Goodbye John Baigent, Labour Lawyer Who Demanded a Better World | The Tyee

A wonderful article by Jim Sinclair, the former British Columbia Federation of Labour President, on John Baigent.

Compassionate Eye Foundation

Thank you Dan Rogers and the entire CEF team for this wonderful tribute to John Baigent.

John Baigent – May 1, 1941 – December 3, 2016 Posted by Dave Crozier, Partners’ Tech Volunteer and close friend of John​ in Enderby - Note: A Celebration of John's life will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, February 4, 2017 at the Riverside Community Hall on Trinity Valley Road, 10km east of Enderby. We are saddened to let you know that John Baigent passed away peacefully on Saturday, December 3rd, 2016 at his farm in Enderby, BC surrounded by his family. He was 75 and fought a long heroic battle with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) with the constant care of his wife, Woinshet Bayssie and support from all of his 6 children (Kevin, Marty, Andrew, Spring, Joey and Tigist) and their families and a very few others close to him in whom he had confided. John was the co-founder of Partners in the Horn of Africa, the original Executive Director from 2001 to 2012 and was still a member of our Board. Partners is the culmination of John’s 50 year love affair with Africa that started with two years as a CUSO volunteer teacher in Ghana. John had some strong ideas about effective international aid which he demonstrated with his model for Partners which focused on responding to choices made by the communities and requiring the communities to contribute in some fashion to their projects. John’s passion and gift for story-telling made for a compelling inspiration that motivated many Canadian donors, volunteers and long-serving Board members to be enthusiastically involved, and of course made connections to many Ethiopians and their communities as the respectful partnerships with Partners enhanced the lives of hundreds of thousands of Ethiopians. A close Enderby friend has written a fitting tribute to John: “I am struggling with my own grief over losing John too and all that he meant to us. What good company he was! I always felt like my best self when I was around him. He instilled in me that kind of self-confidence and he showed an interest in me as a person that I have found so rare in my life. I felt like I could talk to him about anything and he always listened and had a thoughtful response. His sense of humour, his laugh, his passion for the people and country of Ethiopia, his determination to provide a good life for Woinshet and Tigist and his endless compassion and altruism for people in undeveloped countries. I told him a while back that I had a very hard time imagining a world without him in it, and now I see that this world I couldn’t imagine has come to pass.” John Baigent has inspired many to help improve the lives of others in this world. He will be missed. John’s obituary, as below, was in the Globe & Mail and Vancouver Sun on Saturday, Dec 17, 2016 To see John’s obituary as it appeared in the Globe & Mail, see this link: http://partnersinthehorn.org/john-baigent-obituary JOHN BAIGENT MAY 1, 1941 – DECEMBER 3, 2016 Hark, now hear the sailors cry Smell the sea and feel the sky Let your soul and spirit fly into the mystic Van Morrison The Path: John grew up in Toronto (for which he never quite forgave his parents) with an English Canadian dad, Murray, and French Canadian mom, Suzanne. His French Canadian roots prevailed and at 15 he moved to Montreal to live with his beloved Aunt Therese Barré and attend Loyola High School. Thus began an enduring love affair with La Belle Province. High school was followed by two reflective and formative years in a Jesuit seminary (perhaps an early indication of a bent for the law) and then a return to Montreal for a B.A. at Loyola College, now Concordia. After his B.A., Africa beckoned and John headed to Ghana for two years of teaching high school as a CUSO volunteer, an experience that shaped his life forever. This was followed by a year in Ottawa running CUSO’s West Africa program. Then off to law school (Dalhousie and Harvard) before moving to British Columbia in 1970 and practicing labour law in Vancouver for 20 years. Finally, founding and running Partners in the Horn of Africa, a Canadian aid organization based in Enderby and focused on Ethiopia where Ethiopians were “partners” in projects they chose for their communities. John spent a good part of the last 15 years living and working in Ethiopia, a country he loved and whose culture and people he greatly admired. The Highlights: Coming of age in Quebec during the Quiet Revolution and early years of the Peace Corps, developing a sense of social justice and seeing life as an opportunity for social change and an obligation to help others; raising 6 wonderful children (Kevin, Martin, Andrew, Spring, Joey and Tigist) and enjoying loving relationships with Diane, Marguerite and Woinshet; representing working people for many years and practicing law in the early days of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, arguing on behalf of trade unions for a broad interpretation of Canada’s basic freedoms of association and expression; swinging dry flies across the Bulkley River for summer steelhead; spending months on end in the land of Prester John and learning so much about true “civilization” from the people of Ethiopia whose lack of material wealth allows them to treasure and nurture personal relationships. And ten wonderful end years with Woinshet. Final Notes: John was grateful for an early diagnosis of AML, which he chose to share with only a very few as he did not want to be treated any differently because of his illness. The knowledge of his diagnosis allowed him to devote the last years of his life to family and friends and deepen his relationship with his 8 grandchildren and his Ethiopian daughter, Tigist, all of whom he was so proud. He left us with few regrets and a sense of gratitude for “a good run.” “My predominant feeling is one of gratitude. I have loved and been loved. I have been given much and I have given something in return.” ~ Oliver Sachs A Celebration of Life will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, February 4, 2017 at the Riverside Community Hall on Trinity Valley Road, 10km east of Enderby.

Timeline Photos

Enguli Footbridge is complete and in use... just in time for the rains! The community has lost an average of 30-40 people every year while they tried to cross the river. Children drowned while going to school and parents drowned carrying their children on their back. Now the community can cross the bridge safely and access necessary services like Health Care and Schools. The markets will thrive just from the construction of this bridge... A special thank you to Revelstoke Rotary Club for their generousity in supporting the construction of the bridge.

Timeline Photos

Our lovely neighbour from Kingfisher dropped by the office to share this beautiful flower arrangement. Thank you Loris! We make a living by what we get, We make a life by what we give. Winston Churchill

www.partnersinthehorn.org

We would like to congratulate our generous supporters, Compassionate Eye Foundation as they mark 10 years of progressive and meaningful partnerships around the world. Compassionate Eye Foundation have donated to our partners in Ethiopia over $125,000 in 4 years and it through their support that over 100 children are able to go to school, eat 3 nutritious meals daily, have a roof over their heads and the opportunity to build a better life for themselves. On our November 2013 newsletter, we featured the Compassionate Eye Foundation team visit in Ethiopia. Read more about their trip.

Partners in the Horn of Africa

Tetra Tech EBA 2016 Ambassdor, Kristy Gabelhouse visits Ethiopia

2016 Tetra Tech Ambassador - Kristy Gabelhouse

Timeline Photos

This is a heartfelt thank you to UFCW Local 1518 for their continued support over the years and for their generous support in fully sponsoring our AGM last week. UFCW Local 1518 have been crucial in Partners and Friends formative years and have remained committed to our mission and vision for Ethiopia. UFCW also donated 20 oil and vinegar boxes. Ivan Limpright, President of UFCW Local 1518 and his wife Patricia, carefully label and package each bottle - over 6000 bottles are packaged and distributed to the unions associates and staff. Through UFCW's generous donation of the boxes, we raised $885. This funds will go towards supporting our core operations. THANK YOU!

Partners Cessation of Operations in 2017 - Partners in The Horn of Africa

http://partnersinthehorn.org/partners-cessation-of-operations Partners Cessation of Operations in 2017 We imagine that donors will have received our Bulletin by mail or email with regard to our cessation of operations by now and the Bulletin is also provided on our website (click on link above for full Bulletin). I know that we are all saddened by this news and many donors are wondering where they go from here. We are proud that so many Canadians understand the needs in Ethiopia as a result of our work and are grateful for the confidence you have placed in us. The reality is that many of our directors have been at this for 15 years. Some are retiring from work and others are retiring from full-time volunteering. In our view this is an opportune time to end Partners in a professional and compassionate manner. Ending a story that has involved the development of deep and lasting relationships with Ethiopian partners in the areas of orphanages, education support and group homes for girls has to be done with the utmost respect for the work that they do and for the people whose lives they enrich. Some of those relationships will come to a natural end at some point in 2016 but others will require more time as they search for new forms of support and funding. We hope that our donors will continue to stand with us to support these Ethiopian partnerships and their programs into 2017 allowing them the time necessary to explore other sources of funding and continue with their good work in our absence. It may also be possible for us to recommend to our donors other charities doing similar work in Ethiopia so that those donors have a path forward in helping Ethiopians We ask you to please continue your support through this year and 2017. On behalf of the Board thank you from the bottom of our hearts for helping Partners to empower the people of Ethiopia.

Melinda Gates on the 'ingenuity' of women in the developing world

Laura Lynch speaks to Melinda Gates on the 'ingenuity' of women in the developing world

The Lion of Africa: Ethiopia on Edge

Yesterday, CBC National featured Ethiopia drought crisis, Lion of Africa: Ethiopia on Edge. If you missed it, you can watch it here #PressPlay