How to be Successful Working on Social Issues…
by Arjun Singh
How to be Successful Working on Social Issues…
It’s always a challenge to work to improve social issues in community – homelessness, mental health challenges, substance use disorder. There are not easy fixes here. These issues also sometimes cause social disorder and criminal activity. Often our most vulnerable citizens are preyed upon and become victims of crime.
Over the past years, Kamloops council and city hall management have increased our capacity to work on social issues. We haven’t seen ourselves as a primary funder and have worked hard to facilitate and coordinate effective work. We have had a lot of successes relatively recently helping secure more social housing in the community.
Unfortunately, the challenges for our most vulnerable citizens have increased. This was the trend before Covid and Covid has made it much more challenging. Social disorder has increased. And there seems to be less accountability for really bad behaviour and criminal activity.
Since the beginning of the year, the discussions at Kamloops council on helping our most vulnerable and decreasing social disorder have really ramped up. In conjunction with our provincial partners at BC Housing, we’ve funded more security patrols, we are looking to help fund more outreach workers, build more public bathrooms, and we’re advocating to the provincial government for a whole range of services to again help our most vulnerable citizens. Housing we know is only a first step. We also think it’s important that the criminal justice system work as well at it can to decrease criminal activity.
We have both an empathetic approach and an accountability approach. A well rounded approach I hope.
I applaud my council and city staff colleagues for their willingness to engage in tough conversations that we really haven’t had in the same way before. Working with the RCMP, Interior Health, valued social agencies, and business association, we have historically done well in assisting people and decreasing negative impacts. Now, like many other communities, we are being challenged in a big way to continue being successful. I think it’s going to be hard and I believe we will succeed.
I am sure we have made missteps and mistakes. I think we are open to thoughtful feedback. I am struck by the passion in my council colleagues to try to be of service in the best ways we can.
I know many of us are seeing more negative activity in the community than we have seen before. It was always there but it was more hidden. Now we perhaps have the awareness which will lead to greater motivation for lasting solutions. Vigilantism isn’t a solution. Moving people along endlessly isn’t a solution. Business storefronts with piles of garbage, discarded needles, and human feces isn’t a solution. Maybe the storm we are going through now is an opportunity to really think together about the best and most lasting solutions that honours the most citizens possible.
People rightly look to city council for representation, leadership, and assistance. I’d love to hear what you think about the issues and opportunities outlined above. This, however, is something in which all of us have to engage. Take the best care you can of yourselves, your family, and your possessions. And also think about what are the best solutions for the most people. If we are committed to getting though this time together, I believe there are much better times ahead with regards to our social issues.
Arjun Singh
Arjun is a trained facilitator and is currently co-chair of the Canadian Community for Dialogue and Deliberation.
Arjun was born and raised in Kamloops. His parents, Dr Gur and Mrs Manju Singh, immigrated to Canada from India in the 1960s. He previously served on council from 2005-2008. He has a MA in Professional Communication from Royal Roads University and a Certificate in Dialogue, Deliberation, and Public Engagement from Fielding Graduate University.
Arjun welcomes your questions or feedback on any community issue or initiative.
Since 2005, he has written a blog for Kamloops citizens and people interested in Kamloops – www.yourkamloops.com.
You can also find Arjun on twitter at @yourkamloops or @arjunsingh.
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