Canadian Social Research Newsletter
September 30, 2007

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 1806 subscribers.

Scroll to the bottom of this newsletter to see some notes and a disclaimer.

IN THIS ISSUE:

Canadian Content

1. All governments have a duty to tear down walls of poverty (The Toronto Star) - September 16
2. The Tiger that Roared Across Alberta (TD Economics) - September 2007
3. Ontario Provincial Election and Referendum - October 10
4. Election 2007 - Northwest Territories (Oct. 1) / Newfoundland and Labrador (Oct. 9)
5. Brigit's Notes, September 2007 (Canadian Women's Health Network)
6. Working to End Energy Poverty in Ontario: Lobby Tool Kit (Low-Income Energy Network) - September 2007
7. What's New from Statistics Canada:
--- Gross domestic product by industry, July 2007 - September 28
--- Canada's population estimates, as of July 1, 2007 - September 27
--- High-income Canadians - September 24
--- Spending patterns in Canada and the U.S. - September 24
8. Manitoba : Provincial welfare rates debated (Portage Daily Graphic - Portage la Prairie, Manitoba) - September 25
9. Nova Scotia : How to reduce poverty? Begin by knocking down barriers (The ChronicleHerald.ca - Halifax) - September 26
10. UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples - September 2007
11. Assembly of First Nations Applauds Anti-Poverty Strategy for First Nations Children and Youth - September 18
12. Market forces advance prospects for women in the workforce (TD Economics) - September 25
13. British Columbia : Welfare Rates Still Suck / BC “Boom” going Bust for People (The Columbia Journal) - September 2007
14. Manitoba : Including Low-Income Women with Children: Program and Policy Directions (Prairie Women’s Health Centre of Excellence) - September 12
15.  Canada's Record on Children's Rights (Canadian Coalition for the Rights of Children) - September 2007
16. Petition for a National Children's Commissioner (UNICEF Canada)
17. Summoned to Stewardship: Make poverty reduction a collective legacy (Campaign 2000) - September 2007
18. What's New - from the Childcare Resource and Research Unit (University of Toronto) - September 28

International Content

19. Poverty Dispatch: U.S. media coverage of social issues and programs
20. Wrong Direction: One Out of Three Americans Are Uninsured (Families USA) - September 2007
21. Americans, Canadians Concerned About Poverty (Angus Reid Global Monitor) - September 6
22. September 27, 2007 - CRINMAIL 919 (Child Rights Information Network - CRIN)
23. Links to newsletters from the U.K. and Australia...

Have a great week!

All governments have a duty to tear down walls of poverty
With politicians in election mode, now is the time to secure a decent living for all
Sep 16, 2007 04:30 AM
By John Stapleton
Earlier this year, an impressive list of community leaders – including three former premiers from all parties – united with other leaders in an open letter calling on Premier Dalton McGuinty and Prime Minister Stephen Harper to follow the "fair deal" road map (first related link below) laid out by the Task Force on Modernizing Income Security for Working-Age Adults (second related link below). In a full-page newspaper plea, they urged senior levels of government to ensure "a decent living for all Ontarians." Announcements on new income security measures surfaced soon thereafter. But with a provincial election and a new federal session on the horizon, now is the time to review expectations for the fall and to encourage governments to achieve the goal of ensuring a decent living for all.
Source:
The Toronto Star

Related links:

Time for a Fair Deal: Report of the Task Force on
Modernizing Income Security for Working-Age Adults (PDF file - 282K, 67 pages)
May 2006
Source:
Task Force on Modernizing Income Security for Working Age Adults
[ Toronto City Summit Alliance ]

- Go to the Ontario Municipal and Non-Governmental Sites (D-W) page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/onbkmrk3.htm

Alberta ready to defy boom bust cycles of the past: TD Economics (PDF file - 100K, 4 pages)
Press Release
September 27, 2007
CALGARY - Are Alberta’s boom-times setting the economy up for a classic bust? TD Economics says no in a report released today at the Calgary Economic Development’s Economic Outlook luncheon. There are a number of “flashing warning signs” such as the decline in natural gas prices and drilling output levels, as well as slower growth in home and consumer goods sales, but TD economists Don Drummond and Derek Burleton consider the “odds of a hard landing to be one in four.”
Source:
TD Economics

Executive Summary (PDF file - 434K, 3 pages)

Complete report:

The Tiger that Roared Across Alberta (PDF file - 1.1MB, 34 pages)

Related link:

Welfare clawback policies stymie labour recruitment, TD report says
September 28, 2007
EDMONTON - Alberta's economic growth could be hurt by excessive clawbacks of benefits received by low-income earners, suggests a report released, Thursday, by TD Bank. The Alberta government has suggested recruiting marginalized workers to offset a widespread labour shortage. But welfare recipients face a major disincentive in taking work because of "the extremely high personal marginal income tax rates as social assistance benefits are taxed back," the TD report stated.
Source:
The Edmonton Journal

- Go to the Alberta Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/abkmrk.htm

Ontario Provincial Election

Elections Ontario
Official Government of Ontario elections website
- incl. links to :
* Candidates and Parties * Youth * Media * Tools * Financial Statements and Contributions * Past Election Results * Electoral Districts and Maps * Constituency Associations * Third Parties * Identification Requirements * Candidate Nomination Paper * Advertising Campaign * Returning Office Information * Voting by proxy * Finding your Electoral District * Confirming you're on the register * Running as a candidate * Voting in advance * Starting a new political party * Viewing contributions to political parties * Getting a job

Ontario Votes 2007 - from the CBC

Ontario Election 2007 - from the Toronto Star

Ontario Provincial Election 2007 - from Nodice.ca

FPTP or MMP??

Referendum Ontario
When you vote during the advance polls or on Election and Referendum Day you will be given two ballots. One for voting for a candidate in the general election, the other will ask you to consider which electoral system Ontario should use to elect members to the provincial legislature : first past the post (FPTP) or mixed member proportional (MMP)
Source:
Elections Ontario

Ontario Citizens’ Assembly - A New Way to Vote!
Govt. of Ontario website about the Mixed Member Proportional voting system

One Ballot,Two Votes : A New Way to Vote in Ontario (PDF file - 912K, 32 pages)
Recommendation of the Ontario Citizens' Assembly on Electoral Reform
May 15, 2007
[ Related resources ]Ontario referendum 2007:
Electoral reform or not?
By Emily Chung
September 21, 2007
"(...)Proportional representation vs. First-Past-The-Post
The first-past-the-post system is used in federal elections in Canada, the United States, Australia and many other countries around the world, but most European countries, New Zealand and Japan have either mixed or proportional representation systems. In proportional representation, parties receive a number of seats that is proportional to their share of the popular vote — the percentage of votes they receive. MMP is a particular kind of proportional representation that maintains local electoral districts and is used in places such as Germany and Scotland. Proportional representation typically results in more power for parties with a smaller share of the popular vote and is more likely to produce a minority government..."
Source:
CBC

September 27, 2007
Ontario Referendum: The Pros and Cons
OntarioMMP.blogspot.com is not affiliated with either side of the referendum. It is dedicated to providing a forum for discussion on the proposed mixed member proportional system to be voted on in the Ontario referendum this fall.
Source:
Progressive Bloggers

NOMMP
"On next October 10th, as part of the next provincial election, Ontarians will be asked if they want to replace our current electoral system with a Mixed Member Proportional (MMP) form of voting. This site is designed to help you make your decision in this important Referendum. If we decide to change, we will have to live with that decision for a long, long time. Please use this site to learn more about our current system and the pitfalls of MMP voting."

Vote for MMP
Under first-past-the-post, a party can win 40% of the votes, but capture 60% of the seats and 100% of the power. Mixed-member proportional (MMP) is better for voters and better for our democracy.

Working Families
Over four years ago, Working Families came together with the goal of making voters aware of policies that were threatening the well-being of working families across Ontario. (...) Working Families is a not for profit organization that represents a cross-section of Ontarians that aims to support, promote and advocate the interests of working families. Our mission is to advocate, educate, and create public awareness around public issues on behalf of working families.

Electoral Reform Initiatives in Canadian Provinces
Revised 12 June 2006
"(...)Discussion about electoral reform in Canada is not new. Every time the first-past-the-post (FPTP) system returns a lopsided or distorted result, including the under-representation of women and minorities, there are renewed calls for reform. As a result, five provinces have recently undertaken studies to see whether reform of the electoral system might help to alleviate Canada’s 'democratic deficit.'”
Source:
Library of Parliament Research Publications

- Go to the Political Parties and Elections Links in Canada (Provinces and Territories) page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/politics_prov_terr.htm

Northwest Territories Territorial Election 2007 - from Nodice.ca
October 1, 2007

Northwest Territories Votes 2007 - from the CBC

---------------------------------

Newfoundland and Labrador Provincial Election 2007 from Nodice.ca
October 9, 2007

Newfoundland & Labrador Votes 2007 - from the CBC

- Go to the Political Parties and Elections Links in Canada (Provinces and Territories) page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/politics_prov_terr.htm
- Go to the Newfoundland and Labrador Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/nfbkmrk.htm
- Go to the Northwest Territories Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/ntbkmrk.htm

CWHN'S BRIGIT'S NOTES, September 2007
In this issue:
1. Debating Gardasil in Canada
2. New Canadian Study on Breast Cancer
3. Exploring Social Locations: Women's Health And Policy in Canada
4. Mental Health: Coping with Stress
5. Global: Gender equality, work and health
6. Canadians Concerned Over Costs of Long-Term Care
7. Western Canadian Conference on Addictions and Mental Health
8. Housing rights: A Canadian web site
9. Call for Papers: Other Borders International Women's Health Conference
10. Making Us Visible: Promoting Access to Breast Health and Breast Cancer Services for Lesbian and Bisexual Women
Source:
Canadian Women's Health Network

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

Working to End Energy Poverty in Ontario:
Lobby Tool Kit (PDF file - 212K, 21 pages)
LIEN has been working hard to ensure that low-income people have affordable energy bills and access to conservation programs. LIEN has designed a Lobby Kit which offers an introduction to the problem of energy poverty and some simple templates which you can use locally in your advocacy work with politicians and your community. Pay special attention to page 19 which outlines how you can help advocate in the provincial election for commitments from the political parties to address energy poverty, particularly for energy conservation and rate assistance programs for low-income households.
Source:
Low-Income Energy Network
Working to address the energy needs of Ontario's low-income households

- Go to the Political Parties and Elections Links in Canada (Provinces and Territories) page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/politics_prov_terr.htm

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

September 28, 2007
Gross domestic product by industry, July 2007
Economic activity increased 0.2% in July, its average pace since the beginning of 2007. A significant increase in wholesale trade propelled the growth, while a drop in oil and gas extraction dampened it.

September 27, 2007
Canada's population estimates, as of July 1, 2007
Alberta has again led the provinces in population growth, according to preliminary demographic estimates for the year ending June 30, 2007. But indications are that the major component fuelling Alberta's gains—interprovincial migration—has started to ease off.

Related link:

Quarterly Demographic Estimates, April to June 2007

September 24
From the September 2007 issue of Perspectives on Labour and Income:

High-income Canadians
By Brian Murphy, Paul Roberts and Michael Wolfson
No agreed-upon definition exists of what constitutes high income, either in dollar cut-offs or as a percentage of the population. Researchers have used widely varying methods, producing widely varying outcomes. This paper presents various criteria for defining high income and looks at some of the characteristics and behaviours of high-income taxfilers under these definitions. Income taxes paid and effective tax rates are also examined.

Spending patterns in Canada and the U.S.
Raj K. Chawla
In addition to sharing a border, Canada and the United States share many demographic and economic characteristics. Both countries have aging populations and low unemployment rates. Consumer spending has also been similar, although differences exist in certain areas. A comparison of spending patterns in Canada and the U.S. between the early 1980s and 2003.

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

Manitoba

Provincial welfare rates debated
By Leah Kellar
September 25, 2007
A recent call by Social Planning Council of Winnipeg to raise provincial social assistance rates has already been answered, according to Ministry of Family Services and Housing.
“In 2006, we invested over $22.4 million in shelter assistance rates,” said Charles McDougall, press secretary for Family Services and Housing Minister Gord Mackintosh. “We also increased rates for couples and single persons by $20 a month in January 2004.”
This conflicts with a media statement from the council to promote its new Raise the Rates anti-poverty campaign.
Source:
Portage Daily Graphic (Portage la Prairie, Manitoba)

Related link:

Raise the Rates Campaign - from the Social Planning Council of Winnipeg

- Go to the Manitoba Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/mbkmrk.htm

Nova Scotia

How to reduce poverty? Begin by knocking down barriers
By Katherine Reed
Letters/Opinion
September 26, 2007
It won’t be difficult to identify the causes of poverty in this province and to lay out strategies for dealing with them. Just ask a few poor people what would turn their economic fortunes around. You’ll probably come away with a list like this: a higher minimum wage, more affordable housing, a better welfare system, reforms to the Employment Insurance system so that most (instead of less than half) of the unemployed can get benefits, a provincewide affordable and accessible public transportation system, affordable post-secondary education, affordable child care, and sustainable rural economic development.
Source:
The ChronicleHerald.ca - Halifax

- Go to the Nova Scotia Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/nsbkmrk.htm

Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
Updated 14 September 2007:
UN General Assembly adopts the Declaration in September 2007
With an overwhelming majority of 143 votes in favour, only 4 negative votes cast (Canada, Australia, New Zealand, United States) and 11 abstentions, the United Nations General Assembly (GA) adopted the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples on September 13, 2007. The Declaration has been negotiated through more than 20 years between nation-states and Indigenous Peoples.
Source:
International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs

AFN National Chief applauds today’s passage of the
UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples – Recognizing 30 years of work in the making
Source:
Assembly of First Nations (AFN)

Canadian vote left stain on country's reputation
September 26, 2007
Thursday Sept. 13 was a sad day for Canada and its partnership with First Nations peoples – a partnership that has had too many sad chapters. It was also a sad day for Canada's international reputation. The Government of Canada accomplished a stunning about-face in voting against the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples before the world that day.
Source:
The Toronto Star

Related Web/News/Blog links:

Google Search Results Links - always current results!
Using the following search terms (without the quote marks):
"UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples"
- Web search results page
- News search results page
- Blog Search Results page
Source:
Google.ca

- Go to the First Nations Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/1stbkmrk.htm
- Go to the Human Rights Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/rights.htm

AFN Applauds Anti-Poverty Strategy for First Nations Children and Youth
September 18, 2007
National Chief Phil Fontaine is applauding the National Council on Welfare for its denunciation of the harmful decisions and broken promises made by successive governments that have left so many Aboriginal people destitute. The National Council on Welfare today released its report First Nations, Métis and Inuit Children and Youth: Time to Act. The report calls on the government to take action on a number of areas of concern, specifically that it:
o adopt a National Anti-Poverty Strategy,
o devise a long-term vision for Aboriginal peoples,
o target well-being indicators and
o provide intergovernmental coordination and accountability to Aboriginal Canadians.
Source:
Assembly of First Nations (AFN)

Related links:

First Nations, Métis and Inuit Children and Youth: Time to Act (PDF file - 4.6MB, 138 pages)
Table of Contents + links to individual chapters
Related links to : Organizations * Programs, Initiatives and Reports * Legislations and Accords

Source:
National Council of Welfare

- Go to the First Nations Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/1stbkmrk.htm

Market forces advance prospects for women in the workforce: TD Economics (PDf file - 76K, 3 pages)
(TORONTO) Market forces will place women and men on more equal footing in the workplace over the next three decades, ultimately eliminating the 5 to 15 per cent wage gap that cannot be explained by factors such as hours worked, productivity or occupational choice, according to a new report by TD Economics

Markets are a Woman's Best Friend (PDF file - 152K, 12 pages)

Source:
TD Economics
NOTE: click the TD link for 20+ links to more special studies from TD Economics

Related links:

Female earnings to catch up with men's
By ROMA LUCIW
September 25, 2007
Women still earn less than men, but that wage gap will narrow in the next few decades as the market forces employers to place both sexes on a more equal footing, according to a forecast from Toronto-Dominion Bank.
Source:
Globe and Mail

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

British Columbia

Welfare Rates Still Suck
September 2007
Ron Carten
“Punitive!” That is the word Jean Swanson, a community organizer in the Downtown Eastside and author of Poor Bashing: The Politics of Exclusion, uses to describe welfare policy in B.C. And if anyone thinks the increase in welfare rates announced in the provincial budget marks a change in that policy they would be dead wrong. Those familiar with welfare in B.C. will see no change in such barriers to accessing the program as the three-week wait, the two-year independence test, the two-year limit, the 1-800 number enquiry and the mandatory internet application process. These barriers combined with a lack of affordable housing are what have contributed to the rising rate of homelessness not only in Vancouver but across the province, according to Swanson who now helps coordinate the province-wide Raise the Rates campaign from Carnegie Centre.

Source:
September 2007 issue of the Columbia Journal
[ The Columbia Journal is a positive progressive alternative to the conservative corporate press in B.C. Dedicated to inform, entertain and advocate for the people of B.C., it is an independent publication, promising free and open debate on all issues, a voice for people throughout B.C. ]

Related links:

Downtown Eastside Revitalization Program
Raise the Rates is a coalition of community groups and organisations concerned with the level of poverty and homelessness in British Columbia.
Carnegie Centre - The Downtown Eastside’s Livingroom
--- The Carnegie Newsletter is published twice a month and contains a lively range of articles, news and views, prose and poetry about life in the Downtown Eastside

Also from the latest issue of the Columbian Journal:

BC “Boom” going Bust for People
By Marco Procaccini
Two reports released earlier this month show that the current “boom” is not benefiting large number of people in BC, as increasing numbers of people are experiencing worsening poverty. The B.C. Progress Board report, which came down Tuesday, showed British Columbia is falling behind the rest of Canada on issues like poverty, crime and other social conditions. This despite a public accounts report Wednesday that showed the province’s budget surplus had ballooned to $4.1 billion.

Related links:

BC Progress Board Releases 2007 Interim Report
and Special Discussion Paper on Strategic Considerations for BC's Future
News Release - July 10, 2007
Executive Summary (PDF - 59K)
Entire Report - Issues and Trends (PDF - 1,267K)
Entire Report - Interim (PDF - 2,667K)
[ Request a hard copy be mailed to you ]

---

Despite Green Reputation, Northwest Comes up Short on Key Trends
Cutbacks in gasoline and improving health are bright spots
Press Release
June 12, 2007
Seattle, WA – According to new research by Seattle-based Sightline Institute, the Northwest is making only slow progress on key trends that shape our prosperity and environmental health. The region especially lags behind world leaders when it comes to energy efficiency and curbing sprawl, and is stalled on economic security for middle- and low-income northwesterners.
Source:
Sightline
"Cascadia's sustainability think tank --- We create tools to help you build a better Northwest."

BC Scorecard 2007
"(...) In 2005, the most recent year that complete data were available, British Columbia’s rates of poverty (17.6 percent) and child poverty (20.9 percent) were higher than in the early 1990s, even while Canada’s poverty level has declined..."

Compare BC's scorecard with those of Idaho, Oregon and Washington

Source:
Cascadia Scorecard 2007
June 2007
The 2007 edition of the Cascadia Scorecard, the Pacific Northwest’s annual progress report, reveals that the region lags behind world leaders on trends such as energy, sprawl, and economic security. The good news is that we are making progress—and adopting smart solutions will accelerate those gains.

---

- Go to the Non-Governmental Sites in British Columbia (A-C) page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/bcbkmrk2.htm

New from the Prairie Women’s Health Centre of Excellence (PWHCE):

Manitoba:
Including Low-Income Women with Children:
Program and Policy Directions (PDF file - 596K, 57 pages)
Research Report
September 2007
By Lynn Scruby and Rachel Rapaport Beck

Overview of the report (HTML)
"(...) This qualitative research project draws on principles from feminist and participatory action research methodology. A total of nine focus group interviews were conducted at four Family Resource Centres (FRCs) located in two urban communities in Winnipeg and two rural communities in Eastern Manitoba. Fifty-six low-income women and 29 FRC service providers participated in these interviews..."

List of PWHCE publications by subject
- including : Aboriginal Women's Health * Gender and Health Planning * Health Reform and Policy * Immigrant/Refugee Women's Health * Informal Caregivers' Health * Lesbian Health * Literature Reviews * Women, Poverty and Health * Older Women's Health * Rural Women's Health * Women's Mental Health * Women, Violence and Abuse * Women-Centred Health Programs and Services

Related links:

Raise the Rates Campaign - from the Social Planning Council of Winnipeg

Including Low-Income women with Children: Program and Policy Directions
September 12, 2007
This report examines information on the issues that affect the health and well-being of low-income women with children, their families and the communities in which they live as well as several of the key policy implications of these findings and recommendations for action.
Source:
WinnipegFirst.ca - Your first source for Winnipeg news

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

Canada's Record on Children's Rights - September 2007
The CCRC thinks Canadians have a right to know what Canada was asked to do in 2003 when its Second Report on the Rights of Children was reviewed. If the 45 recommendations were followed, children in Canada would benefit. Read the overview to learn what this means for children, and get additional information on specific issues in the background notes. Canada reports again in 2009. It is time to take action on the 2003 recommendations to improve our record.
- incl. links to :
* Overview - 2003 Review of Canada’s Record * Non-Discrimination * Best Interests of the Child * Accountability * CRC and Canadian Law * CRC and Basic Services * Vulnerable Groups

Children: Silenced Citizens?
In 2004 the Senate Human Rights Committee began a study of Canada's international obligations in relation to the rights of children in Canada. The final report in 2007, Children: The Silenced Citizens, makes 24 recommendations to bring Canada into compliance with our legal obligations. The government must respond to the report by mid-November 2007.

Resources About Children's Rights In Canada
- list of resources about the Convention on the Rights of the Child including the full text of the convention, information booklets, and a classroom curriculum.

Tools for Monitoring Children's Rights in Canada

Source:
Canadian Coalition for the Rights of Children (CCRC)
The Canadian Coalition for the Rights of Children (CCRC) has been representing children's organizations in Canada since 1989. The CCRC brings together Canadian organizations and individuals who are concerned about the rights of children.

- Go to the Children's Rights Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/chnrights.htm

Children Must Be a Priority in Canada: UNICEF Canada Says
UNICEF Canada Calls for National Children's Commissioner to Protect Children's Rights
September 28, 2007
Despite the adoption of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child 18 years ago, children in Canada continue to live in poverty and their voices remain largely unheard, Nigel Fisher, President & CEO of UNICEF Canada, said today at a forum on children's rights.
Source:
News Blaze

From UNICEF CANADA:

The First Rights Generation Comes of Age
On November 20, 2007, the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) turns eighteen. Young people celebrating their eighteenth birthday this year are the first generation born with universal rights of their own. Have their childhood experiences with rights been something to celebrate?

UNICEF Canada's petition for a National Children's Commissioner
"UNICEF Canada believes a national Children’s Commissioner is crucial to focus national responsibility and accountability for the implementation of the Convention in Canada’s federal system."

Share your views on what it is like to be a child/young person in Canada and what needs to be done to improve the conditions in which children grow up.
Your views will inform the next Canadian report to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child.

Canada failing its children
Media release
September 11, 2007
Canada is lagging behind most other developed nations when it comes to child poverty, and all political parties should commit to a comprehensive poverty reduction strategy for our children and families, says a new report from Campaign 2000, the national non-partisan network committed to ending child and family poverty.

Complete report:

Summoned to Stewardship: Make poverty reduction a collective legacy (PDF file - 431K, 48pages)
Campaign 2000 Policy Perspectives
Prepared by Marvyn Novick
September 2007
[ NOTA : la version française - Invitation à la gestion (fichier PDF - 105Ko., 13pages - n'est pas aussi complète que l'anglaise, mais la version complète en français sera bientôt téléchargée au site Campagne 2000]

Source:
Campaign 2000

What's New - from the Childcare Resource and Research Unit (CRRU) - University of Toronto

The Childcare Resource and Research Unit offers a free weekly "e-mail news notifier" service.
Here's the content of the latest issue of this bulletin.

For more information about this service, including subscription information,
see http://www.childcarecanada.org

28-Sep-07

---------------------------------------------------
What's New
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CORPORATE CHILD CARE IN AUSTRALIA: IS IT IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST?
Presentation by Australian researcher Jennifer Sumsion to an international conference on the mixed economy of child care discusses ABC Learning Centres' global expansion.
http://action.web.ca/home/crru/rsrcs_crru_full.shtml?x=109528

SPECIALINK'S SUBMISSION TO PRE-BUDGET CONSULTATIONS
Submission by SpeciaLink: The National Centre for Child Care Inclusion to the Government of Canada’s Standing Committee on Finance.
http://action.web.ca/home/crru/rsrcs_crru_full.shtml?x=109537

RIGHT FROM THE START: LITERACY AND FAMILIES
Latest online issue of Vanier Institute of the Family's Transition Magazine focuses on literacy.
http://action.web.ca/home/crru/rsrcs_crru_full.shtml?x=109543

INCLUDING LOW-INCOME WOMEN WITH CHILDREN: PROGRAM AND POLICY DIRECTIONS
Report from the Prairie Women's Health Centre of Excellence examines the health and well-being of low-income women with children, their families and the communities in which they live.
http://action.web.ca/home/crru/rsrcs_crru_full.shtml?x=109526

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Child care in the news
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Tories say they made child care boo-boo [CA]
Winnipeg Free Press, 27 Sep 07
http://action.web.ca/home/crru/rsrcs_crru_full.shtml?x=109456

Child-care laws horrific: US expert [AU]
Sydney Morning Herald, 27 Sep 07
http://action.web.ca/home/crru/rsrcs_crru_full.shtml?x=109454

NDP and B.C. Liberals exchange volleys over $20 million in child care funding [CA-BC]
Canadian Press, 26 Sep 07
http://action.web.ca/home/crru/rsrcs_crru_full.shtml?x=109524

Premier aims to double population [CA-NL]
St. John's Telegram, 25 Sep 07
http://action.web.ca/home/crru/rsrcs_crru_full.shtml?x=109529

Full-day kindergarten a start but after-school care needed [CA-ON]
Martha Friendly, Ottawa Citizen, 23 Sep 07
http://action.web.ca/home/crru/rsrcs_crru_full.shtml?x=109522

Falling German birthrate dispels baby miracle myth [DE]
International Herald Tribune, 23 Sep 07
http://action.web.ca/home/crru/rsrcs_crru_full.shtml?x=109530

Daycare an oasis amid poverty [CA-ON]
Toronto Star, 22 Sep 07
http://action.web.ca/home/crru/rsrcs_crru_full.shtml?x=109520

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
This message was forwarded through the Childcare Resource
and Research Unit e-mail news notifier. For information on the
CRRU e-mail notifier, including instructions for (un)subscribing,
see http://www.childcarecanada.org

The Childcare Resource and Research Unit
University of Toronto, Canada
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Related Links:

Links to child care sites in Canada and elsewhere
CRRU Publications - briefing notes, factsheets, occasional papers and other publications
ISSUE files - theme pages, each filled with contextual information and links to further info

Link to the CRRU home page:
Childcare Resource and Research Unit (CRRU) - University of Toronto

- Go to the Non-Governmental Early Learning and Child Care Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/ecd2.htm

Poverty Dispatch (U.S). ===> the content of this link changes twice a week
- links to news items from the American press about poverty, welfare reform, child welfare, education, health, hunger, Medicare and Medicaid, etc.

Source:
Institute for Research on Poverty (IRP)
[ University of Wisconsin-Madison ]

This week's issues of Poverty Dispatch:

September 27, 2007
* State Children's Health Insurance Program
* Medicaid Tamper-proof Prescription Law - Wisconsin
* Medicaid Computer System - Wisconsin
* Privatization of State Services - Indiana
* Massachusetts Health Care Plan and the Low-income
* Post-Katrina Affordable Housing - Mississippi
* Utility Costs and Low-income Households
* National Report Card and the Achievement Gap
* College Financial Aid Legislation
* Healthy Marriage Initiative - Kentucky

September 24, 2007
* Medicaid and ID Requirement
* Social Services and ID Requirement - Arizona
* Child Poverty - Springfield, MA
* State Children's Health Insurance Program
* State Health Insurance Plans - Indiana, Missouri
* The Uninsured in the U.S.
* Chronic Homelessness - San Antonio, TX
* Food Stamp Program - North Carolina
* Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program - Arizona
* New Orleans Recovery School District
* English Learners and Academic Achievement - Colorado
* Abstinence-only Education - New York

Search Poverty Dispatches

IRP compiles and distributes Poverty Dispatches, links to Web-based news items dealing with poverty, welfare reform, and related topics twice a week. Each Dispatch lists links to current news in popular print media. Persons wishing to receive Poverty Dispatches by e-mail should send a request to rsnell@ssc.wisc.edu.

Past Poverty Dispatches
- links to two dispatches a week back to June 2006

Poverty Dispatch Digest Archive - archive of weekly digests* of dispatches from August 2005 to May 2006
(*For a few years prior to the creation of this new web page for the Dispatch, I was compiling a weekly digest of the e-mails and redistributing the digest to my mailing list with IRP's permission.
This is my own archive of weekly issues of the digest back to August 2005, and most of them have 50+ links per issue. I'll be deleting this archive from my site gradually, as the links to older articles expire.)

- Go to the Links to American Government Social Research page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/us.htm
- Go to the Links to American Non-Governmental Social Research (A-J) page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/us2.htm
- Go to the Links to American Non-Governmental Social Research (M-Z) page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/us3.htm

Study finds 89.6 million lacked health insurance
One-third of people in the U.S. under 65 went without coverage for some or all of the last two years, reports an advocacy group.
By Jordy Yager, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
September 21, 2007
WASHINGTON -- -- More than one-third of the people in the United States under the age of 65 had no health insurance for some or all of 2006 and 2007, according to a study released Thursday by Families USA, an advocacy group for the uninsured. The 89.6 million individuals identifying themselves as lacking insurance for at least a month, according to the advocacy group, was almost double the number of uninsured reported by the Census Bureau for 2006.
Source:
Los Angeles Times

Complete report:

Wrong Direction: One Out of Three Americans Are Uninsured (PDF file - 222K, 41 pages)
September 2007
"...presents new data showing that 89.6 million Americans were uninsured for some portion of 2006-2007, an increase of 17 million from the 1999-2000 period. The report provides a detailed analysis of who these uninsured people are, where they live, how long they have been without coverage, and their demographic characteristics."

[ Links to 58 more Families USA Publications about the Uninsured ]

Source:
Families USA
...a national nonprofit, non-partisan organization dedicated to the achievement of high-quality, affordable health care for all Americans. Working at the national, state, and community levels, we have earned a national reputation as an effective voice for health care consumers for over 20 years.

- Go to the Links to American Non-Governmental Social Research (A-J) Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/us2.htm

Americans, Canadians Concerned About Poverty
September 6, 2007
Adults in two North American nations are worried about financial inequality, according to a poll by Angus Reid Strategies. 89 per cent of respondents in the United States—and 80 per cent of respondents in Canada—believe poverty is a very or moderately serious problem in their respective countries.
Source:
Angus Reid Global Monitor

From the Child Rights Information Network (CRIN)

27 September 2007 - CRINMAIL 919
- UZBEKISTAN: No sermons, children or cars at Ramadan night prayers [news]
- ZIMBABWE: Children crossing borders [publication]
- PAKISTAN: Out of the frying pan, into the fire - juvenile justice in Pakistan [publication]
- INDIA: Child Bondage Continues in Indian Cotton Supply Chain [publication]
- GUINEA: Determining the Best Interests of Unaccompanied and Separated Children: Lessons from Guinea [publication]
- AUSTRIA: Researching Children Conference 2007 [event]
**NEWS IN BRIEF**
**QUIZ**

Earlier issues of CRINMAIL
- links to 200+ earlier weekly issues, many of which are special editions focusing on special themes, such as the 45th Session of the Committee on the Rights of the Child, the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the launch of the EURONET Website.

Source:
CRINMAIL(incl. subscription info)
[ Child Rights Information Network (CRIN) ]

- Go to the Children's Rights Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/chnrights.htm

Policy Hub Bulletin (U.K.)
You'll find a host of items with relevance for Better policy making, Improving delivery, and Evaluating policy, plus a Website of the month feature.
Source:
Policy Hub (U. K.)
"... a web-site developed by the Government Social Research Unit, which aims to improve the way public policy is shaped and delivered."
[ Government Social Research ]
[ HM Treasury website ]

APO Weekly Briefing
The content of this page changes each week, and it includes links to a few book/report reviews, about two dozen new reports, a few job ads and 60+ events (mostly conferences) of interest to social researchers...
Source:
Australian Policy Online (APO)

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:
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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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 mention Canadian Social Research Links when you do.

Cheers!
Gilles

E-MAIL:
gilseg@rogers.com

The Donkey in the Well

One day a farmer's donkey fell down into a well.
The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do.

Finally he decided the animal was old, and the well needed to be covered up anyway, it just wasn't worth it to retrieve the donkey. He invited all his neighbors to come over and help him. They each grabbed a shovel and began to shovel dirt into the well. At first, the donkey realized what was happening and cried horribly. Then, to everyone's amazement, he quieted down. A few shovel loads later, the farmer looked down the well, and was astonished at what he saw. As every shovel of dirt hit his back, the donkey did something amazing. He would shake it off and take a step up.

As the farmer's neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up. Pretty soon, everyone was amazed, as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and trotted off.

The Moral:

Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt. The trick to getting out of the well is to shake it off and take a step up. Each of our troubles a stepping stone. We can get out of the deepest wells just by not stopping, never giving up! Shake it off and take a step up!

1. Free your heart from hatred.
2. Free your mind from worries.
3. Live simply.
4. Give more.
5. Expect less.

The Addendum:

The donkey later came back, caught the farmer out in the field and kicked the snot out of him.
Then he went over to each of his neighbors farms and kicked the snot out of them too for helping.

The REAL Moral:

When you try to cover your ass, it always comes back to get you.

Source:
Found somewhere online

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And in closing...

(Video - turn your speakers way up and sing along! Not at the office, though...)

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Fifty-two important reasons to drive out Harper's Tories
(from the September 1-15, 2007 issue of People's Voice, Canada's leading communist newspaper)