Let's Work Together for a JUST RECOVERY!
Ready to register or read on for a bit more details:
Status of MP Ridings - updated Dec 16, 2020
Please contact Carrie Tai if you would be interested in joining any of these groups or would like more information about the meetings with MPs.
Watch Leadnow's MP Meeting Info Session to learn more about what the meetings involve.
Whether you are interested in speaking or just listening and observing, we need your help!
So far we have had 4 successful meetings with MPs and we are awaiting dates for 1 more meetings. See below for updates.
Aurora-Oak Ridges-Richmond Hill - awaiting a meeting date from MP
We have 7 people interested in a meeting with MP Leona Alleslev.
A planning meeting was held on Tues Aug 11th - see Aug 15 update below for details.
An email was sent to MP Leona Alleslev on Aug 24th and the group is awaiting a date to meet.
Sept 17 - the office of MP Leona Alleslev has requested that the meeting be held off until October.
King-Vaughan was held on Oct 30, 2020
5 people met with MP Deb Schulte
It was a successful meeting and a great chance for youth to be heard. They were invited to join the minister's youth council to continue to be involved and heard.
Markham-Stouffville
We are just starting to see if we can get people to join a meeting with MP Helena Jaczek
Markham-Thornhill was held on Aug 23, 2020. Check out summary here.
6 people met with Haroon Sritharan, MP Mary Ng’s representative
The meeting went well and Haroon will be reviewing with MP Mary Ng and getting back to the group about her commitment to the 6 Just Recovery Principles.
Markham-Unionville
We have 3 people currently interested in meeting with MP Bob Sayora
Carrie Tai, from NftP will help organize the MP meeting and also join in for support
A planning meeting is being scheduled for this group
We could use a few more people!
Newmarket-Aurora was held on Aug 26, 2020. Check out summary here.
Fran Bazos, from Drawdown Newmarket-Aurora organized a meeting with MP Tony Van Bynen on Aug 26th.
Fran did a great job of gathering 10 people all members of Drawdown Newmarket-Aurora to attend the meeting.
The meeting was successful with MP Tony Van Bynen committing to all 6 Just Recovery Principles.
Richmond Hill - Meeting was held July 29, 2020. Check out summary here.
Monica Woodley and Carrie Tai from NftP have organized a meeting with MP Majid Jowhari on July 29th.
We had a great response with 14 people attending the meeting! The group consisted of multiple generations representing a number of different groups: NftP, Everything Matters Movement (youth group under NftP), Drawdown RH, Blue Dot, Fridays for Future, Richmond Hill United Church, St. Mary's United Church and Conscious Mind Co-op.
The meeting was successful with MP Majid Jowhari committing to all 6 Just Recovery Principles.
Vaughan-Woodbridge
We are just starting to see if we can get people to join a meeting with MP Francesco Sorbara
Please reach out if you are interested in a meeting in your riding and need help!
Thank you for your support!
Carrie Tai
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Update: Oct 24, 2020
On Oct 10, another Planning Meeting for the King-Vaughan riding was held to discuss how the meeting agenda could be revised to discuss the commitments made in the Throne Speech. A 30 min meeting has now been confirmed with MP Deb Schulte for Friday Oct 30th!
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Update: Aug 15, 2020
On August 11, a planning meeting was held for the riding of Aurora-Oak Ridges-Richmond Hill. The group has decided to run the meeting with Leona a bit differently then the Leadnow Toolkit suggests since the youth have never met MP Leona Alleslev and they are uncertain of her perspectives on the Just Recovery principles. The focus of the meeting will be to start to build a relationship with her. The goal is to advocate for the importance of the Just Recovery principles, but also figure out what she is willing to do to support them, and her general thoughts on the principles.
The group is now working on their email to request a meeting with Leona.
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Update: Aug 10, 2020
Last night, Neighbours for the Planet hosted a Planning Meeting for the King-Vaughan riding. Mbabazi, a student who originally was the only one interested, did a great job in rallying her friends and managed to get 3 other students to attend. This is a very energetic group who already have experience in climate and environmental initiatives. The students were quick to volunteer for the different tasks and roles and are very excited about meeting with their MP Deb Schulte. They are now leading this initiative!
Neighbours for the Planet is happy to hold more Planning Meetings to help out other ridings. Just contact Carrie Tai if you would like to attend one.
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Update: July 24, 2020
Last night, Neighbours for the Planet hosted a Planning Meeting for the Richmond Hill riding attendees to walk through the steps for the meeting with MP Majid Jowhari and to assign all roles. A few other people from other ridings also joined us to see what the meeting would entail.
Neighbours for the Planet is happy to hold more Planning Meetings to help out other ridings. Just contact Carrie Tai if you would like to attend one.
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Date: July 17, 2020
Just a few months ago, nobody could have imagined our “new” normal. Lifestyle and daily routines have been completely changed. And some of our old habits may be changed forever. Now we are starting the recovery and with that we have a unique opportunity to address two crises at once - stimulating the economy and combating the climate crisis.
We need to Build Back Better! Together!!
In early June, Neighbours for the Planet joined over 150 other organizations in endorsing the following 6 principles for a Just Recovery:
Put people’s health and wellbeing first, no exceptions.
Strengthen the social safety net and provide relief directly to people.
Prioritize the needs of workers and communities.
Build resilience to prevent future crises.
Build solidarity and equity across communities, generations, and borders.
Uphold Indigenous Rights and work in partnership with Indigenous peoples.
We cannot move forward on the climate crisis without fighting for a just and fair path forward for everyone.
Neighbours for the Planet is pleased to support Leadnow in trying to mobilize everyone to work together in participating in meetings with our MPs virtually online to ask them to support:
The Just Recovery principles
Bold climate action as part of the recovery effort
Working across party lines to ensure a Just Recovery
We need YOUR help in participating in an online meeting with your MP.
1. For Richmond Hill Neighbours & Friends: we need your help to join our efforts to meet with our MP Majid Jowhari. The more voices and faces, the greater the impact!
If you are interested, please let us know. We will set up a zoom meeting to answer any questions and walk through the steps. Then as a group we will meet with our MP online to ask a few questions outlined in the Leadnow toolkit. And that's it! Email us at contact@neighboursfortheplanet.ca
2. For those outside of Richmond Hill: the process is very simple and the same for all MPs wherever you live in Canada. Basically you participate in a meeting with your MP along with others in your riding to ask a few questions outlined in the Leadnow toolkit. And that's it!
If you are interested but are not sure what is involved, Leadnow has scheduled an MP Meeting Info Session. Tues July 21st at 8pm ET. Register here.
If you cannot make it to Leadnow’s info session, NftP would be happy to set up a zoom meeting to walk through the steps and help you in whatever way we can. Email us at contact@neighboursfortheplanet.ca
And for those who may not be comfortable or available to participate in an online meeting with your MP, please consider sending an email. If you need help with what to write, please reach out to us and we are happy to help you. If there is enough demand, we can set up a zoom meeting to help with writing emails or letters. Simply email us at contact@neighboursfortheplanet.ca
This is a huge opportunity to make our voices heard
and help shape our future!
It doesn't matter how you communicate to your MP, the most important thing is that you do reach out!
Ready to register or read on for a bit more details:
Some Information from Leadnow:
What are the Just Recovery Principles?
The Just Recovery principles were developed by an alliance of organizations working together from across the country. Collectively, we are committed to a just future that puts the health and wellbeing of ALL peoples and ecosystems first, and builds a more equitable, resilient, and sustainable society.
The COVID-19 crisis has exposed that our economy is unable to meet the needs of people and the planet. The pandemic has impacted historically marginalized communities the most and it is clearer, now more than ever, that there is an urgent need to overhaul the systems that are failing us. A Just Recovery would put people first and offer relief directly to those who need it most.
We must recognize that many of us were in crisis long before COVID-19. We have a once-in-a-generation chance to make our world stronger and our economy more just, but only if we don’t repeat the same mistakes of the past. The recovery must put people first, prioritize climate action and leave no one behind.
Why meet with MPs?
COVID-19 has left behind an economic crisis, with millions out of work and local businesses teetering on the edge of bankruptcy. Now Prime Minister Trudeau and his advisors are scrambling to put together an economic recovery strategy — and what they decide will shape Canada’s future for years to come.
Top economists and policy experts say this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to invest in a clean economy and stronger public services. But an army of corporate lobbyists and right-wing politicians are trying to sneak through harsh cuts, reckless environmental deregulation and massive corporate bailouts.
If we’re going to stop the far-right lobbyists from hijacking this opportunity to rebuild for the better, we need to be louder, more organized and more visible than we’ve ever been. For this to work, we have to go big - and lay on the pressure to our local MPs.
Our goal is to get the Just Recovery Principles in front of MPs and on the political agenda — so they know their constituents want them to prioritize people and the planet, not polluters and corporations.
Meetings with constituents are the #1 way to get MPs’ attention. They care what local voters think because at the end of the day, they want to get re-elected. And right now, MPs know they’ll be judged on how they get us out of this crisis, so local voters have even more power.
Contact Neighbours for the Planet if you have any questions. We are here to help!