CUPE 2626 is organizing a series of conferences on various issues faced by students and workers. Don’t miss Changing the Game, by the Broadbent Institute‘s Joshua Bizjak. (Read Joshua’s bio.)
The conference takes place on Wednesday, December 6 at 5:30pm, in GSD 307 (third floor above Café Nostalgica). The venue is equipped with an elevator and gender-neutral toilet facilities.
This event is free, open to everyone, and the presentation will be given in English. We also organize a conference in French.
A snack will be served during the event (incl. vegan options). Please contact the Health & Safety Officer at sst-hs@2626.ca with accessibility requests (disability, dietary requirements, etc.), or the Equity & Education Officer at equit@2626.ca with child care accommodation requests.
Conference Synopsis
A few years ago, six to be exact, the Broadbent Institute was born. A progressive policy think tank with leadership training and advocacy built in to take on the right-wing think tanks such as the Fraser Institute and Manning Centre that were influencing public opinion and going unchallenged.
The Broadbent Institute is now Canada’s leading progressive, independent organization challenging inequality and pushing for democratic reform and sustainability, while training of a new generation of leaders to bring in the change we need. With 18 fulltime staff, offices in Vancouver, Toronto, Ottawa, and Montreal, as well as our 65 expert Broadbent Fellows, we can now service the needs of the broader progressive community.
We are proud of Canada’s tradition as a diverse, fair, just, and inclusive society. These values matter to us today and they matter to our future. The vast majority of Canadians share these progressive values. At the Broadbent Institute, we believe that the progressive principles and collective efforts that have made us who we are as a country can inform new ways of thinking and new approaches to government that equip us to address the challenges facing Canadians.
Today we are seeing the rise of dangerous conservative and far-right ideas and policies proposed at various levels of government. Students and workers are told to expect less. Canadians are told to lower expectations of their economic prosperity, meanwhile the top 1% and .5% of the wealthiest in our country and around the world continue to reap vast amounts of wealth never before seen in human history. We’ve got to change this game.
As a non-profit NGO the Broadbent Institute is designed to challenge politicians at every level of government who threaten our public services and infrastructure, our economic stability, and our social harmony.
The vision of Canada we propose is richer, more compelling, and achievable. We know things can be better. We see government pensions, universal health care, trade union rights, and comprehensive unemployment insurance as proof that economic resources can be collectively harnessed and allocated to create greater equality and hence enhance individual freedom and choice. And all of this can only flourish within the context of ecological sustainability.
Our hopes are realistic and realizable. We are pragmatists as much as dreamers. And our fight must continue.
I firmly believe that a majority of Canadians favor progressive policies – and they are looking for new tools to build the Canada we want. The need for a resource like this Institute has never been more urgent. Together, we can change the game.