COMMUNITY SOCIAL PLANNING COUNCIL
OF
MONTHLY NEWSLETTER
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Issue # 42, September
2006
INTRODUCTION
Welcome to the forty-second edition of the electronic newsletter from the Community Social Planning Council of Toronto. At the beginning of each month, this e-bulletin provides news on the activities of the CSPC-T and our partners, as well as access to new research and policy products and networks, in print and web-based forms. We hope it is useful. We value and welcome your feedback at the email address below.
To subscribe to this bulletin, send an email with your name, organization, address, and telephone number to cspc@cspc.toronto.on.ca with the message
SUBSCRIBE MONTHLY NEWSLETTER
If you wish to stop receiving the bulletin, send the message UNSUBSCRIBE MONTHLY NEWSLETTER
If you do not have regular access to email and you wish to receive this bulletin, please contact Margaret Hau at (416) 351-0095 x 211, and she will arrange to send it to you by fax. If you want a printable version of this newsletter, please go to:
http://www.socialplanningtoronto.org/CSPC-T%20Newsletters/Newsletter%202006.htm
Please note
the deadline to submit information for the next e-Newsletter is
September 25,
2006.
CONTENTS
1. News from the Council
2. Upcoming Events
3. News from our Partners
4. Conferences and Calls for Papers
5. Information Resources
5.1 New Reports and Publications
5.2 Websites of Interest
6. Contact Us
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1. NEWS FROM
THE COUNCIL
CSPC-T welcomes new
placement students
It's
September and school is back in session!
We are very pleased to welcome five new placement students to the
Community Social Planning Council of Toronto.
Manh Le, Navjeet Sidhu, Harriet Njiraini and Zachary Tucker-Abramson
from
Manh and
Shivana will be working with CSPC-T Planners on a variety of community
development projects in the former cities of Etobicoke and
Many thanks to summer staff Julie Young and Peta-Anne Fenty for all
their hard work. We wish them well in
their academic programs.
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2. UPCOMING
EVENTS
The
A National Day of Action: Save Federal Homelessness Funding Now
Across
Join us at a Community Speak/Forum, Moderated by Councillor Joe Mihevc, Chair of
Date and Time: Tuesday, September 12th, 12:00-3:30 pm
Location: Church of the Holy Trinity,
For more information,
please contact Julia Chao of Street Health at (416) 921-8668 ext. 228 or julia@streethealth.ca
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The Métis Nation of
2nd Sport
Initiative
Bring your family and come out to an
afternoon of fun – Find Your Sport! Try Them All!
Date & Time: Sunday, September 17th,
starting at 12:00 pm
Location: Christie Pitts,
The event is free
For further information contact Heather
Purdon at: 416-977-9881 or by email: heatherp@metisnation.org
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Melitaville Festival
Volunteers/Performers Invited
The 2nd Melitaville Festival is back by popular demand
Date and Time: September 16th, 11:00 am to 2:00 pm.
Location:
If you or your band is interested in performing at the event, please call Mary Almeida at 416-534-3292.
This year’s festival will include a flea market and craft sale. Tables are renting for $20 each. If you are interested in booking a table, please call Mary Anne Jelonek at 416-912-5758.
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Budget Consultations
The TDSB faces an $84 million budget shortfall this year. How should it address this challenge? Speak to trustees on:
Date & Time: Monday September 18, 7:00 pm to 9:30 pm.
Location: Bloor Collegiate Institute,
Richview Collegiate Institute,
Date & Time: Tuesday September 19, 7:00
pm. to 9:30 pm.
Northview Heights SS,
David and Mary Thomson CI,
· What are your concerns or suggestions about this budget situation?
· What’s important for you in public education?
· What role should the school play in serving community needs?
Your input will be recorded and presented to the TDSB in a report. Please bring us a copy of your remarks.
We recommend that you register in advance. To register, please telephone 416-397-2400, or email consultbudget@tdsb.on.ca with your name, the group you represent if applicable, and your telephone number. Tell us your preferred date and location. Register Early as space is limited. Parents, students, school councils, community groups, agencies, TDSB employee groups and the general public are invited to participate.
You may also submit your comments by email to: consultbudget@tdsb.on.ca
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The Maytree
Foundation
Five Good
Ideas Sessions
Five Good Ideas is a lunch and learn program where experts discuss powerful yet practical ideas on key management issues facing non-profit organizations. The sessions are most useful for management staff and board members at small and mid-sized non-profits.
Leadership
Rocco Rossi, CEO, Heart and Stroke Foundation of
Wednesday, September 20, 2006, 12:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Challenging Racism in Organizations
Tina Lopes,
Consultant and Author of Dancing on Live Embers
Thursday,
October 19, 2006 – 12:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Managing Risk
Derek Ballantyne, CEO, Toronto Community Housing Corporation
Wednesday, November 8, 2006 – 12:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Go
to: www.maytree.com/fgi/sessions.asp#register
to register for one or more of the workshops.
Location: St. Michael's College - Elmsley
Hall, Charbonnel Lounge
81
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JVS
Annual General Meeting (AGM)
JVS Toronto cordially invites you to their JVS 59th AGM and 60th Anniversary kick-off!
Date: Wednesday, September 20
Location: Sala Caboto,
For further details visit: http://www.jvstoronto.org/index.php?page=148
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Campaign For Public
Education (CPE)
CPE
The 3rd Annual CPE (Pre-election) summit – Advancing Quality Public Education will feature:
Date & Time:
Sunday, September 24, 10:00 am – 2:00 pm
Location:
For further
information visit the CPE’s website at: http://www.campaignforpubliceducation.ca/
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Federation of
Metro Tenants' Associations
World
Housing Day
With rising rents and decreasing numbers of
rental units we are seeing more and more people living hand to mouth, or on the
streets. The housing crisis is fuelled by a lack of planning for social housing
on the municipal level, the erosion of tenant protection on the Provincial
level, to the Federal government's broken promises regarding a National Housing
Strategy. More and more people around the world are being displaced from their
homes in the name of urban renewal, beautification and mega development.
Organizers around the world are getting ready to speak up about these issues
and more in October, and we want add our voices. Organizers and advocates from
the Federation of Metro Tenants' Associations, the Advocacy Centre for Tenants
Ontario, The Wellesley Institute and the Association of Community Organizations
for Reform Now are working on some suggestions for a campaign around Global
Tenants Day on October 2, 2006.
Join us in bringing tenant and housing issues to the forefront on that day.
For more information, contact Emmy Pantin at: 416-646-1772
or emmy@torontotenants.org or
visit www.torontotenants.org
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Women’s
Intercultural Network (WIN)
Traditions
in Transition Video
WIN, an umbrella organization whose members
are women from diverse racial, cultural, and ethnic communities has embarked on
a video project to record the experiences of senior immigrant women in
For further information or an application
form, kindly contact Olga Gil at: 416-766-6858
or via email: olga.gil@sympatico.ca
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The
Health Action
Assembly
The Assembly will include:
Local Coalitions Report
State of
Questions and Answers with Provincial Politicians
2007 Action Plan
An Awards reception will follow
Date and Time: Saturday,
October 14, registration begins at 9:00 am
Location: 519 Community Centre,
For further information contact the Ontario Health Coalition at: 416-441-2502 or email: ohc@sympatico.ca
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The
Join us for an evening with Maude Barlow and Naomi Klein, joined by Natalie Mehra, and moderated by Dora Jeffries, the coalition co-chair.
Date & Time: Friday, December 1 at 7:00 pm
Location:
For further information contact the Ontario Health Coalition at: 416-441-2502 or email: ohc@sympatico.ca
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A
Live History of Canadian Democracy
Using stand up comedy, theatre games, historical re-enactment, kazoo, clown and drum, PEACE, RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS is a tour de force, audience participation, flashpoint chronology of one the most enduring democracies in the world.
Participants
will receive a copy of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms at the end
of the workshop.
For more information, please visit the Sharon Temple of Peace National Historic Site website at www.sharontemple.ca or call Cara Reeves at: 905- 478-2389 or 905- 967-2920 (cell)
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3. NEWS FROM
OUR PARTNERS
As part of its commitment to helping newcomers settle and integrate, UWGT has been offering a Newcomer Grants program since 1999 to provide funding supports to agencies serving newcomers and refugees.
Information packages are available online at: www.unitedwaytoronto.com (Grants & Funding). To download the Application Package you will need a Password (NC2006)
Request for Information
(RFIs) due date: Thursday September 14, 2006 at 12 noon
RFIs will not
be accepted by fax or e-mail
If you have any questions or need further
clarification, please contact Leigh Robinson at 416-777-1444 ext. 597.
For questions about the
Newcomer Grants, please contact Fawzia Ratanshi or Radha Nayar at 416 -777-2001.
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2006 Vital People Grants
The Toronto Community Foundation's Vital People grant awards
program is now accepting applications. The Vital People program supports and recognizes individuals who
are making an outstanding contribution through non-profit organizations and
helping to keep
Vital People recognizes valued leaders whether they’re focusing their energies in one neighbourhood, community, issue or field of pursuit such as the arts, social services, health, education, environment or recreation. The program provides grants of up to $5,000 that can be used towards formal training or other informal development opportunities that best enable these individuals to build their skills or knowledge or apply their experience in different ways to enhance their leadership contributions. Grants are available to those just taking on new leadership challenges, as well as those with many years of experience.
We encourage you to nominate a staff member or volunteer at your organization who would benefit from the recognition and support this program offers.
The application deadline is 5
PM, Friday October 6, 2006.
Profiles
of previous grant winners and descriptions their grants are available on the
TCF website at: http://www.tcf.ca/
For grant applications and other information about the grants please contact Sara Lyons at: 416-921-2035 x 204 or by email at slyons@tcf.ca
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The Maytree
Foundation
abcGTA
This is an initiative
of The Maytree Foundation.
The project addresses the current imbalance between the proportion of
immigrants and visible minorities in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) and their
relative lack of representation on the boards of public agencies, boards and
commissions (abc). A web-based
directory of diverse candidates allows organizations to search for potential
board members from various communities.
Are you
from a diverse community? Are you interested in becoming a member of a public
or nonprofit board of directors? Current candidates come from all walks of
life. What they have in common is their commitment to serving the public good.
Volunteering on boards contributes to healthy public debate and engagement. As
a board member, you can help develop solutions, policies and services so that
organizations reflect the interest of all communities in the GTA.
To become an abcGTA candidate or
additional information kindly contact Katarina Vukobratovic at: 416 944 2627
ext. 229 or email kvukobratovic@maytree.com
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The Maytree
Foundation
Maytree
Public Policy Training Institute
The
Maytree Public Policy Training Institute is an innovative learning program
designed for individuals and organizations with a demonstrated interest and
engagement in public policy. The objective of the program is to provide
participants with the knowledge and skills required to develop, influence and
monitor public policy on issues relevant to their communities of interest.
The
Institute begins in October 2006 and will offer a comprehensive five module
training series of one and two day sessions over a six-month period.
For program guidelines and
application forms go to: www.maytree.com/MaytreeInitiatives/ppti.htm
For more
information contact Anita K. Srinivasan at: anita.srinivasan@maytree.com or
by telephone: 416- 944-2627 ext. 245
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McMaster University, Women’s
Studies
Disabled Women's Experiences of
Employment and Employment Assistance Survey
You are invited to
participate in a survey on disabled women's experiences of employment and
government employment assistance in
This research is
keenly interested in advancing our understanding of the challenges disabled
women face in finding and keeping paid work, the kinds of assistance with
finding and keeping a job that they have received from government, and the ways
in which such assistance can be improved
The survey can be accessed by following this
link:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=355352400999
For further information, kindly
contact: Dr. Vera Chouinard,
Director, Women’s Studies & Professor of Geography,
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Urban Studies Program at
Election
06: What Future For
This is
a crucial election for the people of
A series of 11 Tuesday night forums at Innis will
explore the issues facing
Date & Time: September
18 – November 20; 6:30 – 8:30 pm
Location: The Innis
Café,
Speakers include:
David Crombie, Marvyn Novick, Joe Berridge, Paul Bedford, Mayor David Miller
The first of a series
of 11 forums opens on September 18, 2006 with Mayor David Miller facing
challengers in an open debate from 7:30 - 9:30 pm.at
For more details
visit: www.canurb.com
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Help Us Let People Know How to Confirm Their
Eligibility to Vote
The City of
In July, the City
received the preliminary list of electors for the 2006 municipal election from
the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC). Provincial legislation requires the City of
In an attempt to
increase the accuracy of municipal voters’ lists, MPAC underwent a data
matching process with the National Register of Electors maintained by Elections
Canada to verify the eligibility qualifications of individuals in its
database. This data matching process
resulted in the identification of 277,000 individuals in
The City is conducting
an extensive communications campaign and mailing a letter to every affected
individual. The letter (which includes
information in the 17 languages approved by Council for election purposes)
explains that the individual’s eligibility to vote is unconfirmed and requests
that if they are an eligible elector, they complete the declaration on the back
of the letter and return the document to the City by September 8th.
Individuals who
confirm their eligibility to vote with the City will remain on the voters’
list; individuals who do not will either have to complete an application to add
their name during the revision period (September 5 to November 13) or when they
go to vote.
No eligible elector
will be disenfranchised from their right to vote. Everyone who is entitled to vote in the City
of
You can help us get
the message out to individuals who may be affected by posting the attached
flyer in a prominent location or sending it to your organization’s members.
We appreciate your
assistance with this matter. If you
require additional information or have any questions, please call 416-338-111
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4. CONFERENCES AND CALLS FOR PAPERS
RUCKUS!
Youth Activism and Anti-Racism Conference and Events
Call
for Workshop Proposals and Involvement -
Ruckus! Anti-racism
conference is an annual conference and series of events held in the Greater
Toronto Area for high-school aged youth to address the lack of inclusion into
current social justice, community and environmental advocacy movements.
The project aims to
critically examine multiculturalism, race and social justice and introduce
participants into existing community work, and to provide spaces to find
creative ways of bringing anti-racism principles into community-based social
justice and environmental advocacy. Practically, we want to address "what
specifically can youth do" to become active in their communities. Ruckus!
also brings together community organizations and initiatives by youth under
one-roof to show-case the amazing work that is already being done with the
hopes of attracting more youth to "Do Something".
We are seeking both
organizations and youth who are interested in conducting a workshop at the
conference. Proposals should be no longer than 1-2
pages.
Launch
Party and Events: September 17th – 20th, 2006
Conference:
September 22nd and 23rd, 2006
For more
information Contact Erica Stillo at: 416-316-1327 or stillo.erica@gmail.com
or visit: http://www.youthactionnetwork.org/ruckus
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Education for Sustainable Development Forum
The United Nations Decade of Education for
Sustainable Development (2005 –2014) is a complex and far-reaching
undertaking with enormous environmental, social, and economic implications. Its
goal is to integrate the principles, values, and practices of sustainable
development into all aspects of education and learning. This will, in turn,
encourage changes in behaviour leading to a more sustainable future in terms of
environmental integrity, economic viability, and a just society for present and
future generations.
There are many groups and networks working
towards all of these ends and several new initiatives are underway to focus on
Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), including an Ontario ESD Working Group
and the U.N.-designated Regional Centre of Expertise in
Pre-register no later than September 12, 2006
Date and Time: Thursday, September 21, 9:00 am – 4:00 pm
Location:
For a copy of the invitation
and registration form, go to the Ontario Working Group section of the LSF
(Learning for a Sustainable Future) website at http://www.lsf-lst.ca/en/pwg/ontario.php
or email esd_ontario@lsf-lst.ca or Kim Peters
at 416- 392-1848 or kpeters@toronto.ca
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The FCJ Refugee Centre
Conference on Gender and Migration
This conference will be unique in style and purpose, setting up an environment where participants will be challenged by theory, methodology, and a concrete invitation to action and practice.
Date: Thursday September 28th
Location: The
Brigantine Room, Harbourfront Centre
For more details or to register visit www.fcjsisters.ca/refugeecentre
or contact Heather Lash at: 416.469.9754 or by email: lash@silentspiral.com
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The Centre for the Study of Education and Work,
OISE/UT and The
Conference: Skills,
Jobs and Immigrants: What’s Working, Who’s Working?
This conference will:
· Provide a rare opportunity for participants from
different sectors to meet and discuss common concerns;
· Facilitate the development of more coordinated approaches between employers, labour unions, academics and community workers;
· Offer participants a chance to learn about
innovative projects that are working to move foreign trained professionals into
the trades, professions and occupations; create connections between unions,
immigrants/newcomers, youth, and community organizations; effectively integrate
people into the labour force; and influence policy and programme development;
· Promote the adoption and/or adaptation of successful and innovative approaches to the integration of newcomers into the Canadian labour force, focusing on how learning can facilitate more equitable access to jobs.
Date: October 12-13, 2006
Location: Hart House,
For further information contact Rhonda Sussman at: 416-923-6641 x. 2392
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A Centre for Research on Work and Society (CRWS)
Conference: Serving the New Economy: Critical Perspectives on
Hospitality and Tourism Work
Growth
sectors such as hospitality employ large numbers of women, migrants, and people
of colour, who are often in precarious situations. These workplaces are as much
a part of the 'new' economy as high-technology industries, but they do not
promise the same benefits for marginalized workers.
This
workshop brings together an international group of researchers from a variety
of disciplines and backgrounds to share progressive research on tourism and
hospitality work. The workshop will feature presentations on hospitality work
from a critical perspective in four panels
Date:
October 13-14, 2006
Location: Ramada Hotel and Suites Downtown,
For more
information, please contact Daphne Paszterko at: 416-736-5612 or email paszter@yorku.ca
or visit www.yorku.ca/crws
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Connect! - Exploring the Complexity of Diaspora
The UN mandated University for Peace
(UPEACE) is calling for submissions from emerging artists (less than 6
years of professional experience) for a group show from October 18th to 23rd. The exhibition will
explore the complex notion of diaspora, its multifaceted characteristics
whether it is observed from the country of origin or the host country. As a
catalyser for cultural, political, social and economical dynamics, diasporas
have the capacity to be both tools for peace and tools for conflict. This dichotomy
will be examined by emerging artists using different media to provoke and
stimulate the public dialogue on diaspora.
Connect! is conceived as an inspiring and provocative
companion to the High Level Expert Forum, Capacity Building for Peace and
Development: Roles of Diaspora, being organized by the International
Centre of UPEACE in
For additional information please contact Pierre Terver at: pterver@upeace.org or Pauline Ling at: 416-321-3372. You may also visit the website at: www.upeace.org
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Over the years, trainers and
consultants from the community, private and government sector as well as staff
from member agencies of the Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants
(OCASI) and from other community organizations have presented many of the
training sessions and other activities at the OCASI Annual Professional
Development Conference.
OCASI invites you to submit a
session proposal for this year’s Professional Development Conference
Date: October 18, 19 and 20, 2006
Location:
The full text of the Call For Proposals is on the OCASI website at:
http://www.ocasi.org/index.php?qid=895&catid=166
en
français: http://www.ocasi.org/index.php?qid=896
For further
information please contact Afua Marcus, Tel 416-322-4950, ext 250, Fax
416-322-8084, or e-mail conference@ocasi.org.
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Art for Real Change Festival (ARCfest) 2006
5 Day Festival
ARCfest is a Social Justice Arts Festival that will
be held from October 23rd-29th in multiple venues in the Queen West Art and
Design District and Parkdale neighbouroods in
We are looking for provocative, radical,
inspiring, empowering, innovative and/or enlightening works from across the
artistic media (i.e., film, poetry, performing arts, music, visual arts and
anything else you consider art). Proposals must address local social justice/
activist/human rights issues.
We encourage projects that are co-created or
co-produced by an artist together with an organization involved in social
justice pursuits (though this is not a requirement)
ARCfest is committed to supporting equity and
embraces submissions from diverse communities.
For more
information: email info@arcfest.org
or visit our website www.arcfest.org
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Building Bridges - A Labour Studies Conference,
This conference seeks to bring together academics, movement leaders and activists and artists to analyse the sources of division within and between labour and social movements, and to foster strategies for building more effective forms of solidarity. This conference will also be taking place at the same time at the 9th Annual Windsor Labour Arts Festival.
Date: February 2-3, 2007
Location:
Call for Participants
If you are interested in being a participant either as a Panellist or Discussant or for additional information about the conference, kindly contact Dr. Alan Hall at: hall4@uwindsor.ca, or Dr. Stephanie Ross at: stephr@uwindsor.ca, by August 15, 2006.
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5. INFORMATION
RESOURCES
5.1
New Reports and
Publications
National Council of Welfare (NCW)
Welfare Incomes 2005
The National Council of Welfare’s report, Welfare
Incomes 2005, paints a dismal picture, and one that is getting worse. When
adjusted for inflation, many 2005 welfare incomes were lower than they were in
1986. Most welfare incomes peaked in 1994 or earlier. Some of the losses
between the peak year and 2005 are staggering, with one-third of households
losing $3,000 or more. Five provinces—
In 2005, the income of a single employable
person on welfare in
In July 2006, the National Council of Welfare
recommended that the federal government work to develop a national,
comprehensive anti-poverty strategy. The
findings in Welfare Incomes 2005 argue compellingly that we need to embark
on this process immediately.
The complete report is available at: http://www.ncwcnbes.net/htmdocument/reportWelfareIncomes2005/WI2005ENG.pdf (PDF file -116 pages)