Reboot Alberta

Thursday, February 10, 2011

Embrace the Act of Imagination

I was at the Sir Ken Robinson lecture in Red Deer last night.  This amazing event drew over 700 people and was sponsored by the ATA, Red Deer College, Creative Alberta and the Red Deer Advocate.  Another indication of a yearning for real change in Alberta.

The lecture was video taped and I hope we will be able to feed the need for change at the next Learning Our Way to the Next Alberta events in Edmonton March 17th.  You can get tickets online using this link. It promises to be another inspiring evening.

I received a tweet from a teacher who was at the SirKen event. She bought his recent book and asked him to write a line to new teachers when he signed the book.  What he wrote resonated with me, and I expect with most of the readers of this blog. He wrote: "Embrace the Act of Imagination."

This is not an abstract ephemeral aphorism but more of an admonition that the status quo for our society is unsustainable, socially, economically and environmentally.  I would even say our adversarial  and personally nasty approach to political culture is unsustainable.  

There is a shifting consciousness starting amongst a growing group of previously apathetic Albertans that we need to start thinking for a change.  It is not a groundswell yet but it is gathering momentum.  The opportunity for the Alberta Progressive Conservative Party and the Alberta Liberal Party to respond to the change will come from the results of their pending leadership decisions. The same can be said for the newer, smaller but intriguing Alberta Party as an agent for positive political change is these revived citizens seek a leader.

Full disclosure I am an Alberta Party member and working on the Glenn Taylor campaign to lead this new movement.  I also had an Alberta Liberal Party membership to support David Swann' s leadership and as a PC member I supported Dave Hancock's leadership bid in 2006 and moved my support along with Dave to Ed Stelmach on the second ballot.   I have let both of these memberships lapse and feel a bitter sweet irony that both these gentlemen are now leaving political leadership positions and I expect politics as well.  

My sense is the Alberta Party with it aim of "doing politics differently" is the closest thing Albertans have  as a choice that will pick up and deliver on the spirit behind Sir Ken Robinson's advice to "Embrace the Act of Imagination."  Alberta is ready to move beyond the Alberta Advantage of corporate tax cuts, royalty breaks and industry subsidies.

The next Alberta is about a struggle for defining narrative about the Alberta Aspiration.  What does that mean and how will we see in ourselves and define ourselves as we move forward into the creative age and not just the industrial age of resource extraction as our reason to be.  The new narrative will be written by Albertans in part as a result of who these political parties choose for leadership.  Another big part of writing the next Alberta narrative will be decided when we citizens select and elect our new government as we pause about  how we are poised for striving and thriving in the changing world we must all face individually and together.

Granting your consent to be governed is partly a forfeiture of personal power to a politician so be careful who you vote for.  In a generative time like Alberta is in today full of challenges, threats as well as strengths and opportunities citizenship should be more than merely voting.  It should be the active act of embracing and imagining our aspirations as Albertans.

That is the stuff that motivates me to be so heavily engaged in the Alberta Party and the leadership campaign of Glenn Taylor. Visit his website and the party website and if you are at least curious take the next step and join the party and become a Glenn Taylor supporter.  Be the change you want to see happen.

3 comments:

  1. Marie Isaman9:54 am

    What a great opportunity to be in the room in Red Deer on Wednesday night. My sincere thanks to you, Dr. Haley Simons & Creative Alberta. Sir Ken delivered, as expected, a vision of what could be in our K-12 system. My concern, what I’ve been pre-occupied with since first following “learning our way” is the preparedness of current professionals and the stamina of our new crop of teachers to fulfill the vision. While I agree with the comment that many, most, do not enter the profession for the money, “Embrace the Act of Imagination“ may not be in each teacher’s inventory. The truth is that most people attracted to the profession in the past and now are typically “Gold” or “Type A” individuals. Changing what is poured into newbies at a post secondary level can/will help them buy-in, but the very core of who they are will be at odds with the vision. This is a new world we are venturing into. Having said that, I have to deny your statement that “.... the Alberta Party with it aim of "doing politics differently" is the closest thing Albertans have as a choice that will pick up and deliver on the spirit behind Sir Ken Robinson's advice....” This new thought is going to catch on and it will need cross-ministry support and attention. This is not the work of a new party; even if it’s membership includes wisdom and strength from career politicians. I respect you Ken, very much, and I admire the work you’re doing to really change our system and the people you bring in to help. But with the right leadership and a willingness of the people to trust again, I think the PC’s can make this happen.

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  2. I am looking forward to the post of Sir Ken's talk. I was unable to attend.
    I find your political journey to the Alberta Party interesting as it is the same as mine and I believe from talking to others they have had a similar journey.
    I, like many others I speak with, am seeking a political position that is driven by the public good and not some ideological imperative.
    So far the Alberta Party is that place in Alberta, at least for me.

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  3. Anonymous5:47 pm

    Thanks for coming, and help promote the event.

    For your information...the event was sponsored by the ATA Locals, Red Deer Catholic and Red Dee Public, CATCA (Central Alberta Teachers' Convention Association) and the ATA.

    Cheers!

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