Over 20,000 voices for Canadian aid
A great guest post from ONE member Sarah Stone in Waterloo, Ontario:
I recently had the privilege to travel to Ottawa with ONE and represent the thousands of Canadians who lent their voice to the petition calling on Prime Minister Stephen Harper to honour his commitments to the world’s poor and protect Canadian foreign aid in the coming budget.
I, along with Engineers Without Borders (EWB) representatives Robyn Chatwin-Davies and Christopher Weller had the opportunity to meet with MP Lois Brown, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of International Cooperation Bev Oda, to present the petition and discuss the work of EWB and ONE.
ONE member Sarah Stone (right) presents the petition to MP Lois Brown, along with Robyn Chatwin-Davies and Christopher Weller, volunteers of Engineers without Borders.
I shared with her how I became involved with ONE and that as a Canadian, I felt that it was a moral imperative that we continue to fund and support development programs in the world’s poorest nations.
Our message was well received and we left the petition (signed by 20,626 people!) with MP Brown, which serves as a tangible example that Canadians are globally minded and that they value and support Canada’s involvement in funding development programs around the world.
I along with other Canadian ONE members will now be waiting for the impending budget announcement from the Minister of Finance on March 29.
Thank you to everyone who signed the petition. Thanks to your efforts we are being heard!
Sarah Stone
ONE member, Waterloo, Ontario
 |
 |
 |
About the Blog
The International ONE Blog is a daily log of the anti-poverty movement. The site is operated by ONE staff, with guest contributions from ONE volunteers, members and allies.
The content of each post and each comment represents the views of that author and does not necessarily reflect the views of ONE. ONE does not support or oppose any candidate for elected office, and any post expressing support or opposition for a candidate is not endorsed by ONE.
08/03/2012 at 3:04 pm
We are a very rich country and we need to share our wealth.
08/03/2012 at 3:14 pm
Thanks to Stephen Harper’s cuts to CIDA, more than 100 charities cannot continue to support their overseas projects and have laid off staff (I worked for World Literacy Canada and 4 out of 6 staff have lost their jobs in Canada as well as lay offs at our school in Varanasi, India and our health and food distribution programs are also being cut. (http://www.worldlit.ca/2012/01/28/world-literacys-cida-funding-not-renewed/). THIS is the reality The Harper government said their policy is to create jobs in Canada but he is in fact, cutting them in the areas where they are needed most.
08/03/2012 at 4:18 pm
Thank you Sarah ! For the work you do…and I hope this turns out positive
I truly believe we should help the poor …No one, really should be left out 
Good luck 
08/03/2012 at 4:24 pm
Have you any idea how much the government has cut back on welfare in this country. In Manitoba the max is $500.00 a month for rent, food, bills. I think you need to start focusing on this country and how the government treats Canadian citizens. A disgrace! Shameful! I despise this country.
08/03/2012 at 6:49 pm
Way to go, Sarah!!!! So proud of you!!!!!
08/03/2012 at 7:45 pm
THANK YOU SARAH! And Thank you to all who signed this petition including myself. YAY! It is in Ottawa and now…..we await the budget. More than 20,000 people should not be ignored! Harper needs to listen to the people.
08/03/2012 at 8:34 pm
Well done ONE & all, I am now ever the more proud to be called a Canadian! ;D Mrs. Stone, thank you very much for representing ours sentiments & being stalwart through the thick & thin – you have my vote for being a very special women this International Woman’s Day – bravo ! ^-^
08/03/2012 at 10:06 pm
Re Geoff`s comment. I agree with his sentiments, but love this Country despite neo Conservative Harper policies. which do NOT represent the majority of us. Thanks,Sarah!+
09/03/2012 at 12:40 pm
S’il vous plaît, démontrons que nous sommes un grand pays et que nous prenons soin de nos gens. Cessons de mettre notre argent dans les armements et pensons à aider les nôtres afin qu’ils vivent mieux. Merci.
10/03/2012 at 1:03 pm
Stephen Harper’s, you should look not at the people around you but at those people whose poverty stricken country around the world, striving to survive the everyday meal if there’s any. Please do the right thing and to make the right choice is to listen to the 20,000 voices in unison could not be wrong. As i’m one of the member of ONE, I appeal to you with the precognition of the 20,000 voices of your own people to continued with Canadian Aids. Thank you.——–Fandi