All people in Canada should live with dignity. One in six Canadians struggle to make ends meet: to pay rent, feed their families, and address basic needs. On October 17, the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, Moderator Richard Bott will be on Parliament Hill with apples and a message for the Prime Minister: We need a stronger,…
Citizens for Public Justice (CPJ) has worked as co-leads with Canada Without Poverty of the Dignity for All campaign since 2009. The goal of this campaign is the creation of a national anti-poverty plan that is comprehensive, legislated and funded to meet its mandate. The ultimate goal is an end to poverty in Canada.
For over a decade, Citizens for Public Justice (CPJ) and its partners have been part of a process of encouraging lawmakers to put a national anti-poverty vision before the Canadian Parliament. In late August there was good news that the effort is paying off as the federal government released Opportunity for All, Canada’s first National Poverty Reduction…
At budget time over the last few years, we’ve seen a narrowing of the federal government’s focus on economic measures in a way that fails to adequately address the well-being of people, communities and the Earth. CPJ believes that Budget 2019 should prioritize measures to address poverty in Canada, remove barriers to refugee resettlement, and support a “just…
It’s clear that social assistance is in need of reform. Innovative policies and targeted funding can make a difference, but all levels of government need to commit to making it happen.
We know we are called to love our neighbour, and to varying degrees we are aware of the oppression of poverty. We feel we maybe ought to do something – that someone ought to – but we are paralyzed by our sense of insignificance in the face of seemingly insurmountable issues. There are many simple steps individuals and…
Some say the time of the churches is over in Canada. Others may say that it did not come soon enough. But what many Canadians may not be aware of is there is a long history of churches working together for social justice and peace, efforts that contributed significantly to the progressive social programs and…
The Safe Third Country Agreement faces an important test this summer as political opponents keep an eye on the number of asylum seekers using irregular border crossings. Meanwhile, a federal court challenge of the Agreement as a violation of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms mounted by the Canadian Council for Refugees, the Canadian…
How should churches deal with political issues? That question has long sparked incandescent discussions among Christians. Many hold that God calls Christians to promote public justice. Yet we differ strongly on what those policies and which political parties, if any, Christians should support. Joe Gunn’s new book, Journeys to Justice: Reflections on Canadian Christian Activism (Novalis) doesn’t give a final response…
