Making Poverty Sexy

There is something depressing about having to “sexify” development issues in order to give them the attention they deserve. How can we create the same uproar on young girls enduring exploitation in Saskatoon as is elicited by news of Michael Ignatief's road tour. community must accept the blame - in a corporate ratings race, community stories are sacrificed for politics, for that is considered more newsworthy.

It is time to redefine what is newsworthy. A lot of communities have taken back their power from corporate and political authority and are helping to shift priorities in media practices around the world.

There are many dangerous assumptions at play within the media: one being that people are heartless and do not want to read human-interest stories (code word for development) or that to lure the younger generation of readers/viewers, one has to dumb down. Admittedly, the pressure to conform to what others are doing is immense, especially since so much of what newspapers do is advertisement driven but that does not mean it is impossible to focus on community service in an interesting manner. It requires creativity and leadership, both of which are in ample supply through out Saskatoon.

Name the video..."Who gives a ...?" or somethng just as fun

If you haven' watched it yet, please watch the little "Lets Talk About our Path to Change" video and help us name it better.

Let's Talk About our Path to Change...

Saskatoon's Poverty Reduction strategy is taking shape...but much more needs to be done to bolster the idea of "Nothing About us Without us"

The Saskatoon Anti Poverty Coalition (SAPC) is working hard to be the voice of those experiencing poverty in Saskatoon. The Let's Talk About our Path to Change video is only a start, please lend your voice and ears to the poverty reduction strategy in Saskatoon and Saskatchewan by signing the SAPC petition for a provincial Poverty Reduction Strategy (petition copies available upon request), or by attending the regular SAPC monthly meetings.

Next meeting is Wednesday August 4th. We gather for lunch and conversation at noon and the meeting starts at 1 PM. We meet at St. Paul's Hospital Cafeteria, meeting rooms 1,2,3.

The SAPC phone number is:955-5095

or you can email for more information at: antipoverty@sasktel.net

The SAPC office is open Wednesday mornings from 10:00 AM to noon and is located at the Rainbow Community Centre at Avenue H and 20th.

...lots more to come!!!