Blog of Awareness

January 2014 A new direction for the blog

2014-01-15T18:13:00.002-05:00

January 2014

I have just returned from 8 months in Uganda conducting my field research in Gulu. I am very appreciative to the community for all their generosity and kindess. The stories they shared touched my life and have given me a much deeper understanding of savings and loan groups and the great successes they bring to the community. In the coming weeks and months I will be posting excerpts from my thesis, and when I return to Gulu in May 2014 will begin doing collaborative posting with some of my friends and research associates there.

BOA happenings this weekend!

2012-08-15T19:31:00.000-04:00

Hello to all our dear friends at home and abroad. This week Beads of Awareness will be tabling at The

For the full itinerary:

La SDC de la Promenade Sainte-Catherine Est est fière de présenter la 6e édition du Grand Débarras, l'un des plus grands événements culturels et responsables en extérieur à Montréal, parrainé une fois de plus par le très attachant MC Gilles .

Axé sur la création culturelle, la consommation responsable et le développement d'un mode de vie durable, cet événement se veut une façon unique de faire la promotion des valeurs éco-responsables et du nouveau visage du quartier Hochelaga-Maisonneuve, quartier familial et durable.

ARTISANAT ET DESIGN // MATIÈRES RECYCLÉES ET PRODUITS BIOLOGIQUES // SOLDES DE FIN DE SAISON // SCÈNE MUSICALE LOCALE // ANIMATION DE RUE ET ACTIVITÉS FAMILIALES

Joignez-vous aux festivités du Grand Débarras !

Quand? Samedi 18 août (entre 11h et 22h) / Dimanche 19 août (entre 11h et 17h)

Où? Sur Sainte-Catherine Est, entre Pie IX et William-David

When? Saturday the 18th of August (between 11am and 10pm) / Sunday the 19th of August (between 11am and 5pm)

Where? Sur Ste-Catherine East, between Pie IX and William-David

Thank you from BOA

2012-06-15T14:32:00.000-04:00

Beads of Awareness would like to extend its gratitude and appreciation to all the people who were involved in making last night's benefit concert a true success.

Thanks go to the bands for Rocking the Cause
Thanks go to the venue for their professionalism and dedication to Good Times
Thanks go to all our volunteers who helped out immensely
Thanks go to the fans who came out - we could not have made it spectacular without you

BOA is all about sharing the beads, and without the good people mentioned above this would not have happened. You All Rock . BOA loves you :-)

Now go and enjoy the summer!

BOA presents the Beads of Summer Concert

2012-06-11T01:35:00.001-04:00

FOR TICKETS CALL (514) 835-0421

(Local to Montreal Canada - Out of province calls dial 1 first)

Say YES to BOA

2012-05-23T16:02:00.001-04:00

YES Art Expo

Supporting Young Artists in Quebec

Sunday, June 3 2:00PM - 7:00PM
Monday, June 4 10:00AM - 5:30PM

Beads of Awareness will be attending Montreal’s YES Art Expo! Come and help support young artists from all over Quebec. Admission is free so you can bring the whole family!!

YES ART EXPO

EXHIBITION & SALE

Montreal Science Center

Perspective Hall

2, de la Commune West

Sunday, June 3 2:00PM – 7:00PM

Monday, June 4 10:00AM – 5:30PM

ADMISSION IS FREE

YES Montreal proudly presents the YES Art Expo, a unique event showcasing the works and talent of some of Quebec’s hottest young emerging artists. Celebrating the business of art and the art of business, this exciting event will take place on June 3rd and 4th at The Montreal Science Centre in Old Montreal.

Tap into the arts and take the opportunity to peruse and purchase the unique creations of over 60 young and talented Quebec artists who will be selling one-of-a-kind paintings, photographs, fashion, crafts, jewellery, and more. The Art Expo will also play host to live musical performances, and it’s FREE to attend.

Open to the public Sunday, June 3rd from 2PM – 7PM and Monday June 4th 10AM – 5:30PM.

This event is of part of YES’ Artists’ Program and is generously sponsored by the Forum jeunesse de l'île de Montréal (FJÎM) and Canadian Heritage.

– From the YES website

BOA @ Project Ecosphere!!!

2012-05-19T07:59:00.001-04:00

TODAY AND TOMORROW, Beads of Awareness at

Technopôle Angus, 2600, rue William-Tremblay
Booth M9 - Mode & Design

Opening speakers: May 18th 19pm at the Salle Pierre Mercur

Hubert Reeves and David Suzuki

More than 30 conferences and 200 exhibitors

Visit the Das Haus house on the site, plus

entertainment for children and day care

To see a full list of the exhibitors, visit the site here.

For fair info, click here.

We hope to see you there!

Montréal 2012 : Projet Ecosphere

2012-04-25T00:11:00.001-04:00

Beads of Awareness shared a link.

Wednesday

It's an absolute delight and honor to announce that Beads of Awareness will be taking part in Projet ÉcoSphère on May 19th and 20th. Guest speakers include David Suzuki, Hubert Reeves and Gilles Vigneault. Come one, come all! It promises to be mind-blowing!

Montréal 2012 « Projet Ecosphere

projetecosphere.org

Cosmos et créativité Vendredi, le 18 mai à 19h Salle Pierre Mercure / Centre Pierre-Péladeau 300,
boulevard de Maisonneuve Est, Montréal Métro Berri-UQAM

Ruth Tabacnik, our Ottawa Valley representative

2012-04-21T18:57:00.002-04:00

Beads of Awareness

April 21

Big thanks to Ruth Tabacnik, our Ottawa Valley representative for all the great work in the past week. Look for exciting announcements about events and stores where you can find BOA in the capital and surrounding areas.

BOA volunteer meeting on Friday, April 13th 2012

2012-04-09T19:28:00.020-04:00

There are various areas that BOA, as a social business, needs help in order to grow. Volunteering for BOA can be a great way to learn about sustainable development, to learn about Uganda, or learning about volunteering in Montreal in general. If you have any questions about getting involved, please get in touch with Chris at volunteers@beadsofawareness.org

Also be sure to check out our Volunteer Page

BOA at the Ile Perrot Craft Fair

2012-04-07T12:30:00.003-04:00

Beads of Awareness

April 7

If you're enjoying the Easter Weekend and are wondering to yourself 'Wow, this weekend would be so much better with a bunch of BOA in my hand,' worry not! We are taking part in the Ile Perrot Craft Fair (Centre Communautaire Paul-Emile-Lepine, 150 boul. Perrot, Ile Perrot) and will be there from 9am - 5pm. Come and take a look at some nice crafts, and purchase some direct trade beads!

New Store Location, 4 Elements

2012-04-06T15:52:00.002-04:00

Beads of Awareness

April 6

BOA is happy to announce another location in Montreal where you guy buy socially responsible gifts and beads! Visit 4 Elements for a great selection of eco-friendly accessories, clothing and unique items that were inspired by true genius. Found at 4326 St-Denis, just a few minutes from Mont-Royal metro station.

Volunteer meeting callback

2012-04-03T16:38:00.005-04:00

Beads of Awareness

April 3

For those of you who are interested in participating with BOA, helping us out in various areas, or just seeing what's going on in the world of BOA, there will be a volunteers meeting, Friday 13 April at 19:00 at Burritoville. If you are interested, please come on by. There will also be a facebook event with all of the details.

New Store Location!!

2012-03-31T01:57:00.014-04:00

Beads of Awareness

Thursday

We are happy to announce that the boutique L'autre Placard is now holding Beads of Awareness! Situated on Mont Royal East, L'autre Placard holds a wide variety of jewelery, clothing and accessories. And now, they have BOA! Check em out HERE

7 people like this.

Kathy Moore Wilson says: Oh that is awesome! Congratulations!

From Thomas Prince, Executive Director

2012-03-24T10:01:00.002-04:00

Beads of Awareness began as an idea in 2009. An idea that business strategies and organizational structure could be applied to create social benefit. And that incorporating the ethics and perspectives of humanitarian, charitable and social justice social movements can set an example for others in the business community. As a social enterprise we purchase our jewelry from our partners in Uganda according to direct trade and fair trade practices, dedicate 50% of our profits to projects and support in Uganda, and work to spread awareness about the recovery in Northern Uganda, alternative forms of development and business operation, and to support grass roots and co-operative movements in Canada and Uganda.

Fast forward to March 2012 and you find us well on the way to achieving our goals. This year we formed our board of directors, solidified our partnerships and livelihood projects in Uganda, and were able to assist one of our Canadian partners, Kleos MFG, initiate its micro finance project in Gulu.

Our board of directors is comprised of dedicated volunteers who meet monthly to direct our activities and grow the organization. The central mandate of the board is to transition Beads of Awareness from a privately held partnership to a member owned co-operative. As a responsible partner in Uganda the board works to ensure that all our actions are sustainable and community driven, and that all relevant financial information as to our projects, sales and other activities are made public through our website.

In February and March of this year I had the opportunity to return to Uganda and follow up with our partners, collect new beads, and assist in the development of a micro finance project lead by Kleos MFG and Tetugu Uganda Association (TUA). In 2011 I spent several months in Gulu, to learn more about our bead makers and our partner organizations. Meeting regularly with the different members, women and youth, in groups and at their homes was an eye opening experience as to the challenges of daily life in northern Uganda, but also showed me a picture of a completely different rhythm of life focused around family, growing food in the garden, religious devotion, and strength and forgiveness in the face of indescribable tragedy during the civil war which raged over 20 years.

Returning in 2012 was an emotionally charged experience; an amazing chance to see friends again and meet new born children, helped to improve the sustainability of our efforts, and gave an opportunity to follow up with the community. I joined Sarosh Rizvi from Kleos MFG to assist in the start of Kleos' micro-loan activities in the region. Recognizing the limited capacity of BOA as a small start up to support our members, seeing how Kleos' small loan project with 15 women from Tetugu Uganda Association who make our beads will help these women grow their small business ventures allowing them to improve the health of their families and pay for the school fees of their children was uplifting. With the assistance of our partners and our Field Officer Philip Omony, I worked to further develop local opportunities to sell beads and other income generating activities within Gulu, improve the quality of our products and plan for future joint projects.

When I first visited Uganda in 2009 I don't think I could ever imagine the impact Gulu and Beads of Awareness would have in my life. I am truly appreciative of all the efforts of everyone who has been involved with Beads of Awareness and all the people in both Canada and Uganda have offered guidance and insight. I am very excited and optimistic for the future both in Northern Uganda and for the growth of a more conscious and equitable approach to trade and cross cultural interaction globally. I hope Beads of Awareness can be a small step taken in this direction by many in Canada and Uganda together.

Sincerely,

Thomas Prince

Co-founder, Executive Director

Beads of Awareness

BOA @ the Frequinox

2012-03-23T16:09:00.002-04:00

Beads of Awareness

March 23

Come out to the FREQUINOX tonight! BOA will be there from opening selling beaded jewelry and enjoying the festivities. Bring your costume, buy some beads, and have some fun!!

FREQUINOX - Spring Equinox Costume Celebration!!

Friday, March 23 at 8:00pm

Thomas Prince, Executive Director, back from Uganda

2012-03-14T23:34:00.001-04:00

Beads of Awareness - Mar 14, 2012 - Public

Co- founder and Executive Director Thomas Prince has just returned from Gulu Uganda. Congratulations to Kleos MFG, one of our partners in Canada for the successful inauguartion of it's loan project with Tetugu Uganda Association. Thanks to Sarosh Rizvi, Philip Omony, Okema William, Rubangakene Simon, and many others for their tireless work to support the ongoing support of our bead makers. The next few months promise to be exciting in both Canada and Uganda with many sales, workshops and other activities.

Let's talk BOAB

2012-01-29T19:15:00.002-05:00

Welcome to the Beads of Awareness blog! where you can read and learn about the company, its participants, and all the good works we are trying to accomplish in Uganda, Canada and abroad.

One small snag however, the site is under construction.

Check in on us from time to time as updated content is sure to follow.

Thanks everyone for the avid interest!

Thanks from BOA

2011-02-11T17:17:00.000-05:00

Beads of Awareness

Thank you for visiting and supporting us at our Valentine's day sale! It was a great success and our photo competition had many participators. The photos look great, and for that reason we want to host another chance to participate in the competition on Concordia Campus!

Photo competition in February

2011-02-08T21:23:00.002-05:00

Beads of Awareness

We will be hosting a photo competition this thursday during our Valentine's day sale! Who ever can take the best photo with our beads will win free pieces of Jewelry. Just show up to Java-U in the Hall building this thursday between 10:30 am and 4:30 pm, and have fun with your photo while sending a little love across the world this Valentine's day!

February BOA jewelry sale

2011-02-02T22:28:00.003-05:00

Beads of Awareness

Help Make a Difference on Valentine's Day, Feb 10th. BOA jewelry sale, details in the event below!

Valentine's Day, '11

2011-02-02T22:24:00.004-05:00

Beads of Awareness

Help Make A Difference on Valentine-s day. BOA's V-day Jewelry sale

Holiday Season, '10

2010-12-15T14:56:00.005-05:00

Beads of Awareness

The holiday season is upon us. I hope everyone has gotten all their BOA paper jewellery gifts.

Chelsea School Christmas bazaar

2010-12-04T03:07:00.004-05:00

Beads of Awareness

Beads of Awareness arrives in Chelsea today! Laura's mum Ruth will be representing BOA today at the Chelsea School Christmas bazaar!!

BOA @ Chelsea School Christmas Bazaar

2010-12-01T12:10:00.009-05:00

Beads of Awareness

Chelsea School Christmas Bazaar

Coming up in December, 2010

2010-11-29T17:28:00.015-05:00

Beads of Awareness

Come out and see our beautiful jewellery on December 1st. We will be selling and
promoting our jewellery and support for Gulu Uganda in the Hall building
of Concordia University (1455 de Maisonneuve Ouest, Montreal) from
10:30am to 4:30 pm. Come on by and get your holiday shopping done!

Blog of Awareness

January 2014 A new direction for the blog

BOA happenings this weekend!

Thank you from BOA

BOA presents the Beads of Summer Concert

Say YES to BOA

BOA @ Project Ecosphere!!!

Montréal 2012 : Projet Ecosphere

Beads of Awareness shared a link.

Ruth Tabacnik, our Ottawa Valley representative

BOA volunteer meeting on Friday, April 13th 2012

BOA at the Ile Perrot Craft Fair

New Store Location, 4 Elements

Volunteer meeting callback

New Store Location!!

We are happy to announce that the boutique L'autre Placard is now holding Beads of Awareness! Situated on Mont Royal East, L'autre Placard holds a wide variety of jewelery, clothing and accessories. And now, they have BOA! Check em out HERE

From Thomas Prince, Executive Director

BOA @ the Frequinox

Thomas Prince, Executive Director, back from Uganda

Let's talk BOAB

Thanks from BOA

Photo competition in February

February BOA jewelry sale

Help Make a Difference on Valentine's Day, Feb 10th. BOA jewelry sale, details in the event below!

Valentine's Day, '11

Help Make A Difference on Valentine-s day. BOA's V-day Jewelry sale

Holiday Season, '10

The holiday season is upon us. I hope everyone has gotten all their BOA paper jewellery gifts.

Chelsea School Christmas bazaar

Beads of Awareness arrives in Chelsea today! Laura's mum Ruth will be representing BOA today at the Chelsea School Christmas bazaar!!

BOA @ Chelsea School Christmas Bazaar

Chelsea School Christmas Bazaar

Coming up in December, 2010

Come out and see our beautiful jewellery on December 1st. We will be selling and promoting our jewellery and support for Gulu Uganda in the Hall building of Concordia University (1455 de Maisonneuve Ouest, Montreal) from 10:30am to 4:30 pm. Come on by and get your holiday shopping done!

Come out and see our beautiful jewellery on December 1st. We will be selling and
promoting our jewellery and support for Gulu Uganda in the Hall building
of Concordia University (1455 de Maisonneuve Ouest, Montreal) from
10:30am to 4:30 pm. Come on by and get your holiday shopping done!