Bringing A-bit of Good News for Anyone Looking for an Upcoming Anti-poverty Protest!
By – Kendall Worth!
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| https://www.facebook.com/events/479715960470114/ |
In a previous blog post I talked about the following:
“It is clear that Benefits Reform Action Group (BRAG) is not going to be meeting/Back up and Running by January 11th, 2022. So, for the third year in a row (unless I can find some other Advocates/activists/community members to protest outside Province House on the day the Finance Minister is going to be reading the Budget) then anyone who is advocating for getting the income assistance increased, or advocating for a better system, through Department of Community Services, is NOT going to be Protesting outside the Nova Scotia Legislature.”
Well the good news is, even though BRAG is not yet back up and running, I have learned today - Wednesday March 16th, 2022 – that several other organizations have come together and organized a protest rally to take place outside of Province House on March 24th 2022 which is when the House starts sitting again. This protest is going to be about asking the Government to please put Anti Poverty on the Agenda.
I want to take a moment here to personally thank the following groups for organizing what is taking place outside of Provence house on the 24th of March:
The Halifax/Dartmouth District Labour Counsel
PADS Community Network
ACORN
The Disability Rights Coalition
The Labour Federation
First – I want to express sadness that no participation from BRAG is going to be present at this protest. With the BRAG group meetings not yet back up and running, and with poor communication with-in the BRAG group, it is down right difficult to even ask even one of the BRAG members to be present.
And Furthermore, it can now be safely said, everyone in the BRAG membership, are past members.
I want to take the opportunity to give the following up-date regarding BRAG’s Future. I just want to let readers know that over these past few weeks, myself and the current Social Work intern at the North End Community Health Center have been trying to contact the past BRAG membership. I myself successfully got in touch with 2 past BRAG members and the Social Work intern also heard from a couple more. It is sad for me to have to report that none of the past BRAG membership has any interest starting the group up again. However, what I can safely say is the vibe myself and the current Social Work intern got, is that the original BRAG membership, especially the first voice membership, during their active time, saw too many poor responses to our work. Like this article explains, "It affected their mental well being to the point that they cannot handle BRAG or advocating in any capacity anymore." Of course, no increase in the Income Assistance rates does not help their situation, either.
However, I am not ready to admit that BRAG is shut down for good. I am currently in talks with some people who have never been to a BRAG meeting but, as I explained in this more recent Worth Matters BLOG, these people have followed the work of BRAG through Social Media and they want to see the work of BRAG Continue. So a new group might be getting started up to replace the former BRAG Group.
I will provide more information/updated in a future BLOG Post! I will talk in that BLOG about the wider picture of the new group, and what we need to do differently than the Old BRAG did in the past.
Moving on!
A lot of solutions in the area of of anti-poverty need to be found and implemented. As we has seen over these past few months and years, the population of homeless people has increased. The income assistance rates are not enough to live on. We have also been hearing stories from people that their mental health has got worse, given the situations we have been dealing with over these past several months. Everything that has been happening gives one a gut feeling that people who were middle class are now starting to feel what it is like to live as if they were income assistance recipients. Prices too high – income too low.
I am happy to hear that this protest has been organized because something needs to be done to address all these many issues that affect people in poverty, and more people falling into poverty.
So join if you can!!!
NOON on Thursday March 24th outside Province House (Prov Legislature - 1726 Hollis) . Bring placards and signs. Make demands. Raise the Rates! For more see: https://www.facebook.com/events/479715960470114/
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