HSA's Committee for Equality and Social Action Fund
Did you know that HSA has an Equality and Social Action Fund?
From the start to present day, the Committee for Equality and Social Action (CESA) and HSA’s Equality and Social Action Fund (informally known as the CESA fund) have been based on one of our strongest and most important trade union principles – solidarity!
The CESA fund is all about providing funding to grassroots organizations who are doing work that matters and impacts us all for the better. Groups who work to promote social and economic justice, labour solidarity, protection of human rights, a healthy environment, and universal health care.
The roots of the CESA fund date back to 1989, when convention delegates passed a resolution to establish a solidarity committee and fund. Delegates spoke passionately and thoughtfully about the importance of our connected struggles for a more just and equitable world.
Today, the committee is known as CESA (pronounced “seesaw”) and the CESA fund continues to be an important part of our collective commitment to supporting labour and social justice movements both locally and internationally.
Do you know a grassroots organization that should apply for funding?
CESA will be putting out a call for applications for the fund in mid-August 2022. If you know an organization who you think should apply, please have them email info [at] hsabc.org so we can send them an application package. (Please note that HSA members and worksites aren’t eligible to apply.)
Organizations that are eligible to apply for the CESA fund must do work that meets at least one of the following criteria:
- promotion and protection of trade union rights
- promotion and protection of human rights
- elimination of inequalities in society and the workplace
- promotion of issues relevant to women
- provision of adequate universal health care
- elimination of poverty
- promotion and protection of a healthy environment
Once the application process is complete, the CESA Committee will meet over the course of three days for what is known as the “speed dating” interviews. Each organization selected for “speed dating” will give a short presentation to the CESA Committee. The committee will then select organizations to receive portions of the fund based on their applications, presentations, and the selection criteria.
The budget for the Equality and Social Action Fund was set by HSA’s membership through a 2012 convention resolution and is 0.6% of HSA’s total revenue. You can learn more about the work of the CESA committee and the organizations that were supported through the CESA fund last year here.
If you have any questions for the HSA Committee for Equality and Social Action, please email info [at] hsabc.org.