By Alan Broadbent, Maytree Opinion, November 2011

The Occupy Wall Street movement has puzzled many people. The lack of organization, elaborated message, or visible leaders has left some people asking for more, and the presence of young people with no clear political or social agenda in the tent parks has left others wondering if it is just a dropped-out caravan.

The simple message of the 99% facing off against the 1%, the vast majority against the very rich who have corralled the bulk of the wealth created in the last quarter century, seems pretty clear, but is portrayed as not enough of an analysis.

But the data doesn’t lie. The gap between the richest and the poorest has been growing, as has the gap between the richest and the rest. And in the developed world the middle class has been disappearing.

Maytree has published Five Good Ideas: Practical Strategies for Non-Profit Success. Featuring a collection of the best ideas from their Five Good Ideas sessions, it's sure that you’ll find the book a handy quick-reference guide.

About the book

It’s no secret. Managers working in the non-profit sector wear many hats and have to be awfully good at doing many things. One day you’re asked to be a communications expert, the next you’re handling the HR duties of your organization, and then, without blinking an eye, you balance the books.

But how can you even begin to learn so many things in a time-effective way?

Five Good Ideas book as your go-to non-profit management handbook. Whether for a deep read, or quick reference, keep it handy in your top right desk drawer.

Read an excerpt from the book (PDF)

Visit Maytree to find where you can buy the book.

BY Peggy Taillon, President and CEO of Canadian Council on Social Development

Some have said that Occupy isn't about anything. That convenient and short-sided response is missing what has led to this unprecedented movement. Occupy is about all of us, its about the fact that we have become a have - have not society, this is the new global pandemic, and our governments are not ramping up their rapid crisis response systems.   This is about the reality that prosperity and opportunity will soon be out of reach for our eroding middle class.

This is about people, people and their economic structures that are not meeting their needs; people and their governments who do not understand their needs; and people bumping into systems that are not designed to meet their needs. This is about fear, real fear that shortsighted policies are reaping havoc with our future.

This Occupy "Thing" continues here

Read the Ottawa Citizen article, Occupy challenges all of us

From the Mowat Centre for Policy Innovation

We are pleased to present the final recommendations of the Mowat Centre Employment Insurance Task Force.

We undertook this project because we believe that the time is right to revisit Canada’s system of assistance for the unemployed. At the core of our recommendations is a belief that a new national framework is required, one that is more transparent, effective, and equitable.

We have come to this conclusion because of the failure of the current program to keep up with a variety of societal and economic changes. It is widely recognized that there are deep problems at the core of the system. Too many people are being left out of Canada’s social safety net, too many are carrying an unfair burden, and too many are not achieving their potential. 

Now is the time to move forward with transformative change to a foundational piece of Canada’s social safety net.

In the report you will find our proposals for improving the support system for the unemployed in Canada. Our recommendations are principled, based on evidence, fiscally prudent, and are a product of intensive consultation with workers, employers, and Canada’s leading experts.

The proposals are designed for a modern Canada—one that provides support for people who need it and encourages development of a dynamic labour force necessary to compete in the global economy.

The Task Force is an independent effort, outside the constraints of government. Successive governments have been unable to act on the need for structural reform to the system. We offer this blueprint as a way forward. We are hoping that you will join us in advocating for a new federal support system for the unemployed.