Identity area
Type of entity
Corporate body
Authorized form of name
MCC Canada Economic Justice Program
Parallel form(s) of name
Standardized form(s) of name according to other rules
Other form(s) of name
- MCC Canada Employment Concerns Program
- MCC Canada Employment Development Program
- MCC Canada Poverty Issues Program
Identifiers for corporate bodies
Description area
Dates of existence
1986-2007
History
The MCC Canada Economic Justice Program began in 1986 under the name Employment Concerns. The proposed program had been under discussion within MCC Canada since 1983 when a major recession caused high levels of unemployment among Canadians.
The Economic Concerns program was initiated to provide leadership in the development of a theology of work and to encourage awareness and education about employment concerns within the MCC constituency. Job creation initiatives were undertaken in consultation and cooperation with provincial MCC offices; MCC Canada’s role in the program was to facilitate and coordinate economic efforts. Projects were initiated through consultation with businesspeople, conference groups, and agencies. The program emphasized cooperation with groups and fostering local ownership of projects.
One of the first major projects supported by the program was the founding of the Edmonton Recycling Society, a non-profit agency which collected recyclables from households in Edmonton. The agency employed ninety people, fifteen of whom had disabilities. Other job creation initiatives supported by the program included a landscaping project, several housing-renovation projects, and a venture in forestry management. By 1992, the program had created 500 long-term and 300 short-term jobs and provided job training for 500 more.
While the program was active, it was called Employment Concerns (1986-1992), Employment Development (1992-ca.1997) and finally Economic Justice (ca.1997-2007). Although the Economic Justice program was discontinued in 2007, many of its functions and activities continue through initiatives and programs at the provincial MCC level.
Places
MCC Canada Winnipeg Office.
Legal status
Functions, occupations and activities
The Economic Concerns program led job-creation initiatives, developed a theology of work, and encouraged awareness in the constituency about employment concerns and development through education.
Mandates/sources of authority
Internal structures/genealogy
The Economic Justice program reported to MCC Canada’s National Program Department from the time of its creation in 1986 to its dissolution in 2007. Many of its functions and activities continue through provincial MCC programming.
General context
Relationships area
Related entity
Identifier of related entity
Category of relationship
Dates of relationship
Description of relationship
Access points area
Subject access points
Place access points
Occupations
Control area
Authority record identifier
Maintained by
Institution identifier
Rules and/or conventions used
Status
Final
Level of detail
Partial
Dates of creation, revision and deletion
Created by Jared Warkentin, March 24, 2020
Language(s)
Script(s)
Sources
Epp-Tiessen, Esther. Mennonite Central Committee in Canada: A History. Winnipeg: CMU Press, 2013.