The Canadian CED Network is made up of members throughout Canada, including organizations, networks, and individuals, who use participatory, democratic, innovative, and entrepreneurial strategies that challenge the status quo and build alternatives.

We believe that how we organize our relationships in a place (the original definition of economy) matters, and that community economies can be sites of transformation.

The most relevant, resilient, equitable and effective strategies for communities to benefit and thrive draw on Community Economic Development approaches that :

– Are place-based, strengthening local ownership and control
– Are democratic, community-driven, community-led, and asset-based
– Engage and build the capacity of community members, primarily the who are most affected by decisions, to be agents of their own future
– Protect and restore ecosystems and ecological health
These strategies are constantly evolving, adapting to new realities, and improving based on experiments and continual learning.