Nunavut Premier Eva Aariak and Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. Vice-President Jack Anawak today announced The Makimaniq Plan: A Shared Approach to Poverty Reduction.

The plan outlines a common agenda for poverty reduction in Nunavut, developed by the forty-five participants in the territory’s first poverty summit.

“Everyone has a role to play to eliminate poverty in our territory,” said Premier Eva Aariak. “My Cabinet is committed to do its part and is prepared to make the following commitments for action today. By this end of our mandate in 2013, this Government will:

· Revise the public housing rent scale to reduce disincentives to employment and to support the goals of poverty reduction and other social programs;

· Establish a culturally-relevant pilot program for addictions treatment;

· Convene and participate in a Nunavut Food Security Coalition, working with partner organizations to strengthen or develop programs and activities that provide increased food security and access to country food for Nunavummiut; and,

· In order to ensure that the momentum created by this work continues beyond the term of any one government or organization, this Government will introduce legislation for the implementation of the long-term Poverty Reduction Action Plan with the collaboration of our partners.

I would like to thank Minister Taptuna for leading this initiative for the Government of Nunavut, NTI and all of the partners and participants for their full commitment to poverty reduction in Nunavut. The full The Makimaniq Plan: A Shared Approach to Poverty Reduction will be coming to cabinet for consideration and further commitments will be forthcoming,” said Premier Eva Aariak.

“It will be important that we work diligently to implement the Makimaniq Plan over the next eighteen months and we are committed to a long-term implementation plan in the years ahead,” said Vice President Anawak.

The Makimaniq Plan outlines a distinct Nunavut approach to poverty reduction, endorsing six themes for action that emerged during community dialogue and regional roundtable meetings convened since the launch of a public engagement process for poverty reduction October 18, 2010.

The plan includes priority actions for each theme for the next eighteen months, outlines a shared governance structure to promote interagency collaboration and support community initiative, and proposes that delivery and accountability for the plan be undertaken by the Nunavut Roundtable for Poverty Reduction, a proposed multi-party organization representing all sectors of Nunavut society.

The three-day Poverty Summit was attended by representatives from government, Inuit organizations, non-governmental organizations, municipalities, the business community, the mining industry and individuals, including elders and youth and those with lived experience of poverty.

The Nunavut Roundtable for Poverty Reduction will meet immediately to consider implementation options for The Makimaniq Plan: A Shared Approach to Poverty Reduction.