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The Case for
Vincentian Advocacy
Advocating on
behalf of our neighbours in need is a fundamental component of
our Vincentian mission. Individually, as friends of the people
we serve, we visibly demonstrate our respect for each person’s
dignity whenever we make a home visit or engage in a Special
Work on behalf of communities in need.
The decision
for our National, Regional and various Central Councils to
engage in more formal, organized types of advocacy through our
Voice of the Poor committees has raised concerns for some
Vincentians. The following points attempt to address a few of
the questions that Vincentians might have concerning the topic
of advocacy, and how it fits into our Vincentian mission,
tradition and spirituality.
ADVOCACY
AND THE RULE
The following excerpts
from The Rule and Statutes of the Society of St. Vincent de
Paul Canada (2007) inform us of our responsibilities and
provide guidelines regarding Vincentian advocacy.
1.1
FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES, states
in part that "Vincentians work as a team within the Society
and also in collaboration with other people of good will
to...discover and help redress situations of social injustice
that cause poverty, suffering and need".
3.4
ADVOCACY, outlines the
roles of the various levels of the Society regarding advocacy.
Central, Regional and National Councils coordinate and inform
each other of the advocacy initiatives undertaken at their
particular levels of jurisdiction.
Care is taken to maintain 'political
independence' as dictated by the Rule by advocating for
specific policies, not for particular political parties or
candidates.
7.1
- 7.9 INTERNATIONAL RULE,
contains several references to our responsibilities in this
area. 7.1 states that the Society is "committed to
identifying the root causes of poverty and to contributing to
their elimination". 7.2 includes "As citizens of the
world, Vincentians listen to the voice of the Church which
demands their participation in creating a more equitable and
compassionate social order...". 7.6 clearly indicates
that "Where injustice, inequality, poverty or exclusion are
due to unjust economic, political or social structures or to
unjust legislation, the Society should speak out clearly
against the situation, always with charity, with the aim of
contributing to and demanding improvements".
CANADIAN
NATIONAL OPERATIONS MANUAL, 8.01
asserts that the Society has a "responsibility to advocate for
the poor" and establishes guidelines regarding the attendance
at public demonstrations.
ADVOCACY
AND CHARITABLE STATUS
In
Canada, the legal right of a charitable organization to issue
receipts for donations is subject to certain provisions
regarding the type and degree of advocacy in which it chooses
to engage. Basically, the charitable status of an organization
is not threatened if 1) it does not support a specific
political party or candidate and 2) does not expend a
significant portion (generally 10%) of its revenues on
advocacy.
As long as these
guidelines are followed, nothing precludes a charitable
organization from engaging in advocacy. The Voluntary Sector
Initiative, established by the federal government, released a
framework in 2002 that endorses and encourages the role of
nonprofit organizations in participating in advocacy
and policy dialogue with the public sector.
TRADITION OF VINCENTIAN ADVOCACY
Frederic Ozanam, our
founder, was a tireless advocate for the poor. He envisioned a
society and political structure founded on Christian
principles. In conjunction with his personal service to the
poor, he researched the conditions of the working class and
defended their rights, propagating his social and political
ideas in his newspaper “L’Ere Nouvelle (The Rule p. 144). He
advocated for a minimum living wage as well as the right for
workers to organize and to be entitled to guaranteed pensions.
Frederic was even convinced to run for public office while a
Vincentian, but lost the subsequent election.
In keeping with this
tradition, many of our Vincentian brothers and sisters in
other jurisdictions have established well-organized advocacy
programs. The Society in Ireland, England and Australia are
especially adept in this regard, becoming respected and
effective spokespersons on behalf of the people they serve.
When Toronto Central
Council advised Archbishop Thomas Collins of its intention to
pursue a more active advocacy agenda, he warmly endorsed the
initiative. He remarked that due to the level of involvement
and experience gained through home visitations and the
operation of Special Works, Toronto Central Council had a duty
and responsibility to advocate on behalf of the people and
communities served.
EXAMPLES OF VINCENTIAN ADVOCACY
Examples
of initiatives recently undertaken by several levels of the
Society in Canada help to demonstrate how this commitment to
Vincentian advocacy can be actualized.
As reported in the
Vincen-Paul Canada, National Council has communicated with
federal legislators on at least two occasions. They pressed
our government before the last budget to provide appropriate
funding for social policy that might help address the
obstacles faced by our neighbours in need. They have also
spoken out on behalf of Canadians facing capital punishment in
other jurisdictions.
Ontario Regional and
Toronto Central Councils have worked jointly in contributing
to the dialogue that led to the Ontario government’s Poverty
Reduction Act. They prepared a written submission and met with
a senior policy advisor to present the Society’s input into
the Poverty Reduction Strategy released last December.
Both Councils are
members of umbrella organizations promoting the cause of
people living in poverty. Vincentians, along with members of
Catholic Charities and Bishop Hundt, participated in a Prayer
Vigil organized by the Interfaith Social Assistance Reform
Coalition held at Queen’s Park in the days leading up to the
unanimous passing of the Poverty Reduction Act in April.
It is clear that we,
as Vincentians, are called to bring the message of love and
hope to those we serve as Christ’s disciples. There are
various ways and means of accomplishing this mission.
Engaging in appropriate, thoughtful advocacy initiatives
according to the Society’s guidelines and tradition provide us
with another tool to help build a better life on behalf of
those we serve. They will know we are Christians by our
love.
Toronto Central
Council Advocacy Committee
SSVP
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