Humanists for Social Justice and Environmental Action supports Human Rights, Social and Economic Justice, Environmental Activism and Planetary Ethics in North America & Globally, with particular reference to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other Human Rights UN treaties and conventions listed above.

Wednesday

LGBTQ+ rights 'going backwards' around world, warns UK envoy

LGBTQ+ rights 'going backwards' around world, warns UK envoy
As gay and transgender rights gains stall in places such as Hungary and Singapore, Britain's first Special Envoy on LGBT Rights Nick Herbert voices concern about the global outlook 

 LONDON, March 29 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Gay and transgender rights are going backwards in parts of the world, Britain's first special envoy on LGBT Rights has warned, as Hungary implements an anti-gay law and equality reforms in Singapore and Bermuda are blocked. 

 Hungary recently passed a law banning the "promotion" of homosexuality or gender identity to minors, following in the footsteps of Russia, while in February Singapore's highest court dismissed a challenge to the city-state's gay sex ban. 

 Earlier this month, London's Privy Council - the highest court of appeal for British territories - ruled that Bermuda's ban on same-sex marriage was allowed under the island's constitution. "It's important to realise that there are some countries where human rights issues are a real concern, where they are going backwards," Nick Herbert told the Thomson Reuters Foundation in a video call.

OHS Condemns Attack on the Ukraine

The Ontario Humanist Society (OHS) joins our Humanist friends worldwide in condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. 

OHS calls for Russia to cease its illegal and unprovoked actions, and to cease all challenges to Ukraine’s independence. Russia must terminate its violation of international law and of the UN Charter, and withdraw from Ukraine immediately. There is
 no justification for this aggression and the cost will be borne by innocent Ukrainians.

As Humanists we can NOT turn away from this humanitarian crisis. We encourage OHS members to stand behind the Ukrainian people through the many opportunities available to us, some suggestions are listed below. Our Ethical Actions Committee will further examine steps we can take to continue to show our support for Ukraine.

If you would like to donate to support Ukraine, here are some charities that you might wish to consider:

Canada/Ukraine Foundation  
Ukrainian Red Cross 
Canadian Red Cross Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal
The Canadian Government will match all donations by Canadians dollar-for-dollar, to a maximum of $10 million.
United Nations High Commission on Refugees Canada

If you would like to provide input into Canada's response to the situation in Ukraine:  
Write to our Prime Minister
https://pm.gc.ca/en/connect/contact 
Or seek out an on-line petition that supports your point of view. 

Thank you for joining the OHS board in condemning this travesty that is unfolding before us.

Thursday

Ontario Allliance to End Homelessness Budget Submission to Govt of Ontario

 https://www.oaeh.ca/news/budget-submission-to-minister-of-finance-and-president-of-the-treasury-board/

 Send Letter

Pre-Budget Submission to the Government of Ontario

February 2022

Delivered to:
Hon. Peter Bethlenfalvy
Minister of Finance and President of the Treasury Board
Government of Ontario

Contact:
Kaite Burkholder Harris, Daphna Nussbaum, Jennifer van Gennip
Co-Chairs, Ontario Alliance to End Homelessness
info@oaeh.ca

About OAEH

The Ontario Alliance to End Homelessness (OAEH) is a network of 50+ communities, agencies, and individuals dedicated to preventing and ending homelessness in Ontario.

Our Issue

Housing affordability is one of the most pressing issues in cities, towns, and rural areas all across Ontario. There are a number of compounding factors that have allowed the costs of housing to far outpace average wages. As an alliance to end homelessness, our focus lies largely on non-market supply and demand, relied on by those on very low incomes to meet their human right to housing. This government has spent millions of dollars providing shelter accommodations throughout the pandemic. As that funding winds down and shelters return to pre-pandemic capacity, thousands of individuals and families face life on the streets without funding and housing units to transition them back into housing.

The province has the opportunity in this budget to take decisive steps that can prioritize those who find themselves without a safe, affordable place to call home. New investments and regulatory reform are both needed.

Our Recommendations

  1. Investments in both capital and operations. Municipalities need increased provincial contributions for affordable housing development. There is also an ongoing need for the province to invest in operating grants for affordable housing providers, especially supportive housing providers.
  2. Increased social assistance rates. Ontario’s social assistance programs, including Ontario Works (OW) and the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP), are a targeted solution to poverty in this province. But when the social assistance rates are out of step with the costs of living, people remain trapped in poverty with few choices to better their circumstances. Currently, a single person on OW receives just $390/month for housing.
  3. Renewed and expanded rent supplement programs. According to the March 2021 Housing and Homelessness Programs Report from the Financial Accountability Office (FAO), the province currently only provides rent supplements for approximately 40% of the households identified as being in core housing need. The same FAO report shows the provincial portion of all housing programs averages only 0.3% of the province’s expenditures. Rent supplements are currently provided through three main funds slated to end in the next two years.
  4. Transitional supports from provincial institutions. Youth aging out of care, patients being discharged from health care institutions, and people being released from incarceration often end up homeless or underhoused due to the lack of transition supports. 
The under-investment in the housing needs of low-income Ontarians is contributing to the large increase in the inflow into our homelessness systems, and severely impacting communities ability to re-house people. We are all aware that it is more cost-effective to offer financial support to provide individuals with housing than to house them in shelter beds so providing deeply affordable housing benefits us all. We are asking the province to invest in a healthier, more resilient Ontario through this budget with permanent solutions for those experiencing, or at risk of experiencing, homelessnes