Episode #9: Direct Democracy and Community Engagement: Using tools to help us build the relationships and practices we need to stay engaged and participate in our local communities.

Episode #9: Direct Democracy and Community Engagement: Using tools to help us build the relationships and practices we need to stay engaged and participate in our local communities.

Thursday, Jan 29th from 12-1pm ADT.

Direct democracy and community engagement are urgent skills and practices we need today as trust in our institutions worsen and polarization grows. Many of us in Atlantic Canada struggle to engage in the decision making that shapes our lives, and we need tools to enable us to connect across social and political divides to create meaningful change in our local communities. Town halls, participatory engagement, local community meetings, and deep conversations at a local level are examples of the strategies to build local democracy. Episode 9 in our series welcomes three incredible speakers: Sera Thompson, Robin Tress, and KJ Conyers-Steede for a lively conversation about the tools and practices that foster engagement and participation in our local communities. 

Andy Horsnell from the Centre for Local Prosperity will moderate and we will begin with an interview/panel discussion, followed by a Q&A. 

This webinar series is by donation – our recommended donation is $10, but any amount is appreciated! A Zoom link and calendar invitation will be sent after you register. 

Register (by donation) here: https://www.zeffy.com/en-CA/ticketing/webinar-9-direct-democracy-and-community-engagement

Sera Thompson – Social innovator and master facilitator creating movement around complex issues.

Sera Thompson is a settler of European descent living in Mi’kma’ki, working to support deep shifts around social and environmental issues. A teacher and systems change facilitator, her work is focused on building capacity for deep democracy and creating movement around stuck challenges in leaders, organizations and communities. Her work creatively engages a diversity of players finding shared clarity and timely actions. She began her career in the complex field of Environmental Management, weaving the needs of diverse players and balancing economic, ecological and social sustainability. For the last 25 years she has successfully led change with dozens of organizations on five continents in the Public Sector, Academia, Nonprofit and Corporate sectors.

Robin Tress – Organizer and leader building political power in the climate justice movement.

Robin lives in Punamu’kwati’jk in Mi’kma’ki, currently known as Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. She was politicized by former PM Harper’s multiple assaults on democracy, climate justice, women’s rights, and Indigenous peoples, and has been fighting for a more fair and sustainable future ever since. She works in the climate justice movement and is focused on building the necessary political power to win a fossil fuel phase out in Atlantic Canada. She worked with Mi’kmaq water protectors in the fight to stop Alton Gas in Nova Scotia for several years, and this deeply shaped her understanding and approach to solidarity, relationship to land, and social movement strategy.

Kjeld Mizpah (KJ) Conyers-Steede – Founder of Future Civics and strategist who focuses on rural and isolated jurisdictions.

Kjeld Mizpah (KJ) Conyers-Steede is a strategist who focuses on rural and isolated jurisdictions. He is dedicated to understanding how social finance can advance prosperity in small jurisdictions and rural communities. As the founder and CEO of Future Civics, a research development organization based in Nova Scotia, Kj focuses on mobilizing catalytic capital, impact investing, and blended finance to address affordability, infrastructure gaps, and community resilience. His work bridges government, philanthropy, and grassroots leadership to design practical financing tools such as community impact bonds and social innovation labs that enable local transitions in housing, climate adaptation, and economic development. Kj also serves as a policy advisor within the Government of Bermuda, helping shape affordability frameworks, cost-of-living legislation, and supply chain reform.