Presentations

Building a Culture of Engagement
Apathy is all around us. Most people have become disengaged not only from politics, but also from our schools, workplaces and associations or organisations. Increasingly, those in leadership positions are asking themselves “How do we boost public participation?”, “How do we engage our students?” and “How can we inspire our membership to get involved?”. Dave Meslin encourages us to recognize apathy as a web of barriers that reinforce disengagement – and that we can work together to dismantle the obstacles. His seven-minute TED talk about apathy has more than 1.4 million views. This in-depth version of the talk for NSB clients, incorporates anecdotes, humour and examples of best-practices. He reminds the audience that we all have something to contribute and that the strongest cities, schools and associations are the ones that have learned how to tap into the collective creativity, passion and knowledge of their constituents.

More Than a Feeling: The Unlimited Potential of Community Organizing
With anecdotes from the non-profit sector, the electoral scene and the vibrant world of grassroots community organizing, Meslin paints an optimistic and inspiring picture of the possibilities that lie within all of us. With a sense of hope and urgency, audiences hear how we can build a new culture of political engagement in our communities. Dave Meslin offers concrete tips on how ordinary people can make an extraordinary impact on the world around them. This keynote speaker’s presentation can be tailored to be relevant to large well-funded non-profits, small grassroots student groups, or anything in-between.

FPTP, PR, MMP, STV, WTF? A Crash-Course in the Mechanics of Electoral Reform
CBC’s most popular video on Canada’s 2015 Election Night wasn’t Justin Trudeau’s victory speech, or Stephen Harper’s concession speech. It was Dave Meslin’s 90-second video clip, using colourful stacks of Lego bricks to explain how our voting system fails us each and every election. (The video has over 2.5 million views on Facebook alone.) Canada holds the unfortunate distinction of being the only OECD country that uses “First Past the Post” as its exclusive voting system for all levels of government. Increasingly, citizens, activists and politicians themselves are calling for change and renewal. But what are the alternatives? Using clear language, humour and interactive exercises with the audience, Meslin explains the pros and cons of various alternative voting systems. This topic might be relevant to any audience who’s interested in politics, and also to any organisation that wants to look at their own internal voting systems (regional chapters, school councils, etc) and think about how they could increase engagement by reforming their process.