Legacy of OCAP: The past, present and future of anti-poverty movements in Ontario

In this episode, Spring members Krisna Saravanamuttu and Adam Lee sit down with John Clark, co-founder of Ontario Coalition Against Poverty (OCAP) to discuss the organization’s years of militancy and how it built a coalition of organizers from varying left tendencies and developed a basis of unity. 

This is part of a longer interview that will be published in Spring Magazine soon.

While OCAP has folded, the struggle against capitalism, state-sanctioned poverty, and artificial borders lives on. It lives in the form of vibrant, multi-racial movements for decent work, for permanent immigration status for all, for housing for all

If you are looking to get more involved, please check out:

• Justice for Workers campaign that is demanding a $20/hr minimum wage.
• Status for All campaign that is pushing for full and permanent immigration status for all.
• 230FightBack and YSW Tenants Union who are fighting greedy landlords.

This episode was recorded on the traditional territory of many nations including the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee, and the Wendat peoples.

It was produced by Carlie Macfie, Krisna Saravanamuttu, Adam Lee and Sarah Shahid, with original music by Benjamin Bilgen. To read and listen to more from Spring, and find out how to join the Spring Socialist Network, please go to springmag.ca

Field clips are from Toronto Video Activist Collective’s footage of the “Pope Squat.” Watch it here.

You can find the transcript for this episode here.