Everyone has the right to a life without poverty.

To keep people out of poverty, we need to fix the systems that create it.

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Why we need a human rights-based approach to poverty

A human rights-based approach to poverty puts people first. It examines how our systems create the conditions that trap people in lives where dignity is out of reach. It empowers each of us to call upon our governments to actively change and build the systems we need to protect our human rights. It measures progress by the impact our collective actions have on people’s daily lives.

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Explore how we change systems

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      Policy

      Maytree advances evidence-based policy solutions that protect and promote economic and social rights for all people in Canada, with an emphasis on prioritizing those most in need.

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      Data & measuring

      Find the latest data for the number of social assistance recipients and welfare incomes in every province and territory.

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      Accountability

      We support the creation of accountability institutions, such as dedicated offices for commissioners and advocates. We collect and analyze data that can be a tool to hold governments accountable.

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      Participation

      We support and advocate for rights-based participation, so people and communities have meaningful opportunities to participate in the public decisions that affect them.

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      Intersections

      Our work on advancing economic and social rights raises the question: what if we built all of our systems on a foundation of human rights?

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    Maytree advances evidence-based policy solutions that protect and promote economic and social rights for all people in Canada, with an emphasis on prioritizing those most in need.

    Learn more

    Find the latest data for the number of social assistance recipients and welfare incomes in every province and territory.

    Learn more

    We support the creation of accountability institutions, such as dedicated offices for commissioners and advocates. We collect and analyze data that can be a tool to hold governments accountable.

    Learn more

    We support and advocate for rights-based participation, so people and communities have meaningful opportunities to participate in the public decisions that affect them.

    Learn more

    Our work on advancing economic and social rights raises the question: what if we built all of our systems on a foundation of human rights?

    Learn more

    Latest insights and stories

    Latest from our publications and stories.

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      Dive deeper

      Clockwise from top left: Khaleel Seivwright, Cathy Crowe, Lorraine Lam, David Reycraft.

      A fully housed Toronto

      Maytree partnered with local newspaper West End Phoenix to examine Toronto’s housing crisis through a human rights lens.

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      image: "Advancing justice" in distressed font

      Advancing justice

      In 2021 and 2022, under the guidance of outside experts, Maytree delved into the relationship between human rights, poverty, racism, and the criminal justice system.

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      Poverty and human rights in Canada

      For this special series, we brought together the voices of leading thinkers, activists and political leaders who are working on economic and social rights in Canada.

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      Be inspired

      Five Good Ideas

      Five Good Ideas is a lunch-and-learn program where subject-matter experts discuss powerful and practical ideas about key issues facing non-profit organizations. The sessions are most useful for management staff and board members at small and mid-sized non-profits.

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      Explore upcoming and recent Five Good Ideas sessions:

      image: wooden blocks spell word "Ableism"Human Resources

      Five Good Ideas for disrupting ableism in the workplace

      UPCOMING WEBINAR
      January 31, 2024
      Discover how you and your non-profit organizations can respond proactively to the need for an accessible workplace with integrity and accountability.

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      image: Succession Planning (iStockphoto)Organizational Effectiveness

      Five Good Ideas for successful succession planning

      Joan Garry, champion and advisor for non-profit leaders and founder of the Nonprofit Leadership Lab, presents her five good ideas to conduct any leadership transition with ease and announce confidently to the world that your organization is built to last.

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      image: shadows of figures at a board table (iStockphoto)Governance

      Five Good Ideas for aspiring board directors

      Richard Powers, Associate Professor at the Rotman School of Management, presents his five good ideas on how new and seasoned board directors can better manage their roles and contribute in a more meaningful way to the organizations they represent.

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