EWB National Conference 2010 Blog

A Lifetime of Motivation

ewbconference2010 — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 15:02:15 +0000

Writing my final thoughts on the conference now seems a little premature. As many people have said, the real legacy of this conference will be written over the coming year. The work we’ve done, the connections we’ve made, and the things we’ve learned will hopefully set the stage for a year of hard work and good results for our organization. I know I’m looking forward to it.

One thing I can say I’ve already taken away though is energy. During the keynote address at the gala banquet, a fellow OVS leaned over and whispered to me “I can’t wait to work really hard this year.” I couldn’t echo her sentiments more.

Right now I should be exhausted. After the late nights and early morning of conference, I set off on fairly demanding travel schedule – it’s currently Wednesday morning, I’m sitting in the Johannesburg airport, and I haven’t slept in a bed since Saturday night. I won’t make it to Malawi until tomorrow. I should be a zombie.

And yet I’m not. I’m full of excitement for the coming year. I’m riding the high from all the amazing conference delegates I met. And I’m deeply motivated by the enthusiasm EWB members have shown for the ideas that my coworkers and I are working on in Malawi. I can’t wait to get back to it. Thank you so much to everyone who attended conference 2010, and to everyone who made it possible – I think you’ve given me enough motivation to last a lifetime.

Owen Scott

Never did find Stephen Stajkowsky my name tag buddy…

ewbconference2010 — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 17:46:11 +0000

I STILL feel inspired from conference… Thinking of taking politics after engineering if there is any way that that can work out.
I now understand what they meant when they said it would be a working conference. There was so much brainstorming and team building, that I agree with saying EWB grew in its awesome-ness considerably. I just hope that all of the information brainstormed can be effectively organized and made public. Also, it would be neat if some of the speeches were on the EWB site (I haven’t looked there yet so they may already be, I don’t know). It was like a brain bank in there.
I really liked whenever Boris spoke in his awesome French accent. Makes it all that much better that he was an EWB president at McMaster a few years ago! Woot! It also makes you think that you can get THAT INVOLVED in just a few years. It makes life not seem so full of inaction (as a lot of us patiently wait these following years to finally graduate and find good jobs)
The massiveness that was the Massive Outreach Event made things look so much more possible. Like that was huge I say. So organized. Makes me inspired to bring forth huge ideas myself.
I also liked the panel and the questions asked. If an EWBer ever ran for any sort of political position, they have my vote. (Who knows, that may be me in 6+ years…)

Signing off,
Daniel Yurkewich Mac Attack University
If you are Stephen, Text HOLLA to surfboard23 AT hotmail.com

PEACE

This is Newfoundland…

ewbconference2010 — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 12:58:13 +0000

5 days of awesomeness. And then, an unexpected 6th day of awesomeness, a gift which was originally a frustration, and now I am about to recount it. 9.5 hours of sleep from 8:30am to 6pm, more sleep than I have had combined the previous 3 days. free hotel, “breakfast”, hotel, and plane food. A last walk down george street and real screeching in ceremony at Christian’s, where I learned the phrase ” ‘deed I is me old cock and long may your jib draw!”. Meeting a UVic powerhouse to with which collaborate on the Vancouver Bridging the Gap conference, not to mention meeting 2 OVS and 1 Social Change Fellow at the same time. Reconnecting with other EWBers at Birdie’s, being at the bar for over an hour without getting a drink, and learning three middle and last names of URegina folks as well as one of my own SFUers. Moving on to Turkey Joe’s, a porn star, a vodka cran, a cherry bomb, a rum and coke, rye and coke, and some med school conversation. A sketchier alleyway than I’ve ever seen in Vancouver, where graffiti claimed “kill trees for Jesus”. A Subway where there was someone who accidentally took the bathroom key, an awesome guy who needed something to live for, and a harried employee who got an unexpected order 4 hours early and got me some much-needed lettuce. 5 taxis, 13 drinks (9.5 hours of sleep in between), 1 stir fry and 1 english muffin breakfast, 2 airport visits and 1 airport check-in. Many, many EWBers and countless amazing conversations. 4 extra missed university classes, and 1 day later.

This is Newfoundland, random, awesome, and unforgettable. Thank you NC2010!

Janine

“Small Talk”ing Advocacy

ewbconference2010 — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 16:00:16 +0000

I am so excited to help build EWBs advocacy capacity. I have been involved in the being a CIDA Watchdog sessions and was happy to see the energy.

EWB has enormous potential to make advocacy a core aspect of the EWB chapter programs. If each chapter could find a Advocacy Exec Member to lead MP engagement and public engagement on policy issues important to EWB, then we could have massive impact! There is also a need for a stronger grassroots advocacy network which engages across Canada to develop policy positions and produce documentation (i.e. briefing notes, Q&As) to make messaging more accessible at the chapter level.

We had some extremely interesting feedback from a St. Johns MP on the best approach. He mentioned that MPs are people and it is important to build people to people connections with them. Friendly chats and inviting MPs to events with lots of people is a great way to start. Importantly, we want to avoid massive, widespread initiatives that might threaten or intimidate them. Lets small talk with MPs to build relations and then bring about massive change!

Hannah Kent
Ottawa Regional Chapter
Member Learning

Excitement

ewbconference2010 — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 01:05:59 +0000

As the gears started creaking in the heads of our students this morning, it was exhilarating to feel that we could create some real thinking and analysis in a group of people that I had just met. I signed the values mural today, and reiterated my belief that Investing in People is the value that I connect with most, because it has been the core of our growth as an organisation as well as key to our long-term impact overseas. Some collections from the past few days:

Whereas last year we realised our rhetoric did not match our reality, now we are true to who we are, true to what we do, and true to what we want to accomplish.

A good question related to me by Michael from UofT – If you were 100 times bolder, what would you do?

George street shenanigans, and the dance music.

What I’m looking forward to now: AGM tonight, Gala tomorrow, home sunday, incredible connections for the rest of the year.

Janine Reid – (SFU chapter president)

A Lesson in MOEtivation

ewbconference2010 — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 22:08:26 +0000

Today’s Massive Outreach Event was many things. I`ll start with awesome. Followed closely with Shiny. I have attended five conferences by now, and this MOE was by far my favourite. Not only was it the most fun, but it kicks ass in terms of impact. Even if only one student per class was inspired by this morning, it still will have longer term impact then standing outside City Hall in the cold. (Or being told to F-off by an irate Toronto businessman)

EWB promotes a culture of criticism and learning lessons, and there are some here. Notably, I feel that the video teleconference was a bit long. Not only long, but it was also a tad complicated for that crowd. (ie: governmental foreign affairs protocols) Before people jump all over me for underestimating High School students, I am in no way debating the fact that some High School students are capable of significant critical thought. However when you are addressing 4500 people, you have to go for at least the middle common denominator. I also would not have streamed that talk to 4500 second year engineering students. I know in the gym I was in, there was substantial fidgeting by 45 minutes. I think the overall idea was pure genius, I just would have made it a little more accessible to the average high school student.

That being said, I think the MOE was an absolutely amazing experience which will go a long way towards making this one of the best conferences ever. It has also significantly raised the bar for every MOE that will follow from here on out. Thanks so much to all the organizers. You rock my socks.

Cale Ettenberg – Ottawa Regional Chapter

Working Session 1

ewbconference2010 — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 19:52:15 +0000

This first working session definitely reminded me of that intense EWBer energy that drew me to this organization in the first place.

“How might we best integrate members to EWB helping them become contributing leaders who feel ownership over EWB’s work?”

That was our task for ‘Design Practice’

The room was filled with great, innovative ideas, (I hope someone creates a compilation of all the delegates’ great ideas…hint hint.)

Everyone is excited for the next phase…

-andre.

The Conference that Keeps on Giving…

ewbconference2010 — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 22:15:49 +0000

Alfred Mungamelo‘s talk this afternoon was so energizing I became more curious about tomorrow’s keynote speaker , Victoria Anamooh, (I wanted to know more than the conference page would allow me to know) and so I googled her name. Up came Meghan’s blog, describing ‘Mama Vic.’

I was told I should be excited to hear her speak, but now I know why!

Can I get a “Heck Yeah!” ?
Andre.

EWB Jumps into 21st Century

ewbconference2010 — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 18:34:07 +0000

Well it’s taken EWB a bit of extra time, but they seem to have finally caught up with technology. At last year’s conference in Mississauga, there was much talk about opportunities being missed with regards to technology. No emphasis on twitter or blogging, and not widely accessible wifi. Although I know tech isn’t the be all and end all, it can certainly add a new dimension to a group’s activities.

This year, the conference team seems to have recognized this and taken appropriate steps. From hotel-wide wifi to real-time text/twitter/web comments on screen during the morning session, EWB seems to have discovered that social networking might be useful. Particularly awesome is their plan to both post AGM questions online and, more importantly, getting people to vote on the most important ones pre-AGM. This will make that meeting infinitely more valuable and worth attending.

All this, plus EWB’s forthcoming EWB 2.0, makes me optimistic about being able to use technology in support of our developement or advocacy or whatever goals. Of course, all this means nothing if people don’t use this shiny tech for reasons beyond it`s inherent shinyness, so now it’s time to sit back and see what the delegates will use this newfound power for.

Cale Ettenberg- Ottawa Professional Chapter

Enjoying a Smaller Personal Bubble.

ewbconference2010 — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 11:31:00 +0000

Conference kicked off for the OVS’s, JF’s, and Presidents Wednesday in what was, for me anyways, a really inspiring day of meeting, greeting, and learning. All the way out here on the Rock, one thing remains, and that is that EWBers are awesome and inspiring people to be around. From the JF perspective, it was certainly an intense day. Hard to learn close to 40 names in such a short time, but then again, that’s conference for you!

To summarize the day in a phrase, “Personal Space”, or more appropriately a lack thereof… I really felt like I was rubbing shoulders (ha) with some awesome people as we packed the conference rooms tight. As the conference proper kicks out the jams tomorrow, I’m looking forward to diving head first into some big topics. And hearing what our chapters have come up with for their chants!

Cheers,

Payt Byrns – Usask