NOTICE: HOMELESS NATION VANCOUVER CLOSURE
March 12, 2010
NOTICE: HOMELESS NATION VANCOUVER CLOSURE
HISTORY
Homeless Nation is a non-profit endeavor founded by Daniel Cross, a documentary filmmaker whose films deal with social justice and Canada's homeless. In the making of his films "The Street" and "S.P.I.T. - Squeegee Punks In Traffic", hundreds of Montreal's homeless community shared their many, amazing stories with him. So many, that he was not able to fit them all into his films.
He conceived of a forum where these stories would not be lost. Where Canada's homeless community could share their stories and refuse to be ignored. A place to create equal access to online media, of sharing truths through audio/visual content for everyone to learn from. To have these stories told as an on-going dialogue for social awareness and positive change.
In 2003, with the help of Dan's film company, EyeSteelFilm, his partner, Mila Aung-Thwin (producer), Brett Gaylor (web architect) and Anuj Khosla (administrator), www.homelessnation.org went live.
INITIAL PROJECT GOALS
•Build and strengthen street communities, both virtual and actual, across Canada
•Provide access to the Internet, media and training to Canada's homeless population
•Encourage discussion and learning on social issues surrounding homelessness
•Create dialogue between Canada's homeless and mainstream society to counter isolation and marginalization
•Recycle and re-purpose technology for use by Canada's homeless communities
•Break down stereotypes and barriers in our society
•Community development uniting resources serving the homeless
•Create a national collective voice by and for Canada's homeless population
AWARDS
In 2009, HomelessNation.org was recognized with the UN-based 2009 World Summit Award. This prestigious award is handed out only once every two years. HomelessNation.org competed against over 20 000 projects from 157 participating countries.
The WSA award marks the fourth such honour over the past year, other recognitions include a Canadian New Media Award and a Society for New Communications Research Award. On September 1, 2009 the New York-based New Media Institute announced that HomelessNation.org had won a 2009 New Media Award.
CURRENT REALITIES
After a successful pilot program, HomelessNation.org sought to continue the project and secure core funding. Despite much effort, we were unable to secure sustainable core funding. Last summer saw the closure of both the Montreal and Victoria chapters of Homeless Nation. The end of March will be the official shut down date of Homeless Nation Vancouver.
Homeless Nation Vancouver hosted workshops, offered small honorariums, and created a community of allies, service providers and participants. By all measures we have been successful in obtaining our initial goals.
Homeless Nation Vancouver took the project past archiving; we spoke and showed our videos to the United Nations, to the popular media and directly to government. Average citizens were engaged in dialogue with the street community who were placed in the position of power to tell their own stories and speak about their struggles, injustices and strengths.
Our workshops created a community, one that far exceeded my expectations in so many ways. We initially set out to teach video and computer skills, what developed was a parenting group, a positive social connection, a skills and education group, critical thinkers, activists, filmmakers, bloggers, and a community of people who cared deeply for one another. Several of the participants recorded and produced video, many are currently employed and housed, attending university courses and obtaining their grade 12 education. Our group provided opportunities for children, youth and seniors. Our multi-generational participants worked together to build stronger community ties.
Our videos were shown across the nation and across the world. Students at a high school in a rural BC town were provided credit for following curriculum based on Homeless Nation. We produced videos on community events, government activities, activism, the Olympics, resistance, resilience and pride. We even had our own news program; H/N News! One of our proudest accomplishments was in producing our series on suicide prevention as a response to the loss of one of our own young members.
It is with sadness that we say goodbye to Homeless Nation. We look forward to the future and reflect with pride on our many accomplishments. The site will remain active. I urge you to continue to blog, post videos and keep the Homeless Nation online community alive.
I would like to acknowledge with gratitude those of you that helped to make Homeless Nation the success it has been. Without community support we would never have been able to achieve our goals. On behalf of all of us at Homeless Nation Vancouver, THANK YOU!
Janelle Kelly
Vancouver Coordinator
Homeless Nation
Where does funding come from to support this website?
And are you aware of Mitch Snyder?
http://www.firstchurchcambridge.org/shelter/mitch.htm
I was lucky enough to meet him in D.C. around '86 and can't believe how even now on the 'net [wiki] he still gets a distorted [bum]rap.
But he was real and felt his cause.
Anyhow, just wondering..
steve
PS. THANK YOU!!
Really sad to hear that the site hasn't secured the necessary core funding that I, for one, believe it so rightly deserves.
I am certain that I speak for many when I say: not only are the site's objectives worthy of federal and provincial government funding as a learning platform and a knowledge/life experience exchange forum, but for those of us who frequent this site in need of encouragement and support, it is a friend in the dark and a ray of hope. Homeless Nation gave us a voice in our anguish instead of otherwise suffering in silence.
Government financial aid and assistance programs notwithstanding, there are not enough "caring" resources for those facing a financial and/or emotional crisis. This site was one, if not the only one, that I have found. The people here reach out to one another and share a bond of understanding through their shared experiences, both the painful ones and their successes as they overcome hardship.
Homeless Nation has been a lifeline, a warm place for the "forgotten" of our society, and my heart is heavy that funding organizations do not realize its full worth. Where will we tell our stories now? Where can we talk to each other and find encouragement and love now? We will be, once again, lost, unloved and silenced.
You will be sorely missed by all of us who need you the most. Thank you for being there for me, and for all of those like me who, in these brutal economic times, have suddenly found themselves without a place to call home. I applaud all that you have accomplished.
I will continue to be here as long as the site remains open, and hope that, somehow, we can carry the torch.
Jo Bless
While unfortunate, the closure is not surprising, given the current priorities of our ill North American culture.
The amount of money wasted by government on superfluous things is beyond astounding. For just one... how much is wasted on 'studies' simply to come to an incredibly obvious conclusion?
In any case...
Jo, you seem to believe that this website is also doomed. But, according to what Janelle wrote, the website will remain...
"It is with sadness that we say goodbye to Homeless Nation. We look forward to the future and reflect with pride on our many accomplishments. The site will remain active. I urge you to continue to blog, post videos and keep the Homeless Nation online community alive."
Can I get an answer to my question?
Again, can I get an answer?
WHERE DOES FUNDING COME FROM?
Fuck it.
I don't care.
I've eliminated my blogs and given you all the bandwidth back that I could. Please just eliminate my account cause this site is for homeless people. And mystery tramps can't be homeless.
That's only for people who think 'life' is where they live..
hi voided37
our primary sources of funding can be found in our 'about us' tab, just scroll to the bottom
http://homelessnation.org/en/node/16973
in addition we applied for several small community grants. there is a space for you here. i hope you choose to keep your account active.
yes, the site will remain active. so while the workshops and regular access to camera will not exist the site will. thanks for highlighting that point steve.
thank you Jo for your kind words, you captured the essence of what homeless nation means to so many. thanks for taking the time to write your blog, it means alot!
i have no doubt that the homeless nation community will be able to carry the torch.
as for me i will still be active on the site and will continue to blog.
well there is going to be a big ol'hole to fill now that H/N is defunked but the websight keeps going so i encourage the homeless community to please use this tool to keep in touch with your street sis/bro. keep blogging,try doing some vids and the useful missing persons report.cheers to the whole team,made some amazing contacts on this sight plus worked very tightly with some couragous peeps that keep inspiring me to push forward..We are standing on the shoulders of Giants in respect to Human rights and reporting abuse's,standing tall till real change comes.Silence is acceptence and im piss'd and I will channel this anger to be Pro_Active...All my Relations...Peace..JH
Hey jannelle. Tina here. listen me and jay were thinking about setting something up in mississauga (just outside of tdot) in the spirit of Homeless Nation and what we did when me and jay were still in van. but like a drop in too like gathering place. if you ever need a place to work and want to do outreach. if i ever do get this thing up and running i will give you a shout and let u know. you and the homeless nation crew would always be welcome to start something out here. talk to you later tina.