Ola! October 2009

Welcome to the October edition of Ola!, the monthly e-newsletter of Citizens for Public Justice!

One week ago, CPJ staff and members gathered on Parliament Hill to Stand Up against poverty, joining millions around the world. Read more about this event and other CPJ work below – together, we stand for justice and dignity for all.

CPJ Stands Up against poverty

On October 16, CPJ joined millions across the world in Standing Up against poverty. Marking the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, CPJ staff headed to Parliament Hill. CPJ members also joined the gathering of over 225 people calling on the federal government to implement a national poverty reduction strategy and fulfill their international commitment to the Millennium Development Goals, supporting the Dignity for All and Make Poverty History campaigns.

Walking up to the Hill, participants were welcomed by music from Mellow Dee and Dr. Lee. During the short program, CPJ’s own Karri Munn-Venn, along with Rob Rainer (Canada Without Poverty), Dennis Howlett (Make Poverty History), Paul Dewar (MP for Ottawa Centre) and others spoke about the importance of addressing poverty both at home and around the world.

Together, participants stood up and took action – this year, over 173 million people stood up against poverty, setting a new world record for the largest mobilization in history. Let us know about your participation in Stand Up events across the country!

Justice Jam a success

CPJ’s Justice Jam on the evening of October 16 was a rousing success. Members, friends and supporters from around Ottawa gathered at St Joseph’s Parish for an evening of music and conversation. We celebrated CPJ’s successes and strong presence in Ottawa, and held a Stand Up moment to show our solidarity with the poor and call on the federal government to address poverty now.

Music from Bob Carty and friends provided moments of thoughtful reflection interspersed with wry and humorous songs. In between their sets, local Motown band Otis Lives! took the stage, entertaining all and setting our feet a-tapping.

For more pictures of the event, check out our Flickr page – thanks to all who came out and to our tireless volunteers!

CPJ in Alberta

During the first week of October, CPJ executive director Joe Gunn travelled to Alberta. At his first stop in Banff, he spoke extensively to the 103 Catholic priests and seminarians of the Calgary Diocese, which stretches across southern Alberta almost up to Olds. Joe’s presentations covered a range of public justice issues, from theologies related to the environment and climate change to refugees, temporary foreign workers and international development.

Joe went on to Edmonton to speak at The King’s University College, at an event organized by Alberta board members Jim Joosse, Mark Huyser-Wierenga and Jake Kuiken. A highlight of the following day was a visit to the staff of the Christian school in Lacombe (where school was cancelled due to treacherous road conditions caused by the first really cold weather). That same evening, former board member Bill Lodewyk gathered a group of CPJ members and interested folk in Red Deer to hear another presentation. Participants were pleased to reconnect with CPJ, get an update on activities, and discover new ways to get involved. All these events highlighted CPJ’s work to create a more inclusive society through the promotion of the Dignity for All campaign.

Darryl heads south

By Darryl Exelby, CPJ’s Membership and Development Officer
Recently, I had the opportunity to visit some of our members in the Southern Ontario region. It occurred to me that the passion people have for social justice transcends cultures, religions and communities so deeply that there never seems to be more than two degrees of separation from one member to the next. I will be sure to write a book on CPJ’s elaborate membership web that has been created over 45 years of existence.

Everywhere I went, from St. Catharines to Burlington and Sarnia to Woodstock, members seemed to know ‘someone who knew someone.’ It was a real learning experience for me that the work CPJ does affects many people, and that the strength of our membership community is not only connected by a common cause but literally connected by friendships, family ties and professional commonalities.

One thing that I have also come to learn is that anywhere I travel as CPJ’s Membership and Development Officer, most members profess to know more about CPJ than I do and their passion for the work that CPJ does helps create strong communities of CPJers. Interesting quiz: Concentrated CPJ regional hotbeds are ......? I will keep you guessing until next time – in the meantime, let me know your ideas about how CPJ can be more present in your community (darryl@cpj.ca).

CPJ in Southern Ontario

Darryl wasn’t the only one who recently headed out of town. On October 16 and 17, policy analyst Chandra Pasma was also in Southern Ontario. On Friday, Chandra met with the Grade 6 students of John Knox Christian School in Oakville, Ontario, to talk about her work at CPJ. The students have been studying non-governmental organizations, and Chandra shared with them what it is like to work for an NGO. The students had many interesting questions for Chandra!

Friday afternoon, Chandra attended a social policy class in the Social Work department at Redeemer University College. They have been learning about housing policy in Ontario. Chandra spoke to them about housing policy at the federal level, highlighting how public justice offers an argument for moral leadership in cases of jurisdictional disputes. The class recently held a postcard campaign on the Redeemer campus to support affordable housing in Ontario.

On Saturday, Chandra led a workshop on the Dignity for All campaign at the Day of Encouragement. The Day of Encouragement, hosted by Diaconal Ministries Canada, is intended to encourage and equip church leaders in their ministry. Participants learned how poverty impacts dignity and well-being, and how a poverty elimination strategy could tackle the complexity of poverty in Canada.

To read more about Chandra’s trip, check out her blog post.

BIEN Canada Conference

Over 50 participants from across Canada gathered in Ottawa on October 1-2 to discuss the benefits, impact and models of Guaranteed Livable Income at BIEN Canada’s inaugural conference. BIEN Canada is the Canadian affiliate of the Basic Income Earth Network (BIEN), an international organization dedicated to promoting basic or livable income.

CPJ policy analyst Chandra Pasma, a member of the BIEN Canada steering committee, helped to organize the conference. Chandra also offered an introductory presentation on guaranteed income, and spoke about the work disincentive.

Watch the video of Chandra's presentation above. Other highlights included presentations by Senator Hugh Segal on the connections between economic insecurity and physical insecurity, Dr. Evelyn Forget on the very positive health outcomes of the Mincome experiment in the 1970s, and MP Tony Martin on his Poverty Elimination Act.

The conference was a great success, facilitating dialogue and networking opportunities for the growing Canadian guaranteed income community. The next BIEN Canada conference is scheduled for spring 2010.

Chandra’s blog post on the conference has more details on the highlights. You can also check out photos from the conference.

BIEN Canada on the Hill

Before the BIEN (Basic Income Earth Network) Canada conference began, policy analyst Chandra Pasma made a number of MP visits along with colleagues from the BIEN Canada steering committee to introduce BIEN Canada and discuss guaranteed livable income (GLI) with decision makers.

BIEN Canada chair Jim Mulvale, Kirk Englot and Chandra met with Senator Art Eggleton, chair of the Senate Social Affairs Committee; Rebecca Murphy, policy advisor to Senator Marjory LeBreton, Minister of State for Seniors; MP Dean Allison, chair of the House of Commons Committee on Human Resources; MP Ed Komarnicki, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Human Resources; Jack Layton, leader of the New Democratic Party; and Tony Martin, NDP poverty critic. They also met with Shawn Tupper, Director General of the Social Policy Directorate at Human Resources and Social Development Canada.

The MPs and Senators expressed interest in exploring GLI further as an option for income security in Canada. These meetings offered a good opportunity for dialogue and sharing information.

End Exclusion 2009

People with disabilities are twice as likely to experience exclusion, poverty and isolation as other Canadians. In 2007, the disability community came together to develop “A National Action Plan on Disability,” a document that outlines the initiatives required to create an “inclusive and accessible Canada.” As part of this vision, there is a clear need for solidarity between the disability community and the broader anti-poverty community in Canada.

This was a key message at End Exclusion 2009, a half-day roundtable held on Oct 1 at Ottawa City Hall. Based on the theme “Disabling Poverty/Enabling Citizenship,” it was organized by the Council of Canadians with Disabilities (CCD), the Canadian Association for Canadian Living, and Canada Without Poverty. CPJ’s Karri Munn-Venn attended, along with representatives from several disability organizations as well as human rights, community development and public policy groups.

CCD recently joined the Dignity for All Campaign Committee as an enthusiastic partner working to address poverty in Canada. The End Exclusion event allowed CPJ and other campaign partners to better understand the specific challenges facing people with disabilities living in poverty and how these can be emphasized in the broader Dignity for All campaign. Read more about the event on Karri’s blog.

Spiritual perspectives on eliminating poverty

On Wednesday, October 14, 30 people gathered at the Ottawa Bahá’í Centre for a discussion entitled “The Elimination of Poverty: Some Spiritual Perspectives.” The event was organized by the Bahá’í Community’s External Affairs Committee and was a part of Ottawa Poverty Awareness Week. CPJ’s own Karri Munn-Venn was part of a three-person panel along with Quaker activist John Courtneige, and Suzanne Tamas, member of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Canada and Director of Governmental Relations for the Canadian Bahá’í Community.

Karri reflected on Micah 6:8, “What does the Lord require of you? To seek justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with your God,” and the influence this passage has had on her personal faith journey. She contemplated her years working as a Christian in a secular context and how she ultimately came to work for CPJ. She went on to share the foundational Christian beliefs and the public justice values that inform CPJ’s work, most notably the responsibility of citizens and governments to work for the common good. Karri also introduced the Dignity for All campaign and spoke about the importance of broad public support and the need to engage diverse individuals and organizations on the issue of poverty in Canada.

Key messages were reinforced as John and Suzanne considered poverty from their faith perspectives. “The golden rule” and its various representations in different faith traditions served as a unifying element in the discussion. We were reminded of how easy it is to overlook the difficult reality of poverty in Canada and were encouraged to continue to raise these issues not only with governments and organizations, but with the people who are a part of our daily lives.

Web features

Once again, we’ve got a plethora of web features for you – read them below, and leave a comment on our website outlining your thoughts on the issues!

People or commodities? The human face of immigration

The recent trend in Canadian immigration policy has been a shift to a greater focus on economic immigrants. Proponents of such change claim this is necessary for economic growth. However, economic growth is not an adequate measurement of the well-being of individuals. When it becomes the determining factor in policy, the well-being of the actual people involved is overlooked. With imminent changes coming to immigration policy, it is important to re-evaluate our motives and incorporate the human face of immigration. Read more...

Happy or rich? Alternatives to the dominant growth model

In his 1998 address to CPJ’s Annual Membership Meeting, former Director of Public Affairs Gerald Vandezande spoke about the tremendous shortcomings of the current market system in a way that would resonate with many in the social development community around the world.

Fast-forward 10 years to February 2008 when French President Nicholas Sarkozy raised his concerns about – as he put it – “the limits of GDP as an indicator of economic performance and social progress.” Sarkozy’s musings prompted the creation of “The Commission on the Measurement of Economic Performance and Social Progress,” chaired by renowned economist Joseph E. Stiglitz. Read more...

What do we value about work?

Many Canadians believe it is inappropriate to pay people for "doing nothing." This notion is related to our cultural norms and values around work and income security. Our cultural valuing of economic growth, and therefore productivity, affects how we value people and what we consider to be work worth doing. In order to truly value people and their activities, regardless of income, we need to relinquish our focus on productivity and re-focus our attention on people. Read more…

Marda Loop Justice Film Festival

For those of you in Calgary, make note of the Marda Loop Justice Film Festival coming up on Nov. 17, 20-22. Featuring films and speakers from Calgary and beyond, this free film festival will open your eyes and challenge you to act.

The films include Addicted to Plastic, which explores our plastic pollution and possible solutions; Muffins for Granny, in which Aboriginal elders tell of their experiences in residential schools; and Hannah’s Story, about a 5 year old girl who loves homeless people and decides something needs to be done.

Visit the Marda Loop Justice Film Festival website to find out more about the films, where they are being screened, and set up your schedule for the festival. The event, co-ordinated by CPJ member Jenny Krabbe, will also feature an NGO Village and Fair Trade vendors.

20 years after Parliament promises to end child poverty

November 24 will mark 20 years since Canadian parliamentarians unanimously agreed to end child poverty in Canada by the year 2000. This deadline has long since passed and the unfortunate reality remains: almost one child out of every 10 still lives in poverty in Canada today.

To mark this regrettable and shameful occasion, Campaign 2000 and its partners will be releasing their annual National Report Card on Child and Family Poverty in Ottawa on November 24, along with provincial report cards in Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Regina, Winnipeg, Toronto, Halifax and Saint John. Community events are also being planned in many of these cities to underscore critical issues faced by children and families living in poverty.

The Honourable Ed Broadbent, the former MP behind the 1989 resolution, will be on hand in Ottawa on Nov. 24 for Campaign 2000 events. Events include a brown bag breakfast for MPs and Senators to present the key findings of the report card and emphasize the need for federal action to address child poverty in Canada. Concerned Canadians will also have the opportunity to participate in a public event on Parliament Hill. Write a letter to your MP expressing your support for ending child and family poverty today, or sign on to the e-action campaign, to be launched in early November.

Campaign 2000 is a non-partisan, cross-Canada network of over 120 national, provincial and community organizations – including CPJ – committed to working together to end child and family poverty in Canada. Campaign 2000 coordinator Laurel Rothman represents the network on the Dignity for All campaign committee. Look for copies of the report card to download from the Campaign 2000 website on Nov. 24.

We have a vision

We have a vision
where people are welcomed because they are persons,
not because they have a valid passport.

We have a vision
where children do not go to bed hungry
and sleep safe and warm.

We have a vision
of a Church not meant for fossilized piety
but a haven for the very weary and very human.

We have a vision
of a ministry born of the Spirit
and bearing the fruit of the Spirit.

We have a vision
where Christ is exalted for the totality
of who He was and who He is today.

And though this vision appears ambitious,
we know – we know –
that God can do anything.

But there is one thing God cannot do:
God cannot forsake
those who truly trust in God.

So we trust
And hold fast:
We have a vision.

Adapted from Christians in the Crisis by Gerald Vandezande. All rights reserved.

For all at CPJ, Karen Diepeveen. Look for our next issue of the Catalyst in your mailbox soon – you don’t want to miss this edition!