Raising Awareness In Canada

Raising awareness brings overlooked and unfamiliar issues to the public attention. In the UK, a “No Smoking Day” led to five times more people calling a ‘quit smoking’ hotline than the daily average (Beck, 2015). Such examples illustrate the concrete impact which awareness can have. Concerning poverty, greater public awareness can lead to a more informed public, which can spread word and create a general sense of importance and urgency of the issue. Donation rates will also rise, with charities and non-profit organizations receiving more funding. Support for efforts such as the Canada Poverty Reduction Strategy and Canada Without Poverty will see support in the form of media backing and volunteerism. Simultaneously, through public awareness,

As an individual, word of mouth and social media are powerful tools for spreading awareness. Social media activism, while sometimes criticized for being lip service, or ‘slacktivism’, is nevertheless a powerful tool for spreading interest and knowledge of an issue, or the events and campaigns surrounding it. For instance, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan holds a Poverty Awareness Week from October 14-18 every year, planning events, conferences, dinners, and activities. Such awareness periods help to bring the community closer together, and generate interest in the cause through fun social events. Moreover, organizations and communities can promote awareness of poverty through means of merchandise, flyers, media releases, local events, and fundraisers, among many others. Those under the poverty line should be notified of all services, programs, and grants available to them—such as local soup kitchens, free adult lessons, college bursaries, affordable housing, and shelters—whether through mail, email, or other lines of communication. Of course, these strategies require public enthusiasm and the contribution of many individuals—but if executed, will generate long-term awareness, support, and funding for poverty

It creates economic self-sufficiency and stability, and higher resilience to major life changes and difficulties, such as having children or being diagnosed with a chronic illness. In the 2011 study The Role of Education and Income in Poverty Alleviation: A Cross-Country Analysis by Pervez Zamurrad Janjua and Usman Ahmed Kamal, the authors came to three conclusions on the topic of education and poverty. Firstly, per capita income growth only had a moderate role in poverty alleviation. Secondly, an increase in income equality played a stronger role in poverty reduction only in countries with higher per capita incomes. Lastly, education is the most significant contributor to poverty reduction. In short, though a steady income is important, the decisive factor in relieving poverty is