~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Today, more and more services are being removed from East Downtown Toronto and the poor are being driven out of the area. The economic crisis and the current national debt will put more pressure on services and on the poor living in East Downtown and other poor neighbourhoods in Toronto over the next few years.
How will people organize themselves today to fight against poverty and to defend neighbourhoods and services? What is the role of social agencies in this struggle? Can poor communities learn from past struggles?
On Friday March 26, community workers, anti-poverty activists, and poor people who live in East Downtown gathered to discuss the various ways in which they can begin to fight for basic needs and services and defend the community. People from other communities were also on hand to share their experiences and struggles in this fight.
For More info on the Downtown East Fightback Campaign, contact them at 416-760-6579 eastfightback@gmail.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Speakers in order of appearance: Moderator AJ Withers, the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty, Bart Poesiat, Parkdale Legal Community Services, Irene Ryner, Central Neighborhood House, Stephanie Massey, Harm Reduction Worker, Esplanade Youth Activists Farshad Azadian & Solomon Muyoboke, Homeless Activist Brian Debardeau, Activist Street Nurse Cathy Crowe, Long- time much-respected anti-poverty activist Gaetan Heroux ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~