Statements from Organisations and Political Parties

Seven Ways to Support KAIROS

Briefing Notes &
Media Releases

CIDA Cuts:
Actions & Releases

Church Actions
& Statements

Media Coverage

Statements from Organisations and Political Parties

Letters from
Overseas Partners

Letters from Supporters

KAIROS PETITION

KAIROS is grateful for the very active and dedicated support and encouragement it has been receiving. Included in this brief list of statements and appeals are those from Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Jim Cooney (Retired Vice President, International Government Affairs, Placer Dome Inc.), Gerry Barr (President CEO Canadian Council of International Cooperation), all of the opposition parties of Canada, Campaign 2000 (End Child and Family Poverty in Canada), Make Poverty History, as well as many other organisations representing human rights, the rights of children, economic development overseas, and sustainable development.

"The Church in Southern Africa is deeply indebted to the churches in Canada for their prayers, ecumenical actions and solidarity in overcoming the scourge of apartheid. The initiatives of the Canadian churches through KAIROS have inspired continued faithful ecumenical action not only in Africa but around the world to uphold human rights. The world needs more of KAIROS Canada. It would be an unparalleled setback for the poor, vulnerable and disenfranchised if the voice and work of KAIROS in the global South is muted."

Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Dec.9 2009

"KAIROS is a human rights champion. It has committed like no other to advancing the voice of the poor and it is dedicated especially to working on poverty eradication with some of the world's most marginalized people. And that leaves everyone else in the sector thinking that not only does KAIROS fit, they embody this standard."

Gerry Barr, Dec.9 2009

The All-Party Parliamentary Group for the Prevention of Genocide and other Crimes Against Humanity
The $7 million funding renewal proposal included financial support for 4 years to over 20 partners in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East. The proposal identifies a specific partner in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Héritiers de la Justice, and aims to fund this human rights organization at the level of $75,000 a year from 2009-2013. This funding would have gone to establish a women’s legal clinic aimed to address the continued use of rape as a weapon of war.

According to the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, since January 2008, approximately 40 women are raped in South Kivu every day. CIDA funding for the KAIROS 2009-2013 Program Proposal is crucial to continuing this program with Héritiers de la Justice and combating the prevalence of sexual violence in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Gerry Barr - President CEO
Karen Takacs - Chair
Canadian Council for International Cooperation
"The defunding of KAIROS, the revelatory comments by Minister Kenney about the nature of the standard used, and the use of defamatory and false charges against a member organization all add up to the need for quick remedial action.
KAIROS’ work should be respected, not disparaged, and the long-standing funding partnership between CIDA and KAIROS should be restored."

Jim Dahl,
Executive Director, Canadian Feed The Children
"What is at stake here is more than one agency losing its funding; it’s about enabling civil society to have a dissenting voice, and more importantly, giving voice to the voiceless."

Jim Cooney,
Retired Vice President, International Government Affairs, Placer Dome Inc.
"Canadian companies, especially in the extractive sector, ... need an active and energized KAIROS"

Kenneth V. Georgetti
President
Canadian Labour Congress
"Indeed, the organization's support for human rights and poverty eradication embodies the very priorities which have been identified by CIDA in various official documents recently and on the agency's website."

Laurel Rothman,
National Coordinator of 'Campaign 2000:
End Child and Family Poverty in Canada'
KAIROS "will be unable to carry on with work which is critical to advancing human rights and ecological sustainability around the world."

Mining Watch Canada
"According to its web site, CIDA’s Partnership Programs focus on supporting north-south partnerships, to promote capacity-building of local civil society that can then work locally to attain poverty reduction and sustainable development. Canadian partners funded by Partnership Branch also play an important role in terms of public engagement of Canadians at large. It’s difficult to identify a Canadian civil society organization that more fully satisfies this description than KAIROS."

Liberal Party of Canada
- Text of Michael Ignatieff opinion piece - Toronto Star: Jan.5, 2010
- Liberals denounce funding cuts to KAIROS

New Democratic Party of Canada
- KAIROS funding must be restored
- Conservatives’ foreign aid cuts target respected Canadian group

Bloc Québécois
'La ministre Oda doit expliquer pourquoi elle retire le financement à KAIROS'

Green Party of Canada
- 'Politically Motivated Cuts are Unacceptable...'
- Green Party Denounces Kenney for Unconscionable Attack

Council of Canadians
ACTION ALERT: Restore CIDA funding to Kairos

Make Poverty History
KAIROS Funding Cut by CIDA Ominous

Gerry Barr,
President-CEO
Canada's Coalition to End Global Poverty
"KAIROS’ reputation as a human rights champion committed to advancing the “voice” of the poor and dedicated especially to working on poverty eradication with some of world’s most marginalized people leave most in our sector with the impression that KAIROS not only meets but embodies these priorities."

Dona Harvey
Chair of the Board
Project Ploughshares
"We are startled by the abrupt implementation of this decision and alarmed by its devastating
consequences – both to KAIROS and most especially to its partner organizations and recipients
of services in Latin America, Asia, and Africa...
The manner in which the decision was made to terminate funding, and the rationale for this
decision raise significant questions about fairness and due process. ...

This support of international civil society partners who tackle human rights and environmental
issues in low-income countries reflects long-standing, basic Canadian values. These have been
reinforced by your Government as priorities for Canada’s foreign policy in countries such as
Sudan, the Congo, and Indonesia. We specifically draw your attention to the goals stated in
CIDA’s Performance Report for 2008/09, tabled in Parliament, “to reduce poverty, promote
human rights and support sustainable development in a manner consistent with Canadian foreign
policy.”

CUPE Local 3907
Re: Politicizing and Denial of State Funding to KAIROS

Molly Kane
Deputy Director
ETC Group-Action on Erosion, Technology and Concentration
"It would be a reckless travesty of the principles of international cooperation and respect for himan rights for them to be forced to bear the impact of this sudden and ill-justified decision."


Common Frontiers - Canada
An Urgent Appeal to Help Reverse CIDA's Decision to Cancel KAIROS' Funding

Student Christian Movement
- SCM decries government's 'political' cuts to Kairos
- SCM Solidarity Statement on CIDA Funding Cuts to KAIROS

Kim Bulger
Executive Director
MATCH International
"It was with great sadness that our organization learned CIDA’s project funding for KAIROS Canada was terminated. As you know, KAIROS works collaboratively with several faith and justice groups in order to address inequality throughout the world. By working to promote human rights and prevent violence and oppression; KAIROS contributes to the advancement of a more just and equitable world. KAIROS thirty five year relationship with CIDA cannot be understated as it takes an inordinate amount of time to build authentic relationships, create strategic alliances, and develop results in areas of common concern to CIDA and its’ partners. "

Erin Gorman, President
Jessica Dubelaar, Interim Executive Director
Ontario Council for International Cooperation
"On May 20, 2009, speaking at the Munk Centre in Toronto, you outlined CIDA’s commitment to focusing on the themes of food security, children and youth, and economic development. During this speech you also affirmed that “we cannot effectively implement these bilateral and thematic priorities while ignoring governance, the environment and equality between men and women....they will from now on be integrated into everything we do. And of course, we will also continue our work to promote freedom, human rights, and the rule of law". We can see no better way for the Canadian government to demonstrate their commitment to human rights, the environment, and gender equality than to reinstate program funding to KAIROS."

Executive Committee of the Centre for Research on Latin America and the Caribbean at York University (CERLAC)
"Your decision to deny funding to KAIROS will have a devastating impact on KAIROS' partners throughout the Americas (and elsewhere), and on the thousands of marginalized people in local communities that they support."

Canadian Voice of Women for Peace
"KAIROS’ 21 partner organizations in the developing world bring hope to endangered communities and extend the good-will of the Canadian people around the world. This is people-to-people peacebuilding at its best. The loss of this funding will be devastating to partner organizations involved in very difficult and important work In very stressful, and often dangerous circumstances."