Right Time. Right Place

The Millennium came and went. But a lingering fact brought to light during that historic transition is that there are currently enough resources of every kind to solve nearly all of the world's problems. Scary, huh? But true. Technology, medicine, engineering, nutrition, communications, agriculture, finance, education and human resource management have evolved to the point where there is virtually no problem that is beyond some kind of solution. So then, what's the problem?

Human nature and human will. Things get in the way. Days go by... But, the truth is that, we can...if we want to. These seemingly small, attitudinal obstacles have been getting in the way for a long time! The consequences for not getting it together and not getting things done has been staggering: poverty, famine, war, unemployment, disease, terrorism and dreadful distances between the haves and the have-nots.

Global potential and the bigger picture is often diminished or blurred against the daily grind of life on the local level. In order for us to be effective with big ideas at the face-to-face level, we need to clear away the distractions, take an honest and open inventory right where we are and really listen to each other. Then we need to bring good thinkers and doers together in new ways. Clusters of resources in a geographical area that has defined itself by miles, main streets, farms, businesses, schools, towns and cities must be newly aligned to solve problems that are of particular importance to the people who live in this region. This is called "regionalism" and it is the most effective strategy for community, economic, workforce, education and individual reform, growth and development to have evolved in a long time. It's the right idea, at the right time

 

Almost two years ago, True North discovered the Rural Community College Initiative (RCCI), a Ford Foundation community and economic development project working with twenty-four community colleges in the United States. This twenty million dollar investment sought to bring multiple perspectives together around issues that had plagued hard-pressed and struggling areas in depressed parts of the country. True North has been welcomed into the project as a "northern region" associate. Recently, True North was invited to be a presenter at the national RCCI Institute at Carlsbad, New Mexico. Many RCCI members and staff have observed that True North is beginning with a strategic advantage, in that the northeast region of Minnesota is not already at the crisis stage existing in the other RCCI sites. Being proactive, planning for constructive change and getting ahead of the economy as it evolves are characteristics of True North that have become assets that were not clearly recognized even two years ago when the process began.

 

True North: An Evolving Landscape

True North must remain a work-in-process by definition. Open and honest communication is critical. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has approved True North's eligibility for a Rural Development grant request to support: a regional asset/inventory data base; a Request For Great Ideas from school-based teams that will submit workable plans for using natural, intellectual and economic resources to sustain growth in the region; member college-based business incubator sites which will develop prototypes for potential businesses to start up in the region; an invitational summit in the Spring of 2003 that will explore regional problem solving, public policy, best practices and will showcase the results of the project submissions mentioned above.

 

TACONITE, TIMBER, TOURISM, TECHNOLOGY AND... TELEWORK

Northeast Minnesota is rich in natural resources and has been fortunate to have developed them to the economic, industrial, community, education and individual advantage of this region. Among the critical components needed for any community's success, the northeast has most of them progressively covered. The factor most wanting, in terms of growth and stability, is the regional economy as it is impacted by national and international forces. To ensure that this region remains a viable place to live, learn, work and grow, True North has become an advocate for scanning the economic horizon and better aligning all assets around the ability to respond with "just-in-time" actions which anticipate economic change. The following are steps in the right direction: