“I am a huge supporter of the work you are doing to challenge the diversion of funding away from essential human services and other critical national issues in favour of military spending. It is a privilege to be part of your team and help you further your goals! Through my involvement with my church’s Community Drop-in and my experience in fundraising for non-profits, I’ve come to understand that successful advocacy depends on building communities of interest. Community engagement takes knowledge, understanding, empathy and patience. This means reserving judgement and taking the time to listen to other perspectives. A good sense of humor doesn’t hurt!”
Chelsea Mayne
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Re: Carolyn Bennett MP – Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs “Someone needs to ask her why only 2% of her allotted budget had been released and spent. Clearly the money was needed for war ships.”
Anne Millyard
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“Priorities & Choices is a platform for me to learn about and contribute towards socio-cultural issues. I love that this organisation acknowledges that various issues such as Poverty, Military Spending and Peacekeeping are inter-connected. Priorities & Choices gives me the opportunity to practice my faith through the act of service for humanity and the environment.” Maria Cynthia
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“As an Irish national who has recently moved here, my first introduction to Canada was that of surprise and disappointment. In Canada’s largest city Toronto, I was shocked to see the extreme levels of homelessness and poverty lining the streets of downtown morning, noon and night.
In a country that has the fourth highest total estimated value of natural resources valued at $33.2 trillion, I thought to myself why is this such a problem for a country of this magnitude and overall wealth. This gave me the opportunity to dig deeper into how the Canadian government allocates the revenue they generate, not just from the sale of natural resources, but also from citizens’ tax dollars. This is when I found Priorities and Choices.
Priorities and Choices is a non-profit project campaigning for the reallocation of military spending to areas that need it the most, such as affordable housing and clean drinking water for indigenous communities. Having made friends with people of indigenous heritage and seeing so many men, women and children sleeping on the streets, along with young people being crippled with student debt before their professional careers even begin, I can’t help but see that increasing military expenditure by 70% or $32 billion dollars per annum is not the answer to these problems or any problems for that matter.”
Jamie Dunn , Toronto
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“I am passionate when it comes to issues that have to do with improving life for the ordinary person and especially those who are new to Canada. Any decisions political leaders take, directly or indirectly affect me as an immigrant. Social issues such as housing are determined by politics and a cap on military spending and redirecting the funds to social needs will go a long way to provide me a better quality of life as a productive member of the community.”
Jonathan Nshing, Toronto
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