Archive for 2017
KAIROS welcomes the Canadian government’s renewed commitment to women peace builders
February 17, 2017
KAIROS welcomes the Canadian government’s response to the report of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development (FAAE), which reaffirms the critical role of women and women’s rights organizations in peace building. In tabling the government’s response on…
Post filed in: Gender Justice/Women of Courage
How farmers can fight climate change and hunger
February 15, 2017
Can improved agricultural practices help fight both climate change and hunger? Yes, according to one the world’s most esteemed climate scientists. In fact, when meting out money for mitigating climate change, Canada should prioritize supporting small family farming. James Hansen,…
Post filed in: Ecological Justice, Op Eds
My experience of The Blanket Exercise
February 14, 2017
I never thought that the name ‘The blanket exercise’ gave the activity the justice it deserves, although this is how the activity was created and is commonly known. It is originally from the KAIROS, a joint venture by the United…
Post filed in: Indigenous Rights
More than a blanket term
February 9, 2017
Photo: Students and teachers in the UTS gym during the Blanket Exercise. The Blanket Exercise, devised by Kairos Canada, is an immersive simulation experience centered on the historical changes that accompanied the arrival of Europeans to Turtle Island (one of…
Post filed in: Indigenous Rights
Spirited Reflection: Relationships, community and change
February 6, 2017
A few weeks ago I was reading about Connie Greyeyes. The interview and accompanying Amnesty International Canada report, Out of Sight, Out of Mind, keep coming back to me whenever I think about community. Connie, an Indigenous woman from the…
Post filed in: Spirited Reflections
Graduate students at the University of Guelph partake in the KAIROS Blanket Exercise
February 3, 2017
A glimpse into the effects of the University of Guelph Aboriginal Initiative Last March, the University of Guelph announced it would be hiring five new Aboriginal professors and increase financial support for Indigenous scholars and graduate students. “This initiative will…
Post filed in: Indigenous Rights
KAIROS Times: February 2017
February 2, 2017
KAIROS’ 2017 Wish List Education for Reconciliation Update – MLA will present the petition in the Alberta Legislature Hundreds of Catholic school students participate in KAIROS Blanket Exercise at Mary Ward Centre KAIROS Blanket Exercise deepens RCMP Alberta Division’s cultural…
Post filed in: KAIROS Times E-Newsletter
2017 KAIROS wish list
February 1, 2017
Last January, KAIROS released its wish list for the year – ten plus one hopes for the federal government and the provinces to fulfill. Two of these were realized: the Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls was…
Post filed in: Calls To Action, Indigenous Rights, Op Eds
Reflection on pilgrimage of justice and peace: We came, we saw, we listened…
January 31, 2017
In 2015, Bishop Susan Johnson, National Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada, The Rev. Dr. Willard Metzger, Executive Director, Mennonite Church Canada and I, The Rev. Dr. Karen Hamilton, General Secretary of The Canadian Council of Churches, took…
Post filed in: Spirited Reflections
27th Annual Feb 14 Women’s Memorial March for missing and murdered Indigenous women in Canada
January 31, 2017
On February 14, KAIROS will join Indigenous and non Indigenous groups from across Canada in remembering and honouring our missing and murdered sisters in Canada. More than 1,000 Indigenous women have been murdered or have gone missing, most over the last…
Post filed in: Gender Justice/Women of Courage
Have a Heart Day – This Valentine’s Day help end discrimination against Indigenous children
January 31, 2017
Post filed in: Indigenous Rights
Spirited Reflection: Mountain moments
January 30, 2017
What is it about mountains? When people in comics seek out wise gurus, they find them at the top of the mountain. Moses received the 10 Commandments from God on top of a mountain. In the story of the Transfiguration,…
Post filed in: Spirited Reflections
KAIROS Blanket Exercise Project with the Mary Ward Centre and Toronto Catholic District School Board
January 28, 2017
KAIROS, the Mary Ward Centre and the Toronto Catholic District School Board launched a collaborative project in October 2016 to bring the KAIROS Blanket Exercise to elementary and secondary school students on a weekly basis. Fifteen schools and hundreds of…
Post filed in: Indigenous Rights
‘Shame and sadness’ stirred by Indigenous Blanket Exercise
January 26, 2017
Jim Lindsay, sub-region representative for KAIROS Grey-Bruce, Wellington and Dufferin County, says the Indigenous Blanket Exercise held at St. Mark’s Church in Orangeville on Sunday afternoon was very successful – drawing a capacity crowd of about 70 participants. Centred on…
Post filed in: Indigenous Rights
Letter to the Editor: First, it’s our oil
January 26, 2017
Given the urgent need to transition to a clean energy economy, rather than convincing Donald Trump “to consider Canadian oil as U.S. oil,” Justin Trudeau should tell Mr. Trump that Canada will allocate its remaining reserves of conventional oil…
Post filed in: Ecological Justice, Op Eds
Spirited Reflection: Lazarus and the rich man
January 23, 2017
Luke 16: 19-31 The passage from Luke about the parable of Lazarus and the rich man is a familiar one. Things did not end well for the rich man. The rich man died and was buried. We then read that…
Post filed in: Spirited Reflections
Letters to the Editor: Women have role to play in peace & Crude on the move
January 18, 2017
Women have role to play in peace Re: Why are women not included in peace-building efforts? Opinion Jan. 10 The exclusion of women from peace-building efforts is perplexing. Not only does war impact women in a particular way, such as…
Post filed in: Op Eds
Spirited Reflection: Leave something for the stranger
January 16, 2017
“Do you want to be holy?” the Bishop beamed at my son. He paused before asking again, with a thunderous laugh, “Do you want to be holy?” “Yes”, my son smiled, “how”? He said, “Honour your father and mother”. The…
Post filed in: Spirited Reflections
GREAT NEWS! Ecuadorian Ministry of the Environment does not close Acción Ecológica
January 13, 2017
GREAT NEWS! Yesterday the Ecuadorian Ministry of the Environment decided not to grant the request to close Acción Ecológica. National and international pressure was key. Dearest friends, We want to publicly acknowledge the thousands of letters, embraces and messages that we…
Post filed in: Ecological Justice, Latin America
KAIROS Blanket Exercise, Gladue Summit, Thunder Bay
January 13, 2017
“A very generous and talented videographer created this short video of the Mass KAIROS Blanket Exercise I co-facilitated in Thunder Bay on November 29, 2016 for 100+ participants at the Gladue Summit, which was organized by the Ministry of the…
Post filed in: Indigenous Rights
The KAIROS community is deeply saddened by the recent passing of Art Manuel
January 13, 2017
The KAIROS community is deeply saddened by the recent passing of Art Manuel. Art’s relationship with KAIROS stretches back almost two decades to the pre-KAIROS days of the Aboriginal Rights Coalition (ARC). Art informed many of our education and action…
Post filed in: Uncategorized
First-year law students participate in KAIROS Blanket Exercise
January 12, 2017
Interactive exercise walks law students through history as they learn how Canadian law throughout the years has affected Indigenous individuals and communities. Photo (L to R): Blanket exercise facilitators Jodi Stonehouse, Koren Lightning-Earle and Dr. Tracy Bear, pictured here with…
Post filed in: Indigenous Rights
KAIROS Blanket Exercise deepens RCMP Alberta Division’s cultural awareness
January 11, 2017
Marilyn McSporran couldn’t forget the moment years ago when one of her husband’s colleagues in the RCMP made an ugly remark about Indigenous peoples. When an Elder in Saddle Lake, Alberta gently encouraged her to introduce the KAIROS Blanket Exercise…
Post filed in: Indigenous Rights
Spirited Reflection: Shifting from human-centred to ecological-centred
January 9, 2017
What will be the condition of earth for our grandchildren and great grandchildren? What kind of world will they inherit? It depends on our engagement now in trying to understand our ecological problems. This has been called ecological guidance –…
Post filed in: Spirited Reflections
Spirited Reflection: Jubilee – a new year reset
January 1, 2017
“Count off seven sabbath years—seven times seven years—so that the seven sabbath years amount to a period of forty-nine years. Then have the trumpet sounded everywhere on the tenth day of the seventh month; on the Day of Atonement sound…
Post filed in: Spirited Reflections
