By: Eric Leviten-Reid
http://tamarackcommunity.ca/index.php#res3

Momentum continues to build across Canada around provincial poverty reduction strategies and Atlantic Canada is leading the way.

In November, the province of New Brunswick joined Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador, Ontario, Quebec and Manitoba in the fight to reduce poverty by releasing its own province-wide plan. Overcoming Poverty Together: The New Brunswick Economic and Social Inclusion Plan caps off a year-long ‘engagement strategy and describes the collaborative process through which government, business, non-profit organizations, people in poverty and other citizens are moving forward together to reduce poverty. Multi-sector networks will lead poverty reduction efforts in local communities and will focus on three streams of work:

1. Opportunities for Being (meeting basic needs);
2. Opportunities for Becoming (life-long learning and skills acquisition); and
3. Opportunities for Belonging (community participation)

By 2015, the plan’s goals include reducing income poverty by 25%; reducing deep income poverty by 50%; and, making significant progress toward sustained economic and social inclusion.  Can it be done? Newfoundland and Labrador says yes. With the results of the first progress report on its provincial poverty reduction strategy is now in. It shows a remarkable 50 percent declined in poverty over the last six years and discusses in detail the strategies that are working.