Off-Campus Speaking Engagements/Meetings and Current Events

The 2005 MEDA (Mennonite Economic Development Associates) Convention was held November 3-6, 2005, at the Fairmont Chateau Whistler, British Columbia.

The Department of Business and Economics sent 5 students to the Convention. The theme was "Create a Better World." Featured speakers included Graham and Treena Kerr (of Galloping Gourmet fame) and Catriona Le May Doan, 2002 Olympic gold medal winner in the 500-metre event.

Following are reflections from several of the students:

Dung Nguyen

My first impression of the Mennonite Economic Development Associates Convention was that it was very well organized. All events were done as scheduled and were successful. The people were friendly and did an excellent job of making newcomers and students feel welcome. While at the convention, I attended three sessions: Growing Greener Vegetables in BC by Vern Toews, Leaving a Legacy for the Poor Around the World that Keeps Giving and Giving by Mennonite Foundation Staff, and How to Succeed at Something You Really Hate! By Jerry Wiebe. The first session was about the business of planting vegetables using greenhouses in British Columbia. The second session was about how tax planning so that we can give more to charity and pay less tax. The last session was about ethical issues in the workplace. The first session was the most interesting to me because it was new material that I have never heard before. Toews presented the greenhouse technology that he used and was successful with. He also showed that greenhouses are very efficient and environmentally friendly. I was inspired by his presentation because I could see the use of greenhouses in Virginia where good and rich soil is rare. I was very fortunate to be able to attend this convention. It was such a great experience. It helped me to understand another side of business other than making as much money as possible.

Bryce Bergey

The MEDA Convention was a meaningful time. Learning more about MEDA, as an organization, was helpful in understanding the different ways in which Economic Development is approached. Making an impact on the world and in local communities around America, MEDA is working hard at serving, educating, and empowering the people that they work with, in hopes that they can then help themselves and others in their lives. Some other highlights of the Convention were networking and catching up with others in the organization and the keynote speakers, as well as the seminar speakers. They challenged us to first find our strengths and use those talents and gifts to then help and strengthen others.

Ben Stutzman

“Business as a Calling” is an appropriate name for MEDA’s annual member convention. More than anything, the event was a gathering of people whose life calling is to do business. It was clearly stated by a friend I met there, who said, “We just want to do the right thing.” While a wide variety or perspectives and interests were represented, there was no clearer message than these people want to make a difference in the world, and they believe that starts with them.

Not a single speaker left me disappointed. Their remarks ranged from living a healthy (holistic) lifestyle, and ‘being’ rather than ‘doing’ leadership, to economic analysis of the current state of the U.S. and Canada, and the severity of the AIDs crisis in Africa. The latter, delivered by Stephen Lewis, former Canadian ambassador to the U.N., was the most moving of all the speeches. He told heart-wrenching stories of grandmothers who had lost all their children, thousands upon thousands of orphaned children, and homes where the head of the household was not yet a teenager, all because of AIDs. At the end of his speech Lewis received a well-deserved standing ovation.

The stark contrast between the context of the convention and the stories Lewis told could have left one with a bad taste in their mouth. How could I listen to such appalling stories while I was still digesting the lavish gourmet meal I had finished minutes prior? Yet I didn’t feel there had to be unresolved tension between these two. The people who surrounded me, mostly wealthy business persons, could hear such a message and still apply it on Monday morning. While some are called to work with the poor directly, there is still a clear call for persons who do business on this side to stand out among their peers, to follow values of integrity and generosity. The important thing is that we are faithful to the call God has given us. This alone can make our world a better place.