Climate-induced displacement
September 21, 2020
Global climate justice week begins with climate displacement. It is anticipated that by 2050, there will be 143 million people displaced by climate change. An estimated 37% of the global population lives in coastal communities, which are at significant risk…
Post filed in: Ecological Justice
Demanding climate action in the Speech from the Throne
September 20, 2020
On September 23, the federal government will deliver the Speech from the Throne. This is an essential moment for the federal government to announce its plans to scale up climate action and build resilience for Canadian communities and economies. This week, KAIROS joins hundreds of organizations and individuals sending messages to Prime…
Post filed in: Ecological Justice
Intro to Global Climate Justice Week
September 20, 2020
This week, Climate Action Month looks at climate justice issues on a global scale. The impacts of climate change are not borne equally or fairly. “Climate change is happening now and to all of us. No country or community is…
Post filed in: Ecological Justice
The Arctic – the Inuit
September 19, 2020
Today we look to the north to share the experiences of the Inuit, who are facing climate change most acutely. At the end of July, the last intact ice shelf in Canada collapsed. Located on the northwestern coast of Ellesmere Island in Nunavut, the Milne Ice Shelf…
Post filed in: Ecological Justice
KAIROS signs Unity Statement calling on UN Human Rights Council to investigate rights violations in the Philippines
September 18, 2020
“We will bear witness, and we will keep watch.” This is the central message of the Unity Statement for the Protection and Promotion of Human Rights in the Philippines, signed by KAIROS and several international church organizations and institutions. This statement supports the recommendations of the United Nations High Commissioner…
Post filed in: Asia-Pacific
Indigenous youth
September 18, 2020
There are some incredible Indigenous youth rising up and using their voices to address the climate crisis. In 2018, Autumn Peltier, member of Wikwemikong Unceded First Nation on Manitoulin Island, stood before the UN General Assembly and told the world to “warrior up” and take a stand for the planet. Ta’Kaiya Blaney,…
Post filed in: Ecological Justice
Spirited Reflection: Love is the Revolution
September 17, 2020
This reflection is dedicated to the late Rev. Jim Kirkwood who modeled and lived a life of Revolutionary Love.During our weekly Wednesday morning staff meetings, my boss Rob Dalgleish often throws a fist in the air and emphatically and syllabically proclaims…
Post filed in: Spirited Reflections
Sovereign Seeds, food security & COVID 19
September 17, 2020
Across the world, Indigenous communities are steadily moving towards food sovereignty, in harmony with the reclamation and healing of seed rematriation. Today, we learn about this movement through the work of Sovereign Seeds, an Indigenous-led network dedicated to supporting Indigenous seed sovereignty and ancestral food relationships. Sovereign…
Post filed in: Ecological Justice
KAIROS condemns surge in violence and massacres in Colombia
September 16, 2020
KAIROS joins several civil society organizations in Canada including human rights, labour, and church groups in supporting the Committee for Human Rights in Latin America’s (CDHAL) solidarity statement published earlier this week condemning the surge in violence and the massacres that have swept both urban and rural regions of Colombia in recent weeks. The intensification of violence in Colombia is…
Post filed in: Gender Justice/Women of Courage, Indigenous Rights
Environmental racism
September 16, 2020
Environmental racism is the term for policies, practices, institutions, decisions, and laws that discriminate against communities where the majority of residents are Black, Indigenous, and people of colour by harming the air, land, water, biodiversity — or people’s ability to…
Post filed in: Ecological Justice
Indigenous women on the frontlines
September 15, 2020
Today Climate Action Month recognizes the crucial role that Indigenous women land and water defenders play for the environment and all who depend on it. Women land defenders speak up to defend the air, land and water and do so to protect their rights, the wellbeing of…
Post filed in: Ecological Justice
World Week for Peace in Palestine and Israel, September 14- 21.
September 15, 2020
Join us in educating, advocating, strengthening solidarity and praying for an end to the occupation and a just peace in Palestine and Israel.Through our joint work, we are also correcting injustice suffered, affirming the rights of the marginalized and oppressed,…
Post filed in: Middle East
UN Declaration and climate justice
September 14, 2020
Yesterday (September 13) marked the anniversary of the UN General Assembly’s adoption of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UN Declaration) in 2007. The UN Declaration protects collective rights that may not be addressed in other…
Post filed in: Ecological Justice
National implementation of UNDRIP is more urgent than ever
September 13, 2020
Anniversary of the Global Adoption of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples was adopted by the UN General Assembly 13 years ago, on September 13th 2007, as a global minimum standard to address widespread, severe, and systemic violations of the collective…
Post filed in: Indigenous Rights
Introduction to Indigenous rights week
September 13, 2020
This week, Climate Action Month explores a critical pillar of climate justice: Indigenous rights. Honouring Indigenous rights means upholding Indigenous peoples’ title and sovereignty and the rights to self-determination and free, prior, and informed consent. We’ll explore how these rights…
Post filed in: Ecological Justice
How do we get to net-zero?
September 12, 2020
In December 2019, the federal government made a commitment to develop a plan to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. Net zero is achieved when we can significantly reduce our carbon emissions and any remaining emissions are completely offset by actions…
Post filed in: Ecological Justice
Indigenous curriculum key to Reconciliation in Canada
September 11, 2020
In 2018, KAIROS was encouraged by progress made by provincial and territorial governments in implementing the Truth and Reconciliation of Canada’s Call to Action 62.i (Education for Reconciliation). That year, Alberta received a grade of Excellent in “Public Commitment” and Good for “Implementation” from KAIROS’ Education for Reconciliation (E4R) Report Card. However, like others in civil society,…
Post filed in: Indigenous Rights
Resource extraction and renewable energy
September 11, 2020
We often use the terms “clean energy” and “renewable energy” interchangeably, but renewable energy isn’t always clean. In the race to scale up renewable energy technology, the demand of minerals like lithium, cobalt, copper, and nickel is also on the…
Post filed in: Ecological Justice
The Climate Witness Project
September 10, 2020
Have you ever asked, “What could I or my congregation possibly do about climate change?” If so, you’re not alone. The Climate Witness Project is a grassroots network of faith communities who take action on climate change with public policy…
Post filed in: Ecological Justice
A Green and Just Recovery
September 9, 2020
The COVID-19 pandemic has drastically impacted every aspect of our lives. The pandemic has laid bare the interconnectedness of the global economic and ecological crises. Uncontrolled resource extraction, deforestation, infrastructure development and the exploitation of wild species have created perfect…
Post filed in: Ecological Justice
LNG is not a transition fuel
September 8, 2020
In the shift away from coal-fired power and other dirty fossil fuels, gas has been promoted as the affordable transition fuel that can help bridge the gap to widespread clean energy. While gas may have fewer emissions than coal, the…
Post filed in: Ecological Justice
Canada’s Climate Fair Share
September 7, 2020
The Paris Agreement and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change acknowledge the importance of equity in implementing a global response to the climate crisis. This recognizes that while addressing climate change is a shared responsibility of all countries,…
Post filed in: Ecological Justice
Intro to Just Transition Week
September 6, 2020
This week, Climate Action Month turns to the theme of Just Transition where we will explore what needs to happen to get the Canadian economy to net zero emissions by 2050. A net zero economy is achieved when we can…
Post filed in: Ecological Justice
Take a Sacred Pause
September 5, 2020
Yesterday we introduced For the Love of Creation. This work calls us to consider and act on what we, as people of faith, can do – individually, in small groups and as large faith communities – for the love of creation. We have developed a resource based on this…
Post filed in: Ecological Justice
Call for stronger climate action (sign e-petition)
September 5, 2020
As people of faith, called to love and care for all creation, we feel that it is important to speak into the current moment, shaped by both the COVID-19 pandemic and the climate emergency. That is why For the Love of…
Post filed in: Ecological Justice
Faith communities and climate action
September 4, 2020
The Season of Creation is a time to recognize ecumenical collaboration on care for our common home, so today we feature the work of For the Love of Creation, which is bringing together Canadian faith communities and faith-based organizations to do just that. This…
Post filed in: Ecological Justice
For Our Common Home
September 3, 2020
KAIROS member Development and Peace launched the For Our Common Home campaign in 2019 in response to Pope Francis’ encyclical, Laudato Sí. The campaign’s first theme, A Future for the Amazon, urges Canadians to act to protect the Amazon through solidarity, advocacy, and personal commitment. Showing…
Post filed in: Ecological Justice
