Community Involvement
Building community and community involvement has
always been a passion for Björn
as we cannot survive alone.
Here are some examples of his activities.
To assist with personal needs on a 24 hour basis,
Björn initiated and saw through the development of a local crisis
line in cooperation with the Central Vancouver Island
Crisis
Society, and the Cowichan Crisis Line was established. http:
//www.cvics.ca/
To address the needs for community-building,
Björn started an organization with the
purpose of establishing
neighbourhood houses as places for people of all walks of life
and
cultural backgrounds to meet and gather strength as a community
(Cowichan Neighbourhood House Association). This venue was also used as
a Youth Centre to
help young people find a place where they can
meet, connect and participate in
community projects. http://members.shaw.ca/CNHAwebsite/
For about 25 years, Björn has been member of
various fire departments. He received
the necessary training and
hands-on experience to deal with fires, rescues, medical emergencies,
accidents and personal tragedies. He is part of a regional
committee
that coordinates psycho-social response to disasters. http://www.cvrdep.bc.ca/
To address the needs of people with mental
illness, Björn was one of the founders of a
local branch of the
Canadian Mental Health Association. He initiated and chaired a local
Mental Health Advisory Committee which provides liaison between
community members
and health services. In addition he conducted
programs for peer support and advocacy.
http:
//www.cmha.ca
Björn has been very active in the Human
Rights movement, particular through Amnesty International, where he has
created programs for Human Rights Education. He believes in diversity
and the right of people to express themselves, even when their opinion
is not the same as his.
Men often isolate themselves when they are
struggling. This can become a downwards spiral where they can be
destructive on themselves and others. Björn has founded a Cowichan
Men’s Resource Centre with others who believe that men need a
place to gather where they can be authentic and find the resources they
need on their path to becoming better partners and community members.
Björn supports helping men to realize their
gifts and be
aware of their shadow side as well. http://mkp.org/
