RedFlagMagazine

Location: The International Network of Street Papers in Glasgow, Scotland

Names: (Back Row from left to right) Danielle Batist, Lisa Maclean, Helen Harvey, Laura Smith, and Maree Aldam. (Bottom row) Sam Best.

The group in the photo are all employees of the International Network of Street Papers (INSP) an organization that found a creative solution to homelessness and poverty: street papers. Through selling 122 different publications in 40 countries, 12,000 homeless vendors on street corners worldwide make a living every day. Vendors buy their street paper or magazine for half of the cover price, and sell them in order to earn an income. At the same time, street papers are distinctive and quality independent media – challenging public perceptions of poverty and social injustice in cities across the globe. Since the founding of INSP in 1994, more than 200,000 vendors around the world have changed their lives through selling street papers. INSP street papers are also an important independent media resource, with a global readership of over 6 million per edition. In the midst of the global financial crisis, the risk of homelessness is becoming greater and more real for tens of thousands of individuals, families, young and elderly people in Europe, America and beyond. The need for street papers is growing and new start-ups include a street paper in Greece, launching this summer. In these insecure economic times, street papers for many are a lifeline. For more info, visit www.street-papers.org.