Non-Governmental Organizations - Organismes non-gouvernementaux

(PDF - 2MB, 28 pages)
May 2010
By Myriam Fortin
Social Policy Directorate
Human Resources and Skills Development Canada
Abstract
Using data from the National Population Health Survey, this paper sheds light on the health situation of working-age Canadians and tests the connection between low income, weak labour force attachment and poor health using logistic regressions. Results indicate that persistently poor or weakly employed Canadians are in much poorer health than other Canadians, and that being persistently poor increases the probability of experiencing deterioration in health as much as being in poor health increases the probability of becoming poor, but that being persistently unemployed has an even stronger impact on health status.
Source:

[ --- all articles from Volume 1, 1974 to the current issue.]
(Refereed Journal of the
)

If your eyes glaze over at the mere mention of poverty lines and/or unemployment statistics, I think you'll appreciate this short discussion/reflexion paper by Canadian social policy experts Richard Shillington and John Stapleton. It's an overview of, and observations about, Canada's poverty measurement tools; it includes discussion (or reflexion) points for further study or group discussions. Did YOU know that there are four different ways to measure Employment Insurance coverage of the Canadian workforce? And what the heck is a B/U ratio, anyway? Click below to find out.

(PDF - 186K, 22 pages)
Richard Shillington and John Stapleton
May 2010
(...) This paper is intended to open up some room for thoughtful discussion about poverty issues among interested Canadians. The goal is not to tell anyone what to think, but to encourage all of us to question.
(...) Data can be presented in many different ways, depending on the goals of the person or group providing the data. It is important to question what is being measured, how it is measured, and when it was measured.
(...) Being critical of the statistics used as “evidence” for a point of view involves finding out what assumptions underlie the numbers.
For example, you might hear that:
• the percentage of Canadians living in poverty is around 15%...or only 5%, or
• Canada’s Employment Insurance (EI) program covers approximately 85% of the unemployed…or only 45%.
(...) The gap between these statistics is so large because they measure different things.

Source:

The Foundation was established by George Cedric Metcalf in 1960. It currently makes grants totaling approximately $5.5 million each year and has an asset base of approximately $130 million. The Foundation works primarily in three areas: environment, performing arts and low-income communities. Our work is focused on supporting organizations that are working collaboratively to cultivate long-term solutions to issues, thinking broadly in pursuit of comprehensive approaches and engaging communities to take a meaningful role in decisions affecting their lives

[ See "About This Paper" on the second page of the PDF file for biographical notes on the authors.]

Table of Contents:
* CPJ releases research paper on the impact of the recession
* Progress towards a federal anti-poverty Act
* CPJ meets new HUMA Committee Chair
* “Poor no More” launch on Parliament Hill
* CPJ development and fundraising news
* BIEN Canada conference
* CPJ comes to Toronto
* How will you and your congregation respond?
* Climate change as a moral problem: CPJ attends retreat
* CPJ’s Annual General Meeting, Thursday, May 27, 2010: Everyone welcome!
* World Religious Summit on the G8/G20 meetings: Sign the Petition
* Connect with CPJ on Facebook
* Web Features
* Still waiting for recovery: Recession increases poverty rate in Canada
* The G8 – G20 in Canada: A time for inspired leadership and change
* Muted Voices? Public Justice and the Canadian Churches
* Time for an Affordable Housing Act?
* The Commission of Hope
* Does representative democracy threaten national security?
* Closing Prayer: God has given us a dream

May 3, 2010
Bearing the Brunt: How the Recession Created Poverty for Canadian Families details the rise in poverty and economic insecurity caused by the recession. The report examines key economic trends, comparing them to the baseline of 2007 (the last year for which poverty measures are available) in order to understand the recession’s impact.

(PDF - 1MB, 82 pages)
By Chandra Pasma
May 2010
Recessions create poverty. The 2008]2009 recession was no different as thousands of Canadian families were pushed into poverty. But while we have to wait until 2011 for most standard measures of poverty, there are a number of key economic indicators that already reveal the trends of increased poverty and economic insecurity throughout the recession...

(PDF - 2.9MB, 6 pages)
[ Version française du sommaire: (fichier PDF - 2.8Mo, 6 pages) ]

By Chandra Pasma
May 31
For many Canadian families, the recession has meant increased poverty and insecurity.

Source:

Citizens for Public Justice (CPJ) is a national organization of members inspired by faith to act for justice in Canadian public policy.

March 10, 2010
The PEF will once again be hosting panels at this year’s Canadian Economics Association meetings, May 28-30 in Quebec City. The lineup for the PEF events includes panel discussions on the following broad topics:
* Was Financialization Rational for Capital?
* Canada’s Economic Security and the Great Recession: What Have We Learned?
* Is There a Market Fundamentalist Message in the Introductory Textbooks?
* Labour in a time of crisis, comparing experiences and prospects in Canada and the US.
* Perspectives on Happiness in Canada and the United States
* Integrating Climate and Industrial Policies
* Canadian Public Finances and Monetary Policy: Sound Finance or Functional Finance

Click the link above to see the complete program, including the list of speakers and all sub-topics.

By Erin Weir
April 30th, 2010
In February, Canada experienced its slowest economic growth since October 2009. Of course, no one expected the initial rapid rebound out of recession to continue forever.

(Canada)
Indian and Northern Affairs Canada
The Aboriginal Youth Network is foremost an online resource created by youth for youth

ACORN is building a national movement for social and economic justice by organizing low- and moderate-income communities for power and social change; we want living wage jobs, decent affordable housing, tenant rights, ending predatory lending, opportunities for youth, voting and electoral rights. If it affects poor and working class communities, ACORN Members are organizing to win equity in Toronto and across the country. ACORN Canada is made up of more than 9,000 low- and moderate-income member families. There are more than 20 local chapters of ACORN throughout the country, organized democratically through community organizing. Our work is getting results and making change!
[ ]

- Complete list of all Campaign 2000 national, provincial and community partners - including links to 60+ websites of these NGOs and other groups from across Canada.

- Links to the most recent report cards on child poverty at the national level as well as for the provinces of . You'll even find a link to the child poverty report card for the City of Toronto on the report card page. (Click on the links down the left side of the page)

News alert - Campaign 2000
Kelowna, BC, 23 Nov 05
"Activists took their annual child poverty report directly to the First Ministers meeting here today. The findings are discouraging. For almost 30 years the poverty rate has been stuck at one-in-six children. Whether families are mother-led, have two parents, are working full time or on social assistance the numbers are static. A particularly disturbing finding is that child poverty rates for Aboriginal, immigrant, and visible minority children are twice the national rate. Campaign 2000 National Coordinator Laurel Rothman, whose organization prepares the annual update, was joined by Peter Dinsdale of the National Association of Friendship Centres. They are clearly frustrated by misplaced government priorities and jurisdictional wrangling."

Provincial Child Poverty Report Cards were also released in BC, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Nova Scotia;
you'll find links to these on the Children, Families and Youth Links (NGO) page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/chnngo.htm

(PDF file - 89K, 8 pages)
Pre-Budget Consultation
September, 2005
By Laurel Rothman
National Coordinator, Campaign 2000
"The fact that 15% of our youngest citizens are growing up in poverty does not bode well for Canada’s future productivity performance, which is the focus of the 2005 Pre-Budget Consultations. Broad based investment in our human capital is essential for a productivity agenda. "Canada’s Fiscal Outlook projects surpluses of almost $30 billion over the next five years. With consecutive multi-billion dollar budget surpluses, Canada has the resources to make substantial progress. We call on the federal government to commit a portion of these surpluses to invest in children, as they have committed portions for healthcare and equalization payments."

September 26, 2005
Campaign 2000
"Campaign 2000 maintains that federal labour standards should be modernized to reflect leading standards and 'best practices'in other advanced economies. They need to be updated to reflect changes in the labour market and workforce over the past 40 years, with a particular emphasis on ensuring protection for vulnerable workers."

(PDF file - 57K, 7 pages)August 15, 2005
From: Laurel Rothman, National Coordinator

November 24, 2004
CAROL GOAR
"Giving up is not an option. But clinging to a faded dream is not a solution.
So today, on the 15th anniversary of his parliamentary resolution to end child poverty by 2000, Ed Broadbent will set a new goal. He will challenge Canadians to reduce the child poverty rate to 5 per cent within 10 years. His new target lacks the tidy finality of the one he persuaded all MPs to endorse on Nov. 24, 1989, shortly before his retirement as leader of the New Democratic Party. It is less ambitious, less appealing.But Broadbent, who returned to active politics this year, believes it is realistic and achievable. He calls it 'a new agenda for a new time.'
The child poverty rate currently stands at 15 per cent. It was 15.2 per cent when Broadbent issued his clarion call 15 years ago."
Source:

On November 24, 2004, the 15th anniversary of the all-party resolution to end child poverty in Canada, Campaign 2000 released its annual Report Card

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NOTE: Campaign 2000 focuses on child poverty and other child-related issues.
You'll find many more links to Campaign 2000 site content on these Canadian Social Research Links pages (especially the first):
Canadian Social Children, Families and Youth Links (NGO) page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/chnngo.htm
Early Learning and Child Care Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/ecd.htm
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NOTE: click the link above to access current and historical poverty reports for all six provinces

"The Settlement.Org Web site helps immigrants and refugees to find the help and information they need to start a new life in Ontario."
[...and it also includes a wealth of social program information!]
Source:

(Government of Canada)
"...the best links to government services, information and resources, for citizens of other countries"

Canada Matters
By Canbyte, a Progressive Blogger

- blog entries and links to online resources on a number of themes, from Bad Canada and Childcare to Poverty and Well Being

(CUSHRID Net)
CUSHRID Net was developed to facilitate the exchange of ideas and information between human rights organizations; establishment of uniform standards for human rights documentation, information management and exchange; development of co-operative projects in the areas of documentation and information management to avoid duplication; training in various aspects of documentation and information management; and contacts and exchanges with information and documentation networks in other parts of the world.
See for links to two dozen related sites

Founded in 1971, Canada Without Poverty (formerly the National Anti-Poverty Organization) is an incorporated, not-for-profit, non-partisan, member-based organization dedicated to the eradication of poverty in Canada. We believe this ideal can be realized by 2020, if not sooner, especially in a country as wealthy as Canada.
- incl. links to: * Poverty in Canada * Eliminating Poverty * First Person Stories * About Us * Support Us

Jeffrey Simpson’s column in The Globe and Mail yesterday was harshly critical of Prime Minister Harper for recently saying “I don't believe that any taxes are good taxes.”
Read the column here:

For additional perspective on the benefits of taxation,
see two fine reports from the :

The Social Benefits and Economic Costs of Taxation: A Comparison of High- and Low-Tax Countries
December 2006

* Rob Rainer is Executive Director of
CANADA WITHOUT POVERTY

Founded in 1971, Canada Without Poverty (formerly the National Anti-Poverty Organization) is an incorporated, not-for-profit, non-partisan, member-based organization dedicated to the eradication of poverty in Canada. We believe this ideal can be realized by 2020, if not sooner, especially in a country as wealthy as Canada

Below, Terence Corcoran of The National Post tears into Simpson, whom he calls
"an old fogie ...knee-jerk anti-Conservative" for his views on taxation and his critique of Stephen Harper's tax comment.
Simpson says "Only libertarian anarchists believe that all taxes are bad, and that society can get along without them."
Corcoran replies: "To call Stephen Harper a libertarian anarchist is akin to calling a free market capitalist."

Terence Corcoran:
The frightening thought that taxes are bad

July 14, 2009
Jeffrey Simpson turns a sound Harper tax comment into a ‘scary, scary’ idea
Source:

(CAIC)
CAIC was formed in the early 1980s by a number of religious communities who wanted to pool their resources in order to make investments that support positive social change and promote alternative economic structures. CAIC has since grown to 51 members with a lending pool of $6.5 million invested in worthwhile projects across Canada.

"CAEFS is a federation of autonomous societies which works with, and on behalf of, women involved with the justice system, particularly women in conflict with the law. Elizabeth Fry Societies are community based agencies dedicated to offering services and programs to marginalized women, advocating for legislative and administrative reform and offering fora within which the public may be informed about, and participate in, aspects of the justice system which affect women."
-large site, easy to navigate, incl. information about CAEFS, programs and services, , conferences, fact sheets, annual reports, issue papers (Human Rights - Battered Women - Women’s Prisons - Young Women - Restorative Justice - Literacy), responses to proposed legislative changes - related Internet sources on prison issues and violence against women

(CCP) - "We're on your Side"
"The Canadian Centre for Philanthropy is a national, charitable organization with a mandate to advance the role and interests of the charitable sector for the benefit of Canadian communities. The Centre accomplishes this mission through various programs, including Public Affairs, Research, Imagine, and Membership. Information about these programs as well as resources, tools and information are available on this site."
"We're on your side" --- for a fee...
I guess even philanthropy is big business these days - membership is a must to see any of the real content of this site, and that'll run you at least $225 per year for a small organization ($495 for a consultant or a government)...
...and then you have to pay $200 for their "Canadian Directory to Foundations & Grants" (16th Printed Edition, 2002) --- (Non-Member price is $300.00). If you want the regularly-updated online version, that's $350 for members and $ 450 for non-members.
BUT WAIT - here's some free stuff --- and it's good, too...
- 100+ links divided into 4 categories: Nonprofit organizations(Canada), Resources and Tools, Nonprofit Management Education, and U.S. and International sites.
- info and articles about : Board & Governance - Nonprofit Management - Fundraising - Legal & Regulatory - Volunteering - Trends & Statistics - Foundations/Corporate - Article Index
"Please also visit other sites in the CCP family for additional information on research ( and ) and corporate social responsibility ()."

(CCLA)
The CCLA is a lobbying and law-reform, non-profit, non-government organization dealing with issues of fundamental civil liberties and human rights that affect those who live all across Canada.

- The Canadian Community Reinvestment Coalition is a coalition of over 100 anti-poverty, consumer, community economic development, labour and small business groups representing over three million people from every province and the Northwest Territories that advocates for bank accountability in Canada.

(CCIC)
The Canadian Council for International Co-operation is a coalition of over 100 Canadian organizations seeking to change the course of human development in ways that favor social and economic equity, democratic participation, environmental integrity and respect for human rights.
"...working on the frontlines of social justice, humanitarian aid, economic and democratic development in the world"

- Canadians working together to end the death penalty
"The Canadian Abolition Project was founded to campaign in support of Canadian government policies that will ensure consistency with Canada's position as a completely abolitionist nation. We will encourage and support interventions by the Canadian government in defence of Canadians facing the death penalty abroad. We are dedicated to achieving abolition of the death penalty for all, in all countries of the World and particularly in the United States of America. ."
- incl. links to : Canadian Abolition Sign Up Page - Canadian Abolition Email Archives - Canadian Resources [contact info for Canadian Senators, MPs and committees] - Invitation to the 1st Annual Peaceful Presence and Public Awareness Day in Toronto
Source: "Stop Capital Punishment Now! is an Internet based initiative attempting to achieve total abolition of the death penalty in all countries of the world and particularly in the United States of America. We believe that the taking of a human life is morally and ethically wrong. We believe that the premeditated killing by the state of its own citizens is barbaric and reprehensible."
- links to 40+ sites, mainly American...

The Canadian Teachers’ Federation (CTF) speaks for approximately 200,000 teachers in Canada as their national voice on education and related social issues.

April 20, 2010
(CTF News Service – Ottawa) Teacher leaders from across the country are adding their voices to the national call for action to end child poverty when they meet with Parliamentarians today as part of the Canadian Teachers’ Federation’s (CTF) annual Hill Day.

“Our task is to remind federal politicians that social issues are just as important as economic ones,” explains CTF President Mary-Lou Donnelly. “It is shameful that child poverty is a tragic fact of life in a nation as wealthy as ours. Among the most vulnerable groups affected by child poverty are Aboriginal children, children of new immigrants and children with disabilities.

(PDF - 291K, 8 pages)
Background Material for
Parliamentarians and Staff
- April 20, 2010
The Canadian Teachers’ Federation urges all Parliamentarians to support a coordinated effort to reduce and eliminate child poverty in Canada.
This coordinated effort should be focussed along three main areas of action:
• Family Income
• Housing
• Educational Opportunity

The Childcare Resource and Research Unit (CRRU) is a policy and research oriented facility that focuses on early childhood education and child care (ECEC) and family policy in Canada and internationally.

Sign up to receive email notices of updates and new postings on the CRRU website which will inform you of policy developments in early childhood care and education, new research and resources for policy, newly released CRRU publications, and upcoming events of interest to the child care and broader community.

- briefing notes, factsheets, occasional papers and other publications
- theme pages, each filled with contextual information and links to further info

(Canada)
"We are a national faith-based coalition of eleven founding churches, created in 1974, to promote a restorative approach to Justice with an emphasis on addressing the needs of victims and offenders, mutual respect, healing, individual accountability, community involvement and crime prevention. We believe there can be no criminal justice without social justice; we can only deal with crime by building a peaceful, safe and just society."
- incl. links to : About Us - The Well - CCJC News - Current Issues - Archives - Legislation - Links - Site Map - Contact - Discussion Board - Justice for the Soul - Video & Bookstore - Donation / Membership - Resources / Presentations
Related Link:

Our mission is to promote public justice in Canada by shaping key public policy debates through research and analysis, publishing and public dialogue. CPJ encourages citizens, leaders in society and governments to support policies and practices which reflect God’s call for love, justice and stewardship.

E-newsletter of Citizens for Public Justice (CPJ)
Table of Contents:
* Edmonton – a cradle of CPJ
* Covenantal economics and poverty
* CPJ in Quebec
+ New CPJ resources on electoral reform
* CPJ staff to participate in the Canadian Social Forum
* Web features
* Earth Day 2009 – Going deeper green
* What’s God got to do with it? Faith and politics at the cabinet table
* Language requirements counter to public justice values
* Human Trafficking: the modern-day slave trade
* CPJ Annual General Meeting – May 7, 2009
* The end of the world as we know it ...Thank God! KAIROS Gathering 2009
* Earth Day – April 22
* A Prayer of Healing

December 17, 2008
In a (PDF - 207K, 4 pages), CPJ calls on the government to present a "visionary stimulus package" as part of the Federal Budget anticipated for January 27, 2009.

The Coalition of National Voluntary Organizations (NVO) is a not-for-profit organization which promotes volunteerism and enhances the profile of Canada's voluntary and charitable sector. NVO is an umbrella coalition that has as its members 130 national voluntary charities active in a variety of fields ranging from health and social services to the environment, justice, education and international development.
Great resource site for people working in or with the voluntary sector...
(Privy Council Office version)
- see also

We are the Canadian movement for community vitality, representing 168 Community Foundations across the country. Together, we help Canadians invest in building strong and resilient places to live, work and play.

Vital Signs is an annual check-up conducted by community foundations across Canada that measures the vitality of our communities, identifies trends, and shares opportunities for action in at least ten areas critical to quality of life.
Since Toronto's first Vital Signs publication, the Report has been adopted by 16 communities across Canada and is now conducted nationally by Community Foundations of Canada.

Click the link for reports covering the following participating cities and regions:
* Calgary * Central Okanagan * Guelph & Wellington * Kingston & Area * Medicine Hat * Oakville
* Ottawa * Red Deer * Saint John * Sudbury * Sunshine Coast * Toronto * Victoria * Waterloo * Wolfville (NS)

NOTE : Only the link to the Toronto and Ottawa reports appear below because I live in Ottawa, and Toronto is, well, Toronto*, eh...
For all other city reports, click the above link and select a city or region to access its report.
---
* Hey, I'm not sayin' that Toronto would pick up its marbles and go home or anything if I *didn't*
include a link to their report, but the population of Toronto is larger than most of the other provinces combined (except Ontario), so there ya go...
---

Toronto:
(PDF, 2.8 MB)
Source:
We help people invest in Toronto, making it the best place to live, work, learn and grow. We monitor the quality of life in our city, identifying its strengths and weaknesses through our Toronto’s Vital Signs® report

October 6, 2009
By Royson James
Sooner, rather than later, Toronto needs a strike force to confront the dangerous patterns', `This is a picture of sickness linked to poverty – a snapshot of a city moving in opposite directions, its populace increasingly polarized. (...) Since 1998, the Toronto Community Foundation has been alerting us to the changing forces in our city and region. Toronto's Vital Signs, the annual checkup of the city's social, economic, environmental and physical health continues this year to track the alerts.

"Community economic development (CED) involves initiatives that attempt to strengthen the community by building equitable and inclusive economies. (...) The Toronto CED Learning Network is a group of over 350 organizations and individuals who are interested in CED in the Toronto area. Its membership reflects an exciting range of perspectives and approaches. Its main goal is to provide a space where members can learn from each other, share their resources and work together to develop healthy, equitable and sustainable business activity in Toronto."

"CEDTAP is a five-year, Canada-wide initiative that aims to assist 500 communities by 2006. CEDTAP helps community-based organizations engaged in CED by supporting technical assistance, study tours, target group initiatives and requests for computer hardware and software. CEDTAP is also committed to strengthening the CED sector as a whole by disseminating innovative models, funding the development of tools and resources, and organizing learning events.
- incl. links to : About CEDTAP - News - Approved Initiatives - Application Guidelines - Application Form - Directory of Technical Assistance Providers - CEDTAP Forum - Gender and CED - Resources and Links - Contact Information

"(CCEDNet is a national member-based, democratic organization. We are a registered charitable non-profit organization. The membership of CCEDNet is made up of Community Economic Development (CED) community-based organizations and practitioners from every region of Canada. CED can be defined as action by people locally to create economic opportunities and enhance social conditions in their communities on a sustainable and inclusive basis, particularly with those who are most disadvantaged."

"For almost two decades, Conflict Resolution Network Canada has been drawing people together to grapple with conflict, share insights and ideas, and act on the latest developments in conflict resolution theory and practice. Through our national conferences, comprehensive collection of conflict resolution books, content-rich Web site, cutting-edge programs and flagship quarterly newsletter, we have helped thousands of Canadians to build constructive approaches to conflict in every sphere of Canadian society." (Adults)

"The United Nations recently endorsed Basic Principles for the Use of Restorative Justice Programmes in Criminal Matters, and Conflict Resolution Network Canada has undertaken a national consultation to explore what impact these principles might have here. An electronic Dialogue Group will be a vital part of the consultation, and we hope you will join it. (...) The Dialogue Group will begin discussions on Monday, June 10, and continue until mid-September."
The Conflict Resolution Network's seven distinct program areas are : Community and Restorative Justice - Schools and Youth - Organizational and Workplace - Environment and Public Policy - International - Media and Conflict Portrayal - Conflict Resolution Teaching and Training Support
To register for the Dialogue Group, or to review the Principles first, go to the Restorative Justice Consultation Web site (the link above) and follow the links to Registration or to Basic Principles.

Related Link:

- : Social Union could end up killing off what the federal budget was supposed to save (1999)
-
February 1999
-
January 1999
-
January 1999

Court Challenges Program of Canada is a national non-profit organization which was set up in 1994 to provide financial assistance for important court cases that advance language and equality rights guaranteed under Canada's Constitution.
Check the for an overview of the site - includes a great database of links in almost two dozen areas of social policy research, including : Aboriginal - Colour, Race, National Origin, Ethnicity - Disability - Education Rights - Government - Human Rights - Immigration - Poverty Sexual Orientation - Womens Rights, and more...

The Coalition to Save Court Challenges is a broad coalition of concerned organizations and individuals committed to ensuring the continuation of funding for the Court Challenges Program of Canada. New organizations and individuals are signing onto our campaign every day.

(PDF file - 129K, 31 pages)
Forum Convened by
Community Social Planning Council of Toronto
Held at the
Toronto
October 11
"On September 25, Finance Minister Jim Flaherty and Treasury Board President John Baird announced $1 billion in federal program cuts to be implemented over two years. At the same time that cuts to youth employment, literacy organizations, women’s groups, Aboriginal health initiatives, and other equity-relevant programs were announced, the federal government also reported a staggering $13.2 billion surplus.(...) The Community Social Planning Council of Toronto convened a forum to bring together local communities and organizations across sectors and issues to share information, and discuss and strategize around the proposed cuts and related federal actions. (...) Focusing on selected areas, the report paints only part of the picture of the cuts and its impact on Toronto communities."
Source:

"DAWN Canada is a national organization controlled by and comprised of women with disabilities. We are from all backgrounds and all disabilities. We are a feminist organization working to achieve control over our lives and end the stereotype that labels us dependent burdens on society."
- incl. links to : Our National Network - Our Mission Statement - Our History - Profiles of Women - Special Initiatives - DAWNing Groups - Related Links - Guestbook - DAWN Canada's Email Discussion

Democracy Watch is an independent, non-profit, non-partisan Canadian citizen advocacy organization that opened its doors in October 1993. Democracy Watch works with Canadian citizens and organizations in pushing Canadian governments and businesses to empower Canadians in their roles as voters,citizens, taxpayers, consumers and shareholders. Our aim is to help reform Canadian government and business institutions to bring them into line with the realities of a modern, working democracy.

Democracy Watch's campaign mandate, 20 Steps towards a Modern, Working Democracy, sets out changes that all governments in Canada should enact (according to their respective powers) to ensure that Canadian citizens have a greater and more meaningful role in government and business decision-making in Canada.

January 10, 2010
The Directory of Development Organizations 2010 is a comprehensive listing of 60,000+ development organizations dedicated to good governance, sustainable development and poverty reduction. The directory is divided into 6 geographical sections: Africa, Asia and the Middle East, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, North America, and Oceania.

-- []
This national not for profit online web space is dedicated to the exchange of information, opinions and resources by and for all Canadians.

Halifax Initiative is a Canadian coalition of development, environment, faith, rights and labour groups. [It] was formed in the context of an international movement of non-governmental organizations focused on evaluating the role and record of the Bretton Woods Institutions at the time of their 50th Anniversary. Canadian NGOs formed the Halifax Initiative in December 1994 to ensure that demands for fundamental reform of the international financial institutions were high on the agenda of the G7's 1995 Halifax Summit.
- incl. links to : Debt - Export Credit Agencies - International Monetary Fund - Tobin Tax - World Bank - G-20 - Finance for Development - Publications - Media - Events - Links
Related Links : See the Canadian Social Research Links Globalization page

Idealist, a project of Action Without Borders. In this site you will find 20,000 nonprofit and community organizations in 150 countries, which you can search or browse by name, location or mission. Includes tons of links to Canadian sites - organizations, resources, volunteering, services, and much more.
Includes 700+ Canadian NGOs and 400+ Canadian services, just to whet your appetite...

- "Global action against poverty"
Led by the Canadian Council for International Cooperation (CCIC), 100+ have joined in common -- a campaign to make action against poverty a public and political priority.

(Toronto)
"The Laidlaw Foundation uses its human and financial resources in innovative ways to strengthen the environment for children, youth and families, to enhance opportunities for human development and creativity and to sustain healthy communities and ecosystems."

Go to the Canadian Social Research Links page of links for Children, Families and Youth (Canadian NGOs) for links to content from the Laidlaw Foundation website

(LRC)
The LRC is Canada’s leading magazine for discussions of public affairs and culture. No other magazine in Canada today has our fifteen-year track record of providing Canadians with robust, intelligent public discourse on a wide range of topics from the country’s very best thinkers and writers.

The table of contents of the April 2007 issue of LRC and subscription information are included in the PDF file below, along with the complete text of the following book review:

Don’t It Always Seem to Go:
A review of Shereen Ismael’s
Child Poverty and the Canadian Welfare State: From Entitlement to Charity (PDF file - 260K, 4 pages)
Review by John Stapleton
- from the April 2007 issue of the Literary Review of Canada

------------------------------------------

(PDF file - 1.6MB, 4 pages)
by Sheila Neysmith, Kate Bezanson and Anne O’Connell
Review by John Stapleton
[Posted with permission of the reviewer]
November 2005 issue of the Literary Review of Canada
"...there is little political will at the provincial level to address the plight of the disadvantaged in terms of improving income security programs. If the province does just a little, they bring the inadequacy of programs into sharp relief and shine a light on everything that they are not doing. If they were to consider doing a lot, it would cost more money than they can spend on a target group that has little political support or public sympathy."
- includes the table of contents for the November 2005 issue of the Literary Review of Canada and subscription information

- incl. links to "Poverty study full of surprises", an article (June 10/05) by Toronto Star Columnist Carol Goar about Telling Tales and (September 2005) by Brice Balmer, secretary of the Interfaith Social Assistance Reform Coalition.

(Canada)
Here's what we want in 14 words:
* More and Better Aid
* Trade Justice
* Cancel the Debt
* End Child Poverty in Canada

- includes members from : the Assembly of First Nations - Campaign 2000 - Canadian Council for International Co-operation - Canadian Labour Congress - National Anti Poverty Organization - Results Canada - World Vision - and more...

(International)

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News search Results:
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Google News search Results:
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Source:

The Mental Health Commission of Canada is a non-profit organization created to focus national attention on mental health issues and to work to improve the health and social outcomes of people living with mental illness.

(PDF - 139K, 2 pages)
News Release
TORONTO, November 23, 2009 – The Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC) has implemented a ground-breaking national research project in five cities to find the best way to provide housing and services to people who are living with mental illness and homelessness. Using a ‘Housing First’ approach, the research project focuses on first providing people who are homeless with a place to live, and then the other assistance and services they require. The goal is to see if this approach is better than traditional ‘care as usual.’
Source:

Related links:

November 23, 2009
The largest project in Canada's history to study the link between mental illness and homelessness kicks off Monday, offering hope – and a home – to more than 1,300 street people across the country. Housing first, rehabilitation will follow – that's the philosophy behind a national research project on homelessness and mental illness being launched by the new Mental Health Commission of Canada. (...) Altogether, 1,325 people will be given a place to live and social services during the study, which is to get $110 million in funding over the next five years. Participants are expected to contribute 30 per cent of their income, including welfare and disability payments. Canada has an estimated 300,000 homeless people. (...) The program is modelled after the successful Pathways to Housing Project, which was founded in New York City in 1992 and has since spread out to 40 cities worldwide.
Source:

- U.S.
Pathways to Housing was founded by Dr. Sam Tsemberis in 1992, and is widely credited as being the originator of the "Housing First" model of addressing homelessness among people with psychiatric disabilities. The Housing First model is simple: provide housing first, and then combine that housing with supportive treatment services in the areas of mental and physical health, substance abuse, education, and employment.

Name changed Feb. 3, 2009 - see Canada Without Poverty (higher up on the page you're now reading)

The Progressive Economics Forum aims to promote the development of a progressive economics community in Canada. The PEF brings together over 125 progressive economists, working in universities, the labour movement, and activist research organizations.

Authors : Andrew Jackson - Arun DuBois - Erin Weir - Iglika Ivanova - Jim Stanford - Marc Lee - Mathieu Dufour - Toby Sanger - Wenonah Bradshaw

PovNet is an online resource for advocates, people on welfare, and community groups and individuals involved in anti-poverty work. It provides up-to-date information about resources in British Columbia and Canada. PovNet links to current anti-poverty issues and also provides links to other anti-poverty organizations and resources in Canada and internationally. PovNet is a clearinghouse of information necessary to address issues of anti-poverty. Regulations and laws can change so quickly it is difficult to know if the information you are using is up-to-date. PovNet strives to keep advocates and those who may be experiencing difficulty with the social service system informed.
[ Source : ]

* - Anti-poverty & poverty related news stories, current events, reports & press releases.

* - View news, resources government info & links sorted by territory or province.

*
The Recession Relief Coalition is a broad-based group of organizations and individuals concerned about the impact of the recession on Canada’s most vulnerable and marginalized residents. Over 260 organizations and over 1,100 individuals across Canada have endorsed the coalition’s call on the federal government to create a recession relief fund to prevent cuts to public and private not-for-profit agencies serving vulnerable communities, and to increase funding to support vital social services including homelessness programs and settlement services.
- incl. links to: home - actions - indicators - contact - participate - video - gallery - news - archives - blog - submit your story
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* We intend to open chapters across Canada to share ideas and information, sponsor events and pressure government at all levels to take strong action to protect us all from the harmful effects of this recession and to alleviate poverty nation wide.
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is a quarterly newsletter from the Recession Relief Coalition designed to keep you informed about the real story of this recession. There will be stories about our activities and our history and about the recession and how it affects the people and communities of Canada, as well as information about recession related events that are coming soon. We will include photos from our events and links to our photo gallery and to our videos page where you will find videos created by Ronzig about us and the things we are doing.

We're All in This Together - fall 2009
October 30, 2009
(151K, 5 pages)
(730K, 5 pages)

By Ron Craven
October 16, 2009
Throughout the history of the human race there has been a division of power resulting in an elite few who did little while the majority worked every waking hour just to survive. While the privileged few grew fat off the labour of the rest, the progress of the race was hampered because most of the population had no time to work at creating a better society. Today is no different. While 90% of the population slaves every waking hour to maintain the few comforts they have been allowed to enjoy primarily through a credit system that ensures they will never escape an indentured state of existence, the dominant 10% enjoy their multi million dollar yachts, private jets and mansions.

- read the declaration, then scroll down the page and add your name to the growing list of supporters.

(PDF - 161K, 8 pages)
Research Bulletin #1
- calling for immediate government action on: * Social Assistance Reform * Unemployment Income (EI Reform * Funding for Non-Profit Sector, including Housing and Homelessness Programs
- incl. Key Facts & Trends in this Recession
Source:

(PDF - 65K, 7 pages)
By Cathy Crowe (Street Nurse and Atkinson Economic Justice Fellow)
June 1, 2009
"(...) Canadians need and want a peace dividend that is an investment in people not destruction. In the meantime however, this recession further necessitates program spending that will provide emergency recession relief – monies to expand Employment Insurance benefits, bolster provincial social assistance rates, prevent evictions, and expand emergency life saving services such as food and shelter."

(PDF - 83K, 3 pages)
Submission to the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills, Social Development
and the Status of Persons with Disabilities
By the
May 31, 2009 (in connection with appearance on June 2, 2009)

(PDF - 146K, 7 pages)
June 1, 2009
By John Stapleton
(on behalf of the )
Topics:
* Federal Government Role in Canada's Social Safety net
* Disparity in responses to poverty and social policy at the Provincial and Territorial level
* Needlessly Prolonging the Recession

(Word file - 24K, 3 pages)
by John Andras
Co Founder Recession Relief Coalition and Chair of
"(...) The need for emergency funding to be made available to the agencies feeding, clothing, sheltering and counseling the victims of the recession is clear and pressing. Governments need to respond to the reality that demand is growing and non-government funding is falling. "

Jun 11, 2009
By Michael Shapcott
As Canada's federal government is set to release its first major report on its economic initiatives (including the multi-billion dollar economic stimulus package that was part of the January federal budget), the Recession Relief Coalition has released its own report on "what the recession looks like" this morning. The coalition is a broad-based group of more than 260 organizations and 1,100 individuals across Canada.
Some key findings from the coalition's research report:
* the number of single people on Ontario Works (provincial welfare) reached an all-time record of 130,180 in April, 2009
* Ontario's real unemployment rate (the official unemployment rate, plus people who are "discouraged" and have dropped out of the labour market, plus involuntary part-time workers) is now well into the double digits at 13.6% and is a staggering 28% for youth aged 15 to 24.
* Credit Canada (which helps people deal with debt) has had a 42% increase in new clients in the past year.
* Non-profit and community-based programs and services are being over-whelmed with growing demand; foodbanks in Toronto report that a record one million people were forced to line up for food last year.
The Recession Relief Coalition sets out a policy agenda that includes increases to federal and provincial income assistance programs (including welfare and employment insurance); plus increased funding for the non-profit sector, including housing and homelessness programs.
Source:

[ ]

(U.S. site hosted by the National Center for Children in Poverty)
- the Research Forum database includes 41 reviewed and 28 unreviewed research projects dealing with issues of welfare reform in the U.S. and its effects.
- includes the page (a welfare research and demonstration project in New Brunswick and British Columbia) - more info about SSP

This site works best in Internet Explorer. (I'm being polite here - actually, this site works like crap in Netscape 4.75)
Incl. Globalization and Human Rights - Indigenous Peoples' Rights -International Human Rights Advocacy -Women's Rights
Rights & Democracy - The International Centre for Human Rights and Democratic Development is a non-partisan organization with an international mandate. It was created by Canada's Parliament in 1988 to encourage and support the universal values of human rights and the promotion of democratic institutions and practices around the world.
President : Warren Allmand
- Don't miss the excellent collection of links to Canadian and international directories and databases - but I can't offer you a link to it because this site uses frames.
You'll have to go there, using Internet Explorer.

The Legion is Canada's largest veterans', ex-service persons' and community service organization with more than 500,000 members and more than 1,600 branches in Canada, the USA (21) and Germany (3). The Legion puts more than $300 million into our communities each year and provide services to veterans, ex-service persons, seniors, youth and numerous community-based charities. Visit this site for a wealth of information on the Legion and its activities. Sections include About Us - Remembrance and Poppy - Dominion Convention - Legion Sports - Membership - Ladies Auxiliaries - Veterans and Ex-Service Persons Service - Links - Leadership and Development. You'll also find links to all Legion Commands across Canada, a number of issues of Reveille, the newsletter of the Dominion Command, and much more.

Havi Echenberg's blog is rich with resources and insights - hardly surprising, given the breadth and depth of her experience in Canadian social research and social policy. Every week in her blog, Havi does a review (see "Triage" below) of selected social research resources such as studies and reports, and a section called Hidden gems that promises some, well, hidden gems.

Selected content from the Social Policy Cafe:
(in reverse chronological order)

April 2, 2010
- includes links to, and Havi's thoughts about, three items on homelessness and two other items - one on planned federal spending, and one on optimal tax rates.
1. The US Interagency Council on Homelessness has engaged in an extensive consultation on new ideas to end homelessness.
2. A report from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development looks at costs associated with first-time homelessness for singles and families.
3 . The Ottawa Alliance to End Homelessness recently released a report card for the year 2009, including data on shelter usage.
4. The team at Inside Ottawa at the Globe and Mail has done an analysis of planned spending for each of the next three years, based on reports by 97 departments and financial agencies. The resulting document lists these departments and agencies and associated projections based on greatest reductions in absolute spending and greatest reduction as a percentage of budgets.
5. “The optimal size of government is a partisan issue. The optimal tax mix isn’t” - a recent entry in an economics blog entitled Worthwhile Canadian Initiatives.
Click the "Triage" link above to access these five items and related links...

March 31, 2010
Two reports released recently focus on social policy moving into the future.
1. ACSW Social Policy Framework 2010: Visioning a More Equitable and Just Alberta, from the Alberta College of Social Workers (ACSW), explicitly recommends a shift from individualism to a more collective approach, to reduce what it describes as growing disparity in Alberta
2. Canada at 150: The Social Agenda, is a speech by Sherri Torjman of the Caledon Institute of Social Policy on Emerging Pressures and Approaches in Social Policy at the (Liberal policy conference) held in Montréal, March 26, 2010.

Reviews of the following:
* How Canada Performs: A Report Card on Canada (by the Conference Board of Canada)
--- ranking Canada’s socio-economic performance against that of peer countries
* Mending Canada’s frayed social safety net: The role of municipal governments
--- from the Quality of Life surveys conducted by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities
* The Preston Manning Centre Barometer
--- an "annual look at Canadians’ attitudes towards values and policies generally ascribed to Conservatives”

The Community Information Database (CID), developed by the Rural Secretariat with the cooperation of provincial and territorial governments, is intended to be "a free internet-based resource developed to provide communities, researchers, and governments with access to consistent and reliable socio-economic and demographic data and information for all communities across Canada." And it delivers. Despite a clunky interface, and a steep learning curve that can’t be bypassed, in my experience, the CID provides a rich source of information about all communities, including urban ones, with data from the 1996, 2001, and 2006 Census. In fact, more than 500 pieces of data can be retrieved for all of Canada, by province, region, Census Metropolitan area, Census subdivision, or regional health district.

By Havi Echenberg, Social Policy Cafe
March 12, 2010
1. How many homeless people are there in Canada? (incl. references to homeless counts in the U.S. and Australia)
2. Caledon releases five short papers on the interaction of student financial aid and social assistance.
3. The Toronto-Dominion Bank has just issued a report on the future of the labour force, echoing many of the same themes raised in a Canadian Chamber of Commerce report a few weeks ago.
Click the link above to read all three stories.
- includes 10 links to related resources
Source:

By Havi Echenberg
January 20, 2010
"These start with the basics for anyone who’s been at this a while, but someone had to tell us about them, right? And these are focussed pretty narrowly on Canada; another entry will get us beyond our own borders. So, here goes."
[NOTE: click the above link for Havi's blog entry with more information on each of these sources.]

* Canadian Social Research Links and weekly newsletter*
* - from
*
*
* Two more think tanks - one left-leaning and one right-leaning:
---
--- "All of these will put information in your RSS feed-reader or in your email inbox. All with provide you with timely information and analysis. I’m sure others have their own top five. If I’ve missed your favourites, please add them in the comments!"

Source:

Havi Echenberg's blog
["I am social policy analyst, currently employed by the Library of Parliament. I have had the privilege to work in social policy for 30 years, at the municipal and federal level, with governments and non-government (civil society) organizations. My interests within that sphere are broad, and I am most interested in passing on what I read, hear, and know, so that others can share and challenge my observations."]
---
* Thanks for including my work in your list and for your kind words, Havi - and welcome back online!
Havi was Director of the National Antipoverty Organization (NAPO) when we first met "a few" years ago.
She's now with the Parliamentary Library, and still as strong a supporter of social justice as ever...

(SEDI)
"SEDI stands for Social and Enterprise Development Innovations. (...)We are a national charitable organization dedicated to enabling poor, unemployed and under-employed people to become self-sufficient. We take a variety of leading-edge social and economic approaches to this goal in areas such as policy development, program management, information exchange, capacity building, public education and research. Above all, SEDI is a catalyst..."

Learn$ave
"One of the most important assets is education. SEDI is offering an exciting chance for over 3,000 low-income earners to boost their savings so that they can afford skills training, schooling or to start-up a small business:will match the savings each participant puts aside in an Individual Development Account (IDA), dollar for dollar, paid directly to the school or institution . Through the IDA account, participants can build their personal savings and earn a credit for a matching amount by saving as little as $10 a month over 1 to 3 years. In most areas, the personal savings will be matched at $3 for every dollar saved up to the first $1,500. This matching contribution puts low-income Canadians on an equal footing with higher income Canadians who can afford to put away more of their own money. Between 2001 and 2003, partner organizations recruited candidates in 10 communities across the country. Recruitment is now complete in 9 of the 10 sites. Vancouver will be recruiting until December 2003. This project is the largest of its kind in the world. It’s delivered in partnership with the Social Research and Demonstration Corporation (SRDC) and is funded by Human Resources Development Canada (HRDC)."

- from the (links to 100+ online resources!)
(IDAs) - from (U.S. and International seed capital and business training for microenterprise)
- "Exchanging Ideas about Individual Development Accounts"
- from the
- from the (U.S. Government)
- from
(U.K.) - from
[see esp. files #7-8-9 - also includes info about the U.K.'s child and working credits]

- An Institute for Community Engagement
"Tamarack is a charitable organization dedicated to helping Canadian communities take ownership of local issues by making use of proven strategies for community engagement. Community Engagement is commonly defined as citizens from different sectors of a community joining together taking leadership, to address issues that affect them all. Tamarack was founded as a partnership between Alan Broadbent of the Maytree Foundation, and Paul Born. Designed to promote community building across Canada, the institute's mission is to develop a process to help people create bold visions for the future of their communities, and work together to achieve those visions more easily and effectively."

(VIF)
Established in 1965, the Vanier Institute of the Family is a national charitable organization dedicated to promoting the well-being of Canadian families. It is governed by a volunteer board with regional representation from across Canada. The programs of the Institute generally fall into four categories: Research - Public education - Consultation - Advocacy

Press Release
March 27, 2007
Ottawa—Love, sympathy, reason and morality – all evolutionary imperatives according to Darwin – are the hallmarks of a compassionate, civil society. Sadly, our collective reading of Darwin’s theories of human development emphasizes an almost universally accepted notion of human nature as predominantly aggressive, violent, selfish and competitive.

Building Emotional Intelligence: Darwin Reconsidered
by Jenni Tipper
2006

(303K, 36 pages)

The World Socialist Web Site is the Internet center of the International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI). It provides analysis of major world events, comments on political, cultural, historical and philosophical issues, and valuable documents and studies from the heritage of the socialist movement.

Canadian Non-Governmental Organizations
(Social Issues)

Organismes non-gouvernementaux canadiens
(Mission sociale)

Toronto

Canadian Non-Governmental Organizations (Social Issues)

Organismes non-gouvernementaux canadiens (Mission sociale)

Toronto

Canadian Non-Governmental Organizations
(Social Issues)

Organismes non-gouvernementaux canadiens
(Mission sociale)