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Tracey, which organizations do you feel are best co-ordinating a citizen-based pro-census campaign? Are DataLibre and CapDu it?
If so, here are some suggestions:
1. There should really be a media resource that lists concrete social-good uses of each and every question. While this is a good start:
http://datalibre.ca/2010/07/19/uses-of-census-long-form-data-question-justification/
When I scroll down to the question that I personally feel is most contentious, I see:
Religions: Cultural Integration Program, Cultural Enrichment Program, Multiculturalism Program
Even me, a Liberal -- who was raised in a Liberal household and grew up watching CBC TV and listening to CBC radio -- I don't quite know what these groups do. I understand that these are probably benevolent govt. organizations, who probably have my interests at heart. However, consider the perspective of a Conservative, or a new immigrant. What would they think of these justifications? Would they understand them?
I see that even the CCSD's census tool kit's 'benefits' section is a little weak, and doesn't address race or religion.
2. Get public-good angle stories into a wider variety of local media, even the ones who don't agree with you
For instance, the Saskatoon Star Pheonix coverage has been somewhat non-committal. I don't even want to look at the Western Standard.
(This more recent article is better, but it focuses more on the political drama rather than a 'how it effects you' angle. Of course politicians are posturing...
)
3. Expand to recruit grassroots community leaders in contact with the people who are most at risk of an innaccurate submission, and get them to make statements. (This is not neccessarily the people who deliver services to these groups.)
- You may have done this already, but I couldn't find the list of orgs. from the main pages of the datalibre or capdu site. That says something too.
4. No matter what happens politically, put an infrastructure in place for a really big volunteer pro-census campaign for when the census actually does happen.
Through media coverage like
this CP story, which mentions whole reservations who did not submit a form, people have been educated on the fact that they probably don't have to fill in the form, or fill it in accurately:
Don't rely on the govt. to do a great job of a pro-census education campaign... for obvious reasons.
Trying to be helpful,
Jennifer
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