News from Leadnow

It was a dreary, rainy Thursday in Etobicoke last week, but hundreds of people still marched up to the Toronto Congress Centre where shareholders were gathered for RBC’s Annual General Meeting (AGM). The crowd outside chanted “Wet’suwet’en solidarity!” and carried signs calling out the bank for acting like a climate criminal.

We also carried with us the support and power of the 42 Fossil Fools Day actions held at RBC branches just days before – dozens of communities who came together to take a stand against the bank’s corporate colonialism and greenwashing.

Last Thursday’s AGM left RBC on the back foot, scrambling to resuscitate their public image and to win back their shareholders’ trust. We were able to make that happen by showing out in force, in solidarity with Land Defenders and our movement allies, online and in person from coast to coast. read more »

Yesterday afternoon, the Federal Government released its budget for 2024.

As the Liberals lag far behind Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives in the polls, Budget 2024 was their bid to win over voters feeling the cost of living crunch.

But faced with right-wing accusations of overspending, Trudeau’s Liberals attempted to walk a delicate line between providing Canadians with immediate relief, while still meeting the corporate class' definition of fiscal responsibility.

The result was a budget that addressed affordability in some important ways — but that, for the most part, let corporations off the hook with billions in corporate handouts despite their runaway profits, while missing out on opportunities to make life more affordable for struggling people.

Optics are one thing — but as always, the devil is in the details. We’ve broken down the wins and let-downs of Budget 2024 below. read more »

Warning: Themes of transphobia, misogyny, sexual assault and harassment (though no explicit descriptions of violence). As part of our response to rising anti-trans actions by some Conservative politicians, we are sharing some educational resources. If you want to see a list of actions you can take, scroll down to the bottom of the post.

People of all backgrounds and genders should have the freedom to be themselves. But Pierre Poilievre is trying to take that freedom away from trans women.

To understand why and how, there is a lot to unpack on the history and politics of the oppression of trans women and trans-feminine people, and how we are framed by the far right, to fully understand just how dangerous Poilievre's rhetoric is. read more »

Leadnow is a democratic, bottom-up organization. We take our direction from our community. As part of that process, every year we survey our active supporters to invite them to share their top priorities for the year, and to ask them questions about key issues of the day. This year's annual survey has just wrapped up, and the results are summarized below.

Over 8,693 people responded in whole or in part to the survey. We offered respondents the choice to do an extended portion with questions about them, their media habits, and their vision for Leadnow; about 6,840 opted to complete the extended portion.

This response rate is slightly below the average for Leadnow community surveys since the start of the pandemic.
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There’s no question that 2023 was a tough year. Between the worst wildfire season in Canadian history, an ongoing affordability crisis, and a crumbling healthcare system, we’ve all faced unearned hardships.

But in spite of it all, we came together – time and time again – to fight for the just, equitable, and climate-safe future we all deserve. That perseverance is what makes the Leadnow community so special – and none of it would be possible without you.

From lobbying for real climate solutions to defending our healthcare system to calling out corporate greed – the Leadnow community had our work cut out for us this year. And we rose to the challenge with countless inspiring campaigns. Here’s a snapshot of what we achieved together: read more »

Do you remember the surge in Islamophobia after the 9/11 terrorist attacks? Governments around the world – including here in Canada – used a climate of fear and division to justify mass surveillance, attacks on human rights, racial profiling and police persecution of Muslim and Arab communities.

These policies, carried out in the name of public safety, actually stoked violence – with a surge in hate crimes against Muslim and Arab people for years – and creeping authoritarianism in the form of increased policing powers and spying on activists.

I see that disturbing history repeating itself today. Following the horrific attacks by Hamas on October 7, there has been a dangerous rise in Islamophobic and anti-Semitic hate crimes. At the same time, many politicians and media outlets are conflating any peaceful protests advocating for Palestinian human rights with support for terrorism. Those who do speak out against the Israeli military's collective punishment of Palestinians – war crimes including the indiscriminate bombing of civilians and blockades of food, water and medicine – can face extreme professional, personal, and political consequences. read more »

As part of our response to the Israeli-Palestinian violence, we feel compelled to share some educational resources in relation to this complex issue. If you want to see a list of actions you can take, please scroll down to the bottom of the post.

We’ve all been impacted by the unimaginable violence and suffering in Israel and Palestine since October 7.

At Leadnow, we condemn all violence and war crimes against civilians and grieve for the thousands of lives lost in Israel and Palestine and millions displaced in Palestine. We unequivocally condemn anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, and racism. Our vision of a world where human rights are protected, and human life is sacrosanct is fundamental to our organization. Every day, we are driven by our core values of justice, equality, freedom and democracy in all of our work. read more »

As part of our response to the anti-trans rallies across the country on September 20, 2023, we are sharing some educational resources. If you want to see a list of actions you can take, scroll down to the bottom of the post.

When I came out as non-binary to my parents, I did it in person. They did their best to be supportive. But I could also see confusion on their faces – so I wrote them an email later on to explain some things to them about trans people that they just didn't know.

This blog post I am writing is a lot like that email, because it's clear to me that a lot of people are confused about gender, trans people, and what trans kids need.
  read more »