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Kairos Times: March 2007. Vol. 6, #3
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| A… growing gap between rich and poor, in good times and bad… is akin to the slowly building impact of climate change — a clarion call for action which, ultimately, cannot be ignored. And, like climate change, we will continue to see rising inequality until we understand our connectivity to each other and to our environment. |
Armine Yalnizyan, in "The Rich and the Rest of Us" |
In this edition:
- Streams of Living Justice Flow in the House of Commons!
- March 17 remember the invasion of Iraq and the people of Afghanistan
- Seven Steps for Peace in Darfur
- World Council of Churches to launch new effort for peace as Palestinians and Israelis mark forty years of occupation
- UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination not impressed with Canada
- New KAIROS project supports advocacy by low-income people
- Recommended reading: the rich and the poor; racial
justice; Canadian diamonds
Streams of Living Justice Flow in the House of Commons!
The ecumenical water campaign is making a difference. On March
1, Peggy Nash, the MP for Parkdale-High Park (Toronto) introduced
a motion in the House of Commons calling on the government to establish
a national water policy. KAIROS, along with several civil society
groups, was able to provide some input into the wording. The final
motion reflects some of the key principles and policies that we
have been working for through the water campaign for the past two
years.
Ms. Nash's motion states: “That, in the opinion of the House,
the government should develop and present a comprehensive water
policy based on public trust, which would specifically: (a) recognize
that access to water is a fundamental right; (b) recognize the UN
Economic and Social Council finding, in General Comment 15 on the
International Covenant on Economic, Cultural, and Social Rights
(2002), that access to clean water is a human right; (c) prohibit
bulk water exports and implement strict restrictions on new diversions;
(d) introduce legislation on national standards for safe, clean
drinking water; (e) implement a national investment strategy to
enable municipalities and aboriginal communities to upgrade desperately
needed infrastructure without resorting to privatization through
public-private partnerships; (f) oppose measures in international
agreements that promote the privatization of water services; and
(g) commit to ensure water does not become a tradable commodity
in current and future trade deals.”
The motion hasn’t gone to a vote yet but when it does we hope
that KAIROS activists and supporters will work with MPs of all parties
to support this motion!
On a related front, there appears to be increasing traction on
the issue of water as a human right. KAIROS is among a number of
civil society groups that have been invited to a government consultation
on water as a human right. Hosted by the Department of Foreign Affairs
and International Trade and the United Nations Association in Canada,
the consultation is designed to help inform Canadian government
policy on this crucial issue.
You can build on this energy with our special World Water Day web
action, which will be available on the KAIROS website from March
19 to 26. (Keep checking!) Please use this opportunity to send a
message to the Prime Minister and your MP about Canada’s responsibility
to recognize water as a human right, and to protect it for future
generations. See also our World Water Day 2007 page at http://www.kairoscanada.org/e/action/wwd07/index.asp
For more information, contact Campaigns Coordinator Sara Stratton
at
sstratton
or 1-877-403-8933 x 241
Top
of pageMarch 17 remember the invasion of Iraq and the people of Afghanistan
The Canadian Peace Alliance is calling on Canadians to participate in public events and rallies Saturday March 17. We’re asked to remember the fourth anniversary of the invasion of Iraq and the terrible toll the resulting fighting has taken on Iraqis and on soldiers from a range of nations. And we’re being asked to remember the ongoing violence in Afghanistan, its impact on Afghanis who have survived years of armed conflict, and its impact on the many foreign soldiers stationed there.
A national events listing is posted at http://www.acp-cpa.ca/en/M172007Events.htm
KAIROS currently has no policy on the issue of the Canadian military
involvement in Afghanistan, but our Board is looking at this difficult
question. Your thoughts on this matter are most welcome, particularly
if you can take time to think through a response in a group. Send
your thoughts to Dale Hildebrand, Team Leader for human rights and
peace-building, at KAIROS: 129 St Clair Ave West, Toronto, ON M4V
1N5, or fax 416 463 5569 or
dhildebrand
Seven Steps for Peace in Darfur
Canada can play a key role in helping to end the devastating conflict in Darfur, Sudan and a new policy briefing paper by KAIROS explains how. Its recommendations are a key part of the positions KAIROS will be taking as it participates in consultations at the United Nations Human Rights Council from March 12 to April 5, 2007.
The briefing paper provides an update on the conflict in Darfur – which the UN has called the world’s worst humanitarian crisis – and examines how the conflict is causing regional insecurity, gender-based violence and increased attacks on humanitarian agencies. It also makes seven recommendations to the Canadian government for steps it can take to help broker peace in the region. These include:
- Pressuring the government of Sudan to cease offensive military
flights and to fulfill its obligations to the UN Security
Council by ending its military and financial support to the Janjaweed militia, which has been carrying out increasingly
brutal and extensive attacks on civilians in Darfur and in eastern Chad. - Working for a more comprehensive approach to the peace process such as including local Arab groups, an increased role for women, and a strong focus on local conflict resolution.
- Insisting that the Sudanese government allow access by humanitarian
agencies to victims, especially women and
children who have been brutalized by sexual violence since the start of the conflict.
http://www.kairoscanada.org/e/resources/policyBriefing7Darfur0702.pdf
To find out more, please contact John Lewis, Program Coordinator
for International Human Rights at
jlewis
or 416-463-5312 ext. 224.
World Council of Churches to launch new effort for peace as Palestinians and Israelis mark forty years of occupation
The World Council of Churches (WCC) is launching an international, inter-church advocacy initiative for peace in Israel and Palestine at a conference June 17-21, 2007, in Jordan.
The Palestine Israel Ecumenical Forum is a major step toward WCC's
goal of mobilizing churches around the world for peace with justice
in the Middle East. Its launch will take place during this year's
observances of forty years under occupation for Palestinians which
began in June, 1967 and continues today. Middle Eastern churches
will lay out their expectations of a just peace and their experiences
of conflict. As part of the launch churches from other regions will
share lessons learned during other deeply rooted conflicts such
as those in South Africa, Sudan or Sri Lanka.
See the full
press release on the World Council of Churches site.
For more information, contact Desmond Jagger-Parsons, Program Coordinator - Middle East Partnerships, 416-463-5312 extension 239 or djagpar
UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination not impressed with Canada
A few weeks ago, Canada's policies and actions on racism were reviewed by the United Nations Committee for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD). To assist its review, the CERD accepts submissions from NGOs. KAIROS' submission focused on the discriminatory nature of Canada's Aboriginal policy, specifically Canada's Comprehensive Land Claims Policy, its approach to Specific Claims, and its recent decisions to abandon the Kelowna Accord and oppose the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
Read our submission at http://www.kairoscanada.org/e/media/letters/aboriginalRightsCERD0702.pdf
In its review, the UN CERD expressed serious concern about Canada's policies towards Aboriginal peoples and touched on most of the issues raised in KAIROS' report. For example, the Committee recommended that Canada support the immediate adoption of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples” (paragraph 27). (See KAIROS’ archived urgent action on this issue.)
It also recommended that Canada "ensure that the new approaches taken to settle aboriginal land claims do not unduly restrict the progressive development of aboriginal rights" (paragraph 22).
In an unprecedented move that echoes the current KAIROS campaign, the Committee recommended that Canada “explore ways to hold transnational corporations registered in Canada accountable” for the “adverse effects” of their economic activities “outside Canada” (paragraph 17).
For the UN CERD's complete report, please go to: http://www.ohchr.org/english/bodies/cerd/cerds70.htm
For more information contact Ed Bianchi, KAIROS' Aboriginal Rights
Program coordinator at 613 235 9956 or
ebianchi
.
New KAIROS project supports advocacy by low-income people
On January 10, KAIROS launched a one-year project with funding
support of Human Resources and Social Development Canada to develop
and test tools for mobilizing low-income people on poverty issues
in Victoria, Montreal and Charlottetown. Sixty low-income people
from these cities will be provided the opportunity to reflect, analyze
and advocate for action on key poverty issues. Learnings will be
shared throughout the KAIROS network at the end of 2007. For more
information or to become involved, contact Michael Polanyi at 1
877 403 8933 x237 or
mpolanyi
Recommended reading…
The Rich and the Rest of Us is the latest report from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. Author Armine Yalnizyan details the growing gap between Canada’s rich and poor countries—despite our current economic boom and the fact that poor and middle class parents are working more hours than ever.
From Chains to Freedom: This year’s 2007 ecumenical racial justice kit is available for your personal, community, or parish use. Check it out at http://www.ccc-cce.ca/english/justice/racism.htm
The film Blood Diamonds won a lot of Oscar nominations (rent
it!). But does Canada itself really produce clean diamonds? As NGOs—including
KAIROS-- look at the impact of resource extraction worldwide, Mining
Watch Canada takes apart some convenient myths.
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.
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