Skip to main content

About

Evoke BC is a think tank: a research institute to explore new, innovative, and effective decision-making practices.
Central questions we'll explore here include:
  • How do our communities make decisions?
  • How should our communities make decisions? 
  • What will democracy look like in 50 years? In 100 years? 
Evoke BC is a group of people dedicated to sharing, exploring and supporting new approaches to democratic decision-making.
New concepts, ideas, and practices will be posted every two weeks - so check back often for the latest in community based democracy! 

 Evoke BC Fellows:

Mark Friesen has a Master of Urban Studies degree from Simon Fraser University where he focused on governance and decision-making at the municipal scale. Mark works with nonprofit organizations in the design and implementation of stakeholder consultation projects, strategic planning engagements, organizational capacity assessments, and effective governance structures. He has a deep understanding and passion for democratic decision-making.

Kady Wong is an experienced community engagement leader with a wide range of experience, from facilitating watershed education for Metro Vancouver to project managing Simon Fraser University’s flagship Zero Waste Initiative. Currently, Kady is the Program Coordinator at SFU Public Square where she helps to convene diverse public dialogues and events on key public issues. As part of her extra-curricular activities, Kady is a fellow with Evoke BC. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Simon Fraser University in Environmental Geography.

Terry Sidhu is a practicing Urban Planner with experience working in different Metro Vancouver and Canadian Cities. Terry has a depth of experience working with the Local Government Act in British Columbia along with navigating many policy documents and bylaws in different cities. In his experience, Terry has seen how political systems can affect the city that we live in and how decisions are made. In his work with Evoke BC, Terry hopes to bring to light some contradictions he has seen in decision making and pursue a more equitable system when it comes to budgeting, finance, and decisions about the built environment in British Columbia. Terry holds a masters degree in Urban Studies from Simon Fraser University.
Amelia Huang is a passionate advocate of sustainable and socially inclusive neighbourhoods, public participation, systems thinking and community economic development. She has an academic background in environmental geography and sustainable community development, and is currently enrolled in the master's program in Urban Studies at SFU. Before her return to school, Amelia spent 5 years as a part of a family owned and operated restaurant business right around the corner from City Hall. She has also been active in several citizen advisory bodies with the City of Vancouver, including the Active Transportation Policy Council and the City Planning Commission.  She currently sits as a member of the Strathcona BIA Sustainability Committee, and as the co-chair of the Car Free Vancouver Society.


Katelyn McDougall has several years experience working with with non-profits, community research, communications, policy and service development, and is currently pursuing a Masters of Urban Studies degree at Simon Fraser University. Her research focuses on transportation finance and decision making within an intergovernmental context, and she has a keen interest in regional governance. She also works as a policy, research and public engagement consultant with a knack for facilitating discussion.

For questions, feedback, comments, or to get involved email us:
evokebc@gmail.com

 Twitter: @evokebc

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Including rational thought in decision-making: novel idea?

The post last week brought up the idea that we need to think about what concepts and ideas are put forward in the public realm. From pop music to sports to local community events, our approach to decision-making is influenced by commonly understood cultural practices. Meaningful democratic decision-making requires that we think about the practices, ideas, and values that percolate throughout society. More specifically, when it comes to engaging a group of people to get together and go through a democratic decision-making process, practitioners need to think about how participants are being, or have been, educated. By definition, democratic decision-making is not limited to specialists. "Rule by the people" means everyone gets to participate in decision-making, even about issues where we are not experts. This does not mean, however, that democratic decision-making should be approached from a place of ignorance.  Robert Dahl  emphasized the importance of  enlight
1 comment
Read more

Freedom to do stuff vs. freedom from stuff

As our children grow up we typically give them more freedom and discretion over the activities they will pursue, and increasing freedom of choice when it comes to who they will associate with and the type of education they want. It's commonly accepted that freedom from tyranny, oppression, and control is a hallmark of a democratic society; we should be free to lead and build a life of our choosing. Leading and guiding one another to a life of freedom is a great privilege that many communities are still fighting and striving towards.  However, when our children are young, we're a bit more directive. When I wake up my daughters in the morning, whether they get dressed, eat breakfast, and get ready for school is not up for discussion or deliberation. At first, commanding them when to put on their shoes might seem to contravene their freedom of choice. Am I restraining their liberty? Obstructing their progress as free individuals? In directing them through these activities,
Post a Comment
Read more

State government: not necessary for democracy

Got your attention? This statement may seem counter-intuitive, but it may very well be true. Democracy can mean a whole lot of things, but it does not necessarily require or imply state government. A state can be thought of as a political entity, typically with perceived sovereignty over some geographic territory, a single unified government, and a monopoly on the legal deployment of an army or other enforcement agency. If we understand democracy as structures and processes for people to make decisions about their communities, then are any of the above items necessary? You might think the answer is yes - that at the least we need some kind of unified government. But what if we define government more holistically as systems and structures that govern some kind of organized community? Is this possible without the additional features of a state : geographic sovereignty, a single unitary government, and a monopoly on organized force? I would suggest that yes, it might be possible
Post a Comment
Read more