Workshop Tool Box on Poverty from the Urban Core Support Network

Presented by Members of UCSN

The interactive workshop, “The UCSN Toolbox” was designed to achieve maximum impact on its audience by demonstrating alternative ways or “tools” to raise awareness of poverty issues generally. The workshop helped participants by motivating them to become more creative in their attempts at successful policy change.

Interactive components were many and varied. A review of the workshop tools demonstrate the novel, dynamic approach:

• Presentations of experiences
• A Poverty Quiz – and Prizes
• Examples of media articles
• Games such as ‘Snakes & Ladders’
• Other tools shared & discussed were “Info” boards and Costumes, etc.
• Miscellaneous: food skit using ‘fake’ food; bubbles; a doll; sample clothing
• UCSN’s publications (for an overview of process & purposes of them)
• Enactment of a sample meeting with a N.B. government Minister

The full UCSN Tool Box currently includes:

Publications
Responding to the Voices of Poverty
Stormy Seas
Solving the Puzzle – A guidebook to Income Assistance
Pending: a children’s book

Skits
Dramatic
Humorous (e.g. thought bubbles)

Media & Publicity
News Releases
News Conferences
Interviews
Radio call-in Shows

Statistics
‘Information’ sheets as backgrounders for issues

Poverty Workshop

Games – e.g. Snakes & Ladders, Monopoly

Follow-up
Telephone, E-mails, Letters; Chance Encounters; Creating opportunities for follow-up (e.g. attend Riding meetings); Use of internal & external advocates (staff & associates)

In small groups, participants worked on a sample issue to approach a town council to argue against a pending By-Law that would prohibit panhandling. Their aim was to choose which ‘tools’ could be employed to make progress on the By-Law issue.