Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words

Or twenty thousand as the case may be. The CCPA published a number of major studies in recent years about BC’s unacceptably high levels of poverty and homelessness, as well as provincial welfare policies that contribute to hardship and homelessness. These issues are brought to life in a series of narrated slideshows created for the CCPA by photographer and multimedia artist Goh Iromoto.

The Time is Now: A Poverty Reduction Plan for BC Slideshow

0. THE TIME IS NOW – Introduction from CCPA on Vimeo.

This is a narrated presentation about how BC could end street homelessness and reduce poverty by one third — within the mandate of the next provincial government (first chapter is shown above — view the full slideshow here). It includes interviews with people working on health, immigration and family well-being issues, and with Erna Calingasan, a parent struggling to make ends meet by working two jobs. Here is the interview with Erna:

THE TIME IS NOW – Erna Calingasan from CCPA on Vimeo.

Poverty Amid Plenty: A Slideshow About Welfare in BC

1. POVERTY AMID PLENTY – Introduction from CCPA on Vimeo.

Welfare is the program of last resort for people who find themselves without work, or who are unable to work because of a disability. It is supposed to protect people from homelessness, hunger and other hardships. BC was in the midst of an economic boom when this slideshow was created, but as we enter a recession in 2009, welfare is more vital than ever (first chapter shown above — watch the rest here). The slideshow addresses some myths about welfare and poverty — that welfare is easy to get; that life on welfare is an easy ride; that poverty is inevitable; and that solutions to poverty are too expensive.

The slideshow includes interviews and images of people who are living on welfare benefits, as well as advocates who work with welfare recipients and/or anti-poverty groups (these interviews can be watched separately). Here’s four of them:

POVERTY AMID PLENTY – Judy Graves from CCPA on Vimeo.

POVERTY AMID PLENTY – Richard Watson from CCPA on Vimeo.

POVERTY AMID PLENTY – Matthew Matthew from CCPA on Vimeo.

POVERTY AMID PLENTY – Susan Henry from CCPA on Vimeo.

Topics: Children & youth, Housing & homelessness, Poverty, inequality & welfare