We know that we cannot return to the way things were before the COVID-19 pandemic. A return to business-as-usual is not an option. Rising to the challenge, hundreds of Canadian organizations and campaign groups have launched the Just Recovery for All Coalition that highlights six pillars that put people and the planet first.
A Just Recovery
The Just Recovery website states that “For years, we have witnessed the results of chronic underinvestment and inaction in the face of the ongoing, pre-existing crises of colonialism, human rights abuses, social inequity, ecological degradation, and climate change. Now, the COVID-19 crisis is forcing governments and civil society alike to reckon with the inadequacies and inequities of our systems.”
Six Pillars
“We are standing on the threshold between the old world and the next and we must choose to build the future we want,” states the website. Canadians will only get one chance to do this right. These are the six pillars or principles of our pandemic recovery:
- Put people’s health and well-being first. No exceptions;
- Strengthen the social safety net and provide relief directly to people;
- Prioritize the needs of workers and communities;
- Build resilience to prevent future crises;
- Build solidarity and equity across communities, generations, and borders;
- Uphold Indigenous rights and works in partnership with Indigenous peoples.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has assigned three ministers of his cabinet to develop a “Green Recovery” plan for the country to respond and recover from the global health pandemic. Let’s tell Trudeau and Ministers Catherine McKenna (Minister of Infrastructure and Communities), Jonathan Wilkinson (Minister of Environment and Climate Change) and Steven Guilbeault (Minister of Canadian Heritage) to #buildbackbetter with a Green Recovery Plan for Canada.
Tell Trudeau’s Green Recovery Taskforce to Deliver a Just Recovery for All
“If we are to have any hope of ensuring a climate-just future, we will learn from this pandemic that it is people – not oil companies – that deserve a helping hand. We have a chance, through a Just Recovery, to build resilient, strong, equitable communities that can withstand the challenges ahead.” ~ Anjali Appadurai, Sierra Club B.C.
“We can’t solve one crisis by making another one worse. A Just Recovery is our best chance to come together, all across this country, and build an economy that takes care of people and our planet. The choices we make now will shape our society for decades to come.”~ Amara Possian, 350 Canada
Join the #JustRecoveryforAll – Spread the word on Social Media
Images and quotes are from JustRecoveryforAll.ca. You can find the full details about the Green Recovery Plan at on the website.
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