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Kairos Times
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| I don’t want my children coming up to me and saying, now what did you do, and me saying I didn’t know. |
| Dorothee Soelle, theologian and peace activist |
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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- Appeal for Refugee Rights: Join the KAIROS petition campaign!
- Sign the Health Care Covenant Petition
Updates
- Debt “call-in” action makes a breakthrough
- Prime Minister commits to consultation process
on Canada’s Foreign Policy
Take Action!
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Appeal for Refugee Rights: Join the KAIROS petition campaign! |
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Join us as KAIROS continues its 2003-2005 education and action campaign, Cultivating Just Peace. This fall we are focusing on refugee rights in the context of the War on Terror. Through a petition to the House of Commons we’re calling on the Canadian government to bring in a long-promised, fair appeal process for refugee claimants. And we are asking why our government has begun to make links between security concerns and the very people who come to our borders because they seek security.
To assist you in animating the campaign in your community, KAIROS has available on its website an Appeal for Refugee Rights petition and backgrounder as well as a 24-page workshop booklet entitled Welcoming Uprooted People Post 9-11. Please access these resources at http://www.kairoscanada.org/e/action/campaign.asp. If you prefer printed materials please call 1-877-403-8933 x246 or send an email to orders (Note: while the petition and backgrounder are free, the booklet is $10). Keep your eye out for further campaign resources available next month.
The petition action—a grassroots campaign--complements interventions made by the Canadian church leaders to Minister of Immigration Judy Sgro in a summer press conference and at a recent face-to-face meeting. Church leaders were responding to the controversy created by Immigration Minister Judy's Sgro's public comments criticizing churches for offering sanctuary to refugees. For a copy of the press releases for both the summer press conference and the recent meeting with Ms. Sgro, see our website at http://www.kairoscanada.org/e/media/pressDate.asp .
For more information on the KAIROS Cultivating Just Peace Campaign--An Appeal for Refugee Rights, contact Sara Stratton, Network and Campaign Coordinator at sstratton or 1 877-403-8933 (x241).
A note about sanctuary: Appalled that several people have now entered a second year living in sanctuary, a number of churches across Canada have declared a Sanctuary Week from October 17th to 24th. The United Church of Canada, which is currently offering sanctuary in two of the five known cases, has information of on its website at http://www.united-church.ca/action/canada/041005.shtm. Consider getting involved in these actions and events.
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Sign the Health Care Covenant Petition |
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The Ecumenical Health Care Network (EHCN) has launched an online petition to the federal Minister of Health calling for broad public participation in establishing a Health Care Covenant for Canadians. A health care covenant would set out guiding principles for reform of the health care system based on Canadians' most deeply held values. Prior to the federal election, every Member of Parliament was asked to endorse the petition.
When the Royal Commission on the Future of Health Care in Canada, chaired by Roy Romanow, was holding hearings in 2002, the EHCN proposed the Health Care Covenant for All People in Canada based on principles of solidarity, community, equity, compassion, and efficiency. The network said these values under gird Medicare today and should take priority over a market-driven approach to health care. Mr. Romanow embraced this suggestion enthusiastically and made the establishment of such a covenant the first recommendation in his report.
The EHCN petition calls upon the Minister of Health to immediately establish a process of broad public participation leading to the adoption of a Health Care Covenant, which would clearly express the values and objectives of the health care system in Canada and become a set of guiding principles for policy makers, health care managers and health providers as they work to improve care in this country.
The Ecumenical Health Care Network is an initiative of the Canadian Council of Churches’ Commission on Justice and Peace. KAIROS’ Canadian Social Development Program keeps in touch with health care issues through information shared by the EHCN.
To sign the petition on line or to download the petition, please go to the Canadian Council of Churches’ web site http://www.ccc-cce.ca.
The petition campaign ends November 30. Please return petitions
to Peter Noteboom, Commission on Justice & Peace, Canadian Council
of Churches, 159 Roxborough Drive, Toronto, ON M4W 1X7. For further
information, please contact Peter Noteboom
noteboom
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Update
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Debt “call-in” action makes a breakth |
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KAIROS efforts urging G-7 Finance Ministers to cancel the debts owed by low-income countries to multilateral financial institutions has made a breakthrough. Many thanks to all who called their MP and the Finance Minister! It is now generally acknowledged that 100% debt remission is needed to allow low-income countries to face their urgent social problems, including the HIV-AIDS pandemic. Although no decision was actually taken at the G-7’s October meetings in Washington, reports say that top US and British officials are confident an accord will be reached in 2005 after more negotiations take place on how to pay for debt remission.
Clearly your phone calls to Prime Minister Martin and Finance Minister Goodale have put the issue front and centre on their agendas. Immediately after the International Monetary Fund and World Bank meetings ended on Oct. 3, Mr. Goodale flew back to Ottawa with UK Chancellor Gordon Brown and South African Finance Minister Trevor Manuel to have dinner with Mr. Martin to discuss next steps in the quest for debt remission.
For KAIROS’ full analysis of the outcome of the Oct. 1-3 meetings in Washington click on the following link http://www.kairoscanada.org/e/economic/debt/index.asp.
For more information contact John Dillon, Program Coordinator
Global Economic Justice at
jdillon
or at 416-463-5312 ext. 231.
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Prime Minister commits to consultation process on Canada’s Foreign Policy |
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In the Speech from the Throne the Prime Minister announced the government’s commitment to consult Canadians on foreign policy. Various government departments have been working for months on developing a set of integrative policies for Canada in the areas of defence, diplomacy, development and trade. Civil society organisations, including KAIROS, have raised concerns about the closed nature of the drafting process and urged the Prime Minister to commit to an open consultative process with Canadians at every stage of the review. The following excerpt from the Speech from the Throne suggests a timetable and a process for consulting Canadians:
“Just as Canada’s domestic and international policies must work in concert, so too must our defence, diplomacy, development and trade efforts work in concert. This fall, the Government will release a comprehensive International Policy Statement that will reflect this integration. Parliamentarians and other Canadians will have the opportunity to debate its analyses and proposed directions.”
Although the government did not seek input during the drafting process, KAIROS nonetheless submitted a briefing paper on the International Policy Review which it sent to key department deputies and opposition critics. KAIROS will continue to monitor this process and coordinate a response strategy when the government’s International Policy Statement is released. Click here to read the KAIROS briefing http://www.kairoscanada.org/e/economic/index.asp. To read more on the International Policy Review go to the Canadian Council of International Cooperation’s website: http://www.ccic.ca
For more information contact: John Mihevc, Team Leader: Economy
of Life: 416 463 5312 x 228 or e-mail:
jmihevc
New Resources
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Sisters in Spirit campaign update: Amnesty releases report on violence against Aboriginal women |
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Canadian officials have too long ignored the threat to Indigenous
women in Canadian towns and cities. Many are missing, some have
been murdered and Canadian authorities are not doing enough to stop
the violence, says Amnesty International in a report, Stolen Sisters:
A Human Rights Response to Discrimination and Violence Against Indigenous
Women in Canada, released this month. Amnesty’s report highlights
the importance of the Native Women’s Association of Canada
Sisters in Spirit campaign by detailing the injustices to Canadian
Aboriginal women. KAIROS actively supports this campaign through
our Aboriginal Rights Program Committee. To access the Stolen Sisters
report please contact http://amnesty.ca/stolensisters/index.php.
For information on the Sisters in Spirit campaign contact http://www.sistersinspirit.ca/enghome.htm
or Ed Bianchi, Aboriginal Rights Program Coordinator at 1-613-235-9956
or
ebianchi
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