Plein de bonne intentions certes. Mais je me demande si tels projets peuvent s'appliquer a un Canada du troisieme millinaires, multi-ethnique et multiracial.

Je vous sugggere de faire un petit tour aupres des organizations et agences "communautaires" et voir l'ethnicite, la couleur, la race des dirigeants et dirigeantes locaux, preneurs et preneuses de decicion. Examinez la liste des employes/ees de ces organisations et agences et comparer avec la composante demographique de la localite en question.

Je suis sonfiant que vous comprenez le sens de mon commentaire: L'esprit de clocher reigne et continuera de reigner tant que nous insistons sur le "local".

Est-ce qu'il y a quelques exemples de succces de ces "initiatives locales" ? Possible. Sont-elles inclusives ? Je ne sais pas si vous avez songe a cet aspect.

J'ai etudie et enseigne l'organisation communautaire. Ces approches localisantes s'appliquent a des localites "homogenes", mais quand nous parlons de societe multi-culturelle, multi-raciale, multi-ethnique, je pense qu'l n'y a pas mieux qu'une structure centrale qui prend les interets de tous et toutes en consideration.

I suggest it is time we start to think outside our box of Euro-White, Canadian-born, outside our box of 1960's Canada, Quebec.

With all due respect, Pierre.

Laca Bombi

Pour répondre à Laca,

You are right that it is a challenge. But I don't think that there is a contradiction between integration and respect for diversity and local empowerment. From experience with community organisations and community economic development in Québec, I know that there are many intitiatives whose very goal is to reach out to cultural communities.

Now, I agree that the goal here is not simply to reinforce the role of the current elites. The example of CLD's in Québec was a good one to reinforce the role of civil society. Sadly, the Charest government has given all the power back to the current municipal leaders...

C'est vrai que, parfois, les approches "localisantes" s'appliquent plus aisément à des communautés plutôt homogènes. Mais voilà donc une raison de renforcer nos efforts d'avoir des approches spécifiques, locales, dans les communautés qui sont plus multiculturelles. Ce n'est donc pas en contradiction avec le renforcement des initiatives locales.

I believe local economic development initiatives are best served when there is a regional strategy in place. Workers in both USAmerica and Canada often commute from points in the innermost areas of a city to suburbs. Untangling the knot that suburban sprawl tangles a regional taxbase in can make the difference between whether public services are adequately and equally funded or not in most inner-city neighborhoods.

And regional strategies make sense because most locales i.e. neighborhods or political subdivisions with municipal charters do not have the resources to take on their challenges in the comprehensive manner that is deserved. A city-region is where real markets are, where real capital is invested, where work gets done and the various localities within it are elements of the social, political and economic network that does the heavy lifting...and these elements are mostly people, people who are moving about from their locales to points throughout a region to get their work done. And these people and localities can't do this all alone, they must cooperate at the city-regional level.