At the Health Promotion Summer School at the University of Saskatchewan
a couple weeks ago, we were encouraged by all the presenters,
particularly Dennis Raphael, to include in our health promotion plans,
strategies that address root causes, such as poverty, not just
individual lifestyle change programs. Upon my return to Regina I found
that there is a very active community group called the Regina
Anti-Poverty Ministry, that does work on three fronts:
* Individual advocacy;
* Public education; and
* Systemic advocacy.
They organize and present workshops on advocacy, develop resources for
public education, organize rallies, conducted research, prepare
ministerial briefs and take on projects, such as the Anti-Poverty Parle,
which will be repeated in January, 2000. The results of last January's
Parle are providing some of the evidence needed to support strategies
aimed at shifting social policy. There was a strong emphasis on
proposing solutions (not just redefining the problem) and developing
strategies for movement on these concerns (including policy solutions).
They conduct a Low Income Study Circle monthly, to keep in touch with
the issues of importance to low income persons in this community. A
couple of the committees in which I hope to become involved include the
Education and Resolutions Committee and the Poverty Action Group. The
contact person at the Regina Anti-Poverty Ministry is Peter Gilmer,
(306) 352-6386).
In case you missed it, there was an interesting one-pager in Canadian
Perspectives, a publication of the Council of Canadians, entitled Child
Poverty and the Benefit of an Illusion: How Ottawa maintains the
illusion that it is doing something about child poverty, written by
Richard Shillinton. I can fax it to you, if you haven't seen it.
That's it for my first ever contribution to this listserve.
Carla Bolen, Regina, Saskatchewan
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From: Sherrie Tingley [SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: September 1, 1999 10:55 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Community Organizing Tools
Hi all,
I am hoping the recent list magic can work for me.
I have recently put up a new section on the web for the Workfare Watch
Project (Ontario) titled Tools for Community Organizing and Action
Research.
http://www.welfarewatch.toronto.on.ca/toolkit/
These tools were developed by grassroots people for welfare recipients
to be able to organize groups of recipients in their communities.
I have been looking for other resources on-line to direct people to. I
am having trouble finding any that are relevant.
I found a wonderful resource at:
http://ctb.lsi.ukans.edu/graphics/
But it just does not fit, it is more for funded groups who want to help
people.
Maybe I am looking in the wrong places and people on the list could
direct me in the right direction.
Also I am wondering about resources for grass-roots research, again
maybe people can direct me in the right direction.
As a final question to people, what is the state of anti-poverty
organizing in your community of welfare recipients?
Thanks in advance for any help with this!
S
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