Joel Harden is an educator, an activist, a writer, and a father of two young children. He was raised in Vankleek Hill, about an hour’s drive east of Ottawa, which was built on the unceded land of the Algonquin Nation. 
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In his previous work at the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC), Joel designed a successful campaign to improve the Canada Pension Plan, and education programs for the next generation of union leaders. In 2012, Joel left the CLC to write a book on grassroots social movements, and teach in the Department of Law and Legal Studies at Carleton University.

Joel currently works as a researcher for the Canadian Federation of Students, and is seeking the nomination as the Ontario New Democratic Party candidate in Ottawa Centre. In this latest work, Joel wants to bring the energy of the Jeremy Corbyn and Bernie Sanders campaigns to Ottawa. He has also been active in organizing on the Leap Manifesto.