Showing posts with label research. Show all posts
Showing posts with label research. Show all posts

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Open Invitation to the public to discuss the No To CETA campaign

Over the summer a few of us from the Occupy Movement decided to start up a No To CETA campaign.  We prepared a video, gave ourselves a name  (Citizens Against CETA), set up a blog page and formed a partnership with the Council of Canadians.  Read more in this article published by The Independent. 

On October 3rd, at 7:30 in the Oak room at the Lantern, we, along with the local chapter of the Council of Canadians, are holding a meeting for their members and any concerned citizens wishing to get involved or learn more.  The purpose is to look at strategies to get the message out, both to the public and the politicians.

Watch the informational video HERE.

Read more about the problematic implication of Investors Rights (and the precedents that have been set under NAFTA) for CETA.

The federal government is hoping to have the deal signed by the end of the year so there is a real sense of urgency. We hope to see you at the meeting. Your expertise and ideas are needed. 

Saturday, January 7, 2012

The Spirit Level: Why More Equal Societies Almost Always Do Better


This best-selling book by British researchers Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett makes the case that high levels of income inequality lead to a wide range of health and social problems in modern wealthy societies (click here to see an excellent presentation these ideas by Wilkinson). The book is full of charts like the following (all based on peer reviewed research)
 

Surprisingly, these health and social problems do not correlate with average income

Thursday, December 22, 2011

Brian Topp's Tax Proposal

It is rare to hear a Canadian politician speak about tax increases in non-apologetic tones, so it was refreshing to read federal NDP leadership candidate Brian Topp's policy paper Bringing Balance and Fairness to Canada's Tax System.  His proposal responds to many concerns expressed by the Occupy movement, with tax increases focussed on the 1%.

The specifics include:

Saturday, December 3, 2011

Information Round Up on Basic Income

A basic income is an income unconditionally granted to all citizens, without means testing or work requirements. Basic income programs have several advantages over alternative social security programs, such as providing greater security, requiring less administration, and presenting fewer perverse incentives. Advocates for basic income have included Martin Luther King, Bertrand Russell, Milton Friedman, George McGovern and John Kenneth Galbraith. In Canada, basic incomes have the support of the Green Party of Canada, Conservative Senator Hugh Segal, and was recommended by the Trudeau appointed MacDonald Commission.


Basic income guarantees often take the form of either a citizen's dividend or a negative income tax, which we now describe.

Thursday, December 1, 2011

Students Exploring Inequality in Canada


This website (maintained by Dr. Robert Sweeny) is an experiment in public history pedagogy, focussing on social and economic inequality in Canada in recent decades.  The site mostly consists of course projects by MUN students exploring struggles for equality in Canada.  These projects are complemented by reading lists, web links and graphics developed for use in these courses.

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Information round-up on #CETA

The Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) is a proposed free trade agreement between Canada and the European Union. It has had very little media attention or public debate - most Canadians have never heard of it. However, its far-reaching agreements, once passed, will be nearly impossible to amend or back out of. This is why more public debate and discussion is essential, yet the CETA negotiations have been happening behind closed doors with corporations at the helm.


Saturday, November 26, 2011

Occupying Violence

One of the most common criticisms that I have come across about Occupy Wall Street and the Occupy movement in general is that the Occupiers are misguided and that they do not seem to have a message or a real request for change. The CBC's Kevin O'Leary, for example, referred to author Chris Hedges as being a “left-wing nut-bar" because of Hedges' support for and involvement with the movement.

Such comments are common. They are also powerful: not in their reasoning or logic, and not in being well-constructed. They are powerful in their ability to ignore the discussion and dismiss it.

To counter this, the simplest thing to do would be to not be taken in by it. Not being taken in by it, however, requires something else. In this case, that 'something else' is an expansion of how we understand violence.

Monday, November 14, 2011

Income Inequality Information Round Up



I've gathered together some articles and other resources dealing with income and wealth inequality.



Inequality within Countries.

How Inequality Harms Societies. (video)

IF YOU VIEW ONLY ONE THING, WATCH THIS VIDEO. This is a TED lecture by Richard Wilkinson, arguing that once a country gets sufficiently wealthy, the average well-being of society ( stuff like crime rates, literacy, life expectancy, mental illness, etc. ) no longer depends on how much money a society has, but on how that money is distributed.   I think this is an important message, because it shows that inequality is not only unjust to the poor, but is also really harmful to society at large. For more depth, consider reading The Spirit Level: Why More Equal Societies Almost Always Do Better by Wilkinson and Pickett.

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Bill C-11 Information Round-Up

From the FB Group:

I would like to bring something to everyone's attention, an upcoming bill that will have a direct affect on all of us. Bill C-11, called the "Copyright Modernization Act". You may have heard about an earlier incarnation of this bill, called "C-32"; this is the exact same bill, word-for-word. It is being pushed largely by lobbyists representing U.S. interests, and there is evidence to suggest this lobbying is largely funded by U.S. corporations.

Friday, October 28, 2011

Robin Hood Tax

From Robinhoodtax.ca :



Omnibus crime bill C-10 information roundup

Since our Kill the Bill event is fast approaching (November 4th!), I thought it would be helpful to round up some more background information.

To start with -- the bill itself, the Government Press Release, and the Department of Justice Backgrounder. 

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