People committed to ending poverty in the NWT are gathering in Yellowknife October 5, 6 and 7 to take part in the No Place for Poverty Anti-Poverty Workshop.
More than 80 NWT social justice advocates, political leaders and people living in poverty have been invited to attend. Participants will offer broad, community- based input to guide the design of a GNWT Anti-Poverty Strategy.
Comedian, actor and social justice advocate Mary Walsh will host a screening of the documentary film Poor No More at the Northern Arts and Cultural Centre Thursday Oct. 7 at 7 pm. Walsh narrates the film and will make remarks and invite questions after the screening. This event is open to the public.
A No Place for Poverty warm-up event happens Monday Oct. 4 at 7 pm with an address by Senator Art Eggleton, Chair of the Senate Committee and co-author of “In From the Margins: A Call to Action on Poverty, Housing and Homelessness”. This event is open to the public and will take place at Northern United Place.
The No Place for Poverty Anti-Poverty Workshop is being organized by Alternatives North and YWCA Yellowknife. Twenty six of the NWT’s foremost social justice organizations and political leaders have been working together since late last year to encourage the territorial government to develop an Anti- Poverty Strategy.
“Our society and economy cannot prosper unless the negative costs of dealing with poverty are exchanged for the positive costs of human development,” says Aggie Brockman of Alternatives North, “Other jurisdictions are defeating poverty using anti-poverty strategies. We can do it too.”
