Origins of the Coalition: 

 

The Religious Social Action Coalition of Newfoundland and Labrador is a nonpartisan group from a broad array of faiths (Anglican Church, United Church, Salvation Army, Roman Catholic Church, Baptist, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, and Sikhs,) united in their commitment to call on society to eliminate poverty at home and abroad.

 

VISION

 

RSAC is a voice of consciousness and moral persuasion in the NL society at large which aspires to be a catalyst for social change to achieve productive and dignified life for all members of the society where nobody is denied a decent standard of living, education, economic and social equity and quality of life.  More specifically, RSAC is committed to working towards poverty elimination in our society.

Goals of the Coalition
 

The group has written letters to all Members of Parliament and Members of The House of Assembly... 

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• To advocate for a Living Income for all residents of our province and country;

• To persuade provincial and federal governments of the wisdom of a Fairness Prism (Fairness Impact Study to ensure “fairness for all”).

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Key Messages:  

These key messages are principles that are embedded in all communications produced and shared by the RSAC. They guide public discussion and help the RSAC engage stakeholders with diverse experiences and mandates.

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1. Poverty is a failure of community to achieve justice. If one person is poor, we are all poor. The RSAC advocates on behalf of all communities to eliminate poverty through the support and adoption of an income and a fairness prism.

2. We have sufficient resources for all in our communities but we are not sharing them. Our goal is equity not equality. The fairness prism is a tool for justice in policy development and implementation. 

3. An income allows people to live without stigma, to live with dignity. The minimum wage does not adequately support people and families. People who work full-time should not be living below the poverty line. A living income is reasonable and achievable; it contributes to the economic and social strengths of our communities by improving productivity, ensuring healthy workers, and creating a culture of dignity, diversity and prosperity.