International, national and local experts on poverty and economic security will meet at a conference in Regina on
June 6 and 7 to determine better ways to ensure economic security for people in Saskatchewan. “Economic Security for All in Saskatchewan: Weaving an Unbreakable Social Fabric” is being co-organized by the Department of Justice Studies of the University of Regina, and several community-based organizations that form the Regina Anti-Poverty Network.

“This is an exciting opportunity to hear some new ideas that can lead to practical solutions for Saskatchewan,” says conference committee chairperson Professor Jim Mulvale of the Department of Justice Studies.

The conference, which is being held in the University of Regina’s Education Auditorium, will address hot topics such as the strength of Canada’s social safety net and universal government programs. The keynote speaker, Dr. Yannick Vanderborght from Belgium, will provide examples of how the much-debated basic income or guaranteed annual income could benefit Saskatchewan. The opening session on June 6 also includes a presentation about the PhotoVoice project in which women living in poverty took photos portraying their lives.

Sessions on June 7 will include presentations by: the Hon. Buckley Belanger, Saskatchewan’s Minister of Community Resources; Ms. Debbie Frost, from Saskatoon, who is President of the National Anti-Poverty Organization; and Mr. Rob Rainer, Executive Director of NAPO. Workshops will develop recommendations that will benefit people with disabilities, rural people, women, and Aboriginal people. Discussions will also be held concerning access to better-paying, more secure jobs, activism for poverty reduction, protecting and extending universal programs as “public goods,” and how economic security can help achieve environmental sustainability.

“Having a stable and adequate income is an obvious priority for people with low incomes. Having an adequate income enhances health and well-being in many ways through better housing, better food and reduction of stress,” says Joanne Havelock of Prairie Women’s Health Centre of Excellence. “And having an adequate income enables women, men and children to be included and full participants in our society, benefiting everyone.”

To learn more about the conference, please visit the website at http://www.uregina.ca/arts/justice-studies/esc/index.html or call Jim Mulvale at 585-4237 (office), 585 0174 (home),
529 0105 (cell).