Dr. John Clarke

John Clarke came to Canada from Britain in the late 1970s and settled in London, Ontario, where he became active in trade union struggles. In the early 80s, he helped to form a union of unemployed workers that forged links with similar organisations in other cities and challenged the grossly inadequate social benefits system in Ontario.In 1990, the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty (OCAP) was formed and John moved to Toronto to become one of its organisers. He stayed in this role for 28 years,...See more

John Clarke came to Canada from Britain in the late 1970s and settled in London, Ontario, where he became active in trade union struggles. In the early 80s, he helped to form a union of unemployed workers that forged links with similar organisations in other cities and challenged the grossly inadequate social benefits system in Ontario.In 1990, the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty (OCAP) was formed and John moved to Toronto to become one of its organisers. He stayed in this role for 28 years, helping to mobilise poor communities that were facing a deepening austerity agenda at the hands of governments at every level.In 2018, John was offered the position of Packer Visitor in Social Justice at Toronto's York University. There he developed and taught courses that related to the struggles of unions and social movements. He is presently teaching a course for union and community activists that considers the strategies those in power use to contain and control movements of social resistance and how these can be overcome.John remains active in anti-poverty struggles and is part of an organisation called 230 Fightback, which is resisting gentrification and fighting for social housing in Toronto's Downtown East. He also writes regularly for various publications on a range of issues related to working class resistance and popular struggles He can be reached at clarkecourse@gmail.com. See less