Archive for the ‘Inclusion’ Category

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When it’s too costly even to be poor

Tuesday, September 13th, 2016

… in three remote Ontario reserve communities. They found food insecurity is rampant; people are being gouged by retail monopolies; not enough communities meet eligibility requirements; and there is deficient transparency in terms of data collection… If we are going to incur the considerable expense of subsidizing life in remote northern communities – and evidently we are – let us at least do a competent and effective job of it.

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Human Rights and Charity — Regulatory Challenges

Tuesday, September 13th, 2016

… a charity risks being labelled “political” – and thus non-charitable – if it pursues its mission either solely or even predominantly by advocating that governments behave (or not) in some particular way. The question for present purposes is how, if at all, things change when charities frame their advocacy as a defence of human rights… does human rights advocacy receive special treatment under the doctrine of political purposes?

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The taxman versus the charity, and vice versa

Saturday, September 10th, 2016

What the CRA’s auditors found, instead, was that Canada Without Poverty was devoting a fulsome 98.5% of its financial resources to politically partisan activity… Who doesn’t hate poverty? But what donor, regardless of political stripe, wants his or her charitable donation going almost wholly to fighting politicians rather than fighting poverty?

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Charter Challenge for Freedom of Expression Launched

Friday, September 9th, 2016

The question is, having accepted relief of poverty as a charitable purpose, is the government permitted, under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, to restrict our members from speaking out about the changes to laws and policies that are necessary for our purpose to be achieved,” Ms Farha stated. “We think that’s an infringement of freedom of expression and association for people living in poverty and that’s why we filed this case.”

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Like unions and political parties, charities deserve freedom of speech

Tuesday, September 6th, 2016

An Ottawa-based charity recently filed suit to stop the CRA from stripping its tax-exempt status, on the ground it has been too politically active. Lawyers for Canada Without Poverty argue their client’s constitutional right to free expression is being violated unreasonably. They’re not wrong… Ottawa should drop the audits and modernize its outdated laws. Free speech should apply to all.

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Canadians with disabilities need real work, real pay, real leadership

Monday, August 29th, 2016

A new national policy framework should help enable people with disabilities to attain postsecondary education, to participate in training and vocational rehabilitation and to obtain and hold gainful employment in inclusive workplaces, on an equal basis with other people. Greater attention is needed on workplace practices and the role of disability management, bolstered by federal investments through intergovernmental agreements, grants and tax measures.

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Province must act immediately to support people with developmental disabilities

Thursday, August 25th, 2016

Ontario doesn’t house people with developmental disabilities in dedicated institutions anymore — and in 2013 the province rightly apologized for doing so in the past. But as a disturbing new report from Ontario Ombudsman Paul Dubé points out, in some ways things haven’t changed much. People with developmental disabilities still too often end up in institutions ill-equipped to meet their needs, not by design but as the result of a broken system… people with developmental disabilities must no longer be housed in hospitals, nursing homes or other inappropriate places — or returned to abusive situations.

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Ombudsman Calls For Systemic Overhaul To Help Adults With Developmental Disabilities In Crisis

Thursday, August 25th, 2016

In Nowhere to Turn, the Ombudsman reports on his office’s investigation of more than 1,400 complaints from families of adults with developmental disabilities who are in crisis situations, including being abandoned, abused, unnecessarily hospitalized and jailed… These “extreme and egregious cases” highlight a dire need for greater supports, services and more rigorous monitoring – and amount to “a modern-day version of institutionalization,” Mr. Dubé says in the report.

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What to consider when you consider giving to charity

Wednesday, August 24th, 2016

As a major Oxfam report pointed out earlier this year, in 2015 the wealth of the richest 62 people on Earth was $1.76-trillion and growing fast. Forbes calculates there are 1,826 billionaires in the world, worth a total of $7.05-trillion… In a rational, decent world, [charities wouldn’t] need to go around begging for 10 more dollars to deal with humanitarian emergencies. But it’s not and they do… get angrier about obscene inequality. You won’t be sorry.

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Shelter system bracing for a ‘tidal wave’

Tuesday, August 2nd, 2016

… we’re taking beds out of the system, and we have yet to replace them; and the new standards mean that even more beds will be taken out, all in the name of improvements. The irony: we make things better which makes life will get worse for the men, women and children on the street… “The age of the guys on the street is going up. We have regulars, six of them, who are in their 70s. The average age of our men is 61. The tidal wave is coming.”

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