Join me this federal election - and support Melissa and the NDP!

Good morning:

This election, I am helping run an election campaign for the NDP and our champion candidate Melissa in my Toronto riding of University-Rosedale. I am writing to you today as a committed organizer and friend, to share why I see this political involvement as an extension of my social justice movement work, and therefore why I’ve decided to commit myself fully to organizing around this incredibly important Canadian election. I hope you will choose to get involved as well.  

Some background...I moved back to Canada after many years doing human rights and racial, economic, and basic freedom legal work and organizing in the United States. I love being back in Toronto. I feel a commitment from communities I am connecting back into to building a society where we can all thrive - because of our differences, because of government action to remove barriers and create a more equitable playing field, because of collective commitment to support each other.  

But governments matter. Political leaders matter. 

Living in the U.S. doing immigration work under two presidents who’ve attacked undocumented communities, I learned about the very violent way the federal government caused daily crisis - disappearing children and friends and attacking the very dignity of entire communities - whether it was through policy, budget decisions, or the culture it chose to promote. Moving back to Ontario, I immediately felt the way the conservative government’s commitment to attacking every aspect of our social security net and public institutions, with cuts to legal aid, social security, the minimum wage, public education, public healthcare. People are being pushed deeper into poverty, losing their homes and immigration protections, and we as a society are seeing the destruction of important parts of a system trying to promote equality, a system we have fought for so many years to develop. Because of the political leadership, we are living under, our government is promoting hate, fear, and further inequality, instead of taking bold action for climate change and for real inclusivity and diversity.  

But there are more of us who want something different from our leadership. And because there are more of us, we have the power to change politics. But we need to become involved. 

We have an important choice to make this federal election in Canada. I am a committed organizer, not a party-follower, but I see only one party committed to transformative change that can benefit all of us - and that is the NDP. They have already nominated candidates from politically unrepresented communities in Canada. I also believe in their platform - with its commitment to climate justice and bold action through a plan to disinvest in fossil fuels and invest in a new economy with clean and fair work; a commitment to the rights of Indigenous Peoples; and a commitment to thriving communities with investment in affordable housing and expanded public healthcare. In contrast, the Liberals fail to understand the climate emergency and take real leadership over the last 4 years, flipping back and forth between their values and the realities of a party bound to its corporate ties. The Green party believes the market and corporations can drive climate action, and has shown how it will compromise on human rights. 

This election, I will help manage Melissa Jean-Baptiste Vajda’s NDP campaign in University-Rosedale. Melissa is the type of champion I believe can help integrate our community movement work and political leadership. She is a human rights and community legal services lawyer. She is Canadian of Haitian descent and has faced the precarious realities of growing up in a lower-income community. She is committed to make the important policies in the NDP platform a reality, but also to organize new communities politically and bring a needed new perspective into political leadership. Melissa’s also great a great person, and not scared to take on the largely white, male, political establishment and represent all of us. I believe in and trust her and am honoured to be able to support her this election. 

I hope you will join us, because we want to build this movement together. 

VOTE. Vote your conscience and politics. We can make a difference, but only if we all go out and vote and show through our vote the values we stand for. The election will be on October 21st and there will be many opportunities to early vote!

VOLUNTEER. We need people to knock on doors to talk to the community and stress the urgency of this election and why the NDP can bring real change. We are building our team and want all types of volunteers. Sign up here to volunteer, but also reach out personally if you have ideas on how you’d like to support. I know I have a group of talented and committed organizers on this list so we would love your help in all ways you’d like to get involved. Stop by the office at 828 College St. when you have a minute to help!  

If you live in the riding, please PUT UP A SIGN. We need people to see that it is possible to vote for change. Sign up for a sign here.      

FOLLOW US ONLINE: on facebook (@melissajeanbaptistevajda), on twitter (@melissavajda), on instagram (soon!). Sign up for campaign updates by registering as a volunteer. Please share what we post! 

DONATE TO THE CAMPAIGN. This team doesn’t have deep pockets and the NDP doesn’t get support from corporate leaders. We rely on communities that benefit from its leadership. Donate if you can here!

Thank you and hope to organize with you over the next month and into the future!

- Sima Atri

647-819-2038 / simaatri.sa@gmail.com

PS: Campaign work is all-hours and pretty all-energy consuming. I have personally decided to fully commit myself to this fight through the election on October 21st. I appreciate you all and am committed to my other organizing - but will be less able to spend time in other spaces and with all of you until then. But if you can volunteer or if you want to just stop by and share some positive words/snacks/a hug - we’d love that. Visit us at our office at College and Ossington!  Miss you all, but feeling energized, and grounded in this political fight.