Microlending and the Friendship Centre Movement
As part of ongoing efforts to identify and pursue opportunities to address poverty among urban Aboriginal people, and to increase urban Aboriginal economic development, the NAFC commissioned a small research project to identify opportunities and issues with respect to the potential of Urban Aboriginal microfinance initiatives. The report provides an environmental scan of microfinance initiatives that could be instructive to NAFC, discusses several issues that should be taken into consideration in making a decision, identifies options, and proposes next steps.
Click here to download a copy of the report.
Friendship Centre Movement: Best Practices in Governance and Management
Click here to view the report (pdf)
Supporting Two Spirited Peoples - NAFC Discussion Paper
The following report examines some of the programs, both Aboriginal-specific and general, Aboriginal-focused and otherwise, and offers a summary of overall conclusions that have been reported by researchers and other experts in this field.
Click Here to download the report
Federal Election 2008
The NAFC is pleased to inform our membership, our clients, and indeed all Canadians, about options in this election by providing information about how the major federal political parties intend to address Aboriginal issues. The Aboriginal affairs platforms of the major federal political parties can be found here: Party Platforms.pdf
In an attempt to raise awareness of topical issues related to Friendship Centres specifically and urban Aboriginal people more generally, the NAFC wrote the federal parties NAFC Federal Election Party Questions.pdf asking for their plans to address urban Aboriginal issues. Responses to our letter to party leaders can be found here: National Association of Friendship Centres Response.pdf
The NAFC believes it is crucial that urban Aboriginal people participate in Election 2008, and hopes that our efforts will help educate and inform urban Aboriginal people – indeed, all Canadians.
The 2008 federal election comes at an important time for the Friendship Centre Movement. Friendship Centres have been struggling with insufficient federal core funding for well over a decade. Key federal urban programs and services are often designed and delivered with no input from Friendship Centres, which are Canada’s largest urban Aboriginal service delivery infrastructure. Tremendous challenges exist in other areas of federal jurisdiction with no targeted urban Aboriginal programming available. Many urban Aboriginal people face tremendous challenges daily with no targeted urban Aboriginal programming available in many areas of need. Making matters worse, all too often national policy processes to address these areas exclude Friendship Centres and our representatives
.
In this light, the NAFC has written the federal parties asking for their plans to address urban Aboriginal issues. The NAFC will be posting their responses to inform our membership, our clients, and the Canadian public about their options in this election.
The NAFC believes it is crucial that urban Aboriginal people participate in Election 2008, and hope that our efforts will help educate and inform urban Aboriginal people – indeed, all Canadians.
The questions asked of the parties can be found here: Federal Election 2008 Questions
NAFC Report: Sheltering Urban Aboriginal Homeless People - Assessment of Situation and Needs
New Policy Reports
Matrimonial Real Property Consultation Report
Nurturing the good mind - discussion paper on Aboriginal Family Literacy
Aboriginal Language Program Survey
Friendship Centre Movement
Television Commercial!
The Friendship Centre Movement is currently
involved in a series of communication activities.
To
see the commercial please click on the link below. |
