Your Campaigning Is Killing Us

The words on the poster, in case they're hard to read in the photo image are:

YOUR GENEROSITY IS KILLING ME

GIVE SPARE CHANGE TO AGENCIES INSTEAD OF PANHANDLERS

MAKE A DONATION AT WWW .DOWNTOWNCALGARY .COM

Now, what "Downtown Calgary .com" represents is the "Downtown Calgary Association," an organization in operation in the downtown core of Calgary, Alberta, Canada, which is made up of over 3000 businesses in a 120-block are of Calgary's core landscape. The Downtown Calgary Association is a not-for-profit organization.

Basically, within the CDA/DCA (Calgary Downtown Association - or Downtown Calgary Association - which is how it appears the name is at the website location), there are primarily business-oriented people who are supporting events in the Calgary core - including campaigning to clean up the Calgary core of physical litter, homeless individuals, panhandlers and addicts who are visibly loitering around entrances to prominent business buildings, stores and such.

Kudos to the IDEA of cleaning up the Calgary downtown core, however...we're talking about BUSINESS ORIENTED INDIVIDUALS running social justice issue and humanitarian campaigns.

The best that they've come up with is to further promote very detrimental stereotypes about the homeless, addicts, panhandlers, low-income individuals and agencies and staff of low income agencies, as well as supporting "Spitting Bylaw" and "Loitering Bylaw" details that target primarily the marginalized population - many of which ARE NOT addicts at all. Nor are they all drug dealers, panhandlers or criminals - they're POOR PEOPLE who are not permitted to stand ANYWHERE in the downtown core - although the policies in most shelters in downtown Calgary prohibit shelter residents from remaining indoors at the shelters...

Most of the shelters are well-supported by members and the association of CDA...

Calgary is considered a 'Conservative' location in Western Canada...and the Calgary location is a "City Of Wealth," primarily built upon OIL and Gas Money, along with a high percentage of agricultural businesses.

It just seems simple to me that Oilmen/experts and farmers are not experts in the complex issues of homelessness, addiction, urban crime, etc., so the fact that over 3000 individuals/entities involved in the CDA/DCA (Honestly, I don't know WHICH name to call it - the names are used interchangeably in conversation but are understood to be the same association) have come up with detrimental campaigns against panhandlers is no great surprise.

No - I'm not trying to downtalk this organization...I'm trying to TALK SENSE HERE and outline that, although members of DCA and the organization itself has very benevolent purposes related to making Calgary a cleaner, safer place, their whole approach can ONLY FAIL...

It has failed SO FAR, hasn't it?

In the past 5 years since the DCA expressed itself through certain campaigns, including the poster shown on this hub, the general Calgarian public is more afraid of panhandlers and homeless people than ever before. I can say this with all certainty because I'm working on developing my own business doing public speaking about homelessness and related issues, and my budding business includes a "foot tour" of the Calgary core...

I've managed over a dozen 'mock tours' as a research phase of my start up plan and have asked volunteers to come with me on my field research so that I can make sure I keep individuals of all types as emotionally and physically safe as possible when I am doing business. The feedback I've gained from my 'test clients' has shown me that many people, before they see TRUE HOMELESSNESS, panhandlers, low-income resource centres, etc., are actually very apprehensive - some are downright AFRAID - of homeless people, people they deem to be panhandlers and drug dealers...

In questioning my test-clients, I found that most of them misinterpreted the acts of individuals who were outside of stores we walked by, deeming them 'drug dealiers,' when really - I KNOW some of these people personally...when I stopped to actually speak pleasantly and comfortably with some of these individuals, my 'test-clients,' were afraid at first - then entered the conversation, as well, and by the end of a few minutes' worth of conversation, my test-clients felt very, VERY emotionally distraught, guilty and filled with shame...because they had so badly judged the individuals I/we stopped to talk to...I had to 'debrief' test-clients often and attend to their emotional needs often while conducting my tours.

When I asked my test-clients how they came to understand that, by certain looks, low-income individuals must be 'drug dealers,' they mentioned things like the CDA/DCA posters that started going up around Calgary 5 or so years ago...they mentioned little TV commercials, newspaper ads, etc., many of which are taken out by CDA/DCA or other "business individuals or entities," Newspapers of all kinds, originating in Calgary Alberta were mentioned, "Oh, well I read in the [Calgary] Herald - that article about the drug bust in NW Calgary..." and "I read in the [Calgary] Sun about the police cleaning up vagrancy near "8th & 8th," etc.

Besides the CDA/DCA Campaigning being drawn from misunderstandings and plain lack of knowledge about homelessness in Calgary, the poster shown here was part of a set which included:

A poster showing a man from shouders on down, dressed in a very fine business suit but wearing a cardboard sign like some panhandlers use. The message was similar to the one here, on this hub - basically mocking panhandlers.

A poster showing stacked "loonies" (Canadian dollar coins, called "loonies" because on the 'tails' side, a Loon bird image is on every coin), arranged in a manner to suggest that the loonies were "bars" - jailhouse bars, to be exact...the person 'behind bars' was another business-person type, a man in a business suit, image shown from the shoulders down to prevent viewers seeing a face. The man was reaching through the bars, panhandling.

Here's the list of the CDA/DCA Board of Directors, current since 2009:

Jim Doyle, Field Law, Chair: Mr. Doyle is a lawyer, obviously.

David Neill, Encorp Management Inc., Vice Chair: The Vice Chairperson, Mr. Neill is with Encorpt, again - not an expert in homelessness, low-income issues and human beings, but a very high-ranking employee of Encorp.

Larry Clausen, National Public Relations, Secretary/Treasurer: Sorry, but I'm not sure what National Public Relations means - but I will be finding out by end-April and will update this hub accordingly.

Mark Purdy, Grosvenor Canada Limited: Mr. Purdy is a beneficial part of Grosvenor Canada Limited. This company is all about international property development, investments and funding. Again, not a human-development company, but a well established business.

Jennifer Arrowsmith, The Bay Downtown: Ms. Arrowsmith is likely a fantastic representative of one of Canada's first and primary shopping outlets, however, she may not be an expert in addiction-recovery issues, low-income resources, homeless and marginalized people.

Brian Guichon, Riley & McCormick: A Riley & McCormick's employee, possibly not an expert in human development.

Larry Ryder, Louson Investments: Mr. Ryder is another business professional.

David Venini, Venini Investments: Mr. Venini is another business professional with his own business.

Colin Logiss, Twigs & Company: This company is a FLOWER SHOP...

Keith Luft, PennWest Energy Trust: Oil/Energy biz

Mark Hill, Harry Rosen Inc.: Harry Rosen Inc is a high-priced men's wear shop, specializing in catering to those with large bills in their wallet.

Kata Acheson, TD Waterhouse: This company is a "wealth management" and investing entity.

No doctors, psychologists, sociological experts, no business owners aligned with or teamed with any local shelters or low-income institutions - just a whole bunch of very successful business people on the board, making campaigning decisions about panhandlers - and providing ample funds to run very flashy campaigns that are detrimental to the homeless.

This List of the Board of Directors can be found at the link below:

Downtown Calgary .com - Board Members/About Page

Again, my intent is not to beat on the reputation of the above individuals or on the CDA/DCA, but to give a logical suggestion as to why, despite all the campaigns, homelessness, panhandling and drug crimes continue to rise in the city of Calgary...

Plainly and simply...the campaigns promote misinformation and stereotyping, not common sense, facts, and solutions. The campaigns are more of a 'venting' tactic than a 'solutions based' series of messages. Yes, there's a definite "call to action" in the campaigning, and that call to action is: "stop giving money to panhandlers" which really is no solution.

An additional message" "Give to the Calgary Downtown Association in donations rather than giving to panhandlers, addicts, and the homeless."

Well, I'm sure there are only good intentions here, but why would you give your money to an organization that has proven to be ineffective in promoting a proper message or solution about panhandlers, homelessness and drug addiction in Calgary? I'm sure that the CDA/DCA puts donations directly into the city shelters and other helpful organizations, but seriously, the front-line messages - these bad campaigns - should alert many people to the fact that perhaps the CDA/DCA doesn't know all that much about homelessness, panhandling, drug crimes and addiction.

Additionally, we have to admit that there is ANOTHER MOTIVE for members of the CDA/DCA - that is - to keep their storefronts clean and clear of individuals who look 'trashy,' Part of the 'clean-up' for some had much, much more to do with 'business' than it does with 'humanitarian efforts.'

On the latter, I don't believe it's a crime or that it's bad in any way to want to clean up a storefront entrance or the visible area of a business location so that clients to not have to deal with being around individuals who appear to be homeless, appear to be panhandlers, drug addicts or dealers...I'm just saying that this sort of motivation doesn't necessarily lead to good choices and promoting good information about the panhandler, addiction/drug crimes, and homelessness issues in Calgary...

Some simple things that might make things better in Calgary are:

• STOP PROMOTING MISINFORMATION and spending money on these types of campaigns
• Bring in EXPERTS on PEOPLE - sociologists, psychologists, shelter workers, social workers - not just experts in the arts of investing, land purchases, the oil and energy business, flower shoppes, everyday merchandise (The Bay? Riley & McCormick?), etc.
• Begin training the staff in city shelters as if they are becoming EXPERTS in the field of human resources and services. That means - with psychology training! These shelter workers and their duties, at present are GROSSLY UNDERESTIMATED in the responsibilties they take on... without receiving much acclaim or credit at all.
• Stop allowing merely kindhearted volunteers in Calgary develop the programs surrounding low-income needs and the resources for homeless people, street people, shelter-residents, addicts, recovering addicts, those with mental illness, low-income and marginalize poor people.
• There's a better way to treat poor and disadvantaged people besides trying to design programs, resources and accomodations for them out of minds that are finely tuned for business but which may be minds uneducated in the ways of low-income issues and affairs.

Whether you identify as a low-income or poor person or not, poverty affects you. If you're wealthy, then you may be affected by guilt when you see homeless people in the streets - guilt about "why do I have everything and they have so little?" Naturally, some wealthy people do not feel this way, but I've spoken to many financially stable and financially well-off people who do say that they feel very guilty about having an abundance of material items as well as having good relationships with family, friends, community, etc...these people wonder why it is, when they're donating large sums of money - why are people still going hungry and homeless?

The answer to that is: TONS AND TONS of misinformation in the "Awareness Campaigning" and awareness literature that is published and circulated by well-meaning (no, I am not being sarcastic in any way here) individuals, organizations and agencies.

Homelessness and panhandling, drug addictions and recovery, housing issues and everything involved in the marginalization and poverty of individuals are ALL COMPLEX ISSUES...they're not about panhandling causing more severe problems.

Show me an article, a study, ANY study which proves that panhandling causes more addiction, more homelessness, more mental illness and greater strain on the economy and I will sincerely look at it with absolute intent to LEARN FROM IT...

I've been looking for such an article for the past 5 or 6 years and never have I found an article that says the above with any proof or concrete data which proves the OPINION that panhandling causes a bunch of other negative things in society.

Admittedly, panhandling causes a great deal of discomfort for many, many people, rich and poor - and there are some very aggressive panhandlers out there. There are even some professional panhandlers that aren't even homeless but have found a way to con people into giving them money...

Still - making posters with "junkies" shooting "loonies" into their veins, posters with homeless 'bums' reaching through jailhouse bars-of-loonie-coins to do their panhandling...these images are harmful WITHOUT even sending the right message about panhandling and poverty issues.

These campaigns are killing the humanity in us - all of us...they further dehumanize an already dehumanized, marginalized group of people...without offering any solutions whatsoever for the problem of panhandling.

If you do donate to the Calgary Downtown Association through their website, KUDOS to you. It will be a wonderful gesture... however, donating money to the CDA will NOT remove panhandlers from Calgary city streets. This is because your donation will not REMOVE POVERTY from the streets. The only thing that can remove poverty or at least lower poverty in urban centres is proper education and proper calls to action. Notice, I didn't just say "education" I said "proper" education - the details on homelessness and poverty are SPECIFIC...and complicated. Nobody is going to learn all about poverty in a 20 minute special spot on a News special).

The specifics are:

Homeless people, most panhandlers, shelter residents, street people and addicts, even recovering addicts are techinically in a state of TRAUMA...they are dealing with loss, no matter what the loss has been caused by. Their emotions are at risk, their mental health, sobriety/clean-time, finances and physical health are all at risk and the threshhold for critical thinking and proper behavior-reactions to life circumstances is technically IMPAIRED, whether we're talking about an addict or not. A plain sober/clean person who is homeless still has their senses, finances, emotions and self-esteem in a very IMPAIRED STATE...

More specifics: Traumatized people and those in the midst of trauma require some professional, experienced workers to help them...not 'band-aid' solutions, further dehumanizing campaigns against them, not misunderstandings and opinions based out of lack of proper education and experience.