Conferences

The Future is Public 2018

Montreal, Canada

June 15-17, 2018

The Future is Public: Building a Pro-Public Movement for All


Video of conference highlights	Videos of conference presentations

DESCRIPTION

This conference brought together union leaders, activists, researchers, and community groups designed to share ideas and proposals around building a pro-public movement in Canada. The objectives of the conference were to:

Share knowledge about pro-public victories in Canada and around the world;
Explore the potential for a pro-public network in Canada;
Link local groups with international organizations working on pro-public initiatives.

Privatization is deeply unpopular and has been fought successfully. But if the anti-privatization movement only thinks defensively the best we can do is protect the status quo. A discussion about reclaiming and reimagining public services can help move us towards a clearer picture of what we want from our public services in the future. This conference aimed to generate outlines of such a common vision, working towards a pro-public movement that would develop proposals and campaigns for public services that:

Address environmental crises and reverse deepening inequality;
Increase a sense of ownership and democratic input from workers and communities;
Create inclusive and equitable services.

The conference was aimed at a broad cross-section of participants, including labour leaders and activists from the public sector, NGOs and policy organizations, environmental groups, Indigenous leaders and organizers, civil society groups, anti-privatization activists and researchers