Social Justice
Economic Justice
"The corporate revolution will collapse if we refuse to buy what they are selling...their ideas, their version of history, their wars, their weapons, their notion of inevitability. Remember this: We be many and they be few. They need us more than we need them. Another world is not only possible, she is on her way. On a quiet day, I can hear her breathing." |
SIGN ON TO THE MAKE POVERTY HISTORY CAMPAIGN: |
Exposing the Face of Corporate Power… and the CEOs who pull the strings How to use this poster (www.socialjustice.org) as a teaching tool: What do you see? What is valued in this picture, in our society? What don’t you see in this poster? What is not valued in this picture, in our society? Who does the work – at what wage, in what country, with what resources, in what conditions? Where are the young adults in this picture? Where are the women in this picture? Where are the people of colour in this picture? When you view the profits, what do you think about current minimum wage levels? What are some of the measures of ethical business practices? What can you do to reflect ethical business practices in your life, e.g. responsible investment, participatory shareholding? |
Canada's Economic Timeline
DATE |
1800 |
1900 |
1910 |
1920 |
1930 |
General economic and cultural impressions |
Industrial Revolution economic dislocation rise of union movement |
urban reform movement immigration |
suffrage automobile world war I wage dependence west settled railroad |
prohibition women’s vote women=people stock market reservation system |
fascism depression socialism Hitler |
social programs |
|
public education public health |
|
|
|
what gave rise to social programs |
1848 Communist Manifesto 1881 Riel Rebellion Elizabethan Poor Laws |
|
1917 Russian revolution 1919 Winnipeg general strike |
1920 social unrest unemployed men |
1931 CCF (farm and labour) 1934 Regina Manifesto Social Credit movement 1935 Bank of Canada Act |
economic busts and boons |
1850-74 railroad boon 1874-96 global depression |
1896-1920 wheat boon (leads to speculative investment) |
migrant labour railway boon
|
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1929-39 Great Depression |
spiritual trends |
|
|
Social Gospel - Woodsworth, Douglas |
|
United Church founded |
DATE |
1940 |
1950 |
1960 |
1970 |
general economic and cultural impressions |
World War II Baby Boom United Nations patriotism women working |
Cold War peace movement family values National Security state |
civil rights hippies immigration communes Vietnam human rights student movement hetero-sexual freedom Berlin wall anti-war |
oil crisis women’s movement anti-nuke movement structural adjustment programs |
social programs |
1944 Unemployment insurance 1944 Family allowance 1944 Baby bonus |
1952 Old Age Security |
1966-69 Medicare 1966 Canada Pension 1966 Canada Assistance Plan 1968 Student Loan |
|
what gave rise to social programs |
Canadian soldiers return 1948 Communist Manifesto 1949 Chinese revolution World War II |
1959 Cuban revolution |
|
|
economic busts and boons |
1945-mid 60’s Golden Age of Capitalism |
Keynsian economics International Monetary Fund World Bank
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1960-1980 decline |
neo-liberal economics (Friedman) rising unemployment tax loopholes |
elite trends |
|
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neo-liberal think tanks |
media control
|
spiritual trends |
|
|
Vatican II church membership at peak |
ecumenical coalitions |
DATE |
1980 |
1990 |
general economic and cultural impressions |
excess increasing dual income yuppies disposable income greed |
restraint globalization privatization corporate control down-sizing |
social programs |
1989 Unemployment Insurance reductions |
1990 Canada Assistance Plan capped 1992 further UI and CAP cuts, co-op housing ends |
what gave rise to social programs |
|
|
economic busts and boons |
recession interest rates increase free trade |
NAFTA |
elite trends |
zero inflation policies neo-liberal think tanks |
privatization |
spiritual trends |
New Age movement church closings church amalgamations |
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Inter-generational dialogue process: develop timeline by decade and theme, are there other themes you would add where are you on timeline what are the gifts of each generation/decade to what decade other than your own do you relate vis a vis economic perspective how can the different generations/decades relate to one another in developing a vision debrief with another decade
EARNING POWER: CEO pay compare average industrialize wage USA 1960 40:1 USA 1993 149:1 USA 1995 187:1 Japan 1992 32:1 |
TAXES % OF CANADIAN GOVERNMENT REVENUES
1961 corporate tax 21% income tax 32% 1992 corporate tax 7% income tax 48% |
SHARE OF WEALTH: ownership of wealth
Canada 1992 wealthiest 20% owns 68.8% poorest 20% owns -0.3% Global 1960 wealthiest 20% earned 30x poorest 1990 wealthiest 20% earned 59x poorest |
Futuring and the role of the church: what is the current context what forces impact current context (how and why) what can we anticipate in next 5 - 10 years (best and worst case scenarios) what is the role of the church and social movements towards vision what are the signs of hope
Current Context |
Forces that impact (how and why) |
Signs of Hope |
Anticipation next 5 - 10 years |
Role for faith communities |
unemployment globalization individualism poor bashing hunger exploitation of workers privatization |
globalization Bank of Canada down-sizing re-regulation trade liberalization technological change fear - backlash protectionism scapegoating media controlled by corporations entertainment industry capitalism rhetoric of efficiency and competition currency speculation failure to have accountable democracy loss of faith in politics racism |
rise of activism coalitions youth movement emerging solidarity community Canadian identity lowered consumption recycling in cities social unrest faith/justice development media - voice for dissent redefine progress Beijing |
government gets out of social programs rise in crime economic crash |
coalition work providing alternatives community building responsibility tax cut protest stand for non-violence
social protest education grassroots organizing media lobby government |
