Vancity’s Post

Check out a recent article by Young Life President Newt Crenshaw on the power of deep, long-term relationships to get us through tougher times. In the op-ed, he says, “We know with certainty that we live in an uncertain world. We also know that more of us than ever are feeling alone. If you look around, many people in your workplace, at the grocery store and the gym, and maybe even in your own home are experiencing a loss of deep relationships. The antidote to this? Create a sense of belonging right where you are. Investing in the people around us during times of stability can make the difference between flourishing or floundering when circumstances shift. From the teenagers under our roof to the ties with our co-workers, how can we better show up for the people in our lives and create new ways for our relationships to flourish and grow?” Read the rest of Newt's op-ed below!

Great Article by the president of YoungLife on the importance of close relationships!

And this Allyship Allyship is very interesting and I'm in agreement that it's not these solo disconnected "do gooder acts", for self aggrandizement. It's about trust building and what is extremely important for allies to understand is that the trust built in being an ally is not transferable. That means that your work as an ally includes building relationships and trust as you move within communities. And this is key and difficult because it means that you continue to build relationships with those who you are using your power and privilege to support. From Lily Zheng "It's the trust from a person and a community that makes someone an ally. Not the self-assigned label after a few disconnected acts of do-gooding. That trust is only built, if at all, through earnest efforts, to get to know someone beyond a transactional relationship, and the empathy to care about somebody's well-being other than your own. It's only built through repeated action that demonstrates that someone is willing to go out of their way to work and fight for your benefit or a benefit of a community without any expectation or debt owed because they built that relationship of mutual care. But if we start thinking of allyship as the high trust relationships, rather than isolated actions, we have to realize at some point that our one hour "allyship behaviors" workshops that turn allyship into yet another individualistic self help tool aren't even going to work." #Allyship #Inclusion

Excellent points on trust, empathy, emotional intel, and going beyond transactional interactions to build stronger relationships. The fact that strangers don’t step in to call-out harassment is in part a measure of weaker ties to people they devalue, coupled with a fear of retaliation for speaking out. Culturally that strength of allyship in the US and Canada isn’t as broad as some would like, especially in the workplace. That’s why I started #EQiSpace, to build more equitable, allied workplaces from the ground-up.  But the analysis of allyship is incomplete without a discussion of how some in the professional #DEI space work to actively prevent cross-racial allyship. I’ve experienced it first-hand. I developed a relationship of trust with a Black professional in Communications who publicly stood with me on #EQispace (they had a VP Comms bio on our website, a site they were instrumental in building). Given that EQiSpace was a website and a business idea with no clients, we were both doing unpaid work. Unfortunately, that public display of #allyship would prove costly. They were targeted by activists and business contacts - some with deep private sector and political connections - who accused them of being an “Uncle Tom,” because they partnered with a South Asian to advance racial equity. This professional was employed contract to contract, and soon found that work was drying-up. They had, in effect, been placed on the do not hire list for associating with me and with EQiSpace.  Make no mistake, these targeted takedowns take place equally in South Asian and other communities. I’ve spoken with Black, Asian, Indigenous and South Asian DEI sector professionals on this dynamic, and it is clear that blacklisting is common in an industry where racism, white adjacency, and competition for funding stifles cross-racial allyship. I need to strongly emphasize that targeting a Black professional for building cross-racial allyship with a South Asian, for the express intent of financial destruction, is a form of violence. Finally, when it comes to the professional DEI space, it is clear that very few leaders of mainstream DEI organizations have taken the personal, professional, and social risk in their careers to call-out workplace racism, file a complaint, or pay the price for doing so. The majority played it safe to get there; and if they believe that DEI is a zero sum game where racial groups must fight for their own benefits and resources, then allyship is a threat to them. And that’s why people like me – who stood-up to workplace racism and were professionally destroyed for doing so - are #imposters to mainstream DEI. We’re the people who can move legitimate, deep-trust cross-racial allyship forward. Our lived experience gives us credibility, and our efforts to build legitimate cross-racial allyship undermines the zero-sum approach to status-quo DEI. Mainstream DEI is trying to erase us. We’re not going anywhere.

The fundamental unit of allyship is a high-trust relationship across difference, not an isolated intervention conducted in a vacuum. Here's why. Throughout my entire career I've seen a disconnect between how we define #allyship and how we experience it. We say (and I've done this myself too) that allyship is "taking action to advocate or benefit people from social groups you are not a part of," and yet when we think about allyship in action, the examples we can think of don't always look like that. I have rarely seen a stranger step in to correct someone misgendering or making an offensive comment to a person they don't know. I have rarely seen a stranger advocate to benefit a group they don't interact with. What I have seen, many times, is people who trust each other having each other's backs, advocating for each other's causes, and working alongside each other on making change. What I have seen, many times, is people who have a close relationship with a community participating in the community, advocating for its causes, and working alongside it on making change. It's the trust from a person and a community that makes someone an ally, not the self-assigned label after a few disconnected acts of do-gooding. That trust is only built, if it's built at all, through earnest efforts to get to know someone beyond a transactional relationship and the empathy to care about someone's wellbeing other than your own. It's only built through repeated action that demonstrates that someone is willing to go out of their way to work and fight for your benefit or the benefit of a community without any expectation of debt owed, because they've built that relationship of mutual care. But if we start thinking of allyship as the high-trust relationships, rather than the isolated actions, we have to realize at some point that our one-hour "allyship behaviors" workshops that turn allyship into yet another individualistic self-help tool aren't ever going to work. 💞 What we should be teaching are emotional intelligence, empathy, and relational skills that help people build relationships. 🛠️ What we should be building are opportunities for people to collaborate effectively and get to know each other personally and professionally. 🤝🏽 What we should be investing in is community connection across many dimensions of difference to build relationships of mutual benefit. What emerges from this work done right isn't better-informed individuals in a vacuum. It's stronger relationships, stronger communities, and stronger trust, that we all draw from to work alongside each other for a better world. That's how we need to understand allyship if we want it to succeed.

This is of course also the perfect reasoning and rationale for strong, consistent and coherent employment equity legislation, policies and programs across all orders of government in Canada - federal provincial and territorial !!

Three years ago, I was exactly where you are now. Overwhelmed with work and studies, thinking there's no way out? Imagine mastering your time so well that you excel at work, ace your studies, and still enjoy personal time. The truth is, real balance isn't a myth— It's about the right support and strategies. Stop trying to do it all alone and ignoring what works. ================ That's why I launched our private community, Sharing time-saving techniques and study methods Made for busy professionals like you, who need accountability. I'm opening just 3 spots for those ready to change their lives. DM me 'Balance' to claim your spot. Let's make your dream of a balanced life a reality Worried you're too busy? Our community fits around your hectic schedule With a low time commitment, so you're never overwhelmed. Remember, this isn't a free ride, But an investment in your future success.

Supporting each other on life's journey is paramount for several reasons. Firstly, life can be unpredictable and full of challenges. Having a support system ensures that we have someone to lean on during tough times, providing emotional, mental, and sometimes even physical assistance. This support can help alleviate stress, anxiety, and feelings of isolation, promoting mental well-being. Secondly, support from others can provide different perspectives and insights, helping us navigate difficult decisions and situations more effectively. Whether it's seeking advice from a friend, mentor, or family member, their guidance can broaden our understanding and help us make more informed choices. Furthermore, supporting each other fosters a sense of belonging and community. Knowing that there are people who care about our well-being and are willing to stand by us through thick and thin strengthens our social bonds and enhances our overall sense of happiness and fulfillment. Additionally, supporting others can be reciprocal, creating a positive cycle of kindness and compassion. By offering our support to others, we not only help them but also cultivate a culture of empathy and altruism that benefits society as a whole. In essence, supporting each other on life's journey is essential for personal growth, resilience, and collective well-being. It enriches our lives and makes the world a better place.

Personal reflections on my first calendar year in business, and the impact of sexual violence on your career 💭⬇️ As I travelled back from Amsterdam earlier in the month from my final client delivery of the year, I found myself reflecting on my first calendar year in business and everything that’s happened in the last twelve months. I’ll share my round up in the coming days, but my most striking initial reflection was a personal one: When I talk about the impact of domestic abuse and sexual violence (DASV) I often share that something employers don’t tend to consider is the impact of such trauma on your career. Two weeks before I started my career (a place on a competitive graduate management training scheme I had worked really hard for) I was raped. This meant that I started work with PTSD and an ongoing police investigation, severely negatively impacting my professional confidence. Experiencing a trauma that completely shatters your self worth and sense of self doesnt just stay contained in one area of your life. It’s insidious, and the impact of it is felt across the board, including in your personal life, and in your career. Someone who is in trauma is far less likely to have the confidence to speak up in meetings, put themselves out there, take professional risks, or have the self-belief to go for the next big promotion 🙋🏼♀️ So while all of my peers were thriving, I was struggling to stay awake in meetings because of the impact of PTSD on my brain, and having to leave intermittently to take calls from the police relating to the investigation. This was so far from what I had envisioned for myself, and seriously impacted my own ambitions and career trajectory. Not only was it professionally limiting, but it also then undermined my own sense of self and identity, as I was no longer living in alignment with the life I had planned, due to the actions of two people who made a choice to harm me. So one of the biggest impacts of 2023 for me has been to finally feel like I am re-aligned with my own professional identity and goals and ambitions. While this career path is not what I had anticipated I would be doing ten years ago, I feel absolutely in my groove, and it has been so heartening and healing to be seen and valued for the impact I can have in this space. To feel valuable and genuinely good at what I do. On a personal note then, and from the bottom of my heart, thank you to everyone who has engaged with or supported ACT by Laura Currer or Sparkle with Laura Currer this year. It’s been a pleasure to work with you and your organisations, an honour and a privilege to support you with your DASV strategies and training, and deeply restorative for me to receive such wonderful feedback on the work we do 🤍 What we’ve accomplished this year has far exceeded anything I could have imagined, and I look forward to another year of personal growth and professional impact in 2024 🤍🙏🏼 #DASV #sexualviolence #domesticabuse #allyship #rape

At The Grounds, our mission is to support members in creating a life of purpose and value. As our members work toward attaining autonomy, independence, and personal fulfillment, we encourage them to find meaningful work and career goals that support this endeavor. Knowing who you are, what you’re good at, what excites you, and “how you do you” is vital to that process. https://lnkd.in/gdZp57BZ #mensrecovery, #soberlifestyle, #soberaf, #menssoberliving, #sobrietyrocks, #cleanandsober, #sobrietyforlife, #sobercommunity, #soberlivingjourney