Humane Education, Social Change and Canada’s Non-Profit Sector

In Canada, the Social Sector, encompassing approximately 186,000 Non-Profits and Charities, represents 8.7% of the GDP (approximately $189B), employs 12% of the economically active population (2.5M people), and engages 13 million volunteers. And, more than that, this sector is our social-sphere, making space to identify and effect change for new and emerging needs; to respond to crisis, to build capacity for prevention and to evolve new societal values. A unique opportunity exists in this sector to build understanding and shift societal assumptions and values. In a world facing major issues related to human, animal and environmental ethics, children must be provided opportunities to develop tools to think critically about these matters. OneKind, a new Non-Profit based in Canada, lends a conceptual framework that describes the interrelationships between animal wellness, human well-being, and the physical and social environment. We work in partnership with educators to refine and share programming. Humane education aligns closely with the concepts of ‘oneness’ and provides a powerful channel through which to bring theory to practice. As children grow into positions of leadership, we want them to arrive with a sense of connection to the world and their place in it and to feel empowered to take action that considers the priorities of all living things. This presentation discusses the power of the concept of OneKind and humane education to do just that, and shares the impact of a school-based program supporting students and educators as an inspiring example of how these two paradigms can be applied to engage and empower the next generation of community and global leaders.