IONS is situated in Mi’kma’ki, the unceded and ancestral territory of the Mi’kmaw people. Unceded means that the Mi’kmaq have never relinquished, sold, traded, or transferred ownership of their land to European settler colonies, yet land was taken over without their consent through various processes of settler colonialism. This territory is covered by the Treaties of Peace and Friendship, which the Mi’kmaq and Wolastoqiyik people first signed with the British Crown in 1726. These Treaties did not involve the surrendering of rights to the lands and resources they had traditionally used and occupied. We are all Treaty People.

We further acknowledge that Nova Scotia is the birthplace of Black culture and heritage in Canada. People of African descent have shared these lands for over 400 years, and over 50 strong and resourceful African Nova Scotian communities exist here today.

We are committed to the struggle against systems of oppression that have resulted in profound inequities and the denial of self-determination rights. We are working actively to deepen our learning at an individual level, provide learning opportunities about anti-racism and decolonization, and to develop partnerships with organizations serving and led by underrepresented groups.
  • Overworked and Undervalued: Sustaining the Community Impact Workforce

    Overworked and Undervalued: Sustaining the Community Impact Workforce

    Annika Voltan Executive Director, CSCNS Sandra McKenzie Co-founder, Forge Institute Part 2 of a 4-part series on sector transformation A Healthy Community Impact Sector Starts with a Sustainable Workforce. This article is the second installment in a series focused on generating ideas from you on a healthy Community Impact Sector transformation and recovery! In our introductory…

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  • We Need a Healthy Community Impact Sector: Here’s Why you Should Care

    We Need a Healthy Community Impact Sector: Here’s Why you Should Care

    Annika Voltan Executive Director, CSCNS Sandra McKenzie Co-founder, Forge Institute There is a community impact sector in Nova Scotia made up of thousands of people that are working hard to make this province the place you love. They have been working tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure no one is left behind. Now, it must…

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  • Reflections on Our Decolonization Learning Journey

    Reflections on Our Decolonization Learning Journey

    Nicole Cammaert Director of Network & Sector Development Much of the focus of my work and relationship building over the past year has been around decolonization and reconciliation, particularly through my role with the Decolonization Learning Journey (DLJ), offered to the sector in partnership with Unama’ki College. In recognition of the first (and long overdue) National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, I am sharing some of what…

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  • Shelf-Love: Re-examining my Pride Reading List

    Shelf-Love: Re-examining my Pride Reading List

    Alexandra Theroux Operations Manager Our team at the Community Sector Council of Nova Scotia (CSCNS) is constantly sharing interesting and thought-provoking podcasts, articles, and books with each other. Working remotely for the past few months, this gives us a way to connect virtually over new ideas and content. This informal way of knowledge-sharing and reflecting allows…

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  • Apples, Onions & Peaches: Learning Organizations for Impact

    Apples, Onions & Peaches: Learning Organizations for Impact

    Annika Voltan Executive Director On Friday afternoons, the CSCNS team closes out the week with our A.O.P. meetings. They started several months ago when our colleague Emma shared that she uses “Apples, Onions, and Peaches” at the dinner table to encourage her young daughters to share what’s happening in their lives. This practice came up at a time when we were consciously looking for ways…

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  • Working For Impact: A Millennial’s Perspective on Navigating Labour Systems

    Working For Impact: A Millennial’s Perspective on Navigating Labour Systems

    Lydia Phillip Communications Manager Okay, so I grew up reading (and still enjoy) dystopian fiction – Hunger Games, Divergent, Handmaid’s Tale, The Pretties, anyone? Dystopian novels seem to revolve around ‘work’ given that labour is such a major part of life and survival. Through the imaginations of authors, I’ve been introduced to various worlds of unorthodox work – the highly gendered labour, the hyper-surveillance of labour, work and…

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  • Beyond Statements: Transformational Anti-racism Work is Relational

    Beyond Statements: Transformational Anti-racism Work is Relational

    At CSCNS, we have a little crush on Brené Brown and often find ourselves referencing her work in team meetings. While these days Brené borders on being a household name, her colleague Aiko Bethea is a lesser-known rising star. Brené and Aiko recently recorded two episodes on the Dare to Lead podcast (November 9, 2020…

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