Dignity for All Officially Launched in Calgary!

Nitsiikaomai'tsii'pa aahkaohkanaini'yimmotsiiyio'si.
I believe in dignity for all.
Je crois à la dignité pour toutes et tous.
NOW is the time to end poverty in Canada.

This is the message that was shared – in Blackfoot, English, French, and Mandarin – with a gathering of close to 500 participants at the Canadian Social Forum on May 22nd in Calgary. Blackfoot Elder Marvin Fox, Canada Without Poverty Board Member Debbie Frost, Canadian Council on Social Development Board member Claude Champagne, and Nicky Liao from the Alberta Network of Immigrant Women, together with Karri Munn-Venn (Citizens for Public Justice) and Rob Rainer (Canada Without Poverty) officially announced Dignity for All: The Campaign for a Poverty-Free Canada.

Through this campaign, we are not only calling for concrete and sustained action by the federal government to combat the structural causes of poverty in Canada. We intend to help shape the very substance of this action. We applaud the important work of individuals and organizations at the local, regional, and provincial levels. We also congratulate the important initiatives in the fight for action on poverty in Canada that have preceded and inspired this campaign.

The campaign is calling for: (1) a federal plan for poverty elimination that complements provincial and territorial plans; (2) a federal anti-poverty Act that ensures enduring federal commitment and accountability for results; and (3) sufficient federal investment in social security for all Canadians.

Dignity for All seeks to mobilize Canadians across the country to send the message to Ottawa that federal action is needed to address poverty in Canada. By supporting Dignity for All, you help strengthen our collective voice and build a better Canada.

Over 350 individuals and organizations signed-on to support Dignity for All within the first few days of the campaign announcement! You can join these hundreds of Canadians by signing on at www.dignityforall.ca, or sign one of campaign postcards and send it back to us.  Need one or more postcards? Email Karri at karri(at)cpj.ca for copies.

What’s next? After you sign on, be sure to spread the word about the campaign to your family and friends.

As a Dignity for All supporter, you can also receive regular campaign updates and find out about how to take action in your community, write your MP and engage with people across the country who share this vision of a poverty-free Canada.

Last week’s announcement of Dignity for All and the corresponding launch of the www.dignityforall.ca website, was an important moment for this exciting new collaboration. In the coming months, we will be spreading the word about Dignity for All and we need your help.

Would you like to serve as a campaign liaison for your church or community? Are you interested in hosting a Dignity for All workshop at your school or workplace? Would you like to organize a prayer service or collection for Dignity for All? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, or if you have ideas of your own as to how you'd like to contribute to the campaign, please contact Karri Munn-Venn at karri(at)cpj.ca or Kelly Law at kelly(at)cwp-csp.ca.

Please forward this on to your friends, family and community! We’re building momentum, and the campaign is growing. Please show your support and share with others.