Politics Matter
Learning Changes, Vol. 3, No. 1 Autumn 2011
Challenge and Change in Hamburg-Wilhelmsburg
by Julie Chamberlain
Social, economic and political issues faced in one part of the world may not be exactly the same as those faced in another, but they sure can be very similar.
This spring I had the opportunity to spend a few months in Hamburg, Germany on a graduate study tour and internship supported by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). I spent the first two weeks with twelve Canadian graduate students, meeting with academics, politicians, and activists.
Learning Changes, Vol. 3, No. 1 Autumn 2011
Mayor Ford's Attack on Municipal Child Care
by Katheryne Schulz
Recently, Mayor Rob Ford announced his intention to shut down Toronto’s municipal child care centres in addition to massive cuts to child care spaces. Why does Ford want to close municipal child care centres in particular, when they are actually a very small part of the child care sector? Toronto has only 55 municipal child care centres compared to 645 community based programs.
Learning Changes, Vol. 2. No. 2 Spring 2011
Personal Reflections on Ekta Parishad, a non-violent social movement
by Ravi Badri
As part of my graduate program in Adult Education and Community Development at the University of Toronto I travelled to India to spend 6 months with a Gandhian non-violent people’s movement. My situation as a person of Indian origin with a western education allows me to traverse different contexts. At the same time, my middle class upbringing and the context of my engagement with the movement limits my ability to become an insider of the movement and the communities I have had the privilege to observe. Hence my reflections are to be seen as my construction of a reality based on my background rather than definite statements that explain a movement. This understanding is bound to deepen and change as I spend more time with the movement.
Learning Changes, Vol. 2, No. 1 Fall 2010
Rooming Houses = Affordable Homes
by Regini David and Sritharan Kannamuthu
For over 21 years, West Scarborough Community Legal Services (WSCLS) has provided legal advice and representation on laws relating to poverty for low income persons in Scarborough. One of the major areas of our work is helping tenants with housing issues. WSCLS currently is working on a campaign along with other housing advocates and organizations on rooming house issues.
Learning Changes, Vol. 1, No. 1 Fall 2009
Housing Politics
by Yutaka Dirks and the Housing Network of Ontario (HNO)
On, September 30th, the final official public affordable housing strategy consultation was held in Thunder Bay. Low-income tenants, agencies, social housing advocates and others closed out the round of official public consultation with calls for a bold long-term affordable housing strategy which meaningfully addresses the deep housing needs in Ontario.
But the official consultation meetings are not the end of HNO’s work, and there are many opportunities to build the movement for affordable housing.