community Action Network
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community Action Network 👉
The Community Action Network (CAN) aims to increase civic engagement for those most disadvantaged or excluded in British Columbia. CAN provides leadership development for people in poverty through a facilitated and structured training series, typically over the course of six to eight in-person sessions.
Participants in CAN gain transferable skills in anti-poverty advocacy, including public speaking, media relations, and navigation of municipal and provincial bureaucracy.
Participants connect personal experiences to structural issues and graduate as CAN Leaders with confidence, skills, and ongoing support.
The CAN learning continuum is framed around a human rights approach to ending poverty and the need for upstream change over an entrenched ‘downstream’ charitable response.
Program Features
Public speaking
CAN Leaders hone the crucial advocacy skill of clearly presenting in public in a variety of venues and circumstances, from consultations to committees to Council meetings.
community organizing
Building on the ties participants have to causes and community, CAN Leaders strengthen their capacity to mobilize and support those around them.
media relations
In addition to elevating the technical skills of public speaking, CAN Leaders’ skills in message crafting through written communication are honed.
It takes a village
CAN Leaders, community partners, and our team collaborate to bring the voices of people with lived experiences of poverty into advocacy spaces. Hear it from them. →
Featured in the video, in order of appearance:
Margaret Wanyoike (she/her): CAN Leader
Ladan Sahraei (she/her): CAN Leader
Lama Mugabo (he/him): previous CAN Program Manager
Anur Mehdic (he/him): Community Partner, City of New Westminster
Meet the can leaders
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AJ Brown
AJ Brown (she/her) is an artist and advocate residing on the traditional and unceded territories of the Coast Salish People in West Vancouver.
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Bradost Mamoond
Brad (he/him) is a newcomer to Canada, residing on the unceded land of the Halkomelem-speaking peoples, otherwise known as New Westminster.
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George Pope
George (he/him) is a longtime, grateful resident of Richmond, BC, which is situated on the territory fo the Musqueam First Nation.
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Jean Claude Nzisabira
Jean Claude (il/ he) is a political refugee from Burundi and a nurse by trade, living on unceded xʷməθkʷiy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) territories.
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Karla Gill
Karla (she/her) has lived her entire life in Kelowna on the traditional and unceded territory of the Syilx and Okanagan people. She is a voracious lifelong learner about animals, the natural world, and well-being.
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Ladan Sahraei
Ladan (she/her) is a Deaf Persian filmmaker and artist. She moved to Canada as a refugee and settled on the unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷiy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) nations.
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Margaret Wanyoike
Margaret (she/her) is a spirited advocate for affordable housing and anti-racism education in New Westminster, on the unceded and unsurrendered land of the Halkomelem-speaking peoples.
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Monica Deng
Monica (she/her) is a parent and grandparent residing in New Westminster, an unceded and unsurrendered land of the Halkomelem-speaking peoples.
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Paul Njuguna
Paul (he/him) is an engaged community member in Vancouver, on unceded xʷməθkʷiy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) territories.
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Richard Schabler
Richard (he/him) is a long-standing, engaged member of the CAN community. He resides on the unceded and unsurrendered land of the Halkomelem-speaking peoples in New Westminster.
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Stephanie Thor
Stephanie (she/her) is a housing advocate residing on the traditional, ancestral, unceded territory of the Syilx and Okanagan people.
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Veronica Villaroel
Veronica (she/ella) is an avid food justice advocate, hailing from Colima, Mexico, now residing on the unceded territories of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and səl̓ilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations, otherwise known as North Vancouver.
FAQs
How are participants supported during a CAN cohort?
Participants should not have to shoulder a financial cost in order to improve their advocacy skills. All CAN cohorts are free of cost to participants and include additional support of transit tickets, child-minding stipends, and a hot meal at each session.
Do you have any upcoming CAN cohorts?
CAN does not currently have any upcoming cohorts (as of spring 2024). We are currently focused on supporting our network of CAN Leaders to access advocacy opportunities. Keep an eye on this page for updates!
Can would be a great fit in my community. How do we set up a cohort?
Although we do not have any upcoming CAN cohorts on the books, we are open to conversations with municipalities and local organizations across BC with whom we could collaborate to run future cohorts.
What are the entrance requirements?
The ability to commit to attending an entire six- to eight-week program is important for the success of those who participate. Applications are open to those who have experienced poverty and wish to improve their advocacy and outreach skills. Each cohort has between 12 and 15 spaces available, and spots are filled at the discretion of BCPRC staff. No previous education or training is required. Unless otherwise stated, CAN cohorts will be offered in English. ASL interpreters can be available.
What have can leaders accomplished?
CAN Leaders have used the training and skills they developed in their cohort to advocate on municipal and provincial committees, present to local Councils, offer peer support to those seeking access to community services, relate their experience at press conferences, consult with Ministries and community partners, and make statements to the media.
Where have Can programs run?
We have run six CAN cohorts since 2018. The program has run in Vancouver (with a focus on the Downtown Eastside neighbourhood), Kelowna, Delta, and New Westminster. The roster of CAN Leaders is now over 60 people strong.