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| Path: Main Street : NewsWeek : Op/Ed : Audience Opinions |
With a federal election looming, what do you think are the key election issues that will affect nonprofits and what should charities and nonprofits be promoting as key election issues?
Social conscience, Professional Apathy!It's hard for one to get involved in social issue's; fear of personal or professional persecution is one of the biggest deterrents in our ever so changing society.
It's important to recognize that Canada is in a large economic boom. Opportunities are enhanced for all sectors, the public sector is starting slowly to put money back into it's agencies, the private sector (especially R&D and technology) are booming through the roof. It's important to note that this regeneration in economics has been supported, and even funded in many cases, by the government. While people are pulling out of recession after recession and finding opportunities in the Canadian and global economies - there are still many without! (for a great many reasons, being documented, analyzed and explored further)
Social issues have never been revenue generators, so it is easy for some (perhaps better off - socially adapt) to argue that they are a real drain on the taxpayer. ...but they are fundamental to the countries culture and well being as a whole.
The greater we dare to explore the issues, of course the more we will see. If your organization has established good strategies, and are accountable for your directives, than I think it is really important to push for the funding and the support of the government. Not all is Bliss!
--- Jen Hamilton
Federal Election Issues
to spend at least 50% of the surplus on the following:
- a national childcare program
- at least another 1% on social housing
- money into public transportation
- $30 million distributed for operating funds to Women's centres, rape crisis centres and transition houses
- put back the money cut out of the social transfers to the provinces for healthcare, education and reinforce the rules on the privatization of health care
- increase Old Age Security payments to provide older women with a decent standard of living
- use the surplus in the Employment Insurance fund to increase benefits and provide longer payment periods and improve access (as so many people who have contributed to the fund are denied access to Employment Insurance benefits.
- fund three autonomous national Aboriginal women's organizations to ensure full participation in all significant public policy decisions
- adequate funding to aboriginal women's shelters
- implement a progressive immigration reform to : 1.) provide domestic workers with full immigration status on arrival; 2.)abolish the "head tax" on all immigrants; 3.)include persecution on the basis of gender and sexual orientation as grounds for claiming refugee status
- contribute to the elimination of poverty around the world by: 1.) supporting the cancellation of the debts of the 53 poorest countries (and actually canceling the debt of some countries, instead of waiting until the other members of the G7 agree); 2.) Increasing Canada's international development aid to ).7% of the GDP
- Adopt national standards which guarantee the right to welfare for everyone in need and ban workfare
- Recognize the ongoing exclusion of women with disabilities from economic, political and social life and take the essential first step of funding full access for women with disabilities to all consultations on issues of relevance to women
- establish a national system of grants based on need, not merit, to enable access to post-seconday education and to help reduce student debt
- suspend the sanctions on Iraq and stop patrolling in the Persian Gulf, saving the taxpayers $39 million a year and saving tens of thousands of children's lives in Iraq
---Richmond Women's Resource Centre
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