The Social Justice Committee of Montreal

The Social Justice Committee of Montreal (SJC) is a non-governmental organisation and registered charity in Canada. Its mission statement: The SJC is an independent Canadian organization working in international solidarity. Conscious that many of the world's impoverished peoples are victims of social injustice, and inspired by the principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, our mission is to engage Canadians in working for a more socially just world. Currently, the organisation has three main areas of focus: Third World debt relief, mining and corporate accountability, and IMF and World Bank reform. The SJC provides some 50 public workshops each year in the Montreal area, and publishes the Upstream Journal magazine on international development and human rights. The SJC also publishes educational toolkits and organizes a social justice theatre program.

Introduction

The Social Justice Committee of Montreal (SJC) is a non-governmental independent organisation located in downtown Montreal. The organisation provides education and advocacy concerning global poverty, inequality and human rights. Founded in 1975, the SJC has worked to raise awareness of Canadians AbOUT the structural causes of poverty, human rights violations, and other social injustices. The raising of awareness is achieved through holding lectures, workshops, theatre, and other events. Currently, the organisation has three main areas of focus: Third World debt relief, Mining and Corporate Accountability, and IMF and World Bank Reform. The organisation reaches more than 1700 people regularly through email, news, events, and action alerts.

Through the use of public education, the Social Justice Committee has helped individuals and organizations become actively involved in creating a more just global society. Public education focuses on eliminating poverty and human rights violations through informed popular participation that seeks to defend economic, social and cultural rights. The SJC strives toward its goal of social justice by working in solidarity, supporting the struggle for fairness, cooperation, and with the vision of a viable and sustainable world.

Mission statement

The Social Justice Committee is an independent Canadian organization working in international solidarity. Conscious that many of the world's impoverished peoples are victims of social injustice, and inspired by the principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, our mission is to engage Canadians in working for a more socially just world.

Current activities

Third World Debt One current area of focus for the SJC is to raise awareness about Third World debt relief. The SJC recognizes that many third world countries owe large amounts of money to industrialized nations, preventing them from attaining long-term political and economic stability, and hindering sustainable human development. Moreover, when debt relief is promised to eligible countries, it is often slow to arrive due to the numerous conditions that are given to them by agencies such as the IMF and the World Bank.

The SJC notes that most of the countries considered “Third World” were previous European colonies used for resource exploitation to benefit the colonizing country. Around the end of World War II, it was recognized that the global economy needed to be restructured and, as a result, the IMF and the World Bank were established.

The SJC illustrates how money was often loaned in irresponsible ways, for projects that were not beneficial to the citizens of impoverished countries and/or stolen by their leaders. When interest rates skyrocketed, Third World countries became unable to repay the interest on their loans, never mind the loans themselves.

The IMF and World Bank later established structural adjustment programs with the stated goals of moving towards a more comprehensive approach to development including institutional, human, and physical dimensions of development strategy in addition to the initial economic policies. Their aim was to re-emphasize their role as “global poverty alleviators” by placing the emphasis on poverty reduction. Poverty, in this case, refers to not just a lack of income, but also the conditions of “voicelessness” and “vulnerability” that developing nations face. Despite this new focus, however, their approach remained market-centered.

IMF and World Bank Reform SJC's educational programs on World Bank and IMF reform focus on the decision making processes within these institutions that have are undemocratic and lacking accountability. The SJC has endeavored to offer analysis and educational material on the importance of monitoring and evaluation, identifying and eliminating inefficient prerequisites, and focusing on the people of the poor countries themselves through greater human rights protection.

Mining and Corporate Accountability The SJC's solidarity work includes consultation with groups in Central America and public education in Canada. Its aim is to add to “informed popular participation” in Canada in order to ensure Canadian mining companies “better respect the human and environmental rights of the people of Central America” and to “provide international support for Guatemalan human rights groups working on mining and related issues”.

The Upstream Journal The Upstream Journal is a Canadian magazine published by the SJC. Available by subscription and at retailers across Canada, the publication is focused on third world poverty, human rights, and international development. Over the past decade, the publication has reported on issues such as corporate impunity in mining, the role of the IMF and World Bank in the third world, and critiques of Canadian political actions involving the third world. The Upstream Journal is available in full on the internet and is licensed under creative commons. However, a subscription is also available for $12 a year within Canada and $20 a year outside.

Activities and public education The Social Justice Committee provides educational materials and events such as videos, online resources, interactive presentations, and lecture tours. The SJC advocacy program seeks to influence policy makers at the national and international level through participation in and initiation of campaigns with citizens of the Global South. The SJC is a leading NGO in Canada in working towards greater accountability and transparency within the World Bank and International Monetary Fund. It plays an active role in the global movement to regulate Canadian mining companies operating in the South, working with partners in Central America, as well as with coalitions in Canada.

1. Toolkits: The Social Justice Committee publishes an educational toolkit called “A Different World: An Educational Toolkit for Building Global Justice”. The publication is supported by the Canadian International Development Agency and aims to educate secondary students so that they can come more aware of their roles and responsibilities as citizens of the first world.

“A Different World: An Educational Toolkit for Building Global Justice” is a 250-page educational toolkit for secondary school teachers to educate their students so that they can become more aware of their roles and responsibilities as citizens of the first world. The Educational toolkit is divided into two modules; each includes projects, interactive activities fact sheets, and resources on global themes. The first section; “Poverty and Basic Human Needs” explores nutrition and food security, health, HIV/AIDS, and environment and water. The toolkit was presented to approximately 10,000 students in Montreal within the support of the two English school boards.

“Globalisation and Trade” focuses on trade with multinational corporations and issues which globalisation presents. There is also a websites which supports the publication where teachers can access tests, quizzes, a forum, and other teaching resources.

2. Social Justice Theatre: The theatre program has been in operation since 1996 and has performed at multiple venues such as parks, high schools, and theatres. The theatre events are put on to increase awareness and encourage citizens to respond to the structural causes of poverty. The theatre production "The Dictatorship of Debt" focused on the history of and impact of debt on the third world. The play was performed at the Players theatre, La Sala Rossa, and the Atwater library in Montreal.

3. Workshops and Presentations: The Committee offers workshops and presentations which provide an opportunity for people to discuss and learn about third world debt. Currently the organisation offers three workshops: 1) “Who Owes Whom” about the enormous debt that third world countries owe the first world. The workshop is led by a speaker which traces the origins of third world debt from Christopher Columbus, through the Bretton Woods institutions, to the cold war Structural Adjustment Programs. 2) “The Price of Guatemalan Gold” focuses on corporate and social responsibility in the mining industry. 3) "Food Crisis or Trade Crisis" examines the role of trade in development, and its impact on basic needs and food sovereignty.

Membership Members are those who support the organisation financially or in any other way. Students and other volunteers are encouraged to apply for internships and to complete volunteer training for outreach activities. The organisation relies heavily on its members and volunteers, as they perform the prime function of spreading awareness and rallying support.

Volunteers and interns The social justice committee primarily functions off of the work of its volunteers and interns. Volunteers can work in the office by conducting research, helping with promotion of public lectures and conferences. Volunteers can also contribute by working on the Upstream Journal by writing articles, conducting interviews, and help with distribution.

The Social Justice Committee also offers a variety of internship programs that focus on diverse needs including communications, human rights education, corporate accountability, and fundraising and development. The Upstream Journal ofers internships in writing, graphic design and marketing and promotion.

Bibliography

The Front. Social Justice Rocks! http://www.montrealmirror.com/2006/042006/front.html
La Presse Opinions, jeudi, 16 mai 1996, p. B3 (Guatemala : À plus tard les liens commerciaux!)
La Presse Nouvelles générales, mercredi, 1 septembre 1999, p. A17 (La répression militaire s'intensifie au Mexique)
Le Devoir Éditorial, lundi, 17 juillet 1995, p. A6 (La population du Chiapas a besoin d'aide)
Peace and Conflict Resolution. Event Archives “Extractive Industries and Human Rights: Canadian Mining in Guatemala” at http://peace.concordia.ca/eventsarchives/event46.shtml (Accessed, February 24, 2010).
"The Social Justice Committee" http://www.idealist.org/if/i/fr/av/Org/101101-82
The Social Justice Committee of Montreal. Fact Sheet: The Canadian Mining Industry Abroad.
The Social Justice Committee of Montreal. December 2009 Newsletter.
The Social Justice Committee of Montreal. FAQ Sheet.
The Social Justice Committee of Montreal. December 2009 Newsletter.
The Social Justice Committee of Montreal. FAQ Sheet.
Taylor, Marcus. 2009. “The International Financial Institutions”. pp. 152–168.