With Occupy movements, born out of Occupy Wall Street, happening in Canada and around the world, social and economic inequality are on the agenda. More and better jobs, more equitable distribution of wealth, and greater corporate responsibility and accountability are important goals, and the Occupy movements have made great progress in making these issues mainstream. […]
Archives for October 2011
Addressing Systemic Access Barriers: the Potential of Peer Health Ambassadors and other Community-Based Innovation
Addressing systemic barriers in access to care is one of the crucial challenges facing the Ontario health system. One such area is inequitable access to screening and preventative care, inequities that can have devastating outcomes. Some very promising collaborations are underway in Peel Region to improve access to cancer screening for South Asian populations. I […]
Local Collaborations to Advance Health Equity
Building broad local partnerships and collaborations among service providers, community agencies and residents is one vital part of driving health equity into action on the ground. I spoke to a tremendously interesting group coming together in the Jane-Humber area of north-west Toronto. I highlighted the experience and impact of the South East Toronto Organization, a […]
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Public Health, Priority Populations and Driving Health Equity Into Action
Public health have long been leaders in health equity strategy (see Sudbury’s Ten Promising Practices). One key direction has been working with local communities and those marginalized and vulnerable populations facing the most inequitable health outcomes or barriers to services and support. I spoke at an Ontario Public Health Association forum on how to engage […]
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It takes a province to end homelessness: Presentation notes
Yesterday I delivered the keynote presentation to the Newfoundland and Labrador Housing and Homelessness Network conference at Port Blandford on Oct. 26. In my presentation, I warned that the ongoing erosion of federal housing investments will cut vital funding that local groups across Newfoundland and Labrador require to develop effective housing solutions. Working together so […]
Continue ReadingIt takes a province to end homelessness: Presentation notes
Anti-Camping Clause Removed From Proposed Amendments to Toronto’s Streets By-Law
Thanks to quiet efforts by the Wellesley Institute and other advocates for the city’s homeless — including Councillor Mike Layton — a clause prohibiting “camping,” “dwelling,” and “lodging” on Toronto’s streets and in public areas has been removed from the proposed amendments to Municipal Code Chapter 743 (“Use of Streets and Sidewalks”) that will be […]
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One Conference, Two Declarations
“Civil society is fantastic in the sense that they push us” World Conference on Social Determinants of Health Rio de Janeiro, October 19-21, 2011 World Health Organization (WHO) Guest post by Margot Lettner With not one but two Declarations on the floor as the Conference closed, Marie-Paule Kieny, Assistant Director-General, WHO, described the […]
Alternative Civil Society Declaration on Protecting the Right to Health through action on the Social Determinants of Health
With the WHO Conference on the Social Determinants of Health wrapping up today, the official Rio Political Declaration on Social Determinants of Health has just been released. While this will likely garner the most media attention, it is also important to take note of the Alternative Civil Society Declaration on Protecting the Right to Health […]
Housing, homelessness and Ontario’s provincial election: Presentation notes
The Wellesley Institute’s Director of Housing and Innovation, Michael Shapcott, presented to lawyers and community legal workers at a meeting of Toronto legal clinics on October 20 on challenges and opportunities arising from the provincial election. Legal Clinics October 2011 View more presentations from Wellesley Institute.
Continue ReadingHousing, homelessness and Ontario’s provincial election: Presentation notes
Plan to sell-off TCHC homes an 'act of desperation'
As the board of Toronto Community Housing Company meets today to consider a plan to sell-off more than 700 of its homes, leading housing experts – including the Wellesley Institute’s Michael Shapcott – are urging the public housing board, and Toronto City Council, to consider better options. In an article in today’s Globe and Mail, […]
Continue ReadingPlan to sell-off TCHC homes an 'act of desperation'