Abstract

Creating organizations through which the poor could have a voice was the primary goal of the anti-poverty movement in Montreal in the early 1970s. Through confrontation politics, it made claims on the state and mobilized those traditionally excluded from the wider political process. Its most significant impact was to transform those on welfare from a marginalized group into active citizens. In this article, we examine an English speaking anti-poverty movement in Montreal during the 1970s. We discuss its vision and strategies, as well as some of the conflicts within the organization, particularly as these shaped the possibility of the poor 'speaking for themselves'. Throughout, we show that the movement propelled a new form of citizenship for poor people.