GEORGETOWN CONFERENCE ON RURAL REVITALIZATION

Posted On October 9, 2013

By Francine St.Amand

SHUT UP!!!

In a nutshell, that was THE most important message I got from the Georgetown Conference. These were Doug Griffiths’ words, when he spoke about how adults suffocate the courage and creativity out of each other and especially, youth. Author of 13 Ways to Kill Your Community, Griffiths is an MLA from Wainwright AB who captivated everyone by his dynamic presentation in his keynote address first thing Saturday morning. He talked about how his father repeatedly told him, throughout his childhood and adolescent years, that there was no future in ranching and was shocked when Doug struck out on a different career path after university. So watch your language, grownups!! If you were a young person and heard what comes out of your mouth too much of time – would you want to stick around Or come back to your home community later on in life So maybe next time you are about to say something very defeating and discouraging about the future of your community, especially to a young person, you may want to keep your thoughts to yourself. It is really not that helpful or hopeful.
 
Doug also talked about Volunteer Vampires – people who ″infiltrate″ organizations for the sole purpose of sucking the energy out of others by their negativity. Every speaker at this conference had something to say about how people generally want things to change and progress in their communities but are quick to shoot down a person who brings forth new ideas. ″Shoot down″ may be too strong a word, but certainly ignoring, discrediting, minimizing, rumorizing and displaying indifference are the more passive-aggressive reactions commonly used to discourage a person who dares to show initiative and creativity. All the people who shared their success stories at this conference experienced this. Negativity is rampant and people for some reason gravitate towards it like cows to a salt lick.
 

AND THEN there was Mayor Pam Mood from Yarmouth NS. She is living proof of what can happen when leaders have the guts to be a fiery force and motivating in the face of disaster. She had everyone sitting on the edge of their seats while she talked about how the PEOPLE in Yarmouth got their act together after the cancellation of ferry services between Yarmouth and Maine. Initially most everyone was drowning in despair and feeling like they just got unplugged from life support. Since government or miracles were NOT going to save them, under her leadership, the people decided to get ALL HANDS ON DECK and save themselves. Mayor Mood is such an inspirational and kick-yourself-in-the-ass kind of leader…..I know that I felt like rushing off to Yarmouth and scrubbing sidewalks just for the sheer pleasure of being part of the renaissance of this community.
 

″ Those who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it. ″ (Doug Griffiths)
And that is where the hope lies for rural revitalization: letting people who have the guts, the entrepreneurial spirit and the vision to breathe new life into wilting communities. Whether people are prepared to admit it or not, people all around the globe are craving closer connections, mutual support, empowerment and sense of place and belonging. Crisis and opportunity are mirrors of one another. Here, especially in NB, we have become so dependent on government and corporations that we have lost touch with our own sense of self, collectively. It was not always this way. Look at our own local history up to about the 1950″s.″ The trawlers of the primary sectors in forestry, fishing and agriculture rolled in about that time and that is when we got hooked on powerlessness. Breaking away from this addiction will be painful but unless we do, we will fail to have a place that our youth can come back to once they have experienced and explored the world. A place they can proudly claim as their HOME.
 

And a lot CAN be done, if we so choose.
 

These and many other informative and entertaining ″ snippets ″ of the conference will be shared by our local delegation later on this month and also in November. These presentations will be put on under the banner of Community Conversations so look for posters and postings on facebook and Perth-Andover Village website in upcoming weeks.
 

The delegates from the Perth-Andover area:
JOE GEE, Carlingford
TINA MARTIN, Tobique First Nation
LINDA NICHOLAS, Knowlesville (formerly Tobique First Nation)
LUKE SINSTADT, California Settlement
FRANCINE ST.AMAND, California Settlement
Go online to find out more The Georgetown Conference