The Winnipeg Declaration, sometimes referred to as the Winnipeg Manifesto, was the programme adopted by the

Co-operative Commonwealth Federation The Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF; , FCC) was a federal democratic socialism, democratic socialistThe following sources describe the CCF as a democratic socialist political party: * * * * * * and social democracy, social-democ ...

(CCF) in

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

to replace the

Regina Manifesto The Regina Manifesto was the programme of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) and was adopted at the first national convention of the CCF held in Regina, Saskatchewan, Regina, Saskatchewan, in 1933. The goal of the Regina Manifesto wa ...

. Its full name is the "1956 Winnipeg Declaration of Principles of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation," and it was adopted at the party's national convention held that year in

Winnipeg Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Manitoba. It is centred on the confluence of the Red River of the North, Red and Assiniboine River, Assiniboine rivers. , Winnipeg h ...

Manitoba Manitoba is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada at the Centre of Canada, longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's Population of Canada by province and territory, fifth-most populous province, with a population ...

Evolution of party

The declaration reflected the evolution of the party from

socialism Socialism is an economic ideology, economic and political philosophy encompassing diverse Economic system, economic and social systems characterised by social ownership of the means of production, as opposed to private ownership. It describes ...

to a more moderate form of

social democracy Social democracy is a Social philosophy, social, Economic ideology, economic, and political philosophy within socialism that supports Democracy, political and economic democracy and a gradualist, reformist, and democratic approach toward achi ...

and

Keynesian Keynesian economics ( ; sometimes Keynesianism, named after British economist John Maynard Keynes) are the various macroeconomic theories and models of how aggregate demand (total spending in the economy) strongly influences economic output an ...

economics since its founding during the

Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...

. It also reflected the increased pragmatism that had coloured the party since it took power in the province of

Saskatchewan Saskatchewan is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Western Canada. It is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, to the northeast by Nunavut, and to the south by the ...

. The anticommunist mood of the

Cold War The Cold War was a period of global Geopolitics, geopolitical rivalry between the United States (US) and the Soviet Union (USSR) and their respective allies, the capitalist Western Bloc and communist Eastern Bloc, which lasted from 1947 unt ...

also caused the CCF to seek to moderate its stance. The CCF federal vice-president and future

New Democratic Party The New Democratic Party (NDP; , ) is a federal political party in Canada. Widely described as social democratic,The party is widely described as social democratic: * * * * * * * * * * * * * The Editors of ''Encyclopædia Britann ...

leader, David Lewis, was instrumental in drafting the document and having it approved.

From nationalization to mixed economy

The Regina Manifesto called for a socialist economy in which major sectors of the economy would be

nationalized Nationalization (nationalisation in British English) is the process of transforming privately owned assets into public assets by bringing them under the public ownership of a national government or state. Nationalization contrasts with priv ...

and placed under public control, but the Winnipeg Declaration called for a

mixed economy A mixed economy is an economic system that includes both elements associated with capitalism, such as private businesses, and with socialism, such as nationalized government services. More specifically, a mixed economy may be variously de ...

in which "there will be an important role for public, private and co-operative enterprise working together in the people's interest" and also moderated earlier demands for a

planned economy A planned economy is a type of economic system where investment, production and the allocation of capital goods takes place according to economy-wide economic plans and production plans. A planned economy may use centralized, decentralized, ...

. The Regina Manifesto declared that the CCF would not rest until capitalism was "eradicated," but the Winnipeg Declaration affirmed, "The CCF will not rest content until every person in this land and in all other lands is able to enjoy equality and freedom, a sense of human dignity, and an opportunity to live a rich and meaningful life as a citizen of a free and peaceful world."

Statement of principles

The Winnipeg Declaration remained the basic statement of party principles of the CCF and its successor, the

, until 1983 when it was replaced by the Statement of Principles.

External links

Winnipeg Declaration
Text * s:The Winnipeg Declaration The Winnipeg Declaration - Wikisource {{NDP History of Winnipeg 1956 in Canada Co-operative Commonwealth Federation New Democratic Party (Canada) Party platforms 1956 documents Political history of Canada