“Poverty is no more natural than slavery and apartheid. It is created by human beings and it can be eradicated by the actions of human beings,” said Nelson Mandela.
The Common Front for Social Justice was born of two activists, one from a community background, the other from a union background, both involved in the struggles of the 1990s against cuts to Unemployment Insurance.
It took many months to develop. During this period, it was lulled by the numerous discussions during strategy sessions, by the poignant testimonies and the outbursts of the unemployed during public meetings and by the sound of thousands of shoes and boots, sometimes on the pavement and often in the snow in the Siberian cold, during the multiple solidarity marches throughout the province.
On March 11, 1997, the newborn finally arrived on the social and political scene in Fredericton surrounded by 75 aunts and uncles wearing bright smiles. Four gifts and tasks were placed in the baby’s crib: reforming social assistance, raising the minimum wage to a living wage, modernizing the unemployment insurance program, and achieving pay equity.
When the toddler opened its eyes and its lungs let out their first cry, no one doubted that it could accomplish great things. Its education was taken care of by the whole group. It was based on three educational methods: discussion, knowledge and direct action.
The first method was workshop discussions that were on topics such as social inequality, women, poverty and myths about poverty, etc. These topics were discussed at length in workshops held at annual meetings organized by the aunts and uncles.
The second was the deepening of specific topics, such as a province without poverty, hunger, economy for all, justice before charity and human rights. These were themes dealt with at the Summits held every two years.
Finally, the last method was to take direct action.
Nothing gave our young organization more pleasure than writing letters to different provincial ministers or to the readers of different newspapers. Meetings with provincial ministers allowed the possibility to apply the knowledge acquired and develop arguments in order to better defend workers and low-income people. However, what was more interesting was holding self-made signs during marches and demonstrations.
Our young adult has just turned 25 and the demands are still the same: a living wage for the working poor, an employment insurance program adapted to the modern labour market, a sustainable income for people on social assistance, pay equity and, in recent years, the protection of public services.
Every year, on October 17th, the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, they take the time to visit the monument installed by activists of the Moncton Chapter of the Common Front, located on the banks of the Petitcodiac River.
Joseph Wresinski’s text inscribed on the plaque reads: “Wherever men and women are condemned to live in misery, human rights are violated. To unite to ensure that they are respected is a sacred duty.” This confirms each time that the struggle is a just one.
Jean-Claude Basque was coordinator of the Common Front for Social Justice from 2006 to 2020.