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Pivot’s social change campaigns focus on breaking down systemic barriers to the full realization of human rights. At the core of all our work is a deep commitment to challenging laws and policies that undermine the dignity of those most on the margins or that intensify poverty and social exclusion. We take a bottom-up approach to law reform, working collaboratively with people impacted by poverty and marginalization to develop a vision for change that will make a meaningful difference in their lives. Whether mounting a challenge to a municipal bylaw or to a section of the Criminal Code of Canada, we focus our energy on cases with the greatest potential to make lasting systemic change.
homes for allWe believe that homelessness is a problem that can be solved. With up to 300,000 people across Canada without a safe place to call home and an annual price tag that exceeds $2 billion, governments can no longer afford not to invest in a lasting solution to this country's housing crisis. Our... Read More > |
health and drug policyDrug policy in Canada is in desperate need of reform. Effective drug policy must empower drug users to take measures to protect their health and to reduce the harms associated with drug use. We believe that in the interest of health and human rights, the criminalization of addiction must be... Read More > |
accountable policingThe police occupy a uniquely powerful role in our society. For people who are marginalized as a result of poverty, disability or ethnicity, that power is often experienced as oppressive and unaccountable. Pivot works toward an accountable system of policing that is responsive to the needs of... Read More > |
sex worker rightsUnder the current laws, sex workers are subject to severe forms of violence and discrimination. Pivot’s commitment to the decriminalization of consensual adult sex work is informed by almost a decade of work with sex workers from the Downtown Eastside, across Canada and around the world.... Read More > |
justice for youthYoung people are entitled to the resources and support they need to grow up safely and realize their full potential. Currently, the systems mandated to support vulnerable children, youth and their families often fail to live up to that responsibility. In other cases, government policies and... Read More > |
violence against womenEveryone has the right to a life free from violence or abuse. Pivot’s ending violence against women campaign is working to make that right a reality for women who are vulnerable to violence. We are striving to build an accessible justice system that promotes the rights of all women to a life free... Read More > |
hope in shadowsHope in Shadows is an innovative community engagement project that creates positive and meaningful interactions between residents from Vancouver's Downtown Eastside and people from other neighbourhoods in the Lower Mainland and beyond. Each year, winning photos from the Hope in Shadows... Read More > |