History

The Canadian Social Welfare Policy Conference is a bilingual national event that has been held biennially since 1982 at different universities in Canada. The purpose of the conference is to advance a social development agenda in Canada by strengthening a community of interests and knowledge among researchers and policy-makers working for government, the voluntary sector and universities.

The Conference, which attracts an average 300 participants, uses plenary panels, workshops, round tables and paper presentations to build links between research and policy. Past conferences have addressed timely issues on the policy agenda:

• The 10th conference, Wealth, Health and Welfare: Tensions and Passions, held in Calgary in June 2001, focused on the link between health and social policies.

• The 9th conference, Between Hope and Doubt, held at the University of Montreal in June 1999, looked at alternatives to the neo-liberal agenda.

• The 8th conference, Social Policy, Security, and Citizenship: Changing Roles and Defining Goals, held at the University of Regina in June 1997, focused on social policy responses to the pressures of globalization, economic restraint, and increasing diversity.

• The 7th conference, Remaking Social Policy: Staking Claims and Forging Change, held in June 1995 at the