Canadian Social Research Newsletter

Welcome to the weekly Canadian Social Research Newsletter, a listing of the new links added to the Canadian Social Research Links website in the past week.

The e-mail version of this week's issue of the newsletter is going out to 1355 subscribers.
Scroll to the bottom of this newsletter to see some notes and a disclaimer.

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High-Powered Task Force of Civic Leaders Aims to Reform
Income Security Policies for Working-Age Adults
Press Release
February 18, 2005
"Toronto - Government policies and programs aimed at assisting low-income Canadians to escape poverty are not working. A Task Force made up of some of Toronto’s most prominent citizens met today to launch a process to discover why the current system is failing and to recommend a new roadmap for reforming income security in Ontario. Called the Task Force on Modernizing Income Security for Working Age Adults (MISWAA), it is spearheaded by the Toronto City Summit Alliance (TCSA) and Toronto’s St. Christopher House, with prominent members from Canadian business, academia and public life, including those with first-hand experience dealing with income security issues. The Task Force is an unprecedented response from leaders across the spectrum of civil society to tackle one of the most critical issues facing our cities."

“What Works When Works Doesn’t?” Income Security Strategies For Working-Age Adults (PDF file - 204K, 30 pages)
Spring 2004
"St. Christopher House brings the results of its recent efforts to develop 'modern strategies' for income security for working age adults in Ontario, including an in-depth understanding of the issues, and ideas for potential solutions that have been tested with front-line agencies and people directly affected by problems with the system. The MISWAA Task Force will build on the final report of that effort." (Description from the "Reports" page)

New task force aims to bolster income security
Review to focus on working-age adults and need to recession-proof the city
By JOE FRIESEN
February 18, 2005
"Ontario's social safety net is full of holes that make it difficult for the poor to get off welfare and back to work, say the co-chairs of an ambitious task force on income security that is being launched today. David Pecaut, chairman of the Toronto City Summit Alliance, and Susan Pigott, CEO of St. Christopher House, are co-chairs of a group of more than 50 prominent economists, academics, business people and civic leaders. They aim to produce a report they hope will encourage Ottawa and Queen's Park to act on an issue that has major economic ramifications for Toronto (...)"
Source:
The Globe and Mail

City aid crisis looms
By ROYSON JAMES
February 18, 2005
"Toronto is faced with the creation of a permanent underclass in the next recession, says a dream team task force bent on repairing the country's fraying social safety net. Programs that paid out billions of dollars during the last recession in 1992 have been changed and amended to such a degree that thousands of people will be left without help if the hard times return, they warn."
Source:
The Toronto Star

The next article is relevant, but not related to the launch of the task force (or is it?):

Voice missing from the debate
By CAROL GOAR
"... there is a missing voice in this incipient debate: that of the economically marginalized.For the 675,000 Ontarians who depend on social assistance, there is a more urgent need than health services or post-secondary education. They can't afford life's basic necessities. All of the support systems they rely on — welfare, social housing, subsidized child care — have been chopped, dismantled or frozen in the last decade. Their incomes have slid from 62 per cent of Statistics Canada's low-income cut-off in 1995 to 45 per cent today (...)"
Source:
The Toronto Star

Social Development Canada: Understanding the Early Years
2005 Call for Proposals - Application Guide
February 17, 2005
- this call for proposals was launched on February 16, 2005 and will close on April 11, 2005.
"In the mid-1990s, government policy officials worked with experts to develop a research program in early childhood development. This work led to the development, creation, and launch of pilot projects known as “Understanding the Early Years.” Documentation (such as conference materials and research reports) on the developmental work behind the UEY pilot projects is available on the Social Development Canada website (http://www.sdc.gc.ca, go to “Children,” then “Understanding the Early Years,” then “UEY Pilot Program”)"

Understanding the Early Years (UEY) "is a federal government initiative that provides communities with information on the 'readiness to learn' of their children, the family and community factors that influence child development, and the local resources available to support young children and their families. This neighbourhood-specific information is used by communities to design and implement focused policies, programs and investments that enable their young children to thrive in the early years. UEY is currently underway in 12 pilot communities across Canada. Building on the success of the UEY pilot program and its positive impact on the capacity of communities to support early childhood development, the Spring 2004 federal budget committed the Government of Canada to extend UEY to up to 100 communities across Canada over the next seven years. (bolding added)

UEY Pilot Project Reports
- links to Early Childhood Development Reports for several provinces --- UEY Phase I (2001-2002) and Phase II (2002-2003)

News Release
February 15, 2005
"VICTORIA – A strong economy and sound fiscal management paved the way for tax reductions benefiting lower and modest income British Columbians, increased funding for health, education and other key programs, and a record $1.7 billion debt reduction, Finance Minister Colin Hansen said today as he tabled Balanced Budget 2005."

Provincial budget fails to address BC's social deficits
News Release
February 15, 2005
"Vancouver - The provincial government’s pre-election budget, tabled today, fails to address BC’s social deficits, according to the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. 'The government claims that its approach is balanced. Its approach for the last four years, however, has been anything but,' says Seth Klein, the CCPA’s BC Director. 'BC has seen a significant redistribution of income from the poorest among us to the wealthiest. This budget fails to restore the deep and painful spending cuts of recent years. Spending outside health and education remains $1.2 billion lower than in 2001/02.'”

Surplus should be reinvested in people and communities
CCPA outlines budget choices in 2005 BC Solutions Budget
News Release
February 7, 2005
(Vancouver) The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives says the priority for this year’s provincial budget should be reinvestment in people and communities. “The government is set to finish the year with a record surplus of over $2 billion, and a projected surplus in 2005/06 of $1.4 billion,” says Seth Klein, Director of the CCPA’s BC Office. “Our number one priority should be to undo the damage from deep spending cuts. We should not lock them in place with further tax cuts or make payments on the provincial debt.”

February 15, 2005
Budget 2005 - Too Little, Too Late
"The 2005 budget threw a few crumbs back to the masses in an attempt to buy forgiveness and the election. Finance Minister Collin Hansen used the example of a senior couple to illustrate MSP premium subsidies. It will, however, take that couple 12 years to recover the increase in premiums they had to pay between 2002 and 2005. He also talked about tax breaks for those with low incomes. That translates into a benefit of $34 a year compared to more than $20,000 a year they gave to top income earners in 2001."

Report of the Auditor General Tabled
February 15, 2005

o Auditor General's Opening Statement to the Press
o Report (table of contents + links to individual chapters)
o News Releases:
(11 in total, click the link above to access the releases below, all dated February 2005)
• Government is making satisfactory progress in 4 out of 8 areas
• Information Technology Security - Government is not meeting its own IT security standards
• Transport Canada-Overseeing the National Airports System - Oversight of the National Airports System is satisfactory
• Modernization of Human Resources Management: Managing the Reforms - Progress on reform of HR management is satisfactory
• Accountability of Foundations - Arrangements for foundations' accountability to Parliament remain inadequate
• Canadian International Development Agency-Financial Compliance Audits and Managing Contracts and Contributions - CIDA has improved its management of contracts and contributions
• Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission-Power Reactor Regulation - Licensing and regulation of nuclear power reactors have improved
• Governance of Crown Corporations - Governance of Crown corporations needs improvement
• Managing Government: Financial Information - Government is too slow in improving financial information
• Energy Solutions Centre Inc. - Auditor General finds breakdown in governance, controls and oversight
• Mayo-Dawson City Transmission System Project - Auditor General finds poor project management and significant cost overruns

Restoring Financial Governance and Accessibility in the Employment Insurance Program
News Release
February 15, 2005
"Today, Mrs. Raymonde Folco, MP for Laval-Les Îles and Chair of the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills Development, Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities, tabled in the House of Commons, a report entitled Restoring Financial Governance and Accessibility in the Employment Insurance Program. The report includes a dissident opinion. This report was prepared by the Subcommittee on Employment Insurance Funds, chaired by Mr. Rodger Cuzner, MP for Cape Breton-Canso. It contains 28 recommendations designed to restore integrity to the Employment Insurance (EI) Program. For several years now, the Federal government has collected far more EI revenues than it has spent on this program. The Committee has called on the government to halt this practice and establish a new approach for governing EI finances."

Cover page - start here if you wish to read the Committee information pages
(NOTE: click on the word "Next" either in the top right or bottom left corner of each page to read one page at a time, or use the table of contents to jump to specific content)
Table of Contents - incl. links to all sections of the report

"Committee members are unanimous in their belief that the government’s management of employment insurance funds since the latter part of the 1990s has been seriously wanting. Program contributors — both employees and employers — have been forced to endure excessive costs compared to the benefits that this program is designed to deliver. This must stop and it must stop now.."
(Excerpt from the Conclusion of the report)

News Release: Public Accounts of Canada 2004
News Release
February 08, 2005
"In response to the Auditor General’s concern about large and growing surpluses in the notional employment insurance account, the Committee recommended that the employment insurance account be used only for its intended purposes. In response to the Auditor General’s concerns about accountability and foundations, the Committee recommended that the government amend all relevant legislation in order for the Auditor General to conduct value-for-money audits at foundations with assets in excess of $100 million. The Committee’s eight other recommendations address these and other issues – all arising from the Auditor General’s commentary on the Public Accounts 2003-04 – in greater detail. They include, notably, recommendations on the ongoing transition to full-accrual accounting as well as the government’s accounting practices with respect to the federal debt."

Committee Report: Public Accounts of Canada 2004
Sixth Report of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts
February 2005
"The Committee, after considering the Public Accounts of Canada 2003-2004, has agreed to table the following report:
Introduction - Observations and Recommendations (1. Compliance with the Employment Insurance Act 2. Transfers to Foundations 3. Full Accrual Accounting Challenges) Government Budget Balance - Conclusion"

Restoring Financial Governance and Accessibility
in the Employment Insurance Program: Part One
Report of the House of Commons Standing Committee on
Human Resources, Skills Development, Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities
December 16, 2004
[NOTE: you have to click "Next"in the top right corner of each page to go to the next page (argh.) - but six pages later, you do reach the table of contents where you can click on links in the page to jump to specific sections of the report.]

EI Changes: The Government should pay attention to the Committee’s recommendations
December 16, 2004
"OTTAWA - The Canadian Labour Congress applauds the recommendations put forward today by a committee of the House of Commons to repair and reform the Employment Insurance program and calls on the government to implement them quickly. (...)
Recommended changes of particular note include:
• establishing an independent, arms-length, tripartite Commission to oversee the EI trust fund with a transparent premium setting process, along with a plan for government repayment of the EI surplus.
• reducing the hours needed to qualify for EI benefits to 360 and using a worker’s best twelve weeks of work to calculate how much they are entitled to receive. This alone will make a dramatic difference to working women and to younger workers.
• increasing the benefit rate from 55% to 60%.
• increasing the overall maximum benefit period from 45 to 50 weeks.
• creation of a pilot project with the aim of establishing a training insurance under EI that would stimulate more active participation of employers in worker training and skills development."
Source:
Canadian Labour Congress

8. Consultations on a Canadian Housing Framework - January 7
(National Homelessness Initiative)

Consultations on a Canadian Housing Framework begin today
News Release
January 7, 2005
"CALGARY, ALBERTA —The Honourable Joe Fontana, Minister of Labour and Housing, opened today in Calgary the first of a series of consultations with homelessness and housing stakeholders across Canada. These consultations will lead to the development of a Canadian Housing Framework that will build on existing programs and introduce new initiatives to create a more comprehensive range of housing programs. "

Towards a New Canadian Housing Framework
Consultations 2005
"In the 2004 Speech from the Throne, the Government of Canada reaffirmed the importance of addressing housing and the needs of the homeless in this country. It is recognized that helping individuals and families to overcome housing challenges promotes self reliance, counters a multitude of social problems; and contributes to the economic well-being of all Canadians. In response, the government is committed to building a partnership-based housing framework that is responsive to the 'real needs of real people.'"(...) As part of the policy development process, Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC) in collaboration with Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) will undertake in January and February 2005, a country-wide consultation process.

Source:
National Homelessness Initiative

- Go to the Homelessness and Housing Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/homeless.htm

9. Meeting of Federal, Provincial and Territorial Ministers Responsible for Social Services - February 11
(Early Learning and Child Care)

Federal-Provincial/Territorial Social Services Ministers Reach Consensus* on Early Learning and Child Care
News Release
February 11, 2005
"Vancouver—Federal, Provincial and Territorial Ministers Responsible for Social Services met today and discussed a national vision and principles for early learning and child care systems in each province and territory in our country. Ministers acknowledged that any approach must be flexible in its implementation and that we must focus on quality outcomes for children."
Source:
Social Development Canada

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*Translation of "Ministers Reach Consensus":
Ministers agreed to meet again after the federal budget.
And nobody took down the Canadian flag.
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Google.ca News Search : "child care, federal, provincial, government"
Google.ca Web Search : "child care, federal, provincial, government"

Source:
Google.ca
http://www.google.ca/

- Go to the Government Early Learning and Child Care Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/ecd.htm

10. Disability E-Zines - Manitoba, Ontario - February 2005 issue

Gateway News - Paths to Equal Opportunity (Ontario)
Online Newsletter (monthly)
Content of the February 2005 issue:
# Mentoring employees with disabilities
# Increase market share in real estate
# Accessible technology for educators
# Workway
# Ontario’s schools rated for accessibility
# access/ABILITY
Newsletter Archive - back to November 2001
Source:
Paths to Equal Opportunity
[Accessibility Ontario]
[Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration]

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Disability Research Digest (Manitoba)
- includes links to all monthly issues, with archives back to June 2001, available in HTML or PDF format.
- each issue of the digest varies from 12 to 25+ printed pages, and each contains 125-150 links.

Content of February 2005 Issue:
* Accessibility and Technology * Advocacy * Employment * General Interest * Government * Health * Legal * Medical * Media * Policy/Research * Rehabilitation * Conferences

HTML version of the February 2005 issue
PDF version of the February 2005 issue (253K, 24 pages)

Source:
Society for Manitobans with Disabilities

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- Go to the Disability Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/disbkmrk.htm
- Go to the Manitoba Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/mbkmrk.htm
- Go to the Ontario Government Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/onbkmrk.htm

11. Trends in Income Inequality in Canada from an International Perspective - February 10
(Statistics Canada)

What's New from The Daily [Statistics Canada]:

February 10, 2005
Study: Trends in income inequality in Canada from an international perspective
Income inequality in Canada is higher than in Europe but lower than in the United States, according to a new report that summarizes the findings of recent studies that have examined family income inequality and low income.

Complete report:
Income Inequality and Low Income in Canada: An International Perspective (PDF file - 841K, 31 pages)
February 2005
by Garnett Picot and John Myles
[ link to 150+ papers in the Analytical Studies Branch Research Paper Series ]

- Go to the Federal Government Department Links (Fisheries and Oceans to Veterans Affairs) page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/fedbkmrk2.htm
- Go to the Poverty Measures Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/poverty.htm

12. Increasing Funding to Equality-Seeking Organizations - February 10
(Standing Committee on the Status of Women)

Report 1 - Increasing Funding to Equality-Seeking Organizations
(Presented in the House February 10, 2005)
"The Committee recommends that the federal government increase funding to the Women’s Program at Status of Women Canada by at least 25% for investments in women’s groups and equality-seeking organizations."
Source:
Standing Committee on the Status of Women

- Go to the Canadian Government Sites about Women's Social Issues page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/women.htm

13. SHORT Ottawa (homelessness resources - Ottawa and more)

SHORT Ottawa
"SHORT is an organization of and for the people who live in the homeless shelters, the men's and women's hostels, and many other housing arrangements supplied by the federal, provincial, and municipal governments, and a wide variety of charitable organizations, non-profit agencies, and even the private sector."

Who or what is SHORT?
Anyone who lives in a:
SHELTER,
HOSTEL or
OTHER
RESIDENCES, or is
TRANSIENT.

- incl. links to : Introduction to SHORT - Local Ottawa Homeless Resources - More Homeless-related Links - The Shelter System Explained - Danger: The "Shelter Trap" - Homeless-Related Issues - Homelessness in the News - Task Force on Homelessness - Email the National Housing Minister!

Each week, the Childcare Resource and Research Unit disseminates its "e-mail news notifier", an e-mail message with a dozen or so links to new reports, studies and child care in the news (media articles) by the CRRU or another organization in the field of early childhood education and care (ECEC). What you see below is content from the most recent issue of the notifier.

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NEW POSTINGS AVAILABLE ON THE
CHILDCARE RESOURCE AND RESEARCH UNIT’S WEBSITE
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WHATS NEW
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>> Alternative Federal budget 2005
by Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives
Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives calls for re-investment in Canada’s social infrastructure; recommends a boost in funding for child care and the introduction of a federal Child Care Act.

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CHILD CARE IN THE NEWS
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>> Not all support a national day care program [CA]
CTV.ca ,17 Feb 05
The Liberals have been promising Canadians a national child care program for more than 10 years. This year's federal budget appears to be the one that will provide the first funding. But while many parents think the program sounds like a great idea, not everyone agrees.

>> MP defends “old white guy” remark [CA]
Edmonton Sun, 17 Feb 05
Conservative MP Rona Ambrose yesterday defended calling cabinet minister Ken Dryden an "old white guy" while critics on both sides of the day care debate derided her for her comment.

>> Budget for child care [CA]
Toronto Star, 17 Feb 05
Child care advocates who had hoped Canada would soon see the creation of a national child care program - two decades after Brian Mulroney became the first of three prime ministers to promise it - are again in waiting mode. But if cooler heads prevail, the wait should be temporary.

>> CBC Commentary: Sharon Gregson [CA]
CBC news, 16 Feb 05
Why is it so difficult for politicians to craft a national program and support it with legislation when we already know the feds are prepared to put billions of dollars on the table?

>> Alberta child care needs an upgrade: Non-profit model best for our children [CA-AB]
Edmonton Journal, 14 Feb 05
Alberta's Minister for Children's Services, Heather Forsyth, claims to speak for Alberta's parents when she says that the province does not want to participate in a national child care program because we have "unique local needs". She does not.

Call for proposals from Social Development Canada:
Understanding the Early Years
>> On February 16, 2005, Social Development Canada issued a Call for Proposals to select up to 25 communities for Understanding the Early Years, a Government of Canada initiative. Each community will lead a three-year project to improve the well-being of its young children. The Call for Proposals will close on April 11, 2005.

Appel de propositions de Développement social Canada:
Comprendre la petite enfance
>> Développement social Canada a lancé un appel de propositions, mercredi le 16 février, 2005, visant à sélectionner 25 collectivités où sera mise sur pied l’initiative du gouvernement du Canada appelée Comprendre la petite enfance. Chaque collectivité dirigera un projet de trois ans durant lequel elle recueillera de l’information qu’elle pourra utiliser pour améliorer le mieux-être de ses jeunes enfants. L'échéance de l'appel de propositions sera lundi, le 11 avril 2005.

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This message was forwarded through the Childcare Resource and Research Unit e-mail news notifier.
For information on the CRRU e-mail notifier, including subscription instructions , see http://www.childcarecanada.org
The Childcare Resource and Research Unit (University of Toronto, Canada)
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Current developments in Early Childhood Education and Care: Provinces and territories
Regularly updated
"This resource is a collection of useful online readings about current early childhood education and care policy and program delivery issues in each province and territory. Within each jurisdiction, information is organized into three sections: news articles, online documents and useful websites."

POVERTY DISPATCH Digest (Institute for Research on Poverty - U. of Wisconsin)
February 17, 2005

This digest offers dozens of new links each week to full-text articles in the U.S. media (mostly daily newspapers) on poverty, poverty, welfare reform, child welfare, education, health, hunger, Medicare and Medicaid, and much more...
The Institute for Research on Poverty (IRP) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison offers a free e-mail service that consists of an e-mail message sent to subscribers each Monday and Thursday, containing a dozen or so links to articles dealing with the areas mentioned above. The weekly Canadian Social Research Links Poverty Dispatch Digest is a compilation, available online, of the two dispatch e-mails for that week --- with the kind permission of IRP.

February 17, 2005

Today's subjects include: Medicaid Costs // Health Care Costs - Editorial // Working Poor - Opinion // Homelessness Study // Access to Public Higher Education // School Readiness // Children of Migrant Workers // Truancy Prevention // American Indian Socioeconomic Improvements // World Poverty // Medicaid - Ohio, Connecticut // Social Service Computer Problems - Maine, Colorado // Health Care Program and Illegal Immigrants - Idaho // Affordable Housing - California // Homelessness Lawsuits - New York // Homelessness - San Francisco, Virginia // School Income Caps - North Carolina // Living Wage - Wyoming // Minimum Wage - Arizona

NOTE: "Poverty Dispatch is now being compiled and distributed to e-mail subscribers twice a week -- Mondays and Thursdays. We plan to maintain a broad coverage of poverty-related issues as reported all week in U.S. newspapers and other news sources." (Institute for Research on Poverty)

Most of the weekly digests below offer 100 links or more to media articles that are time-sensitive.
The older the link, the more likely it is to either be dead or have moved to an archive - and some archives [but not all] are pay-as-you-go.
[For the current week's digest, click on the POVERTY DISPATCH link above]

The Poverty Dispatch weekly digest is a good tool for monitoring what's happening in the U.S.; it's a guide to best practices and lessons learned in America.

Subscribe to the Poverty Dispatch!
Send an e-mail message to John Wolf < jwolf@ssc.wisc.edu > to receive a plain text message twice a week with one to two dozen links to media articles with a focus on poverty, welfare reform, child welfare, health, Medicaid from across the U.S.
And it's free...

For the current week's digest, click on the POVERTY DISPATCH link at the top of this section.
Recently-archived POVERTY DISPATCH weekly digests:

"There are two slightly different versions of the federal poverty measure: the poverty thresholds and the poverty guidelines.

The poverty thresholds are the original version of the federal poverty measure. They are updated each year by the Census Bureau (although they were originally developed by Mollie Orshansky of the Social Security Administration). The thresholds are used mainly for statistical purposes — for instance, preparing estimates of the number of Americans in poverty each year. (In other words, all official poverty population figures are calculated using the poverty thresholds, not the guidelines.) Poverty thresholds since 1980 and weighted average poverty thresholds since 1959 are available on the Census Bureau's Web site.

The poverty guidelines are the other version of the federal poverty measure. They are issued each year in the Federal Register by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The guidelines are a simplification of the poverty thresholds for use for administrative purposes — for instance, determining financial eligibility for certain federal programs."

NOTE: Click on the link above to access links to historical and methodological information about the measurement of poverty in the U.S.

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Related Reading:
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Information Contacts and References - U.S.
Table of Contents:
- Poverty Thresholds vs. Poverty Guidelines
- Reference to Report on 80 Means-Tested Programs
- General Questions on Poverty Guidelines
- For Information on the Number of People in Poverty or the Census Bureau’s Poverty Thresholds
- References to Historical Tables of Poverty Thresholds and Poverty Guidelines
- Information on How Mollie Orshansky Developed the Poverty Thresholds
- The Official Federal Statistical Definition of Poverty
- Reference to 1995 Report Proposing a New Definition of Poverty, and Subsequent Developments
- Historical Information on Unofficial U.S. Poverty Lines Before 1965
- Historical Information on the Income Elasticity of the Poverty Line
- References to Other Papers on the History of U.S. Poverty Lines
- Reference to International Glossary on Poverty
Source:
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning & Evaluation
[ Department of Health and Human Services ]

Global Call to Action Against Poverty
"The Global Call to Action against Poverty is a world-wide alliance committed to forcing world leaders to live up to their promises, and to make a breakthrough on poverty in 2005.(...) This is an alliance of all people who believe in ending poverty; existing coalitions, community groups, Trade Unions, individuals, Religious and Faith groups, campaigners and more."

Nelson Mandela backs Global Call to Action against Poverty
February 3, 2005
"In a major rally in London's Trafalgar Square, Nelson Mandela pledged his support for the Global Call to Action against Poverty and called on groups around the world to unite and fight poverty together."

Launch of global poverty movement sets challenges to world leaders
Jan 27 2005
Porto Alegre
"The Global Call to Action against Poverty (GCAP), the biggest ever global mobilization to hold governments accountable for the promises they made to eradicate poverty, was launched today at the World Social Forum in Porto Alegre, Brazil."

National Campaigns
The Global Call to Action against Poverty is made up of national campaigns around the world. Countries will be building on existing networks, and the strategies and activities that are already being planned.

Campaign Launched to Make Poverty History
News Release
February 11, 2005
"A wide cross-section of charities, trade unions, faith groups, students, academics, literary, artistic and sports leaders today launched Make Poverty History, a campaign against poverty. Wearing white bands, the symbol of the campaign, actor Mary Walsh, singer Tom Cochrane, Olympian Anna van der Kamp and United Nations special envoy Stephen Lewis explained that Make Poverty History is calling for more and better aid; fair trade rules; the cancellation of 100% of the debt owed by the poorest countries;and an end to child poverty in Canada."

Platform
- includes : more and better aid - trade justice - cancel the debt - end child poverty in Canada

Steering Committee - 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...

The ONE Campaign - U.S.
"The ONE Campaign is a new effort to rally Americans to fight the emergency of global AIDS and extreme poverty."

MAKEPOVERTYHISTORY - U.K.
"MAKEPOVERTYHISTORY brings together a wide cross section of over 200 charities, campaigns, trade unions, faith groups and celebrities who are united by a common belief that 2005 offers a unprecedented opportunity for global change."

UN Millennium Campaign
"The Millennium Campaign was launched in October 2002 to encourage citizens around the world in their efforts to hold governments to account for the promises they made at the September 2000 Millennium Summit, where government leaders from the highest political level of every country in the world agreed to a set of eight time-bound targets that, when achieved, will end extreme poverty across the planet."

Disclaimer/Privacy Statement

Both Canadian Social Research Links (the site) and this Canadian Social Research Newsletter belong solely to me, Gilles Séguin.

I am solely accountable for the choice of links presented therein and for the occasional editorial comment - it's my time, my home computer, my experience, my biases, my Rogers Internet account and my web hosting service.

I administer the mailing list and distribute the weekly newsletter using software on the web server of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE).
Thanks, CUPE!

If you wish to subscribe to the e-mail version of newsletter, go to the Canadian Social Research Newsletter Online Subscription page and submit your coordinates:
http://lists.cupe.ca/mailman/listinfo/csrl-news

You can unsubscribe by going to the same page or by sending me an e-mail message [ gilseg@rogers.com ]

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The e-mail version of this newsletter is available only in plain text (no graphics, no hyperlinks, no fancy bolding or italics, etc.) to avoid security problems with government departments, universities and other networks with firewalls. The text-only version is also friendlier for people using older or lower-end technology.

Privacy Policy:
The Canadian Social Research Newsletter mailing list is not used for any purpose except to distribute each weekly issue.
I promise not share any information on this list, nor to send you any junk mail.

Links presented in the Canadian Social Research Newsletter point to different views about social policy and social programs.
There are some that I don't agree with, so don't get on my case, eh...

To access earlier online HTML issues of the Canadian Social Research Newsletter, go to the Newsletter page:
http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/news.htm

Please feel free to distribute this newsletter as widely as you wish, but please remember to include a link back to the home page of Canadian Social Research Links.

Gilles

E-MAIL:
gilseg@rogers.com

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Very Punny: play-on-word jokes that didn't make me gag:

1. Two antennas meet on a roof, fall in love and get married. The ceremony wasn't much, but the reception was excellent.