When working in complex organizations like the UN or federal government, don't try to master their internal language. Instead, find and partner with internal experts who can translate your goals into the organization's native operating system to achieve impact.

The core democratic ideal of reaching consensus through respectful listening and dialogue was not a European invention. Joy Harjo points out that these principles were directly modeled on the political structures of Native nations, highlighting a foundational, yet often ignored, contribution to American governance.

The 2021 claim about 215 child graves in Kamloops, despite lacking physical evidence, has become a foundational myth in BC. Politicians and professionals are expected to affirm it as truth. Voicing skepticism, even when factually correct, is treated as heresy, leading to immediate professional ostracization.

Historically, BC's New Democratic Party (NDP) was rooted in blue-collar resource industries. The rise of a post-industrial economy has transformed its base into public sector unions (e.g., teachers) and social justice constituencies, driving its increasingly progressive policy agenda.

In a surprising move, the BC Conservatives appointed Alia Warbus, an Indigenous transgender activist, as their House Leader. This highlights the immense pressure within BC's political landscape for all parties, regardless of ideology, to signal allegiance to progressive causes like trans activism and Indigenous reconciliation.

BC's political culture is exceptionally progressive, resembling Washington, Oregon, and California more than other Canadian provinces. This unique environment attracts activists and progressives from across the country and the world, creating a feedback loop that intensifies its radical policies.

The BC Conservative Party's rapid rise was followed by an equally rapid collapse. In a bid for mainstream electability, its leadership recruited candidates from a collapsing centre-right party. This created a caucus of "dogs and cats" with fundamentally opposed views on cultural issues, leading to infighting and paralysis.

The primary value of protests isn't just cinematic outrage; it's serving as a gateway for deeper organizing. Demonstrations allow individuals to connect with the groups that form the backbone of sustained political action, creating lasting, though often unseen, infrastructure.

Leaders who immediately frame issues through a lens of core values, such as constitutionality, build more trust than those who calculate a politically palatable position. The public can detect inauthenticity, making a principles-first approach more effective long-term, even if it seems risky in the short term. Leaders should bring people along to their principled position.