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Racialized Communities Release Report Card on Toronto Mayoral Candidates
The Colour of Poverty Campaign - Colour of Change Network (COP/C) today releases a Racial Justice Report Card on the top candidates running to be Toronto’s next Mayor.
Between August and September, 2010, COP/C met with all but one of the top five mayoral candidates. Based on these in-person meeting discussions and the candidates’ campaign platform, the COP/C Report Card gives these candidates the grades of “A” to “F” regarding their positions on employment equity, affordable housing/inclusionary zoning, the collection of disaggregated data, public transit, the extension of the municipal franchise to all city residents, improving access to city services and programs, and policies with respect to the promotion of equity, inclusion and sustainable growth in Toronto.
The grades for the candidates still in the race are (in alphabetical order):
Rob Ford – F (who also failed to respond to the COP/C request for a meeting)
Joe Pantalone – B
Rocco Rossi – C+
George Smitherman – B+
“It is important for members of racialized communities in Toronto to elect the right person to be their mayor because of the particular difficulties they face including poverty, racial profiling and substandard housing, etc.,” said Avvy Go, Clinic Director of Metro Toronto Chinese & Southeast Asian Legal Clinic. “We release this report card to raise awareness around these pressing issues, while at the same time providing a tool for the voters to evaluate these candidates,” added Go.
“So far, the media has focused on issues that affect only some Toronto residents, such as homeowners and business people. There has been close to zero coverage on issues that matter to equity seeking groups as well as to the majority of Torontonians,” said Professor Grace-Edward Galabuzi of Ryerson University, Colour of Poverty (COP/C) Steering Committee member. “We need the media and the candidates to shift the focus of this election to what matters to the people who live in Toronto,” said Galabuzi.
“By recording what the candidates have said on such issues as employment equity and strengthening diversity, we can also hold the new mayor accountable for his promise, no matter who gets elected at the end of the day,” said Debbie Douglas, Executive Director of Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants.
COP/C is a province wide initiative to address the growing racialization of poverty and the resulting increased levels of social exclusion and marginalization of racialized communities across Ontario.
For more information, please contact:
Avvy Go, MTCSALC at (416) 971-9674
Amy Casipullai, OCASI at (416) 322-4950 (ext. 239) or (416) 524-4950更多精彩文章及讨论，请光临枫下论坛 rolia.net
Racialized Communities Release Report Card on Toronto Mayoral Candidates
The Colour of Poverty Campaign - Colour of Change Network (COP/C) today releases a Racial Justice Report Card on the top candidates running to be Toronto’s next Mayor.
Between August and September, 2010, COP/C met with all but one of the top five mayoral candidates. Based on these in-person meeting discussions and the candidates’ campaign platform, the COP/C Report Card gives these candidates the grades of “A” to “F” regarding their positions on employment equity, affordable housing/inclusionary zoning, the collection of disaggregated data, public transit, the extension of the municipal franchise to all city residents, improving access to city services and programs, and policies with respect to the promotion of equity, inclusion and sustainable growth in Toronto.
The grades for the candidates still in the race are (in alphabetical order):
Rob Ford – F (who also failed to respond to the COP/C request for a meeting)
Joe Pantalone – B
Rocco Rossi – C+
George Smitherman – B+
“It is important for members of racialized communities in Toronto to elect the right person to be their mayor because of the particular difficulties they face including poverty, racial profiling and substandard housing, etc.,” said Avvy Go, Clinic Director of Metro Toronto Chinese & Southeast Asian Legal Clinic. “We release this report card to raise awareness around these pressing issues, while at the same time providing a tool for the voters to evaluate these candidates,” added Go.
“So far, the media has focused on issues that affect only some Toronto residents, such as homeowners and business people. There has been close to zero coverage on issues that matter to equity seeking groups as well as to the majority of Torontonians,” said Professor Grace-Edward Galabuzi of Ryerson University, Colour of Poverty (COP/C) Steering Committee member. “We need the media and the candidates to shift the focus of this election to what matters to the people who live in Toronto,” said Galabuzi.
“By recording what the candidates have said on such issues as employment equity and strengthening diversity, we can also hold the new mayor accountable for his promise, no matter who gets elected at the end of the day,” said Debbie Douglas, Executive Director of Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants.
COP/C is a province wide initiative to address the growing racialization of poverty and the resulting increased levels of social exclusion and marginalization of racialized communities across Ontario.
For more information, please contact:
Avvy Go, MTCSALC at (416) 971-9674
Amy Casipullai, OCASI at (416) 322-4950 (ext. 239) or (416) 524-4950更多精彩文章及讨论，请光临枫下论坛 rolia.net