HOST A KAIROS WORKSHOP

KAIROS unites churches and religious organizations in a faithful action for ecological justice and human rights. You are part of the movement! Share in this work by organizing a local workshop.

KAIROS workshops are created for any group of people who want to build relationships locally, nationally, and globally. They are also for groups who want to reflect on the requirements of our faith, understand rights and responsibilities, and advocate for human rights and ecological justice.

For each of the workshops outlined below, KAIROS is happy to adjust the faith-based content to meet the needs of your community. We'll work with you to get it right! Ready to get started? Contact the friendly staff at KAIROS and we'll help you get the ball rolling!

What we provide A one-day workshop customized for your community A trained facilitator and relevant resources Some funding to cover local arrangements Follow up support

What we ask of you Your wisdom on the issue Knowledge about your community to customize the program Local resource people wherever possible, including people affected by the focus topic A suitable location and refreshments Help with promotion A commitment to follow up action

Workshop Options

Climate Justice

Climate change is a matter of justice. The burdens of a changing climate system - extreme weather events, drought, flooding, crop failures, destroyed fisheries and loss of habitat and homeland - are disproportionately borne by Indigenous, poor and marginalized peoples. Human activity, especially fossil fuel consumption for heating, transport, and industry, is the primary cause of global climate change. The global North bears a particular responsibility in addressing this crisis. Learn about the sources of climate injustice, how social and economic inequities relate to climate change, and strategize for meaningful, effective change.

Indigenous Rights 101: Land Rights, Right Relations

Why are Indigenous people in Canada still the most impoverished, the least healthy, and the most imprisoned? What is the impact of Canadian policies and attitudes on Indigenous peoples? The answer to these troubling questions lies in the injustices of the past and present. Learn how land rights relate both to the history of injustice and to the hope for the future by hosting this workshop in your community. This workshop includes the Blanket Exercise, an interactive element, designed to deepen participant understanding of the denial of Indigenous peoples' nationhood in Canada. It illustrates the historical ways in which First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples lost access to their land, what impact this loss had on their communities and how Indigenous peoples have resisted, and continue to resist, assimilation. Planners are asked to connect with local Indigenous people and communities and invite Indigenous resource people to the workshop.

Israel and the Occupied Palestine Territories: Just Peace 101

The conflict in Israel-Palestine is complex and long-standing, but peace is possible. Canadian churches, independently and through KAIROS, have been seeking peace with justice in this place, which is so important to our faith. Learn about the origins of the military occupation, what churches and ecumenical bodies propose and how Canada could play its part in making peace possible. Bring your own questions of faith and politics to this workshop. Please note that local resource people are welcome, and this workshop is geared for people new to this issue. KAIROS has another set of resources for those already involved.

Making it Matter: The UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples

This workshop is dedicated to real and viable implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). Through the 2008 Apology to the former students of Indian Residential Schools and the launch of the Truth and Reconciliation process, Canadians began a journey with our Indigenous brothers and sisters to address the injustices of the past. With the endorsement of UNDRIP in 2010, the Government of Canada committed our country to working towards a more equitable future. This workshop invites Canadians to put themselves in the picture - to commit to act for truth, reconciliation and equity. This workshop is part of KAIROS Campaign 2012: Truth, Reconciliation & Equity: They Matter to Us!

Migrant Workers: Harvesting Justice

Canada's agriculture industry depends on thousands of migrant workers who spend the growing season in Canada doing jobs for wages Canadians would refuse. Often these workers are isolated from the rest of Canadians, with far fewer rights and far less opportunity for relationship and connection. This experience is also shared by live-in caregivers and other migrant workers. Learn about how our economy relies on migrant workers and what we can do to improve workers' lives by hosting this workshop in your community. We invite you to connect with local migrant workers and advocates; KAIROS and its partners can assist if needed.

Mining Justice

Poor countries and Indigenous territories rich in natural resources are too often the victim of destructive, irresponsible resource extraction. This is commonly known as the 'resource curse,' where investors extract wealth from poor countries and leave behind a legacy of social inequality, political corruption, and ecological damage. Learn about what free, prior and informed consent (FPIC) means for communities affected by the global thirst for resources, how communities in the South are opening up democratic space for debate about economic policy, poverty, foreign-owned resource extraction, and development by hosting this workshop in your community.

Women of Courage

For many years KAIROS' global partnerships program, which is supported by your donations, has put high priority on gender justice and female peacebuilders. In Canada, Colombia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Phillippines, and too many other areas around the world, women are disproportionally affected by violence and militarism. Women's rights organizations are often the most effective catalysts for peace. In the face of military conflict, women bring unique perspectives and strategies that are absent in peace initiatives and negotiations dominated by men. Biblical examples of women of courage abound and are a source of courage and support in the face of contemporary injustice. Learn about these women and how they relate to women's rights organizations working in zones of conflict, opportunities for advocacy to promote respect for women's rights in Canada and in the global South, and how you can pay attention to root causes of gender injustice by hosting this workshop in your community.