Older posts:
Cost to eradicate hunger per year
Poverty wages - Next exit
Rising tuition costs
Wealth Inequality in Canada
*****************************************
The Motion M-534 was passed almost unanimously in the House of Commons calling for an end to child poverty in Canada. The motion states: "the government should work in collaboration with the provinces, territories and First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities to eradicate child poverty in Canada by developing a national poverty reduction plan."
Poverty is a matter of social justice. It undermines human dignity, limiting people's ability to fully participate in their community.
Poverty undermines dignity from the perspective of many different groups: human rights activists who recognize each person's inherent rights, people of faith who affirm that we are created in God's image, and citizens who know that we have responsibilities to each other.
Citizens for Public Justice and Canada Without Poverty have been calling for a legislated national anti-poverty plan for five years.
The federal government still does not have a plan to do something about poverty in this country and as far as we know, there are no plans to develop one any time soon. This is curious, because in a nearly unanimous motion just two weeks ago, MPs including the Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Official Opposition Leader Thomas Mulcair and Finance Minister Joe Oliver all agreed that a plan is needed.
But where is the action?
This is where we come in. Motions imply movement -- there's a chance now to start, not end -- real action on poverty.
As citizens of a democracy, we have both the right and responsibility to make a difference in the policies and actions of our government. Our political leaders have a responsibility to do more than pass motions to end poverty -- they must listen to the will of the people, and each of us has the responsibility to express our views through active citizenship. This means staying informed, voicing our opinions, and working to end poverty.
See if your own MP voted for Motion 534 and ask them what's next? Let them know that you're not okay with the fact that so many people in Canada live in poverty and ask them when Canada will actually adopt this national anti-poverty plan.
*********************************
This May Be The Most Effective Anti-Poverty Program In America
Home visiting programs, which bring professionals into the homes of low-income families to help address the causes of poverty
Scholars agree that kids, raised in environments full of economic, emotional and psychological turmoil, are less likely to succeed in school or at the workplace, and are more likely to run afoul of the law or experience a variety of mental and physical health problems.
(1) Child First is a Connecticut-based organization that seeks to help distressed families, particularly those in low-income communities.
Child First is a “home visiting” program, which means staff members work with families mostly in their homes rather than in office settings, sometimes meeting as frequently as three or four times a week.
People are most comfortable and most themselves at home.
(2) The Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) program brings professionals into the homes of low-income, high-risk families to help them raise their children in physically, socially, and emotionally healthy environments. The program funds voluntary, evidence-based home visiting initiatives across the United States, with models hailed as both cost-effective and backed by data.
This May Be The Most Effective Anti-Poverty Program In America
Home visiting programs, which bring professionals into the homes of low-income families to help address the causes of poverty
Scholars agree that kids, raised in environments full of economic, emotional and psychological turmoil, are less likely to succeed in school or at the workplace, and are more likely to run afoul of the law or experience a variety of mental and physical health problems.
(1) Child First is a Connecticut-based organization that seeks to help distressed families, particularly those in low-income communities.
Child First is a “home visiting” program, which means staff members work with families mostly in their homes rather than in office settings, sometimes meeting as frequently as three or four times a week.
People are most comfortable and most themselves at home.
(2) The Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) program brings professionals into the homes of low-income, high-risk families to help them raise their children in physically, socially, and emotionally healthy environments. The program funds voluntary, evidence-based home visiting initiatives across the United States, with models hailed as both cost-effective and backed by data.
