KAIROS saw advancement in a few of our 2022 Wishes, including the adoption of a National Action Plan to fully implement the 231 Calls for Justice of the Final Report of the National Inquiry into MMIWG. We were also pleased to see three private members bills to address environmental racism and corporate accountability. However, many of our 2022 Wishes have not been fulfilled, and remain on our list. Read our 2023 Wish List and 2022 assessment.

Bill C-226, an Act that will address environmental racism, goes before the House of Commons for third reading and a final vote soon. The Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development passed it without amendment on November 14. We just learned that the bill will be sent to the report stage on Friday – the final step before third reading. Please urge your MP to vote in favour of Bill C-226 today, along with Bills C-262 and C-263, two corporate accountability bills that address human rights and environmental harms committed by Canadian companies operating abroad.

Episode 2 in the KAIROS Women of Courage podcast series features Jackcilia Salathiel, the National Women’s Coordinator at the South Sudan Council of Churches’ National Women’s Program, and her courageous story as a human rights lawyer and gender justice advocate.

Canada’s National Observer published this opinion article by KAIROS’ Radia Mbengue and Chantal Bilulu of Héritiers de la Justice on December 16, 2022:

The climate crisis is caused primarily by the burning of fossil fuels. Yet some of the key culprits — oil and gas — were glaringly absent from the final agreement of the UN’s 27th climate conference held in Sharm el-Sheikh in November. Gender and racial equity were also missing at COP27. This isn’t a coincidence.

Rachel Warden, KAIROS’ Partnerships Manager, along with Radia Mbengue – KAIROS’ Global Partnerships Coordinator: Africa and Climate Justice – accompanied the KAIROS and For the Love of Creation delegation to COP27.  She writes: “There was real cohesion. Friendships and lasting relationships were forged around a commitment to climate justice, which are so important for this work in the long haul. As a delegation we covered a lot of ground.”

Member organizations of the Ecumenical Network of South Sudan, including KAIROS Canada, have released a joint statement calling on the global Church and for governments worldwide to strengthen transformative peace and justice efforts for the people of South Sudan, as the country prepares for the upcoming ecumenical pilgrimage of the Pope, the Archbishop of Canterbury, and the Moderator of the Church of Scotland. Pope Francis is on a “pilgrim of peace” to the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan between January 31 to February 5.

KAIROS joins 251 organizations from 29 countries who signed a solidarity statement calling on the Salvadoran government to drop all charges against the water defenders who were arrested on January 11. A few of those arrested are on staff at the Association for Economic and Social Development (ADES) and are leaders of the community of Santa Marta El Salvador. ADES is a United Church of Canada global partner, and on several occasions ADES staff have been hosted by KAIROS.

The federal government is discussing a regularization program for people who are undocumented in Canada. For years, KAIROS Canada has advocated for Status for All. On behalf of KAIROS, Executive Director Aisha Francis wrote to the Cabinet Committee on Economy, Inclusion and Climate “B,” which is reviewing the regularization program. 

Randy Haluza-DeLay, KAIROS’ Ecological Justice Program Coordinator, weighed in on Biodiversity COP15, which took place in Montreal in December. He writes that faith groups at COP15 insisted that biodiversity conservation be founded on a rights-based approach as well as a different relationship with all creatures.

KAIROS actions to build a better world, such as e-petitions, letters to elected officials, and advocacy events are housed on the KAIROS Advocacy page.