Aboriginal Friendship Centres of Saskatchewan to deliver provincial Urban Aboriginal Strategy funding
- EFN Staff | December 09, 2014
The Aboriginal Friendship Centres of Saskatchewan (AFCS) is now going to administer the newly released Request for Proposals for the Urban Partnerships Program (UPP).
The realigned Urban Aboriginal Strategy (UAS), announced on February 6, 2014, is a strategic framework implemented by Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada (AANDC), to address urban Aboriginal issues in the multi-jurisdictional and multi-stakeholder environment of Canada’s urban centres.
The AFCS is responsible for administering a portion of the UAS, which includes UPP throughout the province.
In Saskatchewan, AFCS will be administering $2.2 million for projects that address employment barriers faced by urban Aboriginal people. The newly realigned UAS retains its focus but with more of a streamlined approach, thus reducing the costs of administering and delivering each program.
The overarching goal is to assist organizations in delivering programs and services, which increase urban Aboriginal participation in the economy while attracting additional investments. Participation in the workforce means that Aboriginal people have the skills, knowledge and training needed to secure and maintain employment, while excelling in a strong Canadian economy.
Increased participation is achieved when individuals obtain a solid education, a comprehensive skill set and strong self-advocacy skills – all of which can be used to access and utilize services/supports that reduce those challenges which create employment barriers.
With a proven track record of accountability and transparency, and as part of the Friendship Centre Movement, the AFCS is in a prime position to administer program funds provincially. As a local CBO, AFCS staff understands the needs and difficulties faced within project delivery and can be reactive to those needs to ensure success in programming.
Friendship Centres are recognized as Canada’s premier service delivery organizations for off-reserve Aboriginal service delivery, and these centres have always been mandated to serve the needs of all Aboriginal people regardless of Aboriginal status. Similar to the National Association of Friendship Centres (NAFC), the AFCS is democratically governed, status blind, and is accountable to both the federal government and directly to the urban Aboriginal community.
AANDC will administer the funding dedicated to establishing new regional planning in partnership with the provinces and community partners.
Further information on the RFP can be found at the AFCS website..
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