Monday 28 February 2011
Nothing About Us Without Us
NOTHING ABOUT US WITHOUT US: A social inclusion and participatory declaration from the Saskatoon Anti Poverty Coalition
“The poor cannot wait for the rich to issue the call for justice. We need to get poor people involved in the changes themselves.” -Jeffrey Sacks-
Because those who live in poverty:
-suffer from social exclusion and are regularly excluded from the decisions that affect their lives and those of their brothers and sisters
-have the right to meaningfully participate in decision making on issues affecting them
-have unique expertise and experiences and have a vital role to play in defining the health, social, legal, and research policies that affect them
Those who live in poverty must:
Be supported when demonized and attacked in the media and by the community because of who they are
Be supported in fighting the fear, shame and stigma that keep them from fully participating in our communities
Be supported to develop the skills and knowledge necessary to be good peer educators and advocates
Be valid and valued participants in consultative processes, as well as in decision making or policymaking bodies and advisory structures dealing with issues affecting them
Be involved in research that affects them, through community review committees and community consent processes.
Poverty is not just about income, but is also about access to safe and affordable housing and other aspects of human life which are so important to human dignity. Any program that merely meets the physical needs of a poor person, or even provides a job, is not by itself a true development program unless it leads to the unfolding of his or her creative energy and personal development.
We all must call on ourselves, our civic, provincial, and federal governments to take action so that everyone’s health and human rights are respected, protected and promoted, and we all are involved in all decisions that affect our lives.
“DOES” Guideposts: A Checklist for Participating with and Engaging Poverty’s First Voice
In both poor and rich countries, poverty is more than a lack of money. In 2001 the World Bank interviewed 60,000 people in 47 countries about what relief of poverty meant to them. The answers were: Dignity, Opportunity, Empowerment, and Security (DOES). Poverty means not participating fully in society and having limits on leading the life one values.
We, the members of the Saskatoon Anti Poverty Coalition, believe that people with experience of poverty have a particular contribution to make to poverty discussions and anti-poverty action. At the same time, we are not saying that only those living on low incomes have something to say about poverty, or that they alone have a right to talk and/ or write about it. Instead we want to stress the importance of an inclusive approach to poverty, which recognizes the validity of all voices seeking to challenge poverty.
The following checklist provides six (6) ‘DOES’ guideposts which should be regarded as essential to communicate when engaging people with low income (poverty’s first voice) in any poverty reduction initiative or project:
Guidepost #1Identify how people get involved:
What participation options are available e.g. committee member, focus group,
survey / written input, public speaking, or leadership?
Are there options which require a smaller time commitment?
Are there options which allow for one time participation and other options for ongoing
participation?
Identify how all participants will feel their contribution is equally valued, regardless of their income.
Are people with experience living on limited low income given equal opportunity to take leadership?
Who, if anyone, are “poor” participants expected to represent?
Guidepost #2Identify support(s) that value people’s time and reduce barriers to inclusion and participation:
Is there a budget for transportation (bus, mileage, and parking) and child care?
Are there wages or honoraria for participation?
Will healthy food be provided, either snacks or a meal?
Are all of these items advertised to all potential participants?
Guidepost #3Acknowledge labelling and maintain safety and dignity of all participants:
Are participants asked to identify their income level or experience, either privately to receive compensation or publicly through story telling or media work?
If so, is this necessary?
Are participants asked to use the word “poor”, or any similar word, to describe themselves?
Is there a discussion about how and why people are identified as “poor”?
Are participation options provided that allow people to avoid being labelled, such as opportunities with no income barriers?
Guidepost #4Identify how participants make a difference:
Is the initiative open to a change in direction based on the input of all participants?
What decision-making power, and responsibilities, if any, do participants living on limited low income have?
Guidepost #5Identify ratio of those with limited low income and others:
Are there enough people with experience living on low income participating to make their participation comfortable and for a broad range of voices to be heard?
Guidepost #6Identify relationships:
Do paid and unpaid participants have opportunities to develop relationships with each other?
Nothing About Us Without Us is reproduced here on behalf of the Saskatoon Anti-Poverty Coalition:
a coalition of concerned citizens and organizations who are dedicated to addressing the causes and effects of poverty.
Phone: 955-5095
Email: antipoverty@sasktel.net
Saskatoon Anti Poverty Coalition is comprised of representatives with the lived experience of poverty (First Voice) as well as organizational representatives from: Riverbend Inner City Ministry, Saskatoon Health Region (Public Health and Primary Health), Canadian Red Cross, Elizabeth Fry, Child Hunger and Education Program (CHEP), Quint Development Corporation, Equal Justice for All, Saskatoon Housing Coalition, Indian and Metis Friendship Centre, Canada Without Poverty, Saskatoon Food Bank and Learning Centre, Saskatoon United Way, Saskatoon Community Clinic, Rainbow Community Centre, Poverty Free Saskatchewan, Saskatoon Multi-faith Social Justice Circle, Saskatoon Friendship Inn, and Saskatoon Faith Churches/communities.
“The poor cannot wait for the rich to issue the call for justice. We need to get poor people involved in the changes themselves.” -Jeffrey Sacks-
Because those who live in poverty:
-suffer from social exclusion and are regularly excluded from the decisions that affect their lives and those of their brothers and sisters
-have the right to meaningfully participate in decision making on issues affecting them
-have unique expertise and experiences and have a vital role to play in defining the health, social, legal, and research policies that affect them
Those who live in poverty must:
Be supported when demonized and attacked in the media and by the community because of who they are
Be supported in fighting the fear, shame and stigma that keep them from fully participating in our communities
Be supported to develop the skills and knowledge necessary to be good peer educators and advocates
Be valid and valued participants in consultative processes, as well as in decision making or policymaking bodies and advisory structures dealing with issues affecting them
Be involved in research that affects them, through community review committees and community consent processes.
Poverty is not just about income, but is also about access to safe and affordable housing and other aspects of human life which are so important to human dignity. Any program that merely meets the physical needs of a poor person, or even provides a job, is not by itself a true development program unless it leads to the unfolding of his or her creative energy and personal development.
We all must call on ourselves, our civic, provincial, and federal governments to take action so that everyone’s health and human rights are respected, protected and promoted, and we all are involved in all decisions that affect our lives.
“DOES” Guideposts: A Checklist for Participating with and Engaging Poverty’s First Voice
In both poor and rich countries, poverty is more than a lack of money. In 2001 the World Bank interviewed 60,000 people in 47 countries about what relief of poverty meant to them. The answers were: Dignity, Opportunity, Empowerment, and Security (DOES). Poverty means not participating fully in society and having limits on leading the life one values.
We, the members of the Saskatoon Anti Poverty Coalition, believe that people with experience of poverty have a particular contribution to make to poverty discussions and anti-poverty action. At the same time, we are not saying that only those living on low incomes have something to say about poverty, or that they alone have a right to talk and/ or write about it. Instead we want to stress the importance of an inclusive approach to poverty, which recognizes the validity of all voices seeking to challenge poverty.
The following checklist provides six (6) ‘DOES’ guideposts which should be regarded as essential to communicate when engaging people with low income (poverty’s first voice) in any poverty reduction initiative or project:
Guidepost #1Identify how people get involved:
What participation options are available e.g. committee member, focus group,
survey / written input, public speaking, or leadership?
Are there options which require a smaller time commitment?
Are there options which allow for one time participation and other options for ongoing
participation?
Identify how all participants will feel their contribution is equally valued, regardless of their income.
Are people with experience living on limited low income given equal opportunity to take leadership?
Who, if anyone, are “poor” participants expected to represent?
Guidepost #2Identify support(s) that value people’s time and reduce barriers to inclusion and participation:
Is there a budget for transportation (bus, mileage, and parking) and child care?
Are there wages or honoraria for participation?
Will healthy food be provided, either snacks or a meal?
Are all of these items advertised to all potential participants?
Guidepost #3Acknowledge labelling and maintain safety and dignity of all participants:
Are participants asked to identify their income level or experience, either privately to receive compensation or publicly through story telling or media work?
If so, is this necessary?
Are participants asked to use the word “poor”, or any similar word, to describe themselves?
Is there a discussion about how and why people are identified as “poor”?
Are participation options provided that allow people to avoid being labelled, such as opportunities with no income barriers?
Guidepost #4Identify how participants make a difference:
Is the initiative open to a change in direction based on the input of all participants?
What decision-making power, and responsibilities, if any, do participants living on limited low income have?
Guidepost #5Identify ratio of those with limited low income and others:
Are there enough people with experience living on low income participating to make their participation comfortable and for a broad range of voices to be heard?
Guidepost #6Identify relationships:
Do paid and unpaid participants have opportunities to develop relationships with each other?
Nothing About Us Without Us is reproduced here on behalf of the Saskatoon Anti-Poverty Coalition:
a coalition of concerned citizens and organizations who are dedicated to addressing the causes and effects of poverty.
Phone: 955-5095
Email: antipoverty@sasktel.net
Saskatoon Anti Poverty Coalition is comprised of representatives with the lived experience of poverty (First Voice) as well as organizational representatives from: Riverbend Inner City Ministry, Saskatoon Health Region (Public Health and Primary Health), Canadian Red Cross, Elizabeth Fry, Child Hunger and Education Program (CHEP), Quint Development Corporation, Equal Justice for All, Saskatoon Housing Coalition, Indian and Metis Friendship Centre, Canada Without Poverty, Saskatoon Food Bank and Learning Centre, Saskatoon United Way, Saskatoon Community Clinic, Rainbow Community Centre, Poverty Free Saskatchewan, Saskatoon Multi-faith Social Justice Circle, Saskatoon Friendship Inn, and Saskatoon Faith Churches/communities.
Media Boot Camps
Media Boot Camps are intended to teach people how to use cell phones and lap top computers, (and any other digital recording devices they may have access to) to get and to upload video recordings, Twitter tweets, or FaceBook updates. With a little training and confidence, regular citizens are replacing reporters and Saskatoon's first voice will be ready to take advantage of the open and free internet to generate its own media.
Media Boots Camps will help Saskatoon's First Voice be part of developing new models of media, news, social interaction, and civic presence. And will continue to envision ways to exploit our modern technology, and further build our community presence.
In 2010, the media boot camps took the form of opening the SAPC office to volunteers who for a few hours began helping people to use the lap-top computer, navigate the internet, send and receive emails, read and contribute to blogs and begin familiarizing themselves with popular social media such as Twitter and FaceBook. In 2011, the Media Boot Camps are targeting a larger number of participants by looking to those most familiar with the technologies (i.e. youth) to be the teachers - and the media boot camps will be hosted at various locations around Saskatoon and at various times of day in order to accommodate a larger variety of potential citizen journalists.
The project isn't flying as the crow flies, we're getting used to a country mile!
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