Upon the receipt of my last post, I was invited to have a caffeinated beverage with Mark Kuznicki – the mastermind behind changecamp. His first remark (no pun intended) was “your post was personal, very personal.” Duly noted. Throughout my undergraduate career in political science, I’d heard a great many times that
“the everyday is political, the personal is political.”I didn’t really know what it meant then, and it’s arguably an ongoing internal conversation. But, as I’ve entered the “real world,” it has become increasingly clear to me and more relevant every single day. Everything about the past that helps define our present has got to do with politics. The leaders that were in power at the right time, doing the right thing or at the wrong time, doing the wrong thing (or any combination of that sort) is significant. From the moment we wake up in the morning to the second we fall asleep, we make choices that dictates our politics, whether we realize it or not. From the television shows we watch, to the newspapers we read, the stores we shop at and the mode of transportation we use, everything hinges on the politics of our times. And so then, it’s no surprise that my critique was very much a personal one.
As I mentioned in my last post, I applaud the vision of changecamp. I respect the people who have undertaken such a monumental project because I know very well that it’s not for the faint of heart. As I mentioned to my Twitter mate, Joseph Dee, I want so badly to be wrong. But, I am honest about my skepticism because I role with conviction, I simply know no other way. For this reason alone, I will not apologize for my very personal criticisms nor will I take them back so they can be shared with the masses via the changecamp posse. No thanks; it’s simply not my style. I believe that at the heart of any hearty civic debate is the dire need for collaboration. And no, I’m not talking about the term that people throw around so that they feel good about themselves. I’m talking real, sometimes-it-feels-like-a-pain-in-the-ass collaboration. The kind that keeps the door open to the cynic, optimist and everyone else in between. Because guess what, it’s their community too!
If there’s one thing that came across clearly in my meeting with Kuznicki, it’s that his heart is in the right place. He believes change is possible and that’s more than I can say for a whole lot of Torontonians who simply sit back and complain, but do diddlysquat to the effect of manifesting real change. Because who are we kidding, without concerted efforts and specific intentions it’s merely wishful thinking to hope for change in TO folks. I think ChangeCamp has enormous potential to effect change in this city if it goes back to the drawing board and considers what’s at stake if it doesn’t bring everyone to the table. On my call for more diversity, Kuznicki assured me that there was a head member of OCASI present. For those who are unaware of the organization, OCASI stands for the Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants. So how many of you think this "head of OCASI" person is plugged into the real, everyday, day-in-day-out issues that matter to immigrants of all walks of life? Like seriously? I’d be interested in knowing how much of the information this person took away from ChangeCamp is actually being taken back and reworked into their model or partner agencies, because that’s effectively the change that changecampers are fighting for, right?
Minutiae aside, having the courage and willpower to act is surely a solid first step. Kuznicki told me he “quit a job in finance to start this project, but that this project is not about him, it’s about Toronto and the community of organizers that have made it all possible.” That’s where I think he is wrong. This project is as much about Mark and his story, as it is about me and my story. Because the bottom line is our stories are not dispassionate ones. And so, it is the collection of our shared stories, and not our toolkits, that will inspire change in Toronto.
Let’s say au revoir to rhetoric; let’s say bonjour to intentional change. Change that matters. The kind that means something to real people and that has a direct impact on our communities. Toronto Councillor Adam Vaughan is a case in point: I giddily read about his wonderful affordable housing project in Metro morning on Friday. He has made the seemingly impossible, possible. Vaughan eschews a bolder vision for Toronto in saying,
“imagine if the guy working the door in your building also lived in the building.”
To see a politician with this kind of purpose, beyond the noise, beyond the complicated ideologies that we submit to, reminds us all of how simple the solutions can be if we just take our blinders off and open our hearts and minds to a more holistic Toronto.
Another example caught my attention today as I flipped through a copy of the Toronto Star. Catherine Porter tells the tale of “wild imaginings” and the dire need to pick up the once-dubbed community hubs now abandoned, dingy, dungeons that are Toronto’s ice rinks. Her story is personal, passionate and very much a call to action. She had me in the first line and carried me through her journey, but more than that she also took me back to the days that my mom used to take me to the ice rink in my community. Something I believe every child should have the joy of experiencing. So yes, I will sign on to her campaign. She told me her story and helped me reminisce about mine. Now that's what I'm talking about folks!
Well, I hope I’ve said enough to help calm the flames of dissent. I encourage you to share the moment you fell in love with this city and why this project is so very personal to you. If you’re a believer and you’re just not quite there yet, just wait, you’ll get there. All it takes is a quick peak; just roll down the window and take the city in.
d.
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