Who We Are
About Philia > Who We Are

Since the Philia Dialogue is, well, a dialogue, and since by its very nature a dialogue is collaborative and egalitarian, we don't want to draw too much attention to ourselves. At the same time we don't want to hide. We've thought a lot about these issues and we do have a point a view. Actually we have a lot of views and assumptions, and perhaps that's the most important thing you should know about us.

We are a diverse group representing at least three distinct voices - the voice of people who have been labeled as "disabled"; the voice of families who have a member who has been so labeled; and the voice of people who are interested in restoring the role of citizen to its rightful place in our society. There is one belief that permeates everything we do, and it is that welcoming the presence and participation of individuals who have been labeled, marginalized or isolated will transform our society.

During the time we have been together we have integrated our individual viewpoints into a broader perspective, increased our mutual understanding, and earned each other's trust and respect. Between us, we maintain this website, sponsor and conduct cross-sectoral dialogues, consult with organizations who want to infuse Philia values into their operations, produce the Philia eZine, initiate policy and citizen initiatives, assist youth organizations, and continually seek out new opportunities for collaboration and dialogue.

Steering Group

Jacques Dufresne and Hélène Laberge are philosophers in the old fashioned sense. They are public thinkers, writers and speakers who add depth and understanding to just about any issue you can think of: water, love, insurance, life, death, law, food. They produce a journal and maintain a spectacular website based in their home province of Quebec (http://agora.qc.ca). They have brought their love of the classics and appreciation for European thought to our dialogues.

After serving as a Vancouver city councillor for 12 years, Sam Sullivan was elected Mayor of Vancouver in 2005. In addition to his political service, Sam is the founder of six non-profit organizations aimed at improving the lives of people with disabilities, and the recipient of both the Order of Canada and the Peter F. Drucker Award for Innovation. A believer in lifelong learning, Sam's interests include - but are certainly not limited to - music, sailing, hiking and learning languages, including Cantonese and Punjabi.

So does Dominique Collin when he is not practising his violin or providing creative leadership in the form of new Aboriginal financial institutions in his role as a federal civil servant. Dominique also translates our texts from French to English and English to French, in the spirit of dynamic bilingualism that we have adopted.

Vickie Cammack is an educator, trainer, author and inspirational speaker who also manages to maintain an active yoga practice. She is a co-founder of PLAN. As Executive Director of PLAN Institute for Citizenship and Disability she is currently focused on the development, dissemination and application of ideas, concepts and processes that promote a more engaged and caring citizenship. Her innovative approaches to leadership development, social network facilitation and social accounting are key ingredients in her work of taking social inventions to scale.

Al Etmanski is an author, social inventor and community organizer with an interest in innovative, multisectoral solutions to social problems. Al is co-founder of Planned Lifetime Advocacy Network (PLAN), an entrepreneurial citizen-sector organization that helps families plan for the future, safety and well-being of their relative with a disability. In 2002 Al was one of the first two Canadians to be inducted into the Ashoka global fellowship of social entrepreneurs. He does his best thinking on his bicycle, usually in the rain going uphill.

Ted Kuntz is a marriage and family therapist in private practice, and President of Planned Lifetime Advocacy Network society. Ted credits his son Joshua as his greatest teacher and inspiration. Ted's community activism is legendary. His greatest interest is promoting peace. Ted is the author of a new book, "Peace Begins With Me".

Ray Cohen established the Canadian Abilities Foundation in 1986 to provide an administrative framework for his brainchild, Abilities Magazine. CAF's activities since then have expanded to include several other published works. Many of these resources, including the acclaimed Abilities Festival and Access Guide Canada, can be located on CAF's well-visited website. The CAF's many accomplishments and activities reflect Ray's personal mission to provide a resource open to all for information, inspiration, opportunity and self-empowerment.

Roger Jones is an entrepreneur, social advocate and professional speaker. He also runs World Accessibility, a technology company that focuses on accessible communications. Roger enjoys adventure and has gone so far as to fall off a mountain to prove that risk taking is a necessary component of life.

Brian Smith is always keen to engage with young people who are interested in notions of membership, citizenship and co-operation. He also works with municipalities and organizations to explore more democratic processes of inclusion. Brian considers the contributions of friends with disabilities to be wellsprings of ideas and innovation, and wants to share their wealth with the rest of society. He is a firmly committed cyclist, both for the sake of the environment and his own mental health.