Nurses for Social Responsibility (1985-1995)

Inspiration for Activism

A group of nurses, mostly from Toronto, ON who organized to become a distinct and unified nursing voice to speak out on social issues that
Nurses for Social Responsibility

influenced health
Lobbied professional nursing organizations to take action on a range of issues, such as multilateral nuclear disarmament and child poverty
Formed coalitions with like-minded non-nursing activist organizations advocating for women’s health, gender equality, peace
Demonstrated support for controversial issues, e.g. abortion rights, needle-exchange programs
Engaged in civil disobedience to shut down, temporarily at least, an “arms fair” protest the selling of arms to brutal dictatorships
Took positions opposed to violence against women, economic globalization, racism
Exposed nursing workplace issues, such as nursing cutbacks, preferential treatment of physicians over nurses, and racism
Published a newsletter initially, then later a magazine sold in news outlets across the country – “Towards Justice in Health”