You’re Invited: Equity Literacy Forum- Towards a Classism Reduction Strategy for Ontario Oct.29, 2014

This video presents Classism in Canada.

  • Classism and poverty in British Columbia and Canada.

put-food-in-the-budget-classism

The Put Food in the Budget (PFIB) – a non-profit organization – invites you to an Equity Literacy Forum on Towards a Classism Reduction Strategy for Ontario, October 29, 2014, 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. at College Street United Church, 452 College Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

The Put Food in the Budget and several other grassroots social justice campaigns will be participating along with faith groups, unions, social planning councils and school boards from around the GTA (Greater Toronto Area) to host Dr. Paul Gorski who will be speaking on Equity Literacy – Towards a CLASSISM Reduction Strategy for Ontario.

The Major Topics of the Forum

  • De-bunking what we already know to be the un-true stereotypes of people living in poverty, which go unchallenged everyday in discourse across our communities and in our schools and institutions.
  • Reveal the systemic and pervasive nature of classism which perpetuates poverty, blames individuals for economic injustices, rejects real change and promotes a widespread reliance on charity to address social issues.

Please RSVP by Friday, Oct. 24th to Vanessa Bilenduke at Community Development Council Durham:

  • Email: vbilenduke@cdcd.org ,
  • Phone: 905-686-2661, ext. 117.

Here is your invite from Yvonne Kelly (Social Planning Council of York Region, Member of Freedom 90 and Put Food in the Budget Campaigns).

“ALL PUT FOOD IN THE BUDGET FRIENDS AND ALLIES

We want to draw your attention below to an incredible all-day event happening in Toronto on October 29th at the College Street United Church. PFIB and several other grassroots social justice campaigns will be participating along with faith groups, unions, social planning councils and school boards from around the GTA to host Dr. Paul Gorski who will be speaking on Equity Literacy – Towards a CLASSISM Reduction Strategy for Ontario. The day will be focused on de-bunking what we already know to be the un-true stereotypes of people living in poverty, which go unchallenged everyday in discourse across our communities and in our schools and institutions. Dr. Gorski and others will go forward to reveal the systemic and pervasive nature of classism which perpetuates poverty, blames individuals for economic injustices, rejects real change and promotes a widespread reliance on charity to address social issues.

We welcome you to join on that day and PLEASE NOTE that we are also still taking donations for this event to offset the costs for those individuals who are living in poverty, who need to travel and might need overnight accommodations in Toronto for the event.

We can accept those donations, payable by cheque, to Community Development Council Durham. You can also donate on our website through paypal by clicking here. If you have any questions please email Yvonne Kelly or call 416-697-4208.

Dr. Gorski has been working with a number of us from School Boards in and around the GTA. He has worked with Toronto DSB in the past and will be doing work with Durham, Halton and York Region on his visit to Toronto from October 23-November 2nd. Our vision is that with school boards being challenged to include and name classism as one of the forms of discrimination that will not be tolerated, social planning councils, grassroots organizations and communities coming together to open up this conversation, that we can begin to take some important steps to put classism on everyone’s radar. It has debilitating effects on our students and parents for one and research shows that the impact of classism, classist attitudes, behaviors and systems add another layer of toxic effect on our learners on top of the challenges of living in poverty. I say that if Poverty is the Injury then Classism is the Insult heaped on top of that already unjust reality for a growing number of people in this province.

We are making the point that if we don’t address classism and the systemic forces that keep poverty in place, we will never truly have an effective poverty reduction strategy in this province – hence the subtitle of our day together on the 29th – Towards a Classism Reduction Strategy for Ontario.

The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives has been a key player in helping us plan this initiative. Community Development Council Durham and the Social Planning Council of York Region of which I am a member have been the lead organizers on this project. Thank you so much for being the connection to the community and inviting colleagues, friends, and those you work with and for, who would benefit from this important day of visioning and planning for a society that stops blaming individuals for systemic inequality and injustice.

Please register for this event and let us know if you might be available and interested on the day for assisting with small working group facilitation or taking notes in the afternoon of the 29th.
Please RSVP by Friday Oct. 24th to Vanessa Bilenduke at Community Development Council Durham:
Email: vbilenduke@cdcd.org
Phone: 905-686-2661, ext. 117
Thank you Everyone. Hoping to hear from you and / or see you on October 29th.
Click here to download your flyer!“

Yvonne Kelly

Social Planning Council of York Region
Member of Freedom 90 and Put Food in the Budget Campaigns

#pfib  @putfoodinbudget
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