Living Courage tour begins tomorrow
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Tomorrow, the Living Courage tour begins. We will all meet in Victoria, after travelling from different parts of the world: Chantal from Congo, Rebecca from Sudan, Vernie from the Philippines and Julie and I the short distance from the KAIROS office in Toronto.
I feel the same mixture of excitement and anxiety that I felt before the Women of Courage delegation to Colombia in August last year. There is still so much to be done before we meet. Yet I am incredibly excited to meet these extraordinary women and to accompany them on this tour. I am looking forward to reuniting with Jill, Yolanda and Theresa, the Canadian First Nations delegates from the Women of Courage delegation to Colombia, and to be hosted in their communities. I feel very thankful to have this opportunity.
I am also thankful for the incredible network of KAIROS volunteers and community groups from across the country. The level of engagement and organization around this tour from Victoria to Montreal and the several stops in between is truly inspiring. The tour has mobilized the local KAIROS network, migrant justice activists, First Nations communities, and solidarity groups. Public events are planned in Victoria, Vancouver, Regina, Winnipeg, Ottawa and Montreal. Partners will be preaching in local churches. In Ottawa, we will be meeting with Members of Parliament, government and other organizations. We will be hosted by First Nations groups and leaders who participated in banner action in support of the implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in June of this year.
Our first stop will be the First Nations community of Penelakut where we will be hosted by Jill Harris, who participated in the women of courage delegation to Colombia. It’s fitting that this is our first stop. I remember Yolanda Bird, from First Nations community of Montreal Lake, saying that the opportunities to participate and to host delegations come to last to First Nations communities and reserves last. The Women of Courage delegation to Colombia and the Living Courage tour are an effort to address and undo this historical inequality.
We will keep you posted along the way and try to bring you different voices. Please send us your reflections and comments as you follow the tour.
