KAIROS made exciting progress in 2018 and we’re hoping for even more in 2019! Bill C-262, an Act to ensure that the laws of Canada are in harmony with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples is the focus of our first wish for 2019….

Time is running out for Bill C-262! Now in second reading in the Senate, we need lots of public pressure to ensure that it passes before this session of Parliament ends. Your letters and other actions will make a difference. Learn more, take action and spread the word!

Right now, the Canadian government is preparing the 2019/2020 budget, the last budget of the current Parliamentary session. Let’s keep up the pressure to ensure that women-led grassroots organizations in the Global South receive the development assistance they need to lay the groundwork for resilient peace in some of the world’s most protracted conflict zones.  Please send a letter if you haven’t already done so – it only takes a couple of minutes!

It’s almost two months since COP 24 – the international climate change conference - ended in Katowice, Poland. When describing my experience, I often get asked: Was COP 24 a success?

Join us from May 2-5 for Streams of Justice, a diverse, inter-generational gathering at Mount Allison University in Sackville, New Brunswick on the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq. Delve deeper into the social justice commitments that are close to your heart, in the company of others who are committed to working for positive change. This three-day event will build the Atlantic ecumenical social justice movement.

The Organización Femenina Popular, one of KAIROS' five partners in the Women of Courage: Women, Peace, and Security program, has released a video on the alarming situation faced by human rights defenders and social leaders in Latin America, especially Colombia.

The long-awaited presidential election that took place in the Democratic Republic of the Congo on December 30 was mired in inconsistencies, contentiousness and deception. Congolese civil society, including KAIROS partner, Héritiers de la Justice, are living with the resulting uncertainty and fear.

The First Nations Child and Family Caring Society’s Have a Heart Day is a child and youth-led reconciliation event that brings together caring Canadians to help ensure First Nations children have the services they need to grow up safely at home, get a good education, be healthy, and be proud of who they are. KAIROS encourages you to organize a Have a Heart Day around Valentine’s Day. Here are some ideas to help you plan:

The KAIROS Blanket Exercise is making an impact in communities across Canada and globally. Read all about it!

Would you like to help out in the Toronto KAIROS office? We periodically need volunteers to (e.g.) help with mailings, sort and organize files and materials, make phone calls, and do data entry. If you’re able to volunteer some time, please let Siobhan Rowan know.

Let Justice Roll Resources (Bill C-262)

Looking for background information on the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and Bill C-262? Visit KAIROS’ Let Justice Roll resources.

National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP)

KAIROS’ partner in the Philippines, NCCP, helps women heal from trauma and trains them to be human rights defenders.