Social Justice

What does it mean to be an ally?  How can you build your knowledge and skills to take meaningful actions in the workplace to be a better ally to equity seeking members? Tune in to our webinar recording on allyship and discover how the word 'ally’ is a verb and it means ACTION! You can view there recording of the webinar here!

Members of Our Union Family, The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) was adopted in 1948. International Human Rights Day is observed every year on December 10 in recognition of this achievement and to promote further action to advance human rights around the world.

PSAC Social Justice Fund (SJF) is organizing a 12-person delegation to travel to Guatemala in the spring of 2018 to work with, and learn from grass roots organizations empowering communities.

In 1966, the United Nations proclaimed March 21st as the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. While there has been some progress with respect to racial justice, racism persists in Canadian society, there has also been some erosion of human rights over the past decade. 

Dear Sisters and Brothers, March 8 is International Women’s Day, an annual celebration of women’s economic, political and social achievements. To build on this celebration, we are happy to announce that registration is now open for the 2016 PSAC Prairie Region Women’s Conference! Members can register online HERE!

PSAC Social Justice Fund invites your members to participate in the next Education In Action project in Guatemala for two weeks, February 12 - 26, 2016. Education In Action is supported by the PSAC Social Justice Fund to engage members and other Canadians to deepen their understanding of Guatemala and to build solidarity with Mayan communities in Guatemala.

EIA has inspired many people to get involved in meaningful solidarity with Guatemala. One hundred and three people have participated in the program to build homes for impoverished families in the rural areas of the Guatemalan highlands since 2007. Since the program was founded by former PSAC member Roberto Miranda, 86 homes, 3 community centres and 3 schools have been built.

The PSAC and many other unions and social justice organizations are currently facing many challenges that are undermining labour rights, human rights and democracy. While austerity measures are provoking protests and resistance like never before, our movements continue to be fragmented, each fighting their own battles.

PSAC members participated in PSAC's Social Justice Fund delegation to Guatemala. They supported the efforts of grassroots organizations to improve livelihoods of Mayan campesinos in Guatemala. Jen Botincan, a PSAC/UNDE member from Winnipeg, was selected to participate in this opportunity. Read her final report about the experience and view some of her photos. She also wrote a series of blog entries about her experiences for the PSAC Prairie Region website.

We finished the community centre in San Filipe and attended a surprise reception this afternoon, and what a surprise it was! As we were getting ready for the opening we heard amazing music fill the community. We followed our ears and discovered the community centre completely decorated with palm leaves, streamers and balloons – the whole community was there. The best part of the reception was when the children that we got to know over the past two weeks presented us with bracelets. We then danced well into the evening with people from the community until we went off and said our goodbyes. It was a magical evening and I am so glad we all got to be a part of providing this community with a place to gather, connect and play. What an honour. It was the perfect way to end our time in Quixayá.