June 1 – 7th is our second annual Supporter Drive Week. Help us continue to be your local source for alternative policy ideas and analysis.
When was the first time you heard about the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA) Manitoba? It may have been through the community-based research we do in inner city Winnipeg. This past year marked the 10th anniversary of the State of the Inner City Report . The State of the Inner City Reports celebrate community-based development and advance progressive policy alternatives put forward by those working and living directly in the community. These reports continue to have the highest downloads from our website and are used widely by community practitioners and policy makers alike.
There is much knowledge and wisdom in the community. Through partnerships, we are able to bring attention to the complex issues people in poverty face, and how government policies can do more to address poverty and social exclusion.
Notably the State of the Inner City Report 2012: Breaking Barriers, Building Bridges highlighted the need for intergenerational and intercultural learning to address the impacts of racism and colonization, long before racism became a mainstream media issue in Winnipeg this year.
Perhaps the first time you heard about CCPA Manitoba was through collaborative research projects we’ve done. This is exemplified in The View from Here 2015: Manitobans Call for a Renewed Poverty Reduction. This comprehensive plan articulates what is needed to reduce, and ultimately end poverty in Manitoba. Through consultations with community-based organizations and coalitions, 48 recommendations map out what is needed to support our most vulnerable citizens to live a life of dignity and participate more fully in society. This report was completed in partnership with the Canadian Community Economic Development Network . To date almost 100 organizations endorsed the report and we are pleased the Premier endorsed the report’s comprehensive approach. Manitoba Budget 2015 acts on 15 of the recommendations and cites the View from Here 2015 in Budget Paper E: Reducing Poverty and Promoting Social Exclusion.
Make Poverty History Manitoba is using the View from Here 2015 as the basis of their efforts in the lead-up to the provincial election next Spring. The View from Here 2015 continues to have an impact: highlighting what governments can and should do to reduce and ultimately eliminate poverty in our province.
If you are involved in the labour movement, you may have heard about CCPA Manitoba through Errol Black, one of the founding members of CCPA Manitoba office and his tireless work to promote social justice and address labour issues at every level. A labour economist, city councilor and member of the Brandon District Labour Council, Errol was a prolific writer and researcher. Last week on May 27th, we were pleased Errol’s son, Tom Black, a labour lawyer spoke at our Annual Report to Supporters in Brandon on his father’s legacy and the tremendous impacts it had on his work.
The cornerstone of CCPA Manitoba has become the Errol Black Chair (EBC) in Labour Issues, established to honour Errol Black’s legacy and to continue his important work. Lynne Fernandez holds the EBC and is involved research on a variety of important topics such as temporary foreign workers and the EBC publishes analysis on topics such as the Canadian Pension Plan. Thank you to those who have contributed to creating this position, it is currently part time. Our fundraising efforts continue. We need your help to make the EBC a full time position so we can provide analysis on issues faced by unions and labour broadly.
Perhaps you’ve seen us in media appearances and presentations and talks; we’ve done over 70 in the past year. We hope you read our analysis of the 2015 provincial budget and 2015 federal budget. Thank you for subscribing to our free fast facts service, we publish weekly to over 1600 subscribers. These and our reports are all available at no charge on our website. And of course folks follow us on facebook and twitter.
We are proud of our organizational and union supporters and over 700 individuals from across Manitoba. We rely on your donations to support progressive research on issue of importance to people who live and work in Manitoba. We need your support to continue to be a progressive voice and community research hub in Manitoba.
Please tell your friends about CCPA Manitoba and encourage them to contribute as well, every donation counts. With your support, you will continue to hear from us into the future.