Interesting comment To my mind it provided a forum where at least
dialogue could take place and understanding could grow .The interest
of the city certainly assists in bringing together key interests and
allows for discussion rather than simple statements of opinion
(informed or not).The shortcoming exists in the monopolizing of the
agenda to the city's ends to the detriment of community concerns

On 5/31/11, Popay, Jennie <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> Hi I would be interested to know what impact these organisational forms are
> having on poverty reduction as presumably we would all agree that simply
> sustaining an organisational form isn't an indication of effectiveness.
>
> Jennie
>
>
>
> Professor of Sociology and Public Health
>
> School of Health and Medicine
>
> Lancaster University
>
> UK
>
>
>
> From: Social Determinants of Health [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of
> Christine Post
> Sent: 31 May 2011 16:04
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: [SDOH] Community reps vote to disband Ottawa's Poverty
> Reduction Strategy steering ctte.
>
>
>
> Hi Linda and other SDOH members;
>
>
>
> You may be interested to know that Peterborough has gone through a similar
> transformation, but fortunately through a less difficult process.  The
> original "Mayor's Action Committee", created in 2006 and led directly by the
> Mayor with diverse community representation, was transformed into a
> community volunteer-led "Peterborough Poverty Reduction Network" in 2008/09.
>  The Network now has a 100% volunteer Board, and 7 work groups.  A number of
> city staff have again become part of the various work groups in
> collaborative roles.
>
>
>
> Each structure had benefits and drawbacks, but in the long run I believe the
> Poverty Reduction Network is more sustainable and less influenced by changes
> in municipal leadership and policy than it was in the past.  More
> information on the structure of the Network and developing by-laws etc... is
> available through the Network Coordinator at
> [log in to unmask]
>
>
>
> Christine
>
>
>
> Christine Post, Health Promoter
>
> Peterborough County-City Health Unit
>
> 10 Hospital Dr., Peterborough, ON, K9J 8M1
>
> Tel. (705) 743-1000  Ext. 293
>
> Fax. (705) 743-2897
>
> ________________________________
>
> From: Social Determinants of Health [[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Linda
> Lalonde [[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: Tuesday, May 31, 2011 10:33 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: [SDOH] Community reps vote to disband Ottawa's Poverty Reduction
> Strategy steering ctte.
>
> Good morning folks,
>
>
>
> Please note that any comments I'm making here are my own and are not
> necessarily shared by other members of the PRS steering committee or the
> OPRN.
>
>
>
> Yesterday, with a lot of sadness and several other emotions, I seconded a
> motion to disband the steering committee that developed and was overseeing
> the implementation of the Ottawa municipal Poverty Reduction Strategy. As
> many of you will know, this was a collaborative effort between the community
> and the city to work towards reducing, if not eliminating, poverty in the
> city alongside the provincial Strategy.
>
>
>
> On June 25, 2008, the Ottawa Poverty Reduction Network (OPRN) organized a
> broad-based consultation to develop a community response to the province's
> plans to build a provincial Strategy. The participants came from many
> different sectors including business, education, youth, seniors, women,
> rural, urban, low income and so on. The one recommendation that came from
> every discussion group was that we needed a municipal Strategy that would be
> integrated with the work being done at the provincial level.
>
>
>
> The OPRN took that recommendation to the Community & Protective Services
> Committee which supported it and on December 10, 2008, International Human
> Rights Day, Ottawa City Council passed a motion to develop its own Strategy.
> In the tradition of years of city-community collaboration on social and
> other issues, we were very proud to work with the city and other community
> partners to bring recommendations for the first phase of the Strategy to the
> community and Council. Those recommendations, along with eight others, were
> approved by Council on February 10, 2010 and many are currently being
> implemented.
>
>
>
> Unfortunately, we began to see an eroding of the collaborative aspect of the
> steering committee last fall. Community consultations and meetings were
> cancelled by the city with no input from the rest of the steering committee.
> Many of us were surprised by this, given the long history (which has been
> the envy of other communities) of genuine partnerships with the city and the
> community. There have, of course, been some changes around the table at city
> council, both in our political representatives and in the way business is
> being done. This includes visible shifts towards the 'strong mayor' model
> common in some American cities where the mayor is not 'primer inter pares'
> or 'first among equals' but is a separate and higher force that essentially
> operates the city with help from councillors.
>
>
>
> It has become increasingly clear that, in this shift away from community
> participation in municipal affairs, there was no place for a collaborative
> steering committee or a community-developed Poverty Reduction Strategy. As
> someone who is deeply committed to working with the Council, city staff and
> the community to build a better city, I felt I could no longer lend my name
> or give my time to a venture that was being moved away from the community
> into 111 Lisgar (City Hall).
>
>
>
> Poverty is an issue that affects every person in this community, regardless
> of their socio-economic status, and we had a truly exciting model which was
> the envy of other communities. Low income groups, community coalitions, the
> business and education sector and several very experienced individuals were
> at the table and working together to combat poverty. The city is not
> prepared to continue with that model which is, of course, their prerogative.
>
>
>
> I personally regret the decision they have made. I am very glad however that
> the community members of the steering committee have decided to get together
> and see if we can continue our collaboration. We will, in all likelihood,
> invite the city to participate in that venture and will see what role, if
> any, they want to play in ongoing community efforts to combat poverty.
>
>
>
> The first annual report of the Poverty Reduction Strategy will be presented
> to the Community & Protective Services Committee on June 23rd. I would
> encourage other community members to come to that meeting and hear about the
> work that has been done to date.
>
>
>
> In solidarity,
>
>
>
> Linda.
>
> To leave, manage or join list:
> https://listserv.yorku.ca/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=sdoh&A=1
>
>
>
> ________________________________
>
> ** Please, think of the environment before printing this message/ SVP,
> pensez à l'environnement avant d'imprimer ce message. **
>
>
> This email message, including any attachments, is for the sole use of the
> intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged
> information.
> Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited.
> If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender and destroy
> all copies of the original message
>
> To leave, manage or join list:
> https://listserv.yorku.ca/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=sdoh&A=1
>
>
> To leave, manage or join list:
> https://listserv.yorku.ca/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=sdoh&A=1
>
>

To leave, manage or join list: https://listserv.yorku.ca/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=sdoh&A=1