1. Neighborhood Mini-Group (NMG) Structure for Social Enterprise Incubation in Toronto Kazi Abdur Rouf Visiting Scholar Leadership, Higher Education and Adult Education OISE, University of Toronto and Noble Institution for Environmental Peace Canada. Paper presented at the Association for Nonprofit Social Economy Research (ANSER) Conference 2013 University of Victoria June 5-7, 2013

2. Concept Neighbourhood Mini-Group (NMG) is a mini-group networking program for low income neighbours in Toronto Easy to form groups within neighborhoods informally

3. Objectives of the Neighbourhood Mini-Group Program (NMGP) To organize and facilitate neighbourhood networking and form groups among low income people to develop collection behaviour and increase solidarity among group members Continue to interact with group members to develop their self-esteem and collective esteem To assist members to find alternative solutions for their social and economic problems Connect members with local income generating projects, credit unions and other economic resources

4. Objectives-2 To develop entrepreneurial skills, financial discipline and leaderships among members To share information and exchange their thoughts and experiences and to develop negotiating power among group members To engage in social businesses Exposure to different ways of incomes and To mobilize them to initiate and run community social, environmental and economic programs in order to reduce their poverty

5. Importance of Neighborhoods Mini-Groups Low income immigrants, single mothers and senior citizens have less interaction and collaborations with their neighbours Second generation loss connections with their neighbours Reducing collectivistic behaviours Suffering from isolation, a monotonous life and frustration In Ontario “O’ dollars invest for promoting cooperatives

6. Advantages To free people from isolation and a monotonous life To help group members develop partnerships among them to solve their problems To think of to involve in income generating activities and engage in innovative social business projects Joint business/co-operatives generally have twice the survival rate of other private business Credit unions prefer lending to collective businesses To free them from poverty.

7. Survival rates of Co-operative businesses vs private companies Survival rate of business after…. 5 years10 yearsLong term All cooperatives 64%46%30% Private sector companies (Statistics Canada-2008 36%20%N/A

8. NMGP Services Organize open-house sessions, create dialogue among group members to discuss benefits of networking, engage in social economy and social enterprises Discuss existing types of Canadian clubs/cooperatives Facilitate forming neighbourhood mini-groups Record and monitor group members activities Facilitate members’ involvements in income generating activities, recycling businesses and many other social businesses Encourage graduated members (after one year) to engage in sustainable social businesses

9. NMGP Services: continued-2 Organize and conduct trainings/workshops on Mini-group management Moral education Financial literacy Managing social enterprises and small business Green development Citizen engagement and Conflict resolution. Connect and refer group members to Public resources Income generating business and financial literacy counseling services Social enterprise funds and community economic services.

10. Cooperative gap widens in Canada Although credit unions are increasing ; however, cooperatives development trend is decreasing in Canada For example, in Saskatchewan Numbers of co-ops decreasing 15% in 2000-2005 Membership -10% (2000- 2005) Assets -59% Revenue -62% In Ontario : Cooperatives among low income : No statistics, no record In Quebec : Cooperative growth rate is increasing (+152%, 1985-2005) Source: (Diamantopoulos, 2011) After 2005 Cooperative development is more decreasing in Canada Farmers numbers are decreasing 20% in 2005-2010 in Canada ( Source: (Carlton University, 2012) 223 firms (1% of co-ops enterprises) Source: U of Wisconsin 2009.

11. Strategy: Start with informal memberships NMGP is facilitating group formation and connecting group members to local resources, and record members activities in the community Get experience to continue memberships with neighbors, develop skills of accountability, respectfulness and trust each other Avoid administrative burden of registering with Coop Acts Develop social capital and collectivity norms Gain experiences and develop leadership skills Financial agenda after compact entrepreneurship development

12. Structure of the NMGs Three-five neighbours (prefer same sex, and same class) on a block informally form a neighbourhood mini-group Block Centre (BC): a minimum of four mini groups from in a county Neighbourhood Mini-group Cluster Centre (NMGC): Three County Centers make one NMGC Cluster Worker (CW): CW is a primary service provider to organise, facilitate and serve the group members

13. Operation Areas 1 st year, NMGP works in St. Clair-Runnymede-Jane-Lawrence- Keele neighbourhoods in Toronto Plan 2 nd year expand to Etobicoke South Lakeshore, Etobicoke North and Regent Park in Toronto 3 rd year expand to Scarborough South, Cox Well, Scarborough Middle, Scarborough West and Melbourne area in Toronto 4 th year across Greater Toronto (GTA)

14. Pot Herbs Production Project-a pilot initiative PHPP initiated in collaboration with Noble Institution for Environmental Peace (NIEP) Toronto It is a program for Intergenerational Pot Herbs Production demonstration learning program – St. Clair- Runnymede- Jane-Keel- Lawrence-neighborhoods areas in Toronto The program is for herbs fresh organic food production, intake and income generation among low income people The project has trained 15 seniors and three adults from the area

15. Open House Sessions, Workshops and Materials for the Project The first step of the project is to organize St. Clair-Runnymede-Jane-Lawrence Keel neighborhood families through Five open house meetings Two workshops at Jane Street Hub, and St. David Church Open house sessions and workshops start in April 2013 Provided training on Herbs production know how, sources to collect herb boxes, soil, herb seedlings Advise herb growers to recycle these materials every year Organize herb harvesting and cooking events at harvesting time in July-October Preserve of pots, herbs, roots and seeds for recycle use next year.

16. Herbs producing by people Herbs producing Mint Caraway, Coriander Lemon balm, Lemon Verbena Oregano Sweet basil, Rosemary Sage, Parsley, and Spearmint.

17. Program in Place NMG members linked with Herbs production project in collaboration with Jane Street Hub, Unison and TCHC community gardens in Toronto through my individual initiative Formed 5 groups in St. Clair- Runnymede-Jane- Lawrence two neighbourhoods in Toronto Mobilised 25 people to engaged in Planters Box Herbs production One garden spot in a TCHC community garden Distributed Planters Boxes and herbs seedlings to 10 individuals Continue to form groups and distribute herbs pots to community people.

18. Challenges No other community agencies and private agencies involved in pot herbs production in this area This green social enterprise relays on some startup grants and donations to support the project activities and to promote ecological education to people No grand available for this project this year If heavy rain falls, insects could jeopardize the bumper herbs production that is challenge for the project Producers’ intensive care and integrated pest management (IPM) practice could reduce/prevent such challenges.

19. Challenges contunue-2 The Neighbourhood mini-group collaboration concept is different from the traditional cooperative principles NMG members reluctant to try the program without seeing an upfront economic benefit Toronto is an advanced, industrialised and individualistic society; it would be hard to develop cooperative values among people To get financing for the group members’ projects.

20. Conclusion The herbs permaculture project is a transformative learning sustainability project in food sector for intergenerational family members in Toronto The project is creating opportunities to permaculture transformative learning experiences through pot herbs production The project designs to collect half of the produced herbs from the growers to recover its materials and costs supplied by the project The project endeavor is to make the project as a model of revenue generating green social enterprise in Toronto.

21. Thank you Comments/Suggestions