Economy of Care

In June 2009, the Government of Canada rejected a recommendation from the UN Human Rights Council that Ottawa establish a poverty elimination strategy. Why? The Government of Canada argued that addressing poverty was a provincial responsibility. Much of the current debate centers on the issue of jurisdictional responsibility. Many advocates for the elimination of poverty argue that any sustainable plan to address poverty on a national level must come from the federal government. However, the federal government argues that programs to address poverty are the responsibility of the provinces as laid out The Constitution Act, 1867. Read more »

If we allow spending cuts to be the only option in dealing with the deficit, we are saying that taxes cost us something but spending cuts don't. Essentially, we are saying that we can afford greater poverty and inequality, more private procurement of basic goods and services, and crumbling physical infrastructure, but we cannot possibly afford to pay a slightly greater percentage of our income in taxes. With citizenship and taxes, we get what we pay for. If we want a strong, democratic country characterized by economic security, opportunity for all, and strong social ties, then we need to be prepared to pay for it with our taxes.
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We know that poverty in Canada exists, that it is more severe among certain groups and sectors, but we also know that Canada is a very wealthy country. Is someone living under the poverty line “poor” when we compare incomes to other countries? What are we really measuring when we read poverty statistics?

Unfortunately, there is no official measure of poverty in Canada. But CPJ intern Kathryn Cummings helps us understand what measures are currently used and why our values as a society can help to define the best measure available… Read more »

Karri Munn-Venn reflects on the first year of the Dignity for All campaign and describes the inspiration generated by the Dish on Dignity: A Discussion about Eradicating Poverty in Canada in Dignity for All Celebrates Tremendous Success in First Year! Read more »

Chandra Pasma explores the impact of the recent recession on poverty trends in Canada in Bearing the Brunt: Recession Increases Poverty Rate in Canada. Chandra highlights how rising social assistance caseloads, inadequate Employment Insurance and cost of living that outstripped inflation contributed to rising poverty and economic insecurity in Canada. Read more »

One popular view of poverty is that it is a matter of individual responsibility. From this perspective, income security programs like Guaranteed Livable Income reward irresponsible behaviour. However, this view fails to account for the complex reality of modern poverty and the high proportion of working poor in Canada. This understanding of responsibility also lacks context since the reality is that everyone is interdependent. Recognizing this interdependency should lead us to a more holistic, communitarian sense of well-being. Read more »

Our work at CPJ is to bring change through government policies. The personal stories inspire and speak strongly to the Biblical foundations of the call to promote justice. But so do the statistics, because they highlight potential policy options for promoting dignity for all Canadians. At CPJ's Annual General Meeting on May 27, 2010,  Richard Shillington, from Informetrica and CPJ's Karri Munn-Venn looked at the statistics and stories that motivate us to continue our work to end poverty in Canada and promote dignity for everyone. Read more »

It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon when a lively group of Ottawans rambled down the highway to Hamilton. There were two priests, two young adults from a local parish and the two of us. We were among the 85 or so clergy and lay people from across the country making our way to “Community Justice Camp – Live the Change you want to see.”

Community –be it geographic, experience-based, or otherwise –is central in our pursuit of social justice. At Justice Camp we had the opportunity to be among a wonderful group of justice advocates from across the country to learn, share, and grow together as we explored how to discern and interpret local needs in a way that leads to charity, justice, and a strong and healthy community for all. Read more »

Several years ago, at a Bible study at my church, I was introduced to “the two feet of social justice.” This is a framing of Christian outreach that encourages action that goes beyond direct service to “those in need.” On the one foot are acts of charity: donating used clothing to a shelter, serving at the “Out of the Cold” dinner, and otherwise responding to the direct physical needs of the poor and marginalized. On the other foot are justice initiatives, actions aimed at changing the structures that impede people living out their God-given potential: citizen engagement, awareness-raising, political action and advocacy. The underlying notion is that both feet are required to move forward in the pursuit of social justice. Read more »