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Pivot Legal Society

pivot

Pivot Legal Society

From Pivot Legal Society’s website

Pivot’s mandate is to use the law to address the root causes of poverty and social exclusion. Our name is metaphor for our approach to social change – by making the most tangible violations of human rights the focal point of our efforts, we exert maximum pressure in order to shift society toward greater equality and inclusivity.

At Pivot, we believe that poverty and social exclusion are not inevitable.

We’re a legal advocacy group that fights legislation, policies, and practices that undermine human rights, intensify poverty, and deprive people of the opportunity to become a full and equal participant in their communities.

Pivot was forged in 2001 in the face of a health and human rights crisis in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. The neighbourhood we call home representsa microcosm of social injustices that exist across Canada — our legal campaigns are grounded in local experiences and perspectives that often lead to regional, national, and international opportunities for positive social change.

In partnership with communities affected by poverty and social exclusion, Pivot takes on strategic legal actions that have the potential to create systematic change.

Together, we have had numerous victories:

  • We’ve successfully protected the constitutional rights of vulnerable and marginalized people by challenging federal legislation that puts the lives of sex workers in danger
  • We’ve won access to harm reduction services for drug users, fighting against stigma that views addiction as a criminal offence
  • We’ve stood alongside victims of law enforcement misconduct and created change in policing practices
  • We’ve worked with vulnerably housed people to keep their homes in the face of widespread evictions.
  • Alongside our clients, allies, and supporters we’re shifting policies, changing attitudes and paving the way for a more just society where dignity, fairness, and compassion are firmly rooted in the law.

 

Visit Pivot’s website by clicking here.

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