Champions of Change < NonProfits, Tree Huggers, Shakers and Movers >
While working with marginalized groups in Canada, Tanzania, Myanmar and Jamaica, I learned that adversity is not a full stop. When creatives form a human chain, they find success through sharing strengths and building bridges between gaps. The following organizations promote art, inclusion, and healthy communities. I highly recommend them all. ` Hanna Miller
International Aid
Cuso International is an international cooperation and development organisation based in Ottawa. Together with local partners, they focus on efforts to advance gender equality, social inclusion, improve economic resilience, and deliver progress on climate action. Hanna Miller worked as a Cuso International Design Advisor for Femina HIP (Tanzania) and ChuChu Myanmar. She is currently the Museum Research and EcoDesign Advisor for the Alpha Institute (Jamaica). ​photo credit: Brian Atkinson
Beast Weekend
EFFA was a major contributor to the 2022 Beast Weekend Environmental Film Festival. This 100% volunteer-run organisation showcases cinema, challenging the way people think about the natural world, and inspiring us all to discuss, explore and act on important environmental issues. They welcome opportunities to partner with other like-minded eco people and groups. photo credit: EFFA
Social Eco Enterprise
ChuChu Myanmar
ChuChu is a social enterprise that provides eco education and livelihood training in Myanmar. ChuChu products are created by home-based family teams. ChuChu provided art and expertise for the 2022 Art For Change upcycle exhibition. Sadly, the ChuChu workshop was destroyed by fire in 2022, and current wartime conditions have put most of the ChuChu work on hold. ChuChu products are available at pop-up stores in Canada, Australia and Myanmar. photo credit: Hanna Miller (ChuChu team members)
Artist Collective
The Cool Arts Society is a non-profit charitable organization that is dedicated to providing art opportunities to adults with developmental disabilities. Cool Arts educator Amy Bradshaw, along with Cool Arts artists, contributed to Beauty WAD, Beauty What ! and Beauty In The Beast exhibits and events.
Okanagan Eco Warriors
GECCO is the Okanagan Chapter of The British Columbia Council for International Cooperation. BCCIC is a coalition of international development organizations, civil society groups and individuals who work hard at addressing sustainability. GECCO organizes or assists with approximately 8-10 events throughout the year, particularly assisting Global Citizen Events with their suite of activities that occurs regularly every February. Events include Taste of Home, Sustainable Development Challenge, Global MusicFest, and many more.
Sex ED-utainment
Femina Hip is the largest civil society multimedia platform in Tanzania, and is dedicated to fostering and educating young changemakers (13-30) through school clubs, radio, TV and magazines. They promote healthy lifestyles, sexual and reproductive health and rights, economic empowerment, citizen engagement and gender equality for youth. Hanna worked as a Cuso International Design Advisor for this hugely popular, award-winning team of young journalists. Fema cover photo: Hanna
Contemporary Classic Urban Museum
Okanagan Heritage Museum is one of three Kelowna Museums run by the Kelowna Museums Society. Under-funded (the City of Kelowna still has not repaired the crumbling entrance steps that became unuseable in 2020) the passionate museum team somehow continues to put the wow factor into a topnotch cultural centre. It is a personal favourite of Hanna's, who has guest curated several OHM feature exhibits.