You told us why you think #AlbertaSocialWorkersRock!
On Friday, our Executive Director, Leilani Farha, gave the keynote address to the Alberta College of Social Workers at their annual conference. Leilani stressed the importance of building communities through human relationships and connecting with each other in the face of obstacles.
Her speech was entitled “Connect, Connect, Connect!” and it’s a principle she holds dear to her both personally and professionally. Here is a brief excerpt of her speech:
“Why do I care about community? Because from what I can tell, solving the systemic causes of the socio-economic issues that many of our clients and constituents are confronted with, requires collective voice and collective action. What we are trying to change and challenge is way bigger than any one of us.
Connectivity when used strategically, when supported by more traditional activities, when informed by shared values, and used to reach a shared goal can be incredibly powerful. It CAN be used to build community. In other words connectivity can help us connect – to each other – and for change.”
We asked the 800 social workers in the room and our supporters across the country to tweet why they think Alberta Social Workers rock or to start a sentence with “I think poverty in Canada…” while including the hashtags #AlbertaSocialWorkersRock and #RightsMatter.
The reaction was incredible! There were over 400 tweets coming in from across the country in only a few hours. Together, we created an online community of people who care about poverty in Canada. Here are some of our favourite tweets:
Human relationships are essential…connect, connect, connect #AlbertaSocialWorkersRock
#AlbertaSocialWorkersRock connectivity is what will end poverty! #rightsmatter #ACSWCONF
Canada without poverty is possible #AlbertaSocialWorkersRock #RightsMatter
#AlbertaSocialWorkersRock poverty is a human rights violation – quote of the day
The response in the room was powerful. In a country as big as Canada with so many diverse poverty issues, it’s easy to become disconnected from one another. But on Friday, 800 social workers in Alberta connected to people across Canada in a united belief that being free from poverty is a human right.
Thank you for helping us continue to build community. Going forward, as Leilani said at the end of her address, let’s not forget to connect, connect, connect.
Canada Without Poverty is a non-partisan, not-for-profit, charitable organization dedicated to the elimination of poverty in Canada. CWP is here because of your support. We would not be able to continue our work in eliminating poverty without your help. Please consider making a donation to CWP to support our work in ending poverty for everyone in Canada.
