JOURNEY
TO JUSTICE
By
Joe Gunn
The
chill in the public voice
Most Canadians like something cool in the torrid heat of summer. But not the chill emanating from Ottawa, which has frozen the good efforts of civil society groups across the land.
Major shifts are taking place in the federal government’s treatment
of groups that make up what is known as “the Third Sector.”
Canadian charities and non-profit groups provide valuable social services
to a wide range of people, as well as developing analysis and expertise
on issues that are crucial to the body politic. These organizations
contribute greatly to the wonderful matrix of modern Canadian society,
fulfilling roles that governments will not, and in many cases churches
can no longer perform.
We can all name a range of groups we support and count on, probably
beginning with our local parish community, but perhaps few of us realize
the impact this sector has as a whole.
Canada has more than 161,000 charities and non-profits. Together, they
contribute seven per cent, or over $100 billion, to this country’s
GDP. (As a comparison, this totals more than Canada’s retail sector.)
In 2007, 84 per cent of us supported charities with our donations, providing
a total of $10 billion for work we all felt was important and worthy.
And various levels of government also supported charities and non-profits,
in recognition of the excellent community links they have developed
and the unique services they provide.
Political parties of all stripes say they support charities. Those who
believe in downsizing government even hope charities will fill the gap.
But if charities dare to propose change, should they forfeit state funding?
At a June 17th press conference
on Parliament Hill, a new coalition called Voices suggested that the
current federal government has set out to deliberately silence dissent.
Since 2006, Ottawa has consciously de-funded organizations with which
it does not agree on a range of policy concerns. Women’s groups
(some 14 have been cut across Canada), policy think-tanks (the Canadian
Policy Research Networks and the Canadian Council for Social Development
have closed their doors) and international aid organizations seem to
have merited special attention.
Readers of the Prairie Messenger
will be aware of the massive cut administered last November to the international
development work of the Canadian churches carried out through KAIROS.
Thirty-five years of collaboration agreements between Ottawa and KAIROS
(and its predecessor church coalitions) has been ended, leaving overseas
partners without funds. Church leaders, including the Catholic bishops,
wrote Prime Minister Harper in February to request a meeting to discuss
this cut. They are still awaiting the courtesy of a reply.
Several international development
groups, like MATCH — the only Canadian international development
organization strictly devoted since 1976 to women’s issues —
are closing programs. Others, like Oxfam, have had their funding delayed
for months on end.
The most egregious cut to
international development groups, however, has been administered to
the Canadian Council for International Co-operation, the umbrella group
of 90 international NGOs (including the Canadian Catholic Organization
for Development and Peace). Effective July 15, due to the federal government’s
funding refusal, CCIC will lay off 17 of 25 staff and will try to sell
its offices. CEO Gerry Barr reports, “What we’re experiencing
here is punishment politics. Speak out against government policy and
risk losing your funding.” (The government announced it will freeze
Canadian aid spending for the next three years. Could anyone interested
in international development be expected to remain silent?)
Alex Neve, Secretary General
of Amnesty International Canada also decries these cuts. “Without
a diversity of voices you will have weakly debated public policy —
increasing the likelihood of bad public policy.”
I work at Citizens for Public Justice, an organization that receives
no government funding but does encourage thoughtful public debate on
the critical issues of the day. We believe there is a legitimate role
for citizens to play in holding their governments accountable. A robust
democracy needs an active civil society, or politicians cannot fully
represent us all.
Most Canadians recognize
that charities they support need to be fiercely partisan on the issues
that concern them, but strongly non-partisan politically. Would we really
want a society where only the rich get to have their voices heard? Government
funding can help to level the playing field — or slant it.
It may seem self-serving
for particular groups to complain after they have lost funding. More
to the point, it is up to all of us to ensure that democratic practice
remains healthy and vibrant. Social change is needed in our country,
and around the world, in order to create societies that are more just,
more equal and respectful of the rights of all. This is legitimate civic
activity, worthy of government support.
And as Christians would say,
to work for justice is also the very measure of our faith.
Gunn is the Ottawa-based executive director of Citizens for Public Justice, www.cpj.ca, an ecumenical social advocacy organization.
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