|
|
|
||||||||
 
Kairos Times: November 2006 Vol 5, #9
|
 |
|
| Climate change is not just an environmental issue, as too many people still believe. It is an all-encompassing threat. |
–UN General Secretary Kofi Annan |
You’ll see that many of our articles this month focus on the
reality of day- to- day violence endured by millions. It has been
a year since members of the Christian Peacemaker Teams in Iraq were
kidnapped—and then three of the four returned safely many
months later. If only such safe return were the reality for the
thousands of Iraqis suffering kidnapping, death, and extreme violence
day by day. As Christians begin the season of Advent, anticipating
the birth of the Prince of Peace, and Jews prepare for the joyful
celebration of Hanukkah, we invite you to reflect—and act—on
ways to challenge violence in our lives and world.
In this edition:
- Clean Air smells pretty bad…. tell the government so
- Into energy efficiency? Tell us about it!
- World AIDS Day, December 1: Keep the promise
- Killings continue in the Philippines
- KAIROS releases statement on the ongoing violence in Gaza
- Tribunal on human rights finds Colombian government guilty
- Election hopes and challenges in the Congo
- Make the Refugee Appeal Division a reality-- finally
- National Migrant Justice Gathering Report and related briefs now available
- Farewell to Catholic New Times
- New resources on water and violence against women
Day of Action for Darfur December 10; ad campaign December 9
"When an issue like slaughter of civilians, rape of women and children and displacement of millions is at stake, we cannot afford to smile at the perpetrators." Jeremiah J'abior of Sudan Action for Peace, a human rights monitoring group.
KAIROS remains extremely concerned with the ongoing violence in Sudan— and with the Canadian government’s failure to take action against the ethnic cleansing of Darfur by holding the authorities in Sudan to account.
On December 10th the Save Darfur Canada Coalition will participate in another Global Day of Action on Darfur, and we’re asking for your support.
Its members, including KAIROS, are taking out a full-page ad in the Saturday December 9 edition of the Globe and Mail, asking the government for specific action and asking Canadians to join us in applying pressure to our elected officials. Please join this effort!
- Get a copy of the Globe and Mail
- Download the ad
here (
1.82 Mb - allow some time for download) Share it with your friends
and your congregation, parish, or other faith community. - Write to the Prime Minister.
The Save Darfur Canada site will have specific action opportunities on their site: www.savedarfurcanada.org
For more information, contact John Lewis, Human Rights Program
Coordinator, toll-free 1 877 403 8933 x 224 or
jlewis
Top
of pageClean Air smells pretty bad….
KAIROS has already offered an opinion on Canada’s new Clean
Air Act: http://www.kairoscanada.org/e/media/statements/smtCleanAir061020.asp
Our view is not especially positive, given Canada’s failure
to curb its greenhouse gas emissions—despite the successful
smaller-scale efforts underway in many communities and religious
groups across Canada.
Now that the Act has been tabled there is an official period for comment. The Climate Action Network is collecting public comments in response to the federal government’s Clean Air Act and Notice of Intent on a new website at www.CleanAirActStinks.ca
Send the comment the Climate Action Network has already prepared or better yet, write your own. Send the link to others and create a link from your organization’s website. You can also send your thoughts directly to The Honourable Rona Ambrose, Minister of the Environment, Les Terraces de la Chaudiere, 10 Wellington St., 28th floor, Gatineau, QC, K1A 0H3.)
The formal comment period ends December 21, 2006 so don’t wait too long to respond to this fundamentally flawed approach to cleaning our air and protecting our climate!
At the recent UN Climate Change Conference in Nairobi the Canadian
government faced considerable international criticism and even managed
to win the infamous Fossil Fuel Award, reserved for countries or
companies who contribute the most to greenhouse gas emissions. For
a mainstream media point of view on the Act, the conference, and
climate change, see
this Toronto Star article, and for more comment from a religious
perspective, see the Canadian Religious Conference’s statement
http://www.crc-canada.org/main.cfm?nID=363&nssid=503¤t=503
and the World
Council of Churches’ ecumenical delegation submission.
For more information contact Joy Kennedy, Ecological Justice Coordinator, 1 877 403 8933 ext. 222 or jkennedy
Into energy efficiency? Tell us about it!
Speaking of local efforts to address climate change, faith communities
all over Canada have long been busy upgrading their buildings in
an effort to save energy and lower greenhouse gas emissions. KAIROS
wants to know what you’re doing in your community. Please
take a moment to complete and/ or promote our survey on energy efficiency:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=790502921653
For more information contact Joy Kennedy, Ecological Justice Coordinator, 1 877 403 8933 ext. 222 or jkennedy
World AIDS Day, December 1: Action needed more than ever
KAIROS and the Canadian churches joined with hundreds of people
from around the world to call for action on HIV and AIDS at the
16th International AIDS Conference in Toronto this past summer.
As we wait for our government to help address the root causes of
the pandemic, UNAIDS has released the 2006 AIDS Epidemic Update,
which shows that the number of new HIV and AIDS infections and deaths
continues to rise while the global response is stalling. You can
access the full report at: www.unaids.org
and read the Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance's response at http://www.e-alliance.ch/.
What can you do to make a difference? Take a moment on World AIDS
Day, December 1, to remember all those who are affected by the HIV
and AIDS pandemic, and to pray that our government might be moved
to address HIV and AIDS by undertaking debt cancellation, ending
the forced privatization of health care in the developing world,
increasing Canadian contributions to the Global Fund for AIDS, changing
Canada’s pharmaceutical laws, and addressing the gender and
age inequalities that fuel the pandemic.
Resources for prayer, reflection, and worship can be found on the
websites of the Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance (http://www.e-alliance.ch/media/AdventLiturgy.pdf),
the Primate's World Relief and Development Fund (http://www.pwrdf.org/),
and the Christian Reformed Church in North America (http://www.crwrc.org/development/aids.html#Resources).
KAIROS is in the midst of updating its HIV-AIDS resources but they
can still be found at
http://www.kairoscanada.org/e/economic/hivaids/index.asp
Would you like to be part of a KAIROS HIV and AIDS Activist List?
Let Network and Campaigns Coordinator Sara Stratton know:
sstratton
Killings continue in the Philippines
Political killings in the Philippines are continuing without stop, although this has received very little attention in the Canadian mainstream media. KAIROS and the Canadian churches, with the United Church of Canada taking the lead, joined NGOs and civil society organizations in Canada in raising concern over the situation.
The Canadian Advocacy Group on Philippines, a newly formed coalition whose members include churches, non governmental organizations and solidarity groups, have written letters to Hon. Jason Kenney, Chair of the Parliamentary Subcommittee on International Human Rights, requesting that a parliamentary hearing be conducted on the killings. This request was responded to positively during the November 21, 2006 meeting of the Subcommittee.
The United Church has prepared a liturgy and memorial on the 21 church members killed to date in the Philippines. Time Magazine’s Asia edition has published a chilling summary of the situation faced by Filipinos and Filipinas who speak out. KAIROS also sent a letter to the President of the Philippines.
More information will follow in the next issue of Kairos Times. For further details, contact Connie Sorio, Asia-Pacific Partnership Coordinator at: 416 463-4312 ext. 240 or csorio or Bern Jagunos, UCC East Asia Secretary at 416 231-7680 or bjagunos
KAIROS releases statement on the ongoing violence in Gaza
In response to the Israeli military attacks in Gaza over the past month, KAIROS has issued a statement calling for an immediate end to the violence and for meaningful negotiations towards a Palestinian state. The statement notes that while the Israeli withdrawal of Jewish settlements from Gaza in August 2005 gave some hope to Gazans that peace was possible, the situation in Gaza has steadily deteriorated since. A low point was reached on November 8 when Israeli shells destroyed a house in Beit Hanoun, killing 19 civilians.
The KAIROS statement expresses its deep disappointment with the
Canadian government, whose official statement after the November
8 attack laid
much of the blame on Palestinians while barely criticizing the Israeli
actions. The full KAIROS statement is available on our website at
http://www.kairoscanada.org/e/media/statements/stmtGazaViolence061120.asp
The United Church of Canada has also released a statement:
http://www.united-church.ca/news/2006/1124.shtm
For further information, please contact Hanadi Loubani, Global Partnerships:
Middle East Coordinator at 1 877 403 8933 ext. 239 or
hloubani
Tribunal on human rights finds Colombian government guilty
A ground-breaking International Tribunal Against Impunity, was held November 24-25 in Bogota, Colombia. The Tribunal, organized by KAIROS human rights partners, focused on widespread human rights abuses and ongoing impunity. The process included a focus on youth in the communities of Ciudad Bolivar and Cazuca on the outskirts of Bogota, where 600 youth have been killed at the hands of the paramilitary and the police in the past five years. The impunity surrounding these crimes is almost 100%; perpetrators can operate free of any fear that their crimes will even be investigated, let alone brought to justice.
The Tribunal included an international panel of judges; among them was James Dekker, member of the KAIROS Board for the Christian Reformed Church in North America. He and the other members heard powerful and heart-breaking testimonies from twenty-one courageous witnesses, including youth, children, mothers, fathers and friends of human rights victims. They spoke about forced displacement, extra-judicial killings, forced displacement, torture and sexual abuses. When these crimes were reported to the authorities, the victims faced further harassment and threats. In some cases, they have been forced to leave their homes again, some for the third and fourth time.
In words of one of the witnesses, a father whose son was killed by the police, " What use are reparations to me when I have lost my only son? For me the only reparation is truth and justice based on this truth."
The jury found the Colombian state guilty on three levels: of failing
to protect the rights of its civilians, of complicity in these crimes,
and of establishing and promoting a state of impunity. The international
community was also found complicit in this impunity through its
economic policies and its support for the demobilization process
which has legitimized this reign of impunity. The complete verdict
will be posted on
the KAIROS website shortly.
KAIROS participation in this Tribunal is important follow up to the Voices of Victims Tour, held October 9-21, and to the ongoing accompaniment of the Movement of Victims in Colombia. We are committed to bring the results and verdict of this Tribunal back to Canada to use with the Canadian public and government in our ongoing education and advocacy work for truth, justice and peace and against impunity in Colombia.
For more information please contact Rachel Warden, Global Partnerships Latin America Coordinator, at 1 877 403 8933 x242 or rwarden
Election hopes and challenges in the Congo
Watershed elections at every level of government recently took
place in the Democratic Republic of the Congo for the first time
in over forty years. KAIROS staff member John Lewis was in the eastern
Congo this past summer as an election observer for the first round
balloting. (See the related photo gallery at
http://www.kairoscanada.org/e/resources/galleries/congoElection-albm.htm
)
Many Canadian groups were involved in supporting these crucial
elections, including La Table de concertation sur la Région
des Grands Lacs, the Montreal-based coordinating committee on the
African Great Lakes region, CDCE (a Congolese civil society coordinating
group to which Congolese faith communities relate), and Héritiers
de la justice (Heirs of Justice), KAIROS’ new Global Partnership
Program partner in the Congo working on peace and human rights issues
in the African Great Lakes region.
Elections in themselves do not ensure democracy. In the Congo, as
elsewhere, true democracy and peace are based on respect for the
rights of all citizens. If Canada and its international partners
are serious about helping to bring about a better future for the
Congo’s people after decades of violence and economic exploitation,
they need to give as much attention to human rights throughout the
African continent as they have to trade and elections.
KAIROS’ new paper, "Will Democracy Take Root in the
Congo?”, highlights steps that Canada can take toward ensuring
peace and democracy in the Congo. The paper is available on KAIROS
website through the human rights advocacy page at http://www.kairoscanada.org/e/humanrights/advocacy.asp
For more information, please contact Jim Davis, Program Coordinator,
Africa Partnerships, KAIROS, at 416-463-5312 ext. 238 or
jdavis
Make the Refugee Appeal Division a reality-- finally
A private member’s bill calling for the implementation of
the Refugee Appeal Division has been tabled. In early December,
Bill C-280 will receive second reading in the House of Commons.
Make sure your MP knows where YOU stand on refugee rights. Please
see our urgent action at
http://www.kairoscanada.org/e/urgent/uaRefugeeAppealDivision061108.asp
National Migrant Justice Gathering Report and related briefs now available
In June 2006, KAIROS helped organize a National Migrant Justice Gathering as one step towards the creation of a national migrant justice network in Canada. It brought together over one hundred people of many backgrounders. During the two-day conference, participants identified common concerns and committed themselves to advancing the rights and welfare of undocumented workers, seasonal agricultural workers, live-in caregivers, and other foreign temporary workers on which the Canadian economy relies. The full report from the Gathering and its Statement of Unity can both be found on the migrants’ justice page at http://www.kairoscanada.org/e/refugees/migrants/index.asp
Members of the Migrant Justice Steering Committee recently made
two presentations based on the findings of the Gathering to the
Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration and
to the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Social Development
and the Status of Persons with Disabilities (HUMA).
Both presentations highlighted the common experiences that migrant
and undocumented workers share, even though they may work in different
sectors of the Canadian economy.
For more information on the KAIROS Migrant Justice program, contact interim coordinator Jennifer DeVries at 1 877 403 8933 x252 or jdevries
Farewell to Catholic New Times
For almost thirty years, the ecumenical justice community across Canada has benefited from the spirited analysis and reflections offered by Catholic New Times, a monthly newspaper offering an alternative take on Christianity’s role in the wider world. Sadly, CNT is closing its doors. We thank the Catholic New Times staff and board members, both past and present, for their creative commitment to justice and peace. Your work will be greatly missed.
New resources
In addition to the Migrant Justice Gathering Report, Congo paper, and liturgies mentioned above:
Check out our latest Streams of Living Justice edition—this water campaign update will let you know what everyone is up to. See http://www.kairoscanada.org/e/action/Streams_Living-Justice06.pdf
Every year the Women’s Inter-Church Council of Canada (WICC)
helps faith communities remember the 1989 Montreal Massacre of fourteen
women by offering an ecumenical service outline. The service can
be used any time—download it at
http://www.wicc.org/dec6/2006-service.pdf
(you will need Acrobat Reader).
You’ve been reading Kairos Times,
a monthly e-bulletin from KAIROS, the social justice organization
of eleven Canadian churches and church agencies. Sign
up for this free bulletin and occasional urgent actions or contact
us at info
, or toll-free 1 877 403 8933 Check out our website at www.kairoscanada.org
|
|