By Barbara Linds
The NDP Hastings and Lennox & Addington riding association executive has launched a new initiative called Building a Movement. We have a great executive that reflects all parts of our large riding. Every member is involved in both the party and in their communities.
Building a Movement is an initiative to broaden the work of the riding association, to learn about the many campaigns and initiatives in HL&A, and to connect members of our riding with other community activists and campaigns. This initiative is one way to build and grow our membership, as well as to mobilize better and stronger during election campaigns.
We know that there are many progressive people in our riding. We need to talk with them about the issues that excite them, and about the work being done by the NDP on these issues.
Most of these activists are working on issues that affect our communities. Over the past few years, groups in our riding have been organizing around local environmental, social justice, health care and municipal issues. Greater numbers of people are coming together to try to make their communities more liveable.
There have been labour disputes, including a very long strike at Napanee Interval House and last year’s CUPE Education Workers mobilization.
There are active groups in both Lennox & Addington and Hastings that have shone a spotlight on the needs of the unhoused and under-housed in our communities.
There are broad political issues across the province that have engaged all communities around affordable housing, the Greenbelt and health care. The number of people in our riding that voted in the Ontario Health Care referendum showed us how many people oppose privatization of our hospital services.
After the recent Doug Ford announcement reversing the Greenbelt land removals, NDP leader Marit Stiles was clear about the role of organizing:
“The promise of what we can achieve together is why I’m, first and foremost, an organizer. Today, that promise shines brighter than ever. We did it. Our people-powered movement forced Ford’s corrupt Conservatives to reverse their Greenbelt decision.”
We believe that by working together we can achieve more than we can working alone.
Our long term goal is to create a broad progressive movement in our riding that will support the NDP during elections and also build a movement for social change.
What’s next?
• We will publicize the work being done by activists across the riding
• We will lend our voices to support this work
• We will talk with voters all across the riding about NDP policies
If you are interested in getting involved in this work, please contact Barb Linds at b.linds@mac.com
