JUST PLANET: Laws, Life and Global Crises

Building Up the Human Rights City - Elizabeth McIsaac

Episode Summary

Around the world cities are standing up to local and national governments, demanding rights on asylum, climate change, income equality, disability rights and housing. Elizabeth McIsaac, President of the Maytree Foundation tells us how Maytree is taking action in Toronto and Canada during the many COVID-19 urgencies arising in 2020.

Episode Notes

 When COVID-19 hit Canada in March 2020, Maytree took action to protect the rights of all peoples.  In this episode, Elizabeth McIsaac speaks with host Sukanya Pillay about Maytree's strategies:

• to protect people from being evicted,
• in joining with other organizations on strategic litigation to protect the rights of persons living in homelessness
• to provide income security when jobs were being lost or suspended,
• on why Maytree insists on listening and learning from people with lived experiences,
• at all levels their focus on foundations and building a human rights culture, and
• the important roles of civil society and government in a national crisis.

The Maytree Foundation works to end systemic poverty and structural inequalities by building in human rights-based solutions.  In this lively discussion, Elizabeth reveals some of Maytree's effective strategies for building strong vital communities, working with local, provincial and federal governments to end poverty and bringing human rights laws and principles into decision-making that works for all.  
 

Maytree's website is here:  https://maytree.com/

Some of Maytree's responses to COVID-19 is here:  https://maytree.com/what-we-focus-on/income-security/covid-19-crisis-resources-and-responses/

Maytree's summer 2020 report to the City of Toronto "Engaging Lived  and Living Expertise in  COVID-19 Recovery" is here: https://maytree.com/publications/engaging-lived-and-living-expertise-in-covid-19-recovery-planning/
 

Maytree's 2020 policy backgrounders, submissions, and op-eds on fighting poverty are here: https://maytree.com/publications-2019/

Thanks to OMS Entertainment for Sound Editing