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ACF E-BULLETIN
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ACF E-BULLETIN – DECEMBER 2009 |
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Atkinson Foundation e-bulletin
Featuring news, views and updates
from the Atkinson Charitable Foundation
and its partners. |
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IN THIS BULLETIN...
ACF year-end review...
Refrew CPAN makes a difference...
Cindy Blackstock newest Atkinson Fellow...
New CIW report on select populations…
Lessons for Early Learning in Ontario...... |
Poverty reduction key to recovery...
J.E. Atkinson's Fighting Words…
Brainstorm: new Atkinson series on education…
Scroll down for more... |
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EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S CORNER |
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Charles E. Pascal
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ACF year-end review...
In a year fraught with precariousness and uncertainty for many Canadians, the Atkinson Foundation partners worked hard and smart seizing opportunities to advance the mission of J.E. Atkinson for a more just society.
We must remain impatient for change while we also look for every opportunity to strategically cement ongoing longer-term progress. We need to remember the strength of collective thought and action, and put all of our respective assets on the table, plot and act together.
More from Charles Pascal... |
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RUTH ATKINSON HINDMARSH AWARD |
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Renfrew County Child Poverty Action Network makes difference in tough times
The Renfrew County Child Poverty Action Network (CPAN) is the 2009 recipient of the Ruth Atkinson Hindmarsh Award. The $50,000 award by ACF honours outstanding contributions to improving the wellbeing of children.
“CPAN’s determination and resourcefulness in tackling child poverty in Renfrew County is remarkable and inspiring. We applaud their ability to advocate for improved economic and social conditions while at the same time providing tangible, practical assistance to low income families during very difficult times,” said Nancy Hindmarsh, chair of the selection Committee. More… |
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ATKINSON FELLOWSHIP IN ECONOMIC JUSTICE |
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Aboriginal-Rights Champion Cindy Blackstock Awarded Atkinson Fellowship
Cindy Blackstock has been awarded the Atkinson Foundation's Economic Justice Fellowship to support efforts on behalf of First Nations children and communities.
“With every generation comes an opportunity to create a better world. But First Nations children are debilitated by funding inequalities in education and child welfare. We can correct past mistakes by giving this generation a real opportunity to understand their place in the world differently and to succeed,” said Cindy Blackstock, Executive Director of the First Nations Child and Family Service Caring Society of Canada.
More including links to Toronto Star Feature... |
Cindy Blackstock |
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CANADIAN INDEX OF WELLBEING |
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Quality of Life Much Worse for Some Groups, Says New Institute Report
People with low incomes, Aboriginal peoples, racialized groups and youth are falling behind on key quality of life indicators, says a new report rby the Institute of Wellbeing, “How are Canadians Really doing? A Closer Look at Select Groups”
Women in poor neighbourhoods have 25% higher odds of having a premature birth; Aboriginal people are almost four times more likely to live in a crowded dwelling; visible minority or racialized groups are three times more likely to be poor due to low wages, social exclusion and racialization in the labour market; and earnings of young adults relative to other earners have been falling over the past 20 years.
Click here for a fact sheet or download the full report |
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Toronto First Duty research informs foundation of full day learning in Ontario
Next September Ontario will become the first jurisdiction in North America to launch a universal, publicly-funded and operated learning and care program for four and five year olds. The Toronto First Duty (TFD) project has had a clear impact on the province’s promise to implement full day learning.
The Atkinson Centre/OISE UofT research team has led the evaluation and analysis of the TFD early childhood demonstration project. Phase 2 Research looks at dissemination of the First Duty model and the further development of program integration in one of the five sites, the Bruce Woodgreen Early Learning Centre.
Following are some of the lessons from TFD research that can inform the foundation of full day learning in Ontario. More… |
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ECONOMIC JUSTICE: POVERTY REDUCTION |
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Time to transform Social Assistance
By Jennefer Laidley and Deirdre Pike (Hamilton Spectator)
Whether he meant to or not, the auditor general's analysis of social assistance lets a dysfunctional welfare system off the hook and erroneously lays blame with the people who have nowhere else to turn for basic support.
The real problem is the patchwork of more than 800 rules that trap people in poverty, limit their options, and compromise their health with punishingly low levels of income support. More…
We Must Work To Lift People Out of Poverty
By John Stapleton & Greg deGroot-Maggetti (Kitchener-Waterloo Record)
In the 1990s, governments succumbed to repeated rounds of belt-tightening, resulting in increased poverty. This time around, Ontario should approach the recession as an important opportunity to eradicate poverty as part of a plan to contribute to Ontario’s economic recovery… More… |
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Joseph Atkinson’s Social Crusades
Fighting words captured in words and video
Joseph Atkinson challenged Canadians to create a just, equitable, safe and healthy society for every citizen, no matter what their circumstances.
Big Ideas: The Social Crusades of Joseph E Atkinson, is a book that captures the Atkinson legacy in the words he wrote or commissioned for The Toronto Star during his 49 years at the helm. More by clicking here...
Fighting Words is a new documentary produced by the Atkinson Charitable Foundation that examines the life and times of the Star’s legendary publisher, tells the story of a great newspaper in the making, and charts the City of Toronto’s progress towards a more civil society.
The documentary is now available on Youtube by clicking here… or on DVD from the Foundation by clicking here…. |
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ATKINSON FELLOWSHIP IN PUBLIC POLICY |
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2009 Atkinson Fellowship Series:
Brainstorm, by Alanna Mitchell
Alanna Mitchell, a Toronto-based writer and journalist who specializes in global science issues, spent much of the past year investigating the controversial push to use brain science to improve education.
She travelled to England, France, Australia and the U.S. as part of her 2008 Atkinson Fellowship in Public Policy.
Her series delves into the push to put the brain at the centre of the education system — and the pushback. An up-close look at neuroscience in action. What are schools really for? With seven myths about the brain. More… |
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ACF E-BULLETIN – SPRING 2009 |
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Atkinson Foundation e-bulletin
Featuring news, views and updates
from the Atkinson Charitable Foundation
and its partners. |
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IN THIS BULLETIN...
Spotlight on the downturn…
Immigration fall from grace, writes Uzma Shakir…
ACF Partners make gains on poverty reduction…
Boomer Tsunami series now available online |
CIW reframes the bottom line
J.E. Atkinson's Social Crusade legacy
Worth repeating: on unions and taxes…
Scroll down for more... |
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SPOTLIGHT ON THE DOWNTURN |
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We’re All in this Together…
Recession Relief Coalition on the move, writes Cathy Crowe
Today, mere months into the recession, it is evident that homelessness is poised to reach catastrophic proportions.
I often say that this is our Katrina because just like those hurricane and flood victims, Canada’s homeless are displaced, economic refugees, left in appalling conditions by political leaders and bureaucrats who will not deal with the question of the right to housing. More… |
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Exposed: Truths About Canada’s Recession
New report by Armine Yalnizyan, ACF’s first Economic justice Fellow
"Canada may have come late to the global recession, but the economic downturn is hitting the country with a force that is unparalleled in postwar economic history," writes Armine Yalnizyan in a new report by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. It shows that Canadians face greater vulnerability than at any time since the 1940s because of low savings, high household debt and a weakened social safety net. More…
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Looking for signs of hope in the downturn…
An essay by Pat Capponi
We have an incredible opportunity to take this terrible moment and make of it something positive, something lasting, something far more productive than closing our eyes and crossing our fingers that we will be alright, Jack.
It requires setting aside some old prejudices and assumptions, it requires an understanding that helping your neighbour helps yourself, but if we can manage that, we can accomplish a great deal. More… |
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Our immigration policies’ fall from grace
By Uzma Shakir
Immigration is the cornerstone of our national lore – ours is a land built by immigrants, so the story goes. But recent changes to our immigration system mean that the number of temporary foreign workers being introduced into our society is almost on par with the national targets for immigrants. It is clear that Canada’s immigration ethos has changed from seeking citizens and nation builders to becoming a temp agency for short-term workers. More... |
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FOCUS ON POVERTY REDUCTION |
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Major legislative gains on poverty reduction, temp worker protections
Two significant economic justice milestones were achieved earlier this month in Ontario, with the passage of new legislation on poverty reduction and temp work in Ontario. The spirited efforts of ACF partners have been central to making progress on both of these fronts.
The 25 in 5 Network for Poverty Reduction, a coalition featuring many ACF partners, led a tremendous community effort that resulted in important amendments that will ensure the people of Ontario possess a powerful tool to hold current and future governments' feet to the fire on social justice.
In the same week, temp agency workers and the Workers’ Action Centre celebrated the passage of Bill 139, giving new protections for temp agency workers.
Click here for more about Bill 152 and 139 and the work of ACF’s economic justice partners…. |
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FELLOWSHIP IN PUBLIC POLICY |
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Boomer tsunami…
BERNARD WEIL/TORONTO STAR
Reporter Judy Steed and her dog |
What’s at stake in an aging society?
Full series now available in one volume
Toronto journalist Judy Steed has been writing about social issues for 30 years. Last fall, she embarked on a one-year project to document the most pressing policy implications of our aging society as part of the 2008 Atkinson Fellowship in Public Policy. Her highly acclaimed series is now available in one downloadable package. More…
Judy’s series of insights and portraits in aging is also available in multimedia through the Toronto Star's website, more… |
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CANADIAN INDEX OF WELLBEING |
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The business of saving the earth:
CIW featured in Walrus magazine
With the release of the first results of the CIW on the near horizon, the Index and Roy Romanow were recently featured in the Walrus magazine:
Happiness may be a fuzzy benchmark for the Western mind, but Canada is about to get its first serious rival to the GDP. With support from the Atkinson Charitable Foundation and the patronage of Roy Romanow, a loose confederation of academics, statisticians, and other specialists has been assembling a Canadian Index of Well-Being. More… |
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Parent involvement research demonstrates that the most effective time to engage parents in their children’s early learning and development is when their children are young. Effective policies and early childhood programs that do engage parents, amplify children’s early learning experiences.
The sixth annual Summer Institute represents program and policy ideas and strategies for collaborative partnerships between early years programs, community agencies and parents.
For more info visit www.georgebrown.ca/summerinstitute |
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Joseph Atkinson’s Social Crusades
Fighting words captured in words and video
Joseph Atkinson was best known as the publisher of The Toronto Star, running the newspaper from 1899 to 1948.
But in almost every aspect of his life Atkinson challenged Canadians to create a just, equitable, safe and healthy society for every citizen, no matter what their circumstances.
His social justice quest is captured in two recent vehicles:
Big Ideas: The Social Crusades of Joseph E Atkinson, is a book that captures the Atkinson legacy in the words he wrote or commissioned for The Toronto Star during his 49 years at the helm. More by clicking here...
Fighting Words is a new documentary produced by the Atkinson Charitable Foundation that examines the life and times of the Star’s legendary publisher, tells the story of a great newspaper in the making, and charts the City of Toronto’s progress towards a more civil society.
The documentary is now available on Youtube by clicking here…
or on DVD from the Foundation by clicking here…. |
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WORTH REPEATING: ON UNIONS AND TAXES… |
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Unions in hard times…
Michael Enright, CBC Sunday Edition, May 3
On this May Day weekend there is not a lot for the labor movement to celebrate, even though unions may be needed more now than at anytime in the last three decades. Needed is some kind of balance, some kind of governor against the excesses of the corporate state.
Unions are not without sin. But their sins, when put beside the greed-driven loss of worldwide financial assets totaling about $50-trillion, are mere blemishes. More… |
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Hugh Mackenzie, economist and ACF Board Trustee |
Canada's Quiet Bargain: The Benefits of Public Spending
By Hugh Mackenzie and Richard Shillington
The majority of Canadian households enjoy a higher quality of life because the public services their taxes fund come at a solid bargain.
“What passes for a tax cut debate in Canada is really only half a debate,” says economist Hugh Mackenzie, co-author of the CCPA study Canada’s Quiet Bargain (and an ACF Board Trustee).. “Our taxes pay for services that are extremely valuable to Canadians. The suggestion we often hear, that taxes are a burden, hides the reality that our taxes fund public services that make Canada’s standard of living among the very best.” More… |
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ACF E-BULLETIN - December 2008 |
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Atkinson Foundation e-bulletin
Featuring news, views and updates
from the Atkinson Charitable Foundation
and its partners. |
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IN THIS BULLETIN...
ACF year-end review...
ACF Partnerships: temp workers make gains...
Public Policy Fellowship application deadline...
Boomer Tsunami, Ontario braces for grey wave
Exciting year for CIW...... |
Atkinson Economic Justice Fellows in action...
Open letter calls for action on child care
Poverty reduction: ACF partners weigh in
J.E. Atkinson's BIG IDEAS
Social Investments are smart economics
Scroll down for more... |
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EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S CORNER |
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ACF year-end review...
Very challenging economic circumstances in 2009 will present a major challenge to us all in the struggle for progress on social justice.
Let's hope that the notion of "movement" prevails going forward. We must constantly strive for a whole larger than our own narrow organizational wants and needs.
If this is possible, we might even be able to turn this very intense economic crisis into an opportunity to move forward rather than splinter apart. We need to put all of our respective assets on the table and plot and act together.
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SPOTLIGHT ON PARTNERSHIPS |
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Good news for temp workers:
Workers Action Centre on front lines of winning new legislation
Thanks in no small part to the relentless efforts of the Workers Action Centre, the Ontario government introduced legislation on Tuesday December 9, 2008 to protect temp agency workers.
"Temp agency workers and the Workers' Action Centre (WAC) have been fighting for years to get temp workers the same basic rights that their permanent co-workers have, "says Deena Ladd, WAC Coordinator. "The rights to public holiday and termination pay, vacations and sick days; contract information; the ability to enforce employment rights and be free from shameful fees and barriers to permanent work. The Ontario government's announcement to improve protection of temp agency workers demonstrates that it has heard what workers have said about the realities of temp work."
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ATKINSON FELLOWSHIP IN PUBLIC POLICY |
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Atkinson Fellowship - January 12 deadline
The Atkinson Fellowship in Public Policy is designed to further both the tradition of liberal journalism in Canada and the commitment to social and economic justice of Joseph E. Atkinson, former publisher of the Toronto Star. The Fellowship provides a grant for a Canadian journalist to undertake a year-long research project on a public policy issue.
Deadline for letters of intent is January 12. More... |
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Boomer tsunami: Ontario braces for grey wave
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BERNARD WEIL/TORONTO STAR
Reporter Judy Steed and her dog, Celeste, on the dock of her cottage |
2008 Atkinson Fellow Judy Steed spent a year documenting the most pressing implications of our aging society.
Her acclaimed series of insights and portraits in aging is available in multimedia through the Toronto Star's website.
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CANADIAN INDEX OF WELLBEING |
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Exciting year ahead for CIW
"This has been a particularly exciting year for the CIW," writes Roy Romanow, Chair, CIW Institute Board.
The Research Advisory Group received feedback from over 40 Canadian and International expert reviewers, which is now being integrated into reports for public release in the spring of 2009.
In September, the CIW Institute Board had its founding meeting - the Board will provide leadership to the newly formed Institute and to the CIW's regular reporting on wellbeing in Canada.
The next several months will be a flurry of activity as launch approaches.
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ATKINSON ECONOMIC JUSTICE FELLOWS |
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Recession Alarm! Endorse the Recession Relief Fund Declaration
Cathy Crowe is spearheading a new coalition that is calling for a federal Recession Relief Fund to support essential services to our most vulnerable people. The Coalition has launched a Declaration that also calls for a National Housing Program. To learn more about this initiative or to sign the Recession Relief Fund Declaration please find the link to the site: More...
And check out Cathy Crowe's newsletter sounding a "recession alarm!" |
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Uzma Shakir talks diversity, feminism in Windsor
Uzma Shakir was this year's Distinguished Visitor in Women's Studies at the University of Windsor. Over a week of lectures, visits and special events, Uzma Shakir talked about how women's issues and matters of diversity come together in the media, in law, religion, academia and activism. More...
And check out a wonderful list of quotes collected throughout Uzma's week in Windsor. More... |
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Fight poverty to improve economic health, writes Romanow
As governments search for solutions to shore up our economic health in the short term, they must resist the temptation to put all other issues on the back-burner.
Poverty is one fundamental example of how social and economic policy must go hand in hand generally, but especially in these difficult times.
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EARLY LEARNING AND CHILD CARE |
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Take action on early learning and childcare,
prominent Canadians urge federal leaders
An open letter signed by prominent Canadians is calling on federal Party leaders to take immediate action to remedy Canada's dismal early childhood education and childcare (ECEC) situation.
It comes on the heels of a new UNICEF study that ranks Canada dead last among 25 developed nations in the provision of early childhood education and childcare compared to other industrialized nations included in the study. The open letter calls for action in the 2009 federal budget towards transfer payments for ECEC capital and operating costs, as part of measures
designed to stimulate the economy. The letter also calls for the development of a robust national policy framework for ECEC in collaboration with provinces/territories. More...
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ECONOMIC JUSTICE: POVERTY REDUCTION |
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Ontario's poverty reduction strategy:
ACF partners weigh in...
On December 4th the Ontario government released its much anticipated poverty reduction strategy, following a year of hard work by many ACF partners to push for a comprehensive, 25-in-5 plan.
Pat Capponi, of Voices From the Street, authored an op-ed in the Toronto Star a couple of days later, and wrote the following message to her colleagues in the 25 in 5 Network for Poverty Reduction:
"With Ontario signing on to our vision for a fairer and more just province, we have achieved a real milestone, a concrete foundation from which to continue our efforts. More than this, we've demonstrated what can be accomplished when government is prepared to seriously sit across the table with us to develop a poverty reduction strategy that works."
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ECONOMIC JUSTICE: SMART ECONOMICS |
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Social investments are smart economics...
especially in difficult times
The evidence is mounting that social infrastructure investments such as affordable housing and early learning and child care, along with strengthening the incomes of vulnerable families and adults, will reduce poverty while at the same time stimulating demand in local economies across Ontario. Some links to recent work by ACF partners and colleagues:
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BIG IDEAS: The social crusades of Joseph E. Atkinson
-- Book captures Atkinson's mission The Toronto Star
Big Ideas: The Social Crusades of Joseph E Atkinson, is a book that captures the Atkinson legacy in the words he wrote or commissioned for The Toronto Star during his 49 years at the helm.
The Atkinson Foundation set out to publish Big Ideas as a valuable resource for Canadian historians and anyone interested in the building of Canada. It documents the influence of Atkinson in guiding and goading Canada to create and enshrine our social safety net and speaks passionately to the causes that Atkinson championed - including social justice, civil liberties, Canadian independence, civic affairs and the rights of workers.
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APRIL 2008
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ATKINSON FOUNDATION E-BULLETIN |
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10.04.08 |
Atkinson Foundation e-bulletin
Featuring news, views and updates
from the Atkinson Charitable Foundation
and its partners. |
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IN THIS BULLETIN... |
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On the right track with the CIW...
ACF Partnerships for poverty reduction...
Deadline for RAH award fast approaching ...
Trade guns and war for housing and peace... |
Reality check on multiculturalism needed ...
New book: The Future of Medicare...
News from our partners...
Scroll down for more... |
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CANADIAN INDEX OF WELLBEING |
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On the right track with the CIW
Following on the success of the CIW's role at the OECD's Second World Forum on 'Measuring and Fostering the Progress of Societies' in Istanbul last June, The Honourable Roy J. Romanow is pleased to have an article in the first issue of the OECD's "Measuring the Progress of Societies" newsletter. More... |
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SPOTLIGHT ON PARTNERSHIPS |
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Partnerships for poverty reduction:
Momentum building in communities across Ontario
+ other recent grants
The Social Planning Network of Ontario is traversing the province to build support for a bold poverty reduction vision. Local social planning members and community partners in 12 cities are bringing together Ontarians from all walks of life to ask: what causes poverty, what are the solutions, and how can these be implemented to create real, lasting change? More... |
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RUTH ATKINSON HINDMARSH AWARD |
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Call for nominations for the 2008 RAH Award - April 14 Deadline |
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Every day, hundreds of Ontario organizations marshal their resources to improve the prospects of disadvantaged children who, through no fault of their own, must struggle more than most to realize the promises of one of the world's wealthiest and most advanced societies. The RAH Award celebrates and encourages the heroic efforts of these organizations and provides an annual gift of $50,000 to an organization whose work has significantly improved the wellbeing of disadvantaged children. More... |
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ATKINSON ECONOMIC JUSTICE FELLOWS |
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Put down the guns and pick up the hammers and nails, says Cathy Crowe
Street Nurse Cathy Crowe says that ten years after homelessness was declared a national disaster, the federal government is spending more money on the military, (not housing) than any other in Canadian history . This fiscal year $18 Billion will go towards the military. That is 8.5% of our federal budget. More... |
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Canada's cultural mosaic: A reality check on the state of today's multiculturalism
Uzma Shakir, Michael Adams and Haroon Siddiqui discuss Quebec's recent tensions around immigration and the implications for the rest of Canada, on the CBC's The Current. More...
A CBC Metro Morning series recently explored the state of Toronto's cultural mosaic and the role it plays in both bringing us together and pulling us apart. Uzma Shakir was one of the panelists on Metro Morning's Town Hall. More... |
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Canada's shared destiny and the future of Medicare
"Medicare holds such a central role in our narrative of shared destiny that how we deal with our social programs will determine the future progress of our nation," writes Roy Romanow in Medicare: Facts Myths, Problems & Promise. This new publication, edited by Bruce Campbell and Greg Marchildon, is published by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives and includes chapters by Dr. Danielle Martin, Armine Yalnizyan, and 34 other contributors. More... |
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EDUCATION----------
Urban and suburban school policy doesn't match reality
New vision for schools in Ontario's cities needed
Schools can be at the centre of action to revitalize our cities, reduce poverty, engage youth, build stronger neighbourhoods and ensure access to quality early childhood education. But schools need appropriate policy, funding and leadership, says a new report by people for Education. Read P4E's report, and coverage in the Toronto Star, Toronto Sun, Hamilton Spectator, Northumberland News, London Free Press.
INCOME SECURITY----------
Payday lending legislation a good 'first step'
Ontario introduces legislation to ban rollover loans and license payday lenders. ACORN Canada--a leading voice for the regulation of the payday lending industry--describes the move as a good first step to bring this industry into the financial mainstream. Read Acorn's response and coverage in the Toronto Star, Ottawa Citizen & Ottawa Sun
The 'last recession spook': a very curable disease
Writes John Stapleton
Talk of a recession has us all thinking that we can only think in modest terms. But we must remember that significant amounts of recent surpluses were booked against our national debt. This is what allows us the fiscal resiliency to make social programs more robust and to improve them when they are needed most. It's time to start calling for the real change and real improvement. More...
Action urged on unpaid wages
Not enough teeth in Employment Standards Act, say advocates
The Workers Action Centre is calling on the provincial government to hire 100 new employment standards enforcement officers and increase inspections to cover 10 per cent of all workplaces to match the number of health and safety inspections the ministry conducts every year. Read Toronto Star coverage...
Working poor still losing ground
Campaign 2000 report shows Ontario child poverty rate still rising
COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS----------
How social agencies can become better community partners
The Ralph Thornton Community Centre's blog reports on a recent meeting with Toronto Neighbourhood centres where social agencies discussed how barriers can be overcome to ensure community involvement in local organizations. Pat Capponi and Mike Creek from Voices From the Street weighed into the discussion. More...
Ontario Court decision to incarcerate First Nation leaders has detrimental impact on children
On March 17, 2008, five democratically elected First Nation community leaders and one community member were sentenced to six months in jail on contempt charges for their peaceful opposition to a court injunction that would allow mining exploration on their traditional lands. Read more from the Mamow Sha-way-gi-kay-win: The North-South Partnership for Children...
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ATKINSON FOUNDATION E-BULLETIN 10.04 .08 |
November 2007
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ATKINSON FOUNDATION E-BULLETIN |
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30.11.07 |
Atkinson Foundation e-bulletin
Featuring news, views and updates
from the Atkinson Charitable Foundation
and its partners. |
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IN THIS BULLETIN... |
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Uzma Shakir awarded Atkinson Fellowship...
Pascal Appointed Early Years Advisor...
Arctic in Peril: Ed Struzic's Atkinson Series ...
Partnerships for grassroots activism... |
World Forum calls for new measures of progress...
Cathy Crowe Newsletter...
News from our partners...
Scroll down for more... |
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ATKINSON ECONOMIC JUSTICE FELLOWSHIP |
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Immigrant-Rights Activist Uzma Shakir Awarded Atkinson Fellowship
Engaging new immigrants in shaping what Canada's future should look like will be the focus of Uzma Shakir's Atkinson Economic Justice Fellowship. The Award will support Ms. Shakir's community-based work around immigration, multiculturalism and social inclusion. More...
Listen to Uzma's interview with Sheilagh Rogers on CBC's "Sounds Like Canada" by clicking here. |
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Charles Pascal Appointed Early Learning Advisor
The Ontario government has appointed Dr. Charles Pascal to recommend the best way to implement full-day learning for four- and five-year-olds, said Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty. More...
Pascal's passion for early childhood education was born 38 years ago when he became a father for the first time. More from Toronto Star... |
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ATKINSON FELLOWSHIP IN PUBLIC POLICY |
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Arctic in Peril...
Edmonton journalist Ed Struzik has been writing about Canada's Arctic for 28 years.
In July, he set off on the first of nine northern journeys to examine the implications of climate change as part of the 2007 Atkinson Fellowship in Public Policy.
Read the series in the
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SPOTLIGHT ON PARTNERSHIPS |
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Partnerships for grassroots activism:
Voices from the Street & Acorn
+ other recent grants
Listening to the voices from the street
Toronto's Voices from the Street works with people who have lived experience with homelessness to inform and influence public decision-making at various levels, writes Becky McFarlane...
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Community organizing... one doorstep at a time
Acorn takes action to get decision-makers to make real changes in people's lives,
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CANADIAN INDEX OF WELLBEING |
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Measuring the Progress of Societies |
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Roy Romanow, Lynne Slotek, members of the National Working Group and other CIW partners played important roles at the OECD's Second World Forum on 'Measuring and Fostering the Progress of Societies' in Istanbul.
Click here to read the latest updates on the CIW and to check out the video from the World Forum...
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The slogan 'Think globally, act locally' has never been more important.
In Cathy Crowe's latest newsletter, read about a new infirmary for homeless people in Toronto, a recent visit by the UN Special Rapporteur on Adequate Housing and Cathy's efforts to confront Canada's growing financial investment in militarism and the war in Afghanistan. More... |
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Dying for a Home:
Homeless Activists Speak Out
A great gift for this holiday season.
A gift that makes a difference.
Cathy Crowe's new book is a compelling first-hand account of homelessness, and practical steps for making a change for the better.
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OTHER NEWS...
Cause for Hope
New book by Re. Bill Phipps
All societies live by their stories. This provocative book from one of the most provocative leaders in the church challenges the governing story that has shaped and defined Western culture and society - a story that has manifested itself in ecological destruction, war and the obscene military expenditures that go with it, unprecedented consumerism, economic disparity between rich and poor, mistreatment of non-white cultures and races, sexism, and fear. More...
It Takes a Nation to Raise a Generation:
2007 Report Card on Child & Family Poverty in Canada
(Campaign 2000) The federal government can tackle child poverty, as long as the budget dollars needed aren't given away in general tax cuts. It's time for the federal government to step up to the plate with a comprehensive Poverty Reduction Strategy. More...
The Dirty Side of Cleaning
Dozens of lives ruined after answering job ad
Toronto Star investigation into dubious contractor, highlights efforts of Workers Action Centre. More...
Radical Academy
(Voices from the Street) Psych survivors get lesson in sound bites to make policy wonks listen up. More...
New momentum in poverty battle
Two days after the election, the leaders of Ontario's anti-poverty movement are feeling unusually positive, writes Carol Goar of the Toronto Star. They have a commitment from Premier Dalton McGuinty to introduce firm poverty reduction targets and a conviction that their voices are finally beginning to count. More...
Walking the walk on poverty
Thursday's throne speech provides an early test of McGuinty's commitment to helping Ontario's poor, write John Campey, Uzma Shakir and Doris Grinspun. More...
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ATKINSON FOUNDATION E-BULLETIN 30.10.07 |
SEPTEMBER 2007
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ATKINSON FOUNDATION E-BULLETIN |
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09.07.07 |
Atkinson Foundation e-bulletin
Featuring news, views and updates
from the Atkinson Charitable Foundation
and its partners. |
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IN THIS BULLETIN... |
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Atkinson's Annual Report...
Pathways to Education receives award...
Atkinson launches Inclusion Task Force...
Partnerships for Faith & Social Justice... |
Atkinson Fellow to tackle aging dilemma...
World Forum calls for new measures of progress
Dying for a Home - New book by Cathy Crowe...
Plus news from our partners...
Scroll down for more... |
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ATKINSON FOUNDATION ANNUAL REPORT |
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Renewing Canada's Great Expectations
The Atkinson Legacy in Action
Canada has earned a world-wide reputation as a place of great expectations. But with all the achievements of our great society, some indicators are heading tragically in the wrong direction. The feature essay in this annual report, "Renewing Canada's Great Expectations," by the Foundation's newest Board member, Grace-Edward Galabuzi, points to a growing gap between Canada's reputation and the lived experience of too many Canadians.
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RUTH ATKINSON HINDMARSH AWARD |
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Pathways to Education Recognized for Innovative Youth Initiative |
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Recipient of 2007 Ruth Atkinson Hindmarsh Award
The Pathways to Education Program is the 2007 recipient of the Ruth Atkinson Hindmarsh Award, in recognition of its tremendous success in helping young people in the Regent Park neighborhood achieve their full potential and in replicating this successful program in other low income communities.
The Award, established in in memory of former ACF-president Ruth Atkinson Hindmarsh, recognizes outstanding programs that have improved the lives of disadvantaged children. More... |
Nancy Hindmarsh & Shequita Thompson, Pathways Graduate |
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ATKINSON'S INCLUSION TASK FORCE |
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Promoting Social and Economic Justice from an Inclusion Lens
Atkinson Launches Inclusion Task Force
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The Atkinson Charitable Foundation (ACF) has a rich track record of partnerships geared towards advancing our mission of promoting social and economic justice. While we have made significant strides, we are committed to doing better and to strengthening a process whereby everything we do and everything "we are" is viewed from our definition of an "inclusion lens."
With this in mind, ACF is striking the ACF Inclusion Task Force to advise the Foundation as it seeks to promote social and economic justice through an inclusion lens. More... |
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SPOTLIGHT ON ATKINSON PARTNERSHIPS |
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Acting in Good Faith
Atkinson Partnerships for Faith and Social Justice
+ other recent grants
Canada's social conscience has traditionally been well served by the work of many progressive faith leaders and their communities. They are part of a long legacy of committed faith-based activists who see the struggle for wider social and economic justice as fundamentally rooted in their basic values and beliefs. |
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To sustain and revitalize this kind of work, inter-faith alliances that reflect the growing diversity in Canada and that find common ground on social justice are crucial. There is much to learn and to gain from more opportunities to expand the scope of the dialogue about faith and social justice.
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ATKINSON FELLOWSHIP IN PUBLIC POLICY |
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Atkinson Fellow set to tackle aging dilemma
Focusing on "the demographic tsunami" due to hit North America in the next decade, Toronto Star feature writer Judy Steed is the recipient of the 19th annual Atkinson Fellowship in Public Policy.
Steed asks the question: Where are the best places in the world to grow old, and why? Her focus is on the transformative models in Canada and in Northern Europe, where she'll travel to Denmark, Sweden and Great Britain to examine their leading-edge approaches to caring for senior citizens in the community. More... |
Judy Steed, Atkinson Fellow |
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CANADIAN INDEX OF WELLBEING |
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Measuring What Counts to Society
World Forum calls for new ways to measure progress, writes Roy Romanow |
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Around the world, a consensus is growing about the need for a more holistic way to measure societal progress - one that accounts for more than just economic indicators such as the Gross Domestic Product and takes into account the full range of social, environmental and economic concerns of citizens.
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Dying for a Home
New book by Atkinson Economic Justice Fellow Cathy Crowe speaks out on housing and homelessness
Cathy Crowe always wanted to be a nurse but she never planned to be a street nurse-a title she continues to use to evoke the horror of homelessness in a rich country like Canada. In Dying for a Home Crowe brings us the voices of ten homeless activists advocating for change. The word homeless conjures many stereotypes, but rarely does it suggest bravery, courage, charisma, or intelligence, qualities demonstrated by each of these determined individuals. More... |
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Real Poverty Experts Learn to Speak
(Voices from the Street) Toronto Star Columnist Carol Goar writes about program that equips men and women who have experienced poverty and homelessness to speak out, challenge society's stereotypes and become community leaders. More...
A Conflict of Interest:
How Canada's biggest banks support predatory lending
(ACORN Canada) New report calls for regulation of the payday lending industry and greater community investment from Canadian banks. More...
Ontario's Schools: Where do we go from here?
People for Education's 2007 Annual Report on Ontario's Schools examines what's working well and what needs improvement in Ontario's publicly funded schools. With new data on everything from libraries to physical education, fundraising to test scores, it asks the question: Where do we go from here? More...
Time to Complete Medicare Vision
(Canadian Doctors for Medicare) It's time to make Tommy Douglas' vision for a Second Stage of Medicare take hold in Canada, said Dr. Danielle Martin at Completing the Vision. The Second Stage of Medicare conference. The Second Stage focuses on "keeping people well" by transforming health services and increasing the focus on health promotion and illness prevention. More...
Labour laws trapping workers in poverty
(Workers' Action Centre) "Working on the Edge," a new report that documents workers' experiences, shows that low wages and outdated labour laws are trapping too many workers in poverty. The report offers a detailed policy agenda to bring fairness to Ontario workplaces. More...
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ATKINSON FOUNDATION E-BULLETIN 30.11.07 |
MARCH 2007
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20.03.07 |
ACF e-bulletin
Featuring news, views and updates
from the Atkinson Charitable Foundation
and its partners. |
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IN THIS BULLETIN... |
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A richer way of measuring wealth...
CIW featured in upcoming World Forum...
PARC Recipient of Ruth Atkinson Hindmarsh Award
+ 2007 Award Nomination deadline |
Spotlight on Partnerships: Child Care...
Making Our $ Count for Social Justice
Our partners in the news...
Scroll down for more... |
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CANADIAN INDEX OF WELLBEING |
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A richer way of measuring wealth
New well-being index would complement traditional GDP |
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From the Toronto Star: The Ice Storm of 1998 is the biggest single event in Canadian history to boost the Gross Domestic Product, a simple totalling of all goods and services in the economy that is the most-used measure of the economy.
It's this irony - that rebuilding in the wake of devastation is good for the economy - that is in large part fuelling an ambitious attempt to produce an alternative to the GDP, one that balances economic growth against a much larger and more comprehensive set of numbers to tell us if we are truly better off. It's called the Canadian Index of Well-being. More... |
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CIW to be featured in World Forum |
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The Canadian Index of Wellbeing (CIW) will be in the spotlight during June 2007's OECD World Forum on Statistics, Knowledge, and Policy, this time on the theme of "Measuring and Fostering the Progress of Societies: Making It Happen". Roy J. Romanow will be one of the featured speakers during the Forum, where he will discuss the development of the CIW and its significance in Canada. More... |
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RUTH ATKINSON HINDMARSH AWARD |
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Pape Adolescent Resource Centre honoured with major award
The Pape Adolescent Resource Centre (PARC) is the 2006 recipient of the Ruth Atkinson Hindmarsh Award, in recognition of the Centre's 20-year track record in assisting youth-in-care transition into independent living. More... |
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Call for nominations for the 2007 RAH Award - April 16 deadline |
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Every day, hundreds of Ontario organizations marshal their resources to improve the prospects of disadvantaged children who, through no fault of their own, must struggle more than most to realize the promises of one of the world's wealthiest and most advanced societies. The RAH Award celebrates and encourages the heroic efforts of these organizations and provides an annual gift of $50,000 to an organization whose work has significantly improved the wellbeing of disadvantaged children. More... |
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ACF SPOTLIGHT ON PARTNERSHIPS |
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Moving Early Learning and Childcare Along
+ other recent grants
The ACF's vision for a national early learning and childcare program came close to fruition in recent times, with promising action and political will coinciding at the national and provincial levels. |
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The tremendous achievement of a federal-provincial early learning and child care agreement came on the heels of the Ontario government's bold vision for a Best Start program. However, recent shifts in political winds and priorities have resulted in unfortunate setbacks for substantive progress on child care. As we anticipate two senior-level elections in the year ahead, there is much work to be done to till the ground for the next phase of growth for early learning and child care.
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ACF MISSION-BASED INVESTMENT |
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ACF Investments:
Making Our $ Count for Social Justice
The Atkinson Charitable Foundation (ACF) supports a range of projects and activities that further our mission to promote social and economic justice. But where do the financial resources to sponsor those projects come from? When the ACF supports grants to the Worker's Action Centre of example, is it at the same time using its investments to reinforce corporate practices that align with the Centre's objectives? More... |
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The Toronto Star's War on Poverty:
Highlights from our partners |
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St. Lawrence Forum on Precarious Employment - Can you stand the strain?
Tuesday March 20, 2007 7:30-9:30 p.m.
St. Lawrence Centre Forum, 27 Front Street East, Toronto
With Deb Matthews, MPP for London North Centre; Ron Saunders, CPRN; Deena Ladd, Workers Action Centre & others. Moderated by Toronto Star columnist Carol Goar. More... |
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IN THE NEWS...
Ontario Child Benefit essential if young people are to have lives of dignity, free of hunger, say community leaders
Feb 21 - It has been a difficult decade for many low-income community members who have not had the opportunity to share in our province's growing prosperity. The Star's call for an Ontario Child Benefit is a welcome boost to one of the key recommendations from the recent Task Force on Modernizing Income Security for Working-Age Adults. More...
Should We Jack Up Minimum Wage?
Many studies have tried to assess impact but results are all over the map, says Ron Saunders, CPRN
Feb 7 - The minimum wage is getting a good deal of attention in Ontario today, which is a good thing. But is it a silver bullet when it comes to helping the working poor, or should we be approaching increases to the minimum wage as just one part of a broader income security strategy? More...
Never too late for early learning in Ontario
Dec 16 - It is time to connect the disconnected - to see and fund early learning and child care as integral to publicly funded education, not a separate file; to build a real system of cradle-to-grave learning for purposeful prosperity and a better future for all of us, say Margaret McCain and Charles Pascal More...
March 14 - It is hard to imagine that Dalton McGuinty, someone who by all accounts understands the importance of the early years in a child's development, would have nothing to say on this foundational social program in the last budget of his first term, says Elizabeth Ablett. More…
Income Gap Grows Wider
March 1 - The vast majority of Canadian families - almost 80 per cent - are working more and earning less of the national economic pie than they did 30 years ago even as incomes of the richest families are soaring, says a new study to be released today. More from Armine Yalnizyan and the Inequality Project...
Kids hit hardest by economic woes
March 6 - One in six Ontario children is poor and living in deeper poverty than in the early 1990s, a provincial advocacy group says in its annual report card on child poverty. More from Campaign 2000... |
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ACF ECONOMIC JUSTICE FELLOWS |
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Cathy Crowe's Newsletter...
New Book: Dying for a Home - Homeless Activists Speak Out
A project close to my heart is coming to a book store near you! As I write this newsletter a book I have completed with a number of homeless activists has gone to press. It's called Dying for a Home. Homeless Activists Speak Out. (Between the Lines, 2007) and will be released in April. More... |
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WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT ACF? |
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Paying Down The Democratic Deficit, op-ed by Monique Bégin and Allan Gregg in "The Mark" (Feb 23)
More...
Back to the Future: Planning for Transformation, Lecture by Uzma Shakir (Feb 21)
More...
Canada Suffering from a Huge Democratic Deficit (Jan 27)
More...
ACF end of year review... with an eye to 2010 challenges and opportunities (Dec 22)
More...
Quality of Life Significantly Worse for Some Groups of Canadians, new CIW report (Dec 16)
More...
Renfrew County Child Poverty Action Network makes a difference in tough times (Dec 3)
More...
Cindy Blackstock on CBC's The Current: First Nations children receiving unequal funding for child welfare (Nov 23)
More...
Cindy Blackstock awarded Atkinson Economic Justice Fellowship (Nov 23)
More...
Native children flooding into aid societies (Nov 22)
More...
2009 Atkinson Fellowship Series: Brainstorm, by Alanna Mitchell (Nov 2)
More...
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