Co-operative Development Possibilities in Rural Settler and Indigenous Communities: Lessons from the Co-operative Innovation Project and Co-operatives First – book launch and mixer

Building Inclusive Communities in Rural Canada registration link

As part of Co-op Week 2023, join Dr. Dionne Pohler for the launch of her new co-edited volume, “Building Inclusive Communities in Rural Canada”. This collection challenges misconceptions that rural Canada is a bastion of intolerance. While examining the extent and nature of contemporary cultural and religious discrimination in rural Canadian communities, the editors and contributors explore the many efforts by rural citizens, community groups, and municipalities to counter intolerance, build inclusive communities, and become better neighbours. Throughout, scholars and community leaders focus on building new understandings, language, and ways of thinking about diversity and inclusion that will resonate with rural people. 

This event will include a brief presentation focused on Dionne’s co-authored chapter in the book, “Co-operative Development Possibilities in Rural Settler and Indigenous Communities: Lessons from the Co-operative Innovation Project and Co-operatives First”. This will be followed by an informal reception afterwards.

About our speaker

Dr. Dionne Pohler is an associate professor at the University of Saskatchewan Edwards School of Business. She also holds the Co-operative Retailing System Chair in Co-operative Governance with the Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy and the Canadian Centre for the Study of Co-operatives and is a faculty research fellow with the Rotman Institute for Gender and the Economy. Dionne was one of the co-investigators on the Co-operative Innovation Project. This led to the creation of Co-operatives First, which is dedicated to working with rural communities to address the needs identified by community members. Her previous and ongoing research covers topics on rural issues, work and employment, unions and labour relations, organizational governance, labour and social policy, and co-operative development.