Introduction to FACTS
FACTS (Family and Community Twining Society - twining symbolizes working together like strands of baler twine) is a registered society in the province of Alberta, Canada. FACTS facilitates the linking of people, resources and information by networking with other organizations and individuals (see FACTSnet.org)
PURPOSE OF THE SOCIETY:
The primary purpose of the society is to provide an umbrella society for semi-autonomous networks (resource groups). We facilitate families and communities working together to reach common goals, through sharing resources and information. Each network shares common values (see Value Based Medium), goals and standards for sharing resources and information.
The primary purpose of the society is to provide an umbrella society for semi-autonomous networks (resource groups). We facilitate families and communities working together to reach common goals, through sharing resources and information. Each network shares common values (see Value Based Medium), goals and standards for sharing resources and information.
Value Based Medium
In Plugged in Magazine (August 2005) Tom Neven states:
The “linear’ age is gone, and the way teens interact with today’s decentralized digital media affects the way they look at the world. Modern communications are non-linear, disjointed, image-based and entertainment centered. The information they pass along is unregulated and unevaluated. If, as cultural commentator Marshall McLuhan stated nearly 40 years ago ‘the medium is the message‘, then the message is this: Anything goes.”
For those who don’t believe that “anything goes”, FACTS proposes a value based information and resource medium. This medium is networked, digital, non-linear, image and text based, value centered, evaluated and regulated. See comparison below:
| Anything Goes | Pluralistic Value Networks |
| Decentralized | Value Based Networks |
| Digital | Digital and Face to Face |
| Non-linear | Non-linear and Indexed |
| Disjointed | Structured Networks |
| Image-based | People, Image and text based |
| Entertainment Centered | People and Value Centered |
| Unevaluated | Evaluated |
| Unregulated | Moderated |
Participants in FACTSnet Blogs endeavor to reverse societal trends in a positive value direction. See video on A Lost Generation (PDF) and Values of the Counter Culture of the 60s Revisited
Values of the Counter Culture of the 60s Revisited
- We have "An Obligation to Care"?*
- Individuals Can Make a Difference?*
- We Can Work Together to "Change the World"?*
- The Current System Needs to be Changed?*
- We bring about this change through collaboration and dialogue rather than protest and opposition (as was advocated in the 60s)
* Adapted from Generation at Risk by Fran Sciacca
Quotes from Alberta Furtures Summit and Premier Ed Stemach
Quotes from Alberta Future Summit 2002 report page 14-15
“Albertans identified the personal values they live by. Honesty, integrity, hard work and self-reliance were cited most often. Albertans also value patience, respect, acceptance of diversity, faith, compassion, openness and trust…
Albertans value children and families and mentioned family values in a variety of contexts. Some Albertans cited the need to emphasize and sustain family values. Some commented on the need for balance between family life and work. Some discussed families in relation to children: they spoke of the need to invest in children and keep them safe from neglect and abuse.
Albertans value freedom—freedom of choice, personal freedom, free enterprise and the
Albertans value fairness, equality, respect and social responsibility. Many touched on the need to care for those less able to help themselves and the need to help one another. Respect was discussed in terms of respect for each other, for the environment, for elders and for the past. Equality referred to the equality of individuals and opportunities for all.
Albertans value inclusiveness, cultural diversity and acceptance of individual differences.
Albertans value education as the door to the future and recognize children and young people as an important part of that future. They value continuous learning, innovation, knowledge and research. Albertans value health and wellness. They value their province’s natural environment and believe it should be protected. They value their communities and believe in community service with a true spirit of volunteerism. They also value good government—government that accountable, accessible, fiscally responsible and responsive to the needs of its citizens.”
Qutoes from Premier Ed Stelmach: La Vie Society Engaging the City — Moral Convictions in Public Life speech-2008-June-10-. © 1995 - 2008 Government of Alberta
*In preparing for this evening, I got thinking about how a person develops his or her character.
Even from a young age, children are bombarded with so many messages, from their parents, from television, from their friends and from their teachers.
With every kid, it's what sticks that counts. The more we can influence future generations with positive messages, the better off they will be. The better off we'll — be.
When I was young, I was fortunate to have many positive influences in my life, starting with my grandparents...
*We have laid out five priorities for action, based on what we've heard from Albertans.
- The first is to broaden and strengthen the next generation economy, so Albertans will have security, prosperity and opportunity for today and tomorrow.
- The second is to provide the schools, hospitals and roads our province needs.
- The third is to ensure that Albertans get the health care they need, when and where they need it.
- The fourth is to make Alberta a global leader in clean and sustainable energy development.
- And finally, to make sure our province retains its sense of community, and quality of life as it continues to grow and change...
For example, every year the government gives out our Great Kids Award...
*I want nothing more than for these kids to have a bright future in our province…
And we can make it happen by living the way they do — with our eyes on the world around us.
*I believe those in public life have a responsibility to uphold the values that are important to Albertans.
Those values are not unlike those of my parents and grandparents.
They include hard work… personal responsibility… the importance of family and community…caring for the vulnerable… and faith....
*For me, I owe so much to my family and community for instilling in me a love for our province and the people in it.
I also owe a lot those Albertans who are working in their communities every day to make them better.
I see their commitment as both a mirror and an inspiration for government action.
I believe people in public life should work every day to continue to earn the respect of the people they serve.
That is why I am committed to governing in an open and accountable manner.
*Staying true to the values of Albertans is the best and only way to move our province into the future.
We owe a huge debt of gratitude to those who built this province. We really do. It's a debt we can never repay…but we can pay it forward.
We can do that by continuing to build this amazing province.
*We can do that by supporting our churches and charities…our schools and service clubs…that make our communities strong.
We can manage what we have today wisely, and protect the environment for tomorrow.
*And, most importantly, we can instill an appreciation for our province and its people in our children and grandchildren.
We can be their greatest influences..."
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