In March 2006, the foundation invited a small group of Canadian and international cultural leaders to a retreat in Quebec City to develop its mission.  The Manifesto created by the participants and endorsed by the foundation asserts that the arts can restore a sense of meaning and shared belonging in contemporary society that has been largely lost because of our over-reliance on economic and utilitarian measures of value. It sees the foundation functioning as a hub to encourage and connect activist interventions that integrate the arts into daily life and suggests that one way the foundation can operate is by convening"cafés" - meeting places to encourage solidarity and the free exchange of ideas among social, civic, artistic and cultural leaders and entrepreneurs, leading to actions that make the world a better place.