star).
According to the Ethnic Diversity Survey, about 20 per cent of visible minorities, or 587,000 people, have sometimes or often experienced discrimination or unfair treatment because of their ethnicity, culture, race, skin colour, language, accent or religion. They are most likely to say they face discrimination when at work or when applying for work. While employment equity has helped make great strides in hiring women, aboriginal people and people with disabilities into the public service, it has yet to achieve its targets with visible minorities. Visible minorities make up 9.8 per cent of federal employees compared with 12.4 per cent of the national workforce. What’s more, these overall numbers mask a “glass ceiling” within the public service, where the leadership is still overwhelmingly white and male.
The Stadium that Emasculated a City
By Alan Broadbent (originally published in The Mark)
The decision of where to build a new football stadium in Hamilton is the latest litmus test of the “cities agenda” in Canada. What began as a disagreement between a city and a football team has escalated into another intergovernmental turf war.
Toronto: Crazy, Sexy, Cool?
By Ratna Omidvar (Maytree Opinion, August 2010)
In a recent article, the American blogger Laurie Lyons wrote that “Toronto is the hot new destination for all things crazy, sexy, cool”. In particular, she highlights Toronto’s accessible art, our fusion and fresh restaurants and the fact that Toronto is also one of the most diverse cities in North America. Toronto has something else to be proud of. Global cities around the world look to Toronto to understand and learn from our ongoing experiment with diversity. However, as Ratna Omidvar writes in this month’s Maytree Opinion, Toronto has still a long way to go before claiming success. To do so, it must be open to learning from other cities.
Immigrants want success now, not tomorrow
By Ratna Omidvar (originally published on Aug. 3, 2010, as an op-ed in the Globe and Mail)
While recent immigrants are more highly educated than previous cohorts and the Canadian-born, they earn lower wages and have more difficulties entering the labour market in the first place. The number of new immigrants to Canada with a bachelor’s degree is equivalent to the total annual number of undergraduate degrees awarded by Ontario universities, yet Canada has not leveraged this talent into innovation and productivity.
Canada’s immigration score: Recommendations for a win-win
By Ratna Omidvar (Policy Options, July-August 2010)
How do the hundreds of thousands of immigrants who arrive each year in Canada fare in the immigration process? In an article in the July-August 2010 issue of Policy Options, Maytree President Ratna Omidvar examines the extent to which our immigration policy succeeds in the short, medium and long terms for both Canada and the immigrants. Using a number of economic, social and political indicators, she finds that Canada is doing well in the medium and long terms, but must do better in the short term: “Canada’s score on this front is abysmal,” she says. She makes several recommendations to increase the benefits of immigration in the first few years of arrival, notably by strengthening the federal Skilled Worker Program.
The One Summit Benefit
By Alan Broadbent (Maytree Opinion, July 2010)
Did anything good come out of the G20 meetings? Apart from a luke-warm pledge on maternal health (which is unclear on abortion), and which might turn out like many G8-G20 “pledges” (remember aid to Africa?), was there a benefit?
City for Tomorrow
By Alan Broadbent (June 17, 2010 – keynote speech at Maytree Leadership Conference)
The theme of this year’s Maytree leadership conference is The City, and our intention is to look at how we can build both prosperity and equity. It is timely that across the Toronto region we are in the middle of some of the most interesting municipal elections we’ve seen. The Toronto mayoral election is getting a lot of attention, but there are interesting situations in the other regional cities at the mayoral and council levels, and also in the school trustee elections. One of the great features is the number of new faces running for seats, which indicates to me that our democracy is alive.
The “Beautiful Game” Is Toronto’s Game!
By Ratna Omidvar (Maytree Opinion, June 2010)
Soccer, or football as most of the world calls it, is very much part of the Canadian identity, writes Ratna Omidvar in this month’s Maytree Opinion. Every four years, it brings us together in a wonderful one-month celebration. Soccer is a defining feature of Toronto’s landscape in other ways too. Soccer helps many immigrants integrate. Recent immigrants search out soccer fields to meet new people. It’s a place where their struggle in a new land can be forgotten for a while, where it does not matter whether they have Canadian work experience, or whether their English is heavily accented. The soccer field becomes the place for new beginnings.
Mixed Messages
By Alan Broadbent and Ratna Omidvar (Maytree Opinion, May 2010)
Bill 158, which passed third reading on May 13, sends mixed messages to how open the province is to skilled immigrants. While the Ontario government has made strong commitments to making Ontario a more welcoming place for skilled immigrants, with Bill 158 – an Act to review and update the statutes governing the accounting professions in Ontario – it re-enacts old barriers. The opportunity was lost to modernize the profession and instead restrictions are put in place on how international accounting credentials can be used with a $10,000 fine for anyone displaying their international designations using any portion of the initials CA (chartered accountant), CMA (certified management accountant) or CGA (certified general accountant). Does the right hand know what the left is doing? It seems it does not.
Legalize Municipal Sales Tax
By Alan Broadbent (originally published in The Mark)
The recent round of provincial budgets and the federal budget have proven that those levels of government have neither the resources nor the inclination to finance the big-ticket items cities need, such as transit and low-income housing. They are mired in their own deficits and their own priorities.
What Makes a Safe Country and Who Decides?
By Alan Broadbent and Ratna Omidvar (Maytree Opinion, April 2010)
The recently tabled reforms to the refugee system are a realistic response to the problems that have existed for some years. Under the proposed reforms, claimants will receive a full hearing from public servant decision-makers assigned to the Immigration and Refugee Board, with an appeals process for some, though not all refused claimants. They promise speed and efficiency and they address the long time frames between the arrival of a refugee and the final disposition of their claim. Like all potentially good reforms, the devil will be in the details. One such detail is the so-called “safe country list” or the Safe Country of Origin list.
The Better Chamber: A Defence of the Senate
By Alan Broadbent (originally published in The Mark)
For a generation Canadians have been asked to consider abolishing The Senate of Canada, even by such intelligent people as Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty, not to mention a cadre of lesser lights. It is an appealing idea for those who think we have entirely too much government, that Senators are freeloading fat cats, that a Senate appointment is “a task-less thanks” (as Senate wit Hugh Segal says), and that it is an obstructive carbuncle on the body politic. Much of this criticism is based on a lack of understanding of what the Senate does, exacerbated by the media’s almost complete neglect of the Senate until something egregious surfaces, like the absentee record of Senator Andrew Thompson who was living in Mexico.
Bennett’s Ambitious Vision
By Alan Broadbent (originally published in The Mark)
A Conservative prime minister from Calgary with a reputation as a cold-hearted tactician who has trouble delegating authority to his cabinet and wants to micromanage everything, governing after the worst economic downturn in decades, reviled for failing to do enough, seemingly out of touch with the suffering of many Canadians, seeking some secure foothold in a volatile world which puts Canada and its future at risk. Stephen Harper? Perhaps.
Putting the House in Order
By Alan Broadbent (originally published in The Mark)
The House of Commons is the most visible chamber of Canada’s Parliament, and most Canadians would conclude that it is a house in disarray. Prorogation, absence, obfuscation, and nastiness seem to be its truck and trade today. If one merely went by accounts in the media, it seems dominated by opposition games of “gotcha” and government games of “keep away.”
Canada at 150: The Social Agenda
By Sherri Torjman, Vice-President, Caledon Institute of Social Policy
(Speech was delivered at the Canada@150 Conference held in Montreal on March 26-28, 2010.)
From a social perspective, we face three main challenges at 150: Canada as productive society, Canada as caring society and Canada as aging society. These formidable challenges are intrinsically linked. I will also consider the financial challenges of paying for this agenda.
The Province of Toronto?
By Alan Broadbent (originally published in The Mark)
Bill Murdoch, Progressive Conservative MPP for Bruce-Grey-Owen-Sound, thinks Toronto should be made a separate province in order to break the city’s hold on the Ontario legislative agenda. This brings to mind a comment former Toronto mayor Mel Lastman made a decade ago while attending a meeting of U.S. mayors in Miami. Looking at the relatively ample assistance U.S. cities got from the federal and state governments, he said maybe Toronto should separate from Canada in order to get a better deal.
Lessons in Finance: Pay Your Bills!
By Alan Broadbent (Maytree Opinion, March 2010)
As we go through another budget season, it is important that governments focus not only on the big expenditures, but also on the much smaller financial arrangements they have with community organizations. However, because of a growing concern over accountability, many governments delay the payout of funding. This can lead to unnecessary organizational hardships. As Maytree chair Alan Broadbent writes in the latest Maytree Opinion, it is time for governments to revise funding procedures and to pay their bills on time.
Watch Out! Risk of “Downloading”!!
By Alan Broadbent (Maytree Opinion, February 2010)
Canada’s federal government is expected to have a deficit of over $50 billion this year. The Ontario government deficit will be over $14 billion. Neither of these governments expects to balance their budget before 2015, and most experts think it will take much longer. Even Alberta and B.C. will have deficits of $4 and $2 billion respectively.
Appreciating David Pecaut
December 14, 2009: With David Pecaut’s passing, Toronto has not only lost a great civic leader, but Maytree has lost a great friend and partner. David was the pivotal figure in the establishment of the Toronto City Summit Alliance, which he built into a dynamic civic presence which brought together leaders from business, civil society, government, labour, and academia. Using David’s preferred method of establishing a common fact base, he worked with a variety of coalitions to create solutions to persistent poverty, immigrant access to the labour market, diversifying the leadership in the city, environmental degradation, and connecting our regional research capability.
Good Government Should Trump Clever Politics
(Maytree Opinion, January 2010)
On January 4 most Canadians went back to work, some albeit reluctantly. Not so our parliamentarians in Ottawa, who were given an extended prorogated break. Governments, regardless of which level or which party, are the servants of the people. We elect them, pay for them, work with them in the belief that they will go about the business of governing in an efficient, effective and accountable manner.
Social Enterprise in Action
By Alan Broadbent, Chairman, Maytree
Speech at the Third Canadian Conference on Social Enterprise (Thursday, November 19, 2009)
Excerpt: The best way to overcome the big issues and problems is to change the way society thinks and acts. It is by tapping into the power of our collective will, and attendant large public budgets, that we can take the great strides forward. The greatest advances in the wellbeing of populations have always come from public measures: public sanitation systems ended the plagues; public education systems have carried nations into prosperity; vaccination programs virtually wiped out polio and tuberculosis; seat-belt laws have reduced road carnage; and anti-smoking ordinances have reduced lung cancers.
Substance over Style required in the next mayoral election
By Alan Broadbent (Maytree Opinion, November 2009)
When Toronto Mayor David Miller announced he would not seek a third term, speculation started about who might run in the next election. Much has been written about the personalities of possible candidates and very little, up to this point, has been said about what platform the next mayor should run on. This is a mistake, Maytree Chairman Alan Broadbent argues in this month’s Maytree Opinion. In our evaluation of candidates we need to focus on issues, particularly on city building issues such as housing, transportation and immigrant settlement.
Strong Cities = Strong Canada?
In September 2009, Alan Broadbent visited PublicVoice TV, an online source for leading edge thinking and ideas about critical public policy questions. He was interviewed on whether stronger cities really mean a stronger country and whether cities should be given more power.
Intentionality and instruments: making multiculturalism work
By Alan Broadbent, Chairman, Maytree
Originally published in: Canada Watch (a project of The Robarts Centre for Canadian Studies at York University)
Fall 2009: Multiculturalism and its Discontents
Excerpt: To paraphrase Butch Cassidy, it’s not the multiculturalism that’ll kill you, it’s the discontents. The Canadian discourse, at least as reported in our media, has a lot of discontents, and we now have a federal government which traffics in them freely. One of them is multiculturalism.
No time like now
By Alan Broadbent, Chairman, Maytree
Keynote address at the 2009 ALLIES Learning Exchange: Leading with Ideas (Friday, June 12).
Excerpt: Difficult economic times create an imperative to maintain a high level of commitment to the successful integration of immigrants. As a leader in business and philanthropy, Alan discusses the importance and timelineness of the work of ALLIES communities.
The Canada of Tomorrow
Remarks at the Maytree Scholarship 2007-2008 Ceremony By Judy Broadbent, Maytree President Graduation ceremonies mark the passage of time- but I think that this graduation ceremony has a particular significance for us today because it marks not only the success of those in the room, but in a sense it signifies the passage of time [...]
My journey with Maytree
Remarks at the Maytree Scholarship 2007-2008 Ceremony By Axelle Karera, Maytree Scholarship Recipient My journey with Maytree began exactly four years ago. Like all refugees, I arrived in this country strongly hoping that this place would finally be not only the last one in my seemingly never-ending escape from terror and trauma, but also the [...]
Urban Nation
Urban Nation: Why We Need to Give Power Back to the Cities to Make Canada Strong In a thoughtful and provocative book Alan Broadbent looks at the two major forces that have shaped Canada, urbanization and immigration, and makes a clear case for creating cities as a powerful order of government. As a longtime proponent [...]
Civic Engagement
Remarks at the Maytree Scholarship Program Graduation – June 12, 2007 by Judy Broadbent, President, Maytree I would like to talk to you about the future. Not the future of school and work because I know you will be successful at both school and work. Instead I want to talk to you about your future [...]
Canadian Institutions Adapting to Diversity
Remarks at the Couchiching 2007 Conference By Ratna Omidvar, Executive Director, Maytree Introduction Thank you very much for inviting me to speak to you about institutions and diversity. Let me start by talking about the institution that I work for – The Maytree Foundation, which is a relatively small foundation trying to make some big [...]
Our Cities: Beacon or Dumping Ground?
By Alan Broadbent Presentation to the Ontario Nonprofit Housing Association (ONPHA) Conference, Toronto, November 20, 2006 Why do we talk about cities as a matter of pressing concern? As a Torontonian, you may have a number of questions you ask yourself: Why haven’t we done anything with our waterfront, like Vancouver, Halifax or Montreal? Why [...]
Grantmaking
Fulfilling the Philanthropic Contract: Mutual Benefit for the Public Good by Alan Broadbent Introduction The Maytree Foundation was started almost a quarter century ago to deal with issues of poverty; we have focused on immigrant and refugee settlement, among some other things. We have made grants, developed capacity-building programs, and been engaged in the development [...]
Leading Boldly
Speech to Philanthropic Foundations of Canada, November 14, 2005 By Alan Broadbent I think we make too much of leadership which is an odd thing for someone from The Maytree Foundation to say, because we have been citing leadership as one of the central tenets of our work for a couple of decades. At Maytree [...]
Elements of a Good Immigration Policy
By Alan Broadbent Excerpts from a speech to the Metropolis Conference, Toronto, October 18, 2005 There are several elements of a good immigration policy: It should serve the economy. Both immigrants and our countries are served when immigrants can quickly fit in our economic life, creating wealth for themselves and those around them. That works [...]