Stories of community resilience are all around us — from the mutual aid circles that have gotten many of us through the pandemic to artist groups creating spaces for expression and belonging, land defenders protecting communities’ homes, tech experts building digital cooperatives that connect people, and so much more. 

The last three years have also brought into sharper focus the many gaps in support for building more resilient communities across Canada. Economic and social systems had put some populations — people of colour, women, people with disabilities, Indigenous peoples, for instance — at a disadvantage even before the pandemic began, and COVID-19 along with inflationary pressures have only exacerbated the gaps.  

The stakes are high, and the social impact world needs access to trusted, high-quality insights and analysis about what it takes to build resilient communities, and the changemakers creating solutions. 

That’s why Future of Good is excited to announce that Tahmeed Shafiq (he/him) has joined our team of reporters, to cover community transitions and resilience. Tahmeed’s editorial fellowship is funded by Co-operators, who have supported this coverage at Future of Good for two years in a row. Last year, through this fellowship, we covered the state of friendship post-COVID, efforts to save Quebec’s last standing Chinatown, the Indigenous tourism industry’s rapid growth, and much more. We’re thrilled to continue this coverage, once again with Co-operators’ support.