Atkinson Field Notes
Learning in Action
Reflections, presentations and speeches by Atkinson’s Chief Executive Officer Colette Murphy and the rest of the Atkinson team.
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by Category: Democracy
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by Media:
21 Dec 22
The Atkinson Foundation turned 80 this year. We arrived at the threshold of a new decade quietly, in stark contrast to the boisterous celebration of our 75th anniversary in the space that once housed the Toronto Star’s printing presses at 1 Yonge Street. Read more >
5 Jul 22
“Musicians are the original gig workers. Same as Uber drivers and food delivery workers. I realized we’re in the same fight.” Rollie Pemberton (aka Cadence Weapon) said this in response to a question about artists as workers at a public reading of his new book, Bedroom Rapper. Read more >
6 Feb 22
Ever since the news of John Honderich’s sudden death broke, like many of you, I’ve been taking in the story of his life. Friends, co-conspirators and rivals alike have attested to John’s brilliance, tenacity, and principled pursuit of stories with the power to re-shape the world. Read more >
16 Apr 20
In this first month of the crisis, we’ve been seeing organizers in lower-income communities do what they do best: amplifying the voices of people most affected by this crisis, and keeping them connected to each other. Read more >
23 Nov 17
Opening remarks for a panel discussion on "making economies work for everyone" at the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Global Conference of Young Parliamentarians on Friday, November 17, 2017 in Ottawa by Atkinson’s Executive Director Colette Murphy. Read more >
11 Sep 17
A new reporting position has been created at the Toronto Star to increase coverage of issues related to democratic renewal with our help — and we’ve been wondering what Mr. Atkinson would think about this decision. We can imagine the current state of the news industry would keep him up at night. But it would be the news itself Read more >
12 Apr 17
These places where we live and work matter to us – or we wouldn’t be here. Nor would we put our names on ballots, put our savings on the line to start businesses, or put countless hours into our communities to make them even more vibrant than they already are. But the people with whom we live and work matter to us even more... Read more >
19 Apr 16
“Let us realize the arc of the moral universe is long,” advised Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., “but it bends toward justice.”
The words of Dr. King mean so much to so many. In my own commitment and work to build a more just world, these words have given me reassurance and perspective. Read more >
6 Apr 16
Black Lives Matter Toronto's camp was disbanded on Monday following a powerful exchange between the Premier and organizers outside Queen's Park. Organizers remain committed to their demands. Read more >
20 Nov 15
The Atkinson Foundation’s first foray into the public policy development process was to advocate for its own existence. In 1949, the Ontario legislature passed the Charitable Gifts Act to prohibit charities from owning more than 10% of a business Read more >