Editor's Note

By Tim Covi

A couple of months back the International Network of Street Papers (INSP) held its annual conference in Melbourne, Australia. The theme of the conference was “Global Collaboration, Real Solutions.” Although the conference largely focused on how street papers could collaborate more, the theme made me think about an initiative that the INSP has been working on for some time—getting world governments, large and small, to fully embrace street papers.

“All of our 108 members are social enterprises,” says Serge Lareault, chairperson of the INSP, “providing employment and consequently transforming the lives of many thousands of disadvantaged people across the globe. Simultaneously we engage millions of readers in issues that are too important to be ignored.” The nature of street papers makes them a great asset to any community.

Reflecting on it, I’m amazed that in the U.S. street papers haven’t been included as an element of 10-year-plans to end homelessness, if not embraced by local governments. These plans, which have been created with varying degrees of success in more than 300 communities in the U.S., outline methods to dramatically reduce homelessness and alleviate its impact on the entire community.

Click to read more ...