Social Reform: Campaign 2000 puts poverty on the political agenda

(From left to right): Emily Noble of Canadian Teachers’ Federation, Olivia Chow, MP, Ann Decter of Campaign 2000, and Ruby Dhalla, MP, at Campaign 2000’s national report card launch in Ottawa, November 2007

Campaign 2000 Youth Action Committee (YAC) Youth leadership keeps this vibrant group going. Over the past year, YAC has been invited to present to a number of student groups including Seneca College, University of Toronto, the Toronto District School Board Equity Forum and a Toronto high school, educating the public and students on poverty-related issues. FST is proud of the group’s leadership and commitment.

Highlights from a year of advocacy show successes at federal and provincial levels Family Service Toronto’s commitment to advocacy is unwavering with an active Social Reform Unit which dedicates its efforts to anti-poverty work. Campaign 2000 is a coalition spearheaded by FST to ensure the federal government keeps its 1989 promise to eliminate child poverty by the year 2000. While that deadline has come and gone, the national poverty rate hovers at the same level, an unacceptable 12%. So, the work continues with 2007/08 marked by important gains. At FST, Campaign 2000 has been active at both federal and provincial levels to advocate for poverty reduction strategies that set clear targets and timetables. The goal is child poverty reduction by a minimum of 25% in five years (25 in 5) and a minimum of 50% in 10 years. These goals are achievable; in Quebec and in Newfoundland and Labrador poverty reduction strategies already exist and so far the evidence from Quebec is a steady decline in the child poverty rate.

In Ontario the anti-poverty movement is increasing pressure on the province, which has led the Liberal government to keep its promise to develop an effective poverty reduction strategy by the end of 2008. Federally, Liberal leader Stéphane Dion committed his party last November to a bold plan to reduce the poverty rate by 30% and the child poverty rate by 50% over five years.

Here are some highlights from Campaign 2000’s work over the past year:

What YOU can do to reduce poverty

PROVINCIAL
Ontario’s poverty reduction plan should focus on: good jobs at living wages; a strong social safety net; access to early learning and child care; affordable housing; and accessible education and training. You can help achieve these goals if you speak up and participate in government consultations on the poverty reduction plan.
Contact your MPP asking when your local meeting will be held. Send an email via www.growingstronger.ca or write to: Room 4620, 99 Wellesley Street West, Toronto M7A 1A1. Send a letter to your local newspaper explaining why we’ll all be better off with less poverty.
Join our coalition!
For more information see Campaign 2000 website and www.25in5.ca.

NATIONAL
Sign up for our ECP Now (End Child Poverty Now) e-newsletter to get regular updates on poverty-related activities and actions at Campaign 2000.
Get involved in the Parliamentary Committee on Human Resources and Social Development (HUMA) hearings on a national poverty plan.
To ask to appear before or submit a written brief to HUMA, contact the committee clerk, Jacques Mazaide,
Tel: (613) 996-1542
E-mail:
HUMA@parl.gc.ca

NEW PARTNERSHIPS:

Campaign 2000 became a founding member of 25 in 5 Network for Poverty Reduction (www.25in5.ca). The new provincial Minister Responsible for Poverty Reduction requested meetings with Ontario Campaign 2000, a very strong testament to the work done thus far. Campaign 2000 is currently organizing and facilitating a series of workshops across the province, as part of a two-year project that will seek input directly from low-income people in 10 communities to help shape the provincial poverty reduction strategy.

Note: There were 24,770 visits to Campaign 2000’s website (www.campaign2000.ca) last year. FST provides provincial and national leadership to Campaign 2000, involving more than 120 active partners across the country.

GETTING THE WORD OUT:

July 2007 – release and promotion of discussion paper A Poverty Reduction Strategy for Ontario, which resulted in the provincial government’s commitment to developing an Ontario Poverty Reduction Strategy and to consult with partners on proposed targets.

September 2007 – release of National Policy paper, Summoned to Stewardship, followed by pivotal meetings with Liberal leader Stéphane Dion and MP Ken Dryden which helped form the Federal Liberal party’s commitment to poverty reduction.

November 2007 – release of 2007 Report Card on Child and Family Poverty: It Takes a Nation to Raise a Generation, a research and discussion paper which garnered national attention and in tandem with other provincial partners, drew greater attention to the issue.

May 2008 – national release of discussion paper Work Isn’t Working, with Toronto and York Region Labour Council and Canadian Labour Congress Ontario Region. Garnered favourable press coverage for the focus on good jobs as an essential part of an effective poverty reduction strategy.

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