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1 7 | Thursday S eptem ber 2 8 , 2 0 1 7 | OAKVILLE BEAVER | w w w .insidehalton.com Human rights a tool to help eliminate poverty: Mandhane by Marta Marychuk Oakville Beaver Staff Halton boasts beautiful homes, but beyond the lush gardens and long driveways, poverty and homelessness are serious concerns in the re gion, says Renu Mandhane, Chief Commission er of the Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC). Rents in Halton are also among the highest in Ontario, Mandhane told about 50 people at Oakville's Sheridan College campus on Trafalgar Road Thursday, Sept. 21 for A Rights-Based Ap proach to Poverty Elimination Work. The day-long forum was organized by The Halton Poverty Roundtable (HPRT) to increase awareness of the barriers to economic, social and political inclusion, poverty, indigenous reconcili ation, social justice, equality and equity. Mandhane also pointed out - more than 41 per cent of renters in Halton are spending 30 per cent of their income on housing. Poverty affects one in 10 Halton residents, according to HPRT, with recent immigrants, indigenous people, communities of colour and people not belonging to a race or identity (nonracialized) being most vulnerable. The Halton Poverty Roundtable is a volunteer group of agencies committed to leveraging re sources and partnerships to eliminate poverty in Halton through education, greater community engagement and collective impact. Mandhane said the OHRC recently released its five-year strategic plan Putting people and their rights at the centre: Building human rights accountability, with elimination of poverty a key priority. Human rights and poverty are interconnected in many ways in Ontario, according to Mandhane. The OHRC plans to advance the field of hu man rights law clarifying how systemic discrim ination causes and sustains poverty, and address poverty within a human rights framework. "We need to make Ontario a place where ev eryone, no matter how marginalized, can suc ceed," she told the audience. Mandhane said it' s time our society made de cisions about the core values that should drive future social policy. "We need to re-frame the way we talk about poverty and the work we do," said the humane rights commissioner. Mandhane noted all levels of government need to move beyond addressing poverty through charity. Providing basic human rights, such as health care, education and housing, should not be something that is "nice to do" but something that' s important to do. By improving basic human rights of the most vulnerable and marginalized people, we will make the community safer and more prosper ous, Mandhane said. h a lto n .ca 311 NOTICE OF ROAD CLOSURE Renu Mandhane, Chief Commissioner of the Ontario Human Rights Commission, was the guest speaker at a recent poverty forum hosted by the Halton Poverty Roundtable and other partners a t Sheridan College. | Nikki Wesley/Metroland Wastewater Main Replacement on MacDonald Road from Watson Avenue to Gloucester Avenue Town of Oakville ^ E G W W T io N F E E S ALL AGES WELCOME *giSenoSw ** MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS MUSIC LESSONS T h e road closure is s ch e d u led fo r M o n d a y , O c to b e r 2 a t 7 a.m . un til Friday, O c to b e r 2 7 a t 7 p.m . S tree t access fo r local residents w ill be m a in ta in e d a t all tim es. D riv e w a y access m ay be lim ite d . Building EypelfcOe/wiffi and W o r ld C ms Repairs Contract Num ber: Project M anager: 905.257.3110 · theguitarworldoakville.com 3 8 0 D u n d a s S t . E . a t T r a f a l g a r R o a d i n L o n g o 's P l a z a W S -3 0 5 2 -1 7 Bilal Sherazi 9 0 5 -8 2 5 -6 0 0 0 e xt. 7931 B ilal.Sherazi@ halton.ca construction; > Halton a Better ho o