About CRUSISIS

Written by Homegrown | 22 November 2008
Posted in About Us

Get to know us and what we stand for.

• CRUSISIS Defined
• CRUSISIS Community
• Our Mission
• Sustainability, Our Version
• Our Philosophies
• Our Intention
• Our Hope
• Our Community, Near & Far
• Community Partner
  

CRUSISIS Defined

CRUSISIS, the 'CRUSsade' for the 'crISIS' of People, Planet and Community, is an on-line guide and community resource to help everyday people live the way they’d aspire to live every day… for People, Planet and Community!

We are a catalyst, a movement of positive change. We are home-grown hope. We are CRUSISIS: Your Guide to Sustainable Living. Read more…

CRUSISIS Community

The CRUSISIS is On-line and Real-time in the community. It is dedicated to empowering people to live in harmony, in a socially just, earth-friendly and locally sustaining manner.

The CRUSISIS Community Benefits include:

• Seasonal Guides
• Green Tips & Resources
• Eco-Local List (business directory searchable using sustainable qualities)
• Community Events
• Eco-Search Engine
• Sustainable Events Calendar
• On-line Business Services - COMING SOON... only for businesses that purchase the services! (ie: On-line Event Registration & Ticket Sales; Web-based Feature Pages & Advertising; Company Spotlights; E-Commerce, etc...)
• CRUSISIS Awareness Initiatives incl.sustainability education presentations, primarily focused at youth (honorarium required)

Our Mission

Our mission is to:

• Inform & inspire to action.
• Create a movement of positive change.
• Incite grass routes changes big or small, near and far.
• Re-tool thinking to enable a paradigm shift in ideology.
• Call people, companies, organizations and communities to action.
• Generate cause for pause regarding day-to-day choices and activities.
• Support healthy, socially-just, earth-friendly, locally sustaining practises.
• Empower members to become advocates of and catalysts for sustainable options.
• Provide information and resources “on-line” and “real-time” (in the community) to enable them to make changes they ultimately want to make.
• Remove barriers that exist and make it as easy and efficient as possible, for people, businesses, organizations and communities to make these changes.
• Question adversely impactful things and processes that have “always been done one way” and brainstorm new ways to move forward with positive impacts.
• Host community events for the benefit of People, Planet and Community*.
• Listen to and learn from the community through focus groups or events.
• Give back part of our profits to our communities. *
• Be part of the solution, not the problem.
• Build a virtual community.
• Provide Home-grown Hope ^TM.

* See our definition of community

* See Sustainability, Our Version

Our Philosophies

People are broken. Our planet is sick. Our communities are dying. And we have to do something about it. Now!

People Philosophies: People are broken.

• The physical, mental, emotional & in some cases, moral health of our society is in jeopardy and positive intervention must occur.
• Each person deserves the right to feel happy, healthy and loved, and to be treated fairly and with respect, while living in a peaceful environment.
• It is our duty to buy products or services that were created in a socially just manner, each time we make a purchase.
• That our silence regarding social wrong-doing suggests our support for it.
• That our children are our future and how we treat them and what we teach them each day affects the person they will become and the future of our society.

Planet Philosophies: The planet is sick.

• Life has become too demanding around the clock, often causing us to make poor choices because it is easier and/ or quicker or more cost effective.
• We have abused our planet and its environment far too much and it is time to start living in harmony with the earth and all its inhabitants.
• We should live a natural, healthy lifestyle, eat naturally or organically produced food and strive to meet our daily needs in harmony with nature.
• It is our duty to buy responsibly by: (1) reducing consumerism (2) buying locally produced or manufactured goods and services and (3) buying products or services that are earth-friendly, whether they are consumable or not, each time we make a purchase, all in order to limit our carbon footprint on the earth.
• Our inaction or procrastination regarding positive changes that should be made for ourselves, our planet and our communities speaks directly to our priorities.

Community Philosophies: Our communities are dying.

• We have become too attached to our technology and technological devices, often causing our society to become reclusive or socially inept, and/or preventing people from interacting properly, or at all at times, in their communities.
• Opportunities to improve our communities are presented to us everyday, and that we should take them, whether big or small.
• We should donate generously in time, gifts or money to good causes, near and far.
• The power of grassroots movements is incredible, especially when there is strength in numbers.
• Listening to and participating in our community helps provide the roadmap to its success and builds lasting bonds, relationships and a sense of community that was lost in recent generations and that is now yearned for by so many.
• We should respect and help our elders.
• We should practice living such that our children and/ or future generations may lead a healthier, more peaceful life where fair practices to people and planet are non-negotiable.

Our Intention

We’re not trying to dictate choice. Rather, we want to provide resources regarding People, Planet and Community that people need to make informed decisions. The priorities and geographically-based options available to us in our decision-making are numerous and broad. The choices are not always easy, nor obvious.

The fact remains; we make choices everyday, several times per day.

We make choices about our People when we decide to buy registered Fair Trade coffee and chocolate or not; or when we choose the locally-made toy versus the one made in areas where the labour practices are poor.

We make choices about our Planet when we decide to compost organics or toss them in the garbage; or whether to buy the product made from natural materials which may cost more vs. the one made from synthetics; or buying a hybrid vehicle or one that is not; or deciding not to buy a car at all and to walk, bike or take mass transit instead.

We make choices about community when we choose to buy clothing made abroad instead of from the person who makes them down the street, or even those made in Canada; or when we choose to buy items from the multimillion dollar conglomerate instead of supporting our locally-owned businesses; or when we choose to help out in our communities or not; or lend a hand to those in need, or look the other way.

Our Hope

Everyday, we make so many choices.

The complexity is greater for some and requires more thought or further evaluation regarding our priorities. Sometimes we need to reflect on the life of the purchase. Is it a long-term or a short-term purchase? Can we buy less if making the “right” buying choice costs more?

Regardless, if we can impact even a few of the decisions people make in the run of a day, imagine what a movement of change we could create and the positive impact our new-found choices could have on People, Planet and Community

Read the current Seasonal Guide!

Our Community, Near & Far

The focus of CRUSISIS is primarily local here in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. However, we also center our attention on worthwhile products and causes, in other parts of the world, either provincially, nationally or internationally.

When making decisions, we leave the definition of community to the discretion of our members and visitors. CRUSISIS promotes the importance of choosing local. However, sometimes local options, expertise or focus do not align with our priorities. These priorities may include human rights, health, the environment, poverty or otherwise.

Sometimes, it is necessary for us expand our definition of community and support a more global one, beyond where we call home.

Community Partner

We are reaching out to existing organizations within the community who are doing good work for 'People' and 'Planet'. We’d like to see how we can help each other to be even stronger contributors to our 'Community'.

We also strive to work with local businesses to promote local endeavours, as well as provide cross-marketing opportunities.

We are seeking funding and/or sponsorships for current and future "People, Planet & Community" friendly initiatives.

And we reach out to the local Halifax community and beyond for support and to see how we can best provide support to our neighbours.