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Kairos Times
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| In the struggle for peace, it is my belief that means and ends should be consistent. I cannot endorse acts of violence in my day-to-day confrontations and, at the same time, be taken seriously when I speak of an ideal for the future that exalts wisdom, sensitivity, fairness, and compassion as basic requirements for running the world. |
| -- Jean Zaru, Palestinian Quaker, in her paper “A Christian Palestinian Life: Faith and Struggle”. |
Join our 2003-4 campaign, Cultivating Just Peace! Contact us for information:info or toll-free 1 877 403 8933, extension 233. New resources are now available for ordering through orders or our website. You can also leave a message at 1 877 403 8933 x246.
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Take Action!
- A partial victory for access to affordable drugs: an update on Bill C-9
- Update on the Agenda for Just Peace cards: please
send them in!
- KAIROS calls on Canada to help secure comprehensive peace in
- Earth Day at the Imperial Oil AGM!
- KAIROS condemns recent racist acts aimed at Jews and Muslims
Take action
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A partial victory for access to affordable drugs: an update on Bill C-9 |
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A KAIROS analysis of amendments to the government bill aimed at providing lower-cost medicines to developing countries concludes that while the Bill has been improved, major problems remain. KAIROS commends the federal government for removing the "right of first refusal" clause that would have given brand-name pharmaceutical companies the right to scoop up contracts negotiated by generic drug manufacturers with low-income countries. However, KAIROS is concerned that last-minute amendments may lead to prolonged litigation or even revocation of contracts, defeating the Bill's goal of facilitating the export of lower cost medicines to low income countries.
Other flaws persist. The Bill covers only a specific list of medicines, thus limiting the legislation's contribution to providing affordable medications to the 14 million persons who die annually from treatable infectious diseases, especially HIV/AIDS, because they can not afford brand-name pharmaceuticals. Another problem is a new amendment that could tie up efforts by Non-Governmental Organizations, such as Médecins Sans Frontières, to import generic drugs from Canada for use with patients who otherwise have no access to health care.
KAIROS is concerned that big pharmaceutical companies have used one trade agreement after another to enhance their monopoly power. Bill C9 potentially offers a breakthrough for the 6 million people living in developing counties and suffering from HIV/AIDS who cannot afford brand-name drugs. Canada is the first developed country to pass legislation allowing for export of generic drugs to countries without sufficient pharmaceutical manufacturing capacity, but it is regrettable that this legislation contains such major flaws.
We thank the many Kairos Times readers who recently added their voices to the KAIROS urgent action on Bill C-9. Our voices did make a difference, helping to persuade the government to remove the right of first refusal clause. Please note that the action is archived for information only on the KAIROS website, and is no longer active. However, much work remains on this issue! KAIROS continues to work on advocacy issues related to the HIV/AIDS pandemic alongside other NGOs, the United Church of Canada, and the Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund.
KAIROS continues to urge the federal government to increase its contribution to the Global Fund for AIDS, TB and Malaria and to lead an initiative to cancel the multilateral debts of low-income countries.
The complete analysis of Bill C-9 is available at www.kairoscanada.org under Global Economic Justice/ Trade. Further information is available at:
Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network: www.aidslaw.ca
The United Church of Canada: www.united-church.ca/beads
Or contact John Dillon, program coordinator: Global Economic Justice,
416 463 5312 x231,
jdillon
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Update on the Agenda for Just Peace cards: please send them in! |
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Keep those cards coming! KAIROS has received about 3,000 signed Agenda for Just Peace cards to date. This card is the main action component of the Cultivating Just Peace campaign. The English and French cards have gone out to the local members of almost all churches and communities who participate in KAIROS, and local churches and community groups have found many creative ways to promote both the cards and the message that peace provides true security. We thank the thousands of people who have held workshops, worships, theatre events, and mass card signings as part of a nation wide effort to present a vision of security based on human rights and environmental integrity.
However—the cards’ success has meant that we are likely to run out of the print version a second time! Remember that the cards can be downloaded from our website free of charge in English and in French, and as both a “secular” and a faith-based version. We ask that people with access to the Web use this method wherever possible. See below for the exact web address.
Cards and card photocopies can be bundled together in an envelope and sent to KAIROS in quantity. Please remember, however, that photocopied cards cannot be sent without an envelope. And please remind people signing the cards to include their full name and address, and their faith community or social action group too (where possible).
The Just Peace campaign page can be found at http://www.kairoscanada.org/e/action/campaign.asp
The deadline for the cards continues to be June 30. The cards
will be presented to the Prime Minister in the fall—please
watch for further details.
The Cultivating Just Peace overall campaign will continue in September,
but a new action will be introduced. It will likely focus on the
government-mandated public review of the so-called Anti-Terrorism
Act, and will also include plans for country-wide vigils and new
connections with American church counterparts. These directions
were set in February by the Education and Animation Program Committee,
which includes representatives from all regions of the grassroots
KAIROS network and representatives from each of KAIROS’ member
groups. We also welcome your ideas and feedback—please contact
your regional representative, or Adele Halliday, the national Network
Coordinator:
ahalliday
or 1 877 403 8933 x236.
The latest …
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KAIROS calls on Canada to help secure comprehensive peace in Sudan |
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A conflict in the West of Sudan has erupted as peace talks continue between the Government of Sudan and groups of rebels over decades-old hostilities in the South. More than 2 million people have perished in the overall conflict in Sudan since 1983, largely through government intransigence and war-induced famine. Negotiators in Nairobi are deadlocked over issues such as the role of Islamic law in governance. While the fighting in the South has dropped off sharply since the start of peace talks in July 2002, the western region of Darfur has become a “region in flames”, according to Human Rights Watch.
As in the South, the conflict in Darfur has emerged out of a situation of desperation, with rebels demanding more socio-economic development for their region, an end to the Arab tribal militias, and greater access to the central government in Khartoum. The Government of Sudan, for its part, has labeled the western groups “bandits” and refused to negotiate with them. Over 1000 people are being killed each week by the Janjaweed, an Arab militia backed by aircraft of the Sudanese National Forces.
In response to this crisis, KAIROS recently sent a letter to Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bill Graham, urging him to put Canada’s diplomatic weight behind a comprehensive peace throughout Sudan. We ask the Canadian government to take several steps to stop the humanitarian crisis from growing any larger and to apply pressure on the Sudanese government to cease its support for indiscriminate attacks on civilians. KAIROS continues to work with civil society groups in Canada and partners in Sudan in responding to this crisis.
There will not be peace in Sudan without a comprehensive process that examines fully the roots of conflict throughout the country. And peace in Sudan will never be secured through military means.
The letter to Minister Graham is available at letters
and statements section of our website
The longer report on the situation in Darfur can be found under
Human
Rights- Peacebuilding
For more information contact John Lewis, Program Coordinator, International
Human Rights,
jlewis
or 416 463 5312 ext. 224.
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Earth Day at the Imperial Oil AGM! |
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What better way to celebrate Earth Day than to bring ecologically sound proposals to the Annual General Meeting of Imperial Oil? KAIROS’ Corporate Social Responsibility program intervened again at this AGM, following up on previous years' shareholder action focusing on climate change.
Imperial Oil (aka ESSO), which is 70% owned by the American corporation ExxonMobil, continues to oppose the scientific finding that climate change is caused by the burning of fossil fuels like oil and gas. This stance has made it the focus of criticism by many civil society organizations. A number of faith-based communities in Canada who hold Imperial Oil shares regularly request that KAIROS represent their interests via proxy attendance at the company’s annual general meeting.
On April 21 KAIROS staff persons Rory O’Brien and Joy Kennedy made proposals related to renewable energy and to climate change at the AGM on behalf of the Congregation of the Sisters of Ste. Anne and the Sisters of St. Joseph of St. Hyacinthe, Quebec. They first asked the board of Imperial Oil Limited to prepare a report by September 2004 describing how the company has evaluated market opportunities in wind, solar, and other renewable sources of energy.
This proposal received 3.5% of the total voting shares, and 18.4% of the shares not owned by ExxonMobil. This is a respectable showing and will allow this shareholder resolution to be resubmitted next year, if necessary. The corporation’s response to the proposal is that the market in renewables is not lucrative enough yet to warrant looking into.
The second proposal was one that had been submitted last year. It called on Imperial Oil to issue for shareholders an annual report verified by credible third party auditors, and focusing on specific emission reduction initiatives undertaken by the company to address risks and liabilities arising from climate change, including targets and actual emissions.
This proposal received 4.1% of the total voting shares, and 21.2% of the minority shares. Although this did not meet the 6% threshold for third-time submission next year, it is not a concern since the federal government mandated just last month that all major greenhouse gas emitters must now issue reports on emissions, as the proposal essentially requests. It appears the government of Canada is no longer willing to let Imperial Oil do nothing about the reality of climate change.
For more information, contact Rory O’Brien, Program Coordinator,
Corporate Social Responsibility at
robrien
or 416 463 5312 x229.
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KAIROS condemns recent racist acts aimed at Jews and Muslims |
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KAIROS condemns the recent fire bombing of the United Talmud Torah elementary school in Montreal, the desecration of a Jewish cemetery in Toronto and the vandalism and arson attack at the Al-Mahdi mosque in Pickering, Ontario.
“KAIROS deplores these violent expressions of hate,”
says Mary Corkery, KAIROS Executive Director and delegation member.
“We deplore also the ways in which complex issues in the Middle
East are framed by the media through acts of violence. Our media
seldom inform us of the many courageous and creative acts of peace-building
that we saw in the Middle East.” A nine-person KAIROS delegation
returned from the Middle East recently.
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