​Laudato Si’ gets students going and growing

June 10, 2018 - The B.C. Catholic
St. Michael’s Elementary students in Burnaby tend the school garden, one of the many ways Catholic schools, parishes and organizations are responding to Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si. ​

​FVC Editor, Margaret Ross, ofs, gets involved. Read the story about taking action.
St. Michael’s Elementary School in Burnaby looks like any other school in the city. Taking a closer look, however, one notices a vegetable garden on the property. The garden is one way the school responded to Pope Francis’ call for Catholics to care for our common home.
Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si: On Care for our Common Home was released in June 2015. The following year the Catholic Independent Schools of the Vancouver Archdiocese (CISVA) adopted “Caring for our Common Home” as the theme for the school year. As school communities and other local Catholics began to reflect on Pope Francis’ call, initiatives like St. Michael’s vegetable garden began to appear.
Caterina Kennedy, principal of St. Michael’s, said when CISVA adopted the encyclical as the theme for the academic year, her school already had recycling bins in classrooms and needed to find a way to do more.

Let’s get Canada to zero plastic waste!   ​

May 28, 2018
Plastic is rapidly building up all around us. It’s reached every corner of the globe - from the most remote Antarctic regions to isolated and uninhabited islands in the South Pacific.
Images illustrating the devastating effects of marine plastic pollution– a dead whale with a stomach full of plastic bags; a seahorse curled around a cotton swab; and, a turtle with a straw stuck up its nose- are becoming all too common. 
​Shockingly, Canada doesn't have a plan to reduce the mountain of plastic waste entering our environment and waterways.  We can’t rely on businesses to voluntarily “do the right thing." We need strong, standardized rules from coast-to-coast. On June 8-9 Canada will meet with leaders and ministers from around the world at the G7 summit in Charlevoix, QB....
          READ MORE - Take Action.           It’s time for Canada to deal with its plastic waste.
Also see: The Guardian: DitchPlastic Straws - Experts tells us how
Yesterday, under the burning sun of Chihuahua City in northern Mexico, we (Amnesty International) joined a rally of mothers and other relatives of the disappeared, organized to draw attention to the urgent need for action to confront a massive, ever-growing epidemic of people snatched from their families – now more than 35,000 reported cases -- and never seen again.
Mexico: 35,000+ people are missing
​Urge Mexico to find the missing and stop the epidemic of killings and disappearances.

​Whales and dolphins at risk

At any moment, legislation that prioritizes the oil and gas industry at the expense of protected marine animals could go to the U.S. House of Representatives for a vote. Will you help protect whales and dolphins by signing and sharing today?
The practice involves a ship firing blasts of pressurized air to create powerful sound pulses that penetrate beneath the seafloor. Below the water, the explosions sound like bombs going off every 10 to 15 seconds and can be heard as far as 1,500 miles, audio recordings show....

...The new bills would target the core provisions of the Marine Mammal Protection Act, which regulates seismic blasts used to locate oil and gas. The noise, scientists say, can disorient and damage the hearing of whales and dolphins so badly that they lose their ability to navigate and reproduce.

​Act now and say stop to overpackaging

April 10, 2018 - Greenpeace Canada
Have you noticed the amount of unnecessary plastic packaging found on grocery store shelves or littered in the street?
We are surrounded by plastic that is intended to be used once and thrown away almost immediately. But plastic never goes away! A vast quantity of plastic waste ends up in our oceans and has considerable impacts on marine life.
This week, you can take a simple action to challenge the companies on their role in this pollution crisis. Here’s what you can do:
1. Take pictures of the wasteful examples of single-use plastics you see
2. Post them on your favorite social network using the hashtags #BreakFreeFromPlastic and #RidiculousPackaging
3. Tag the brand responsible
                                              TAKE ACTION!
What else can you do?  - FVC
  • Refuse to buy heavily packaged products in the first place
  • Shop in places that avoids using plastic packaging
  • When you have a choice when purchasing, don't accept plastic bags
  • Tell your merchant, restaurant and grocer that you don't want unnecessary plastic packaging
  • Add your ideas through "Comments"

Stop the bombing of people in Eastern Ghouta Syria

March 16, 2018 - Amnesty International Canada
The Syrian government, backed by Russia, is bombing its own people in Eastern Ghouta. Scores of people have been killed and hundreds injured in the past month.

This is not new for the people of Eastern Ghouta: people who’ve been trapped in a cruel siege for nearly six years are now being attacked daily, killed and maimed by their government. Children and elderly people are dying of malnutrition and lack of medication.
Tell the Syrian and Russian governments to end the attacks and lift the siege on Eastern Ghouta immediately.
The attacks must be stopped. Humanitarian aid must be allowed into Eastern Ghouta.
We succeeded in creating pressure and noise around the world for Aleppo – and we can succeed in helping the people under attack in Eastern Ghouta.

Urgent action needed for Salish Sea orcas

February 11, 2018 - Davis Suzuki Foundation
Call for an emergency order

With only 76 remaining Salish Sea orcas the need to ensure their survival couldn’t be more urgent.
That's why the David Suzuki Foundation and other conservation groups are calling on Ministers Dominic LeBlanc and Catherine McKenna to recommend that cabinet issue an emergency order under the Species at Risk Act.
​
Although Salish Sea orcas are protected under the act, they need additional protection right away to improve their chances to survive. This is the orca's lowest population in more than three decades and no surviving calves have been born since 2015.       Read more....

         TELL THE MINISTERS YOU WANT AN EMERGENCY ORDER FOR ORCAS



​UPDATE!!

March 22, World Water Day, it's time for action!

Update: February 5, 2018
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​Water is not a renewable resource—it is finite. It can only be transformed; more cannot be created. There is only so much clean groundwater. It must be protected so that it will be available to future generations.
​
Here is an important action you can take before March 22nd (World Water Day) to support phasing out permits to take water for bottling in Ontario. (MPP’s are in their constituency offices from now until February 16th).

                 DOWNLOAD THE ACTION KIT

And learn more about this all important life giving finite resource.
And Nestle Canada seeks Six Nations support to take groundwater -      Learn More...
Update: January 21, 2018
​We have a unique opportunity to protect critical water systems in Wellington County and the Grand River Watershed!

Recently, the Province has announced a consultation process that identified wetlands, streams, rivers and moraines in communities to the west and north of the existing Greenbelt (Brant County, Waterloo, Guelph-Wellington, and Dufferin and Simcoe) for potential Greenbelt protection. More than 1 million new residents are expected to live in these areas by 2041, and they will rely on the groundwater supplies fed by these water sources.
​
We encourage all Ontarians to express their views on the proposed expansion “study areas” during the Provincial consultation process, which will conclude on March 7, 2018.
January 14, 2108
The new year is a time for resolutions. In 2018 Wellington Water Watchers remains committed to demanding that Premier Wynne phase out permits to bottle water in Ontario. The three main reasons our supporters say they support phasing out permits to bottle water in Ontario are:

     1. Concerned about the negative environmental impact of excessive water taking
     2. Disapprove of water being treated as a commodity
     3. Concerned about the excessive waster from plastic water bottles*

A recent article Why You Should Probably Never Drink Bottled Water Again describes 10 facts about the bottled water industry including the following: Get the list here
Send Premier Wynne an email; tell your civic leaders your concern.
                                                  - See earlier article below - 
November 22, 2017

​An ombudsperson for the Canadian extractive sector

For the last 10 years, we have been calling for an ombudsperson so that communities in the Global South impacted by Canadian extractive companies can have a Voice for Justice.
We are almost there but we need your help!                READ MORE...ACT!
Franciscan Voice Canada strongly endorses the call for an ombudsperson. As Secular Franciscans let us all do our part to make this happen! Here is a link to the OFS Canada latest letter to the Prime Minister 6 March 2017. This letter is in response to great social and environmental injustices that have been well documented. Individuals and fraternities are encouraged to respond to these injustices and send similar letters calling for an Extractive Industry Ombudsperson to their MP's and the Prime Minister.
November 21, 2017

Write a letter to change a life
SIGN UP TO WRITE FOR RIGHTS FROM NOW UNTIL DECEMBER 10TH. On international Human Rights Day, Amnesty supporters from around the world are coming together to write letters to human rights defenders and to the governments that are putting them at risk. If thousands of us write for rights, we can support human rights defenders while helping to convince governments to free prisoners of conscience and end urgent cases of abuse. On December 10, let’s show the world is watching.
November 12, 2017

​Development and Peace / Caritas Canada launches emergency appeal to help Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh

Montreal, November 1, 2017 - Development and Peace - Caritas Canada is launching an emergency appeal to help Rohingya communities who have been forced to flee Myanmar and seek refuge in Bangladesh and is calling upon the generosity of all Canadians for support. The urgency with which refugees had to flee in the face of abuses by the army and the breadth of their displacement has exacerbated the vulnerability of thousands of children, women, and men who now have little to no access to basic necessities and services.
                            Learn more.....
Development and Peace is accepting donations to support its efforts and is calling upon the generosity of all Canadians. Give before November 28th and your donation will be matched !

Government for the people, not fossil fuel corporations

November 7, 2017 - David Suzuki Foundation
I consider voting a privilege and a responsibility. But I wish politicians would take their responsibility to voters more seriously. We elect them to represent us. Sometimes our interests coincide with corporate priorities. After all, corporations create jobs and economic opportunities and often develop products and services citizens need. Corporations can’t vote, but by putting enormous amounts of money into campaigns and lobbying, they can hijack the political agenda.That’s the case with the fossil fuel industry — the most profitable in human history. It’s taken such hold on the U.S. that the current administration refuses to accept advice and research from climate scientists, biologists, military experts, economists and others who warn that continuing to burn fossil fuels will steer us to climate catastrophe, with horrendous impacts on agriculture, human migration, health, security, the economy and resources, and that failing to act will be far more costly and lacking in economic opportunity than confronting the challenge.     READ MORE....
Call on Government to invest in the renewable energy economy
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October 19, 2017

The concern with water and it abuse by the water bottle industry is a concern for us all. Learn more and take action.

This week is the one year anniversary of Premier Wynne announcing a moratorium on permits to take water for bottling. We are asking you to email Premier Wynne (click here) here to tell her you support Wellington Water Watchers demand to phase out permits to bottle water in Ontario.
Water for Life Not Profit Program

​Stop ethnic cleansing Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar

 October 6, 2017 - Sum of Us
​Myanmar’s military is using murder and mayhem to drive out hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims. France’s President Emmanuel Macron is calling it genocide. 

The harrowing stories are all over the news. 

But what the media rarely mentions is that governments all around the world are enabling it -- allowing arms companies to sell and profit from ethnic cleansing and even providing military training.

Under pressure governments are slowly waking up -- just days ago UK Prime Minister Theresa May announced an end to all training of and co-operation with the Myanmar military, until the violence stops.

If enough of us join the call for a global arms embargo we can make other governments -- and even the UN -- follow suit. Read More and take action.
From: Yahoo News - Read their story

Your once-in-a-generation opportunity

We know lawmakers are listening and that we have their attention.
Only a few short weeks remain before Environment and Climate Change Minister Catherine McKenna and Health Minister Ginette Petitpas Taylor decide whether to implement the recommended changes to the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, including legal recognition of the right to a healthy environment, and legally binding air- and water-quality standards.
A final push can help make these recommendations a reality.

World Bank Canada: Divest from fossil fuel

September 19, 2017
We can be advocates for climate change and raise our Catholic voices by clicking on the button to the right and sending an email to our World Bank Canada rep as recommended by the Global Catholic Climate Movement for the Season of Creation Week 3. 
“As Pope Francis wrote in​ Laudato Si' (195): "​The principle of the maximization of profits, frequently isolated from other considerations, reflects a misunderstanding of the very concept of the economy….. In a word, businesses profit by calculating and paying only a fraction of the costs involved."  

Indigenous teachings parallel the encyclical where Pope Francis praises the attitude and way of life of Saint Francis of Assisi (see Laudato Si’, nos. 10–12). In his Canticle of the Sun, Saint Francis uses descriptive family concepts such as Brother Sun, Sister Moon, Brothers Wind and Air, Sister Water, Brother Fire, Sister Mother Earth and Sister Death. Similarly, Indigenous people speak of Mother Earth, Grandmother Moon, Father Sky and Grandfather Sun.
​
                  You must help change for the common good and future generations.

Great Lakes Water Walk - Sunday, September 24, 2017

On Sunday, September 24 2017, the Great Lakes Water Walk invites people from all backgrounds to join Indigenous Grandmothers, Knowledge Holders and Elders for a day of walking for the water. Participants will meet at specified locations along the Toronto Waterfront for traditional water blessings led by the Grandmothers and begin walking the eastern and western routes.  If you live in Toronto consider participating   
​
         Learn More...      ​​.
If you love Water, you'll love these 10 inspiring actions from around the world dedicated to protecting it!

Eliminate Arms Trade

“Any attack on a medical facility in a war zone is an affront to humanity, yet this bombing is sadly just the latest in a grim series of attacks on hospitals and clinics by the Saudi Arabia-led coalition,” said Philip Luther, Research and Advocacy Director for the Middle East and North Africa at Amnesty International.
Here's another example fitting this topic - BNP and the Tutsi genocide in Rwanda
Where the proliferation of arms has led to the killing of 100's of thousands!  and the Tutsi 
Click the link below to learn more facts for each of the countries affected by this crisis. 
In February 2017, the new UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, declared 20 million people to be at risk of death in the next six months in South Sudan, Somalia, Yemen, and Nigeria.
This particular humanitarian crisis stems from a conjunction of events that include armed conflicts coupled with severe droughts brought about by climate change. Many have fled their homes and land to escape the violence of armed conflict and are continually displaced. These issues make transportation and access to food extremely difficult.
Development and Peace – Caritas Canada is present in the region and working closely with our local partners to respond to this humanitarian crisis threatening the lives of millions of people, by working with the most vulnerable populations.
The 5 Gyres Institute is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that empowers action against the global health crisis of plastic pollution through science, art, education, and adventure.
​WHERE DOES FOAM GO?
​According to the EPA, Americans use 25 billion expanded polystyrene foam coffee cups each year—most with a polystyrene lid. Because they're typically not recycled, polystyrene plastics often end up in landfills and waterways. In our 2016 Plastics BAN List, we found that these are some of the most common forms of plastic pollution in the environment.
Take action: don't use lids, avoid buying products which uses Type 6 polystyrene plastics. Spread the word.

OFS PEI ATTENDS FOOD INSECURITY SYMPOSIUM

Members of the St Francis of Assisi Fraternity attends a PEI  Food Security symposium. Here are a few notes taken from the event...interesting facts for Canada. 
All is not well! >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 
food_insecurity_pei.pdf
File Size: 236 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

Great news: El Salvador Approves Historic Mining Band - telesur

This is action taken.......
​90% of the country's surface water is polluted mostly due to the mining industry.

El Salvador's Congress approved a law Wednesday that prohibits all metal mining projects, in a bid to protect the Central American nation's environment and natural resources; the first country in the world do take such bold action. People voice can be powerful.
​
                 Read full article.

Mount Polley on Trial

Seeking Justice and Remedy for the Largest Mine Spill in Canadian History
Almost three years ago, Imperial Metals’ Mount Polley Mine spilt 25 million cubic metres of toxic waste into pristine Quesnel Lake, one of deepest lakes in the world. The lake is home to multiple fish species, and supplies drinking water to local communities.

Right now, the federal government is trying to let Imperial Metals off the hook for the largest mining waste spill in Canadian history -- but we’re not going to let that happen.

Mount Polley is a textbook case of corporate negligence. Multiple independent and government reports found the mine waste site was poorly constructed and operated, yet Imperial Metals faced no fines or sanctions and didn’t even have to pay the full cost of cleanup. Instead, British Columbians picked up the tab.
​
​Tell Trudeau's government not to let Imperial Metals off the hook. Enforce the Fisheries Act now!

Becca told me to

A young cancer patient in N.B. has started an international movement with random acts of kindness in her honour. She is an inspiration to thousands.

The “Canada Brand”:
​Violence and Canadian Mining Companies in Latin America

The Justice and Corporate Accountability Project has documented troubling incidents of violence associated with Canadian mining companies in Latin America. In general, neither the Canadian government nor industry are monitoring or reporting on these incidents.
What we found about the degree of violence and criminalization from 2000-2015
This Report documents incidents that are corroborated by at least two independent sources. We found:
  •  incidents involving 28 Canadian companies;
  •  44 deaths, 30 of which we classify as “targeted”;
  • 403 injuries, 363 of which occurred in during protests and confrontations;
  • 709 cases of “criminalization”, including legal complaints, arrests, detentions and charges; and
  • a widespread geographical distribution of documented violence: deaths occurred in 11 countries, injuries were suffered in 13 countries, and criminalization occurred in 12 countries.   
It is unbelievable that our Canadian Government takes a blind eye to the great injustice and crime carried out by Canadian companies. Become informed and let our leaders know how you feel. 
​
Suggested Letter​

WORLD LEADERS: PROTECT HALF OUR PLANET

November 24, 2016 - AVAAZ
By 2020, two-thirds of wild animals will be gone. Life is being extinguished as fast as when the dinosaurs disappeared -- and it’s happening because humanity is taking a chainsaw to the tree of life. 
Governments are meeting in days to discuss how we address the crisis. If we bring a resounding chorus of human voices behind the 50% plan, we can push governments to stop the next mass extinction.
Could we set aside half the Earth for nature? (The Guardian)
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/radical-conservation/2016/jun/15/could-we-set-aside-half-the...

​How to create social capital in your neighbourhood

                                                        from the David Suzuki Foundation
​














​Sharing the harvest is a simple way to build social capital in your community. (Credit: Lindsay Coulter)

What kind of insanity must it be to confront that which we have not a hope of besting? And on the other hand what kind of sanity can we possibly claim if we don't? Sister Joan Chittester
Don't look for heroes to fix this mess we're in. Look in the mirror. Then ask:
  1. What are my gifts?
  2. What are my talents?
  3. How can I take a giant leap to encourage friends, family and neighbours to take action?
The Heart of Sustainability: Restoring ecological balance from the inside out, by Andrés R. Edwards, asks these questions and many more, like:
  1. What have you been called to do in your lifetime?
  2. What motivates you?
  3. What are the values that will guide us to the compelling future we long for?

Edwards suggests these ingredients (I love a good DIYrecipe):
  • Compassion
  • Openness
  • Understanding
  • Regeneration
  • Action
  • Gratitude
  • Empathy

LEARN MORE.....
Learn about Chalice

​The time to act is now!

Ask the Prime Minister to put small family farming at the heart of its investments in climate change.
There are many ways to respond to climate change, and we believe that agriculture must be at the heart of the solutions.
Small family farmers feed the world with less than one-quarter of all farmland.
We need to support an agricultural model that enables these stewards of the earth, here at home and around the world, to live in dignity and feed our communities in a way that respects our common home.

LEARN MORE....ACT!

​Season of Creation - Week Four

  • PRAY
  • REFLECT
  • ACT
Dear (Secular Franciscan),

At the closing ceremony of a recent interfaith peace gathering in Assisi, Pope Francis stated, “Today we have pleaded for the holy gift of peace.  We have prayed that consciences will be mobilized to defend the sacredness of human life, to promote peace between peoples and to care for creation, our common home.” He beautifully expressed the interconnectedness between issues of nonviolence and ecology.
As we enter this fourth week of the Season of Creation, we are deeply encouraged that 20 more nations have ratified the Paris climate agreement bringing the total to 60. While the required number of countries has been reached, the commitments are still 12% short of the global emissions required before the agreement goes into force.

As we reflect and act this week, let us pray that this gap be closed in the coming weeks.

God bless,

Christina on behalf of the GCCM Team
POPE FRANCIS' PRAYER
​O God of the poor,
help us to rescue the abandoned and forgotten of this earth,
who are so precious in your eyes…
God of love, show us our place in this world
as channels of your love
for all the creatures of this earth” (ibid., 246),
God of mercy, may we receive your forgiveness
and convey your mercy throughout our common home.
Praise be to you!
Amen.

Season of Creation - Week Three

Pope Francis stated on the World Day of Prayer for Creation, “The world’s poor, though least responsible for climate change, are most vulnerable and already suffering its impact."

As we enter this third week of the Season of Creation, we pray that the governments who are now gathered at the United Nations General Assembly remember this truth.  This Wednesday, September 21, they are invited to formalize their commitments to addressing the climate crisis by ratifying the Paris Climate Agreement. Let’s pray that 28 countries ratify this historic agreement so that it can come into force.

In the backdrop of this global gathering, we remember our brothers and sisters in East Asia where Typhoon Meranti, the strongest storm of 2016, battered Taiwan and China earlier this week. At least 10 people were killed and thousands were displaced.

May the most vulnerable among us continue to motivate us to pray, reflect and act for climate justice for all.

READ MORE........
PRAY: SPEND SOME TIME IN SILENCE

REFLECT: CLIMATE REFUGEES

ACT: FOOD WASTE WEEKEND

CLOSING: POPE FRANCIS' PRAYER
​
ACTION: Make this your prayer during this Season of Creation
A Prayer for our Earth
All-powerful God, You are present in the whole universe
and in the smallest of your creatures.
You embrace with your tenderness all that exists.
Pour out upon us the power of your love,
that we may protect life and beauty.
Fill us with peace, that we may live
as brothers and sisters, harming no one.
O God of the poor,
help us to rescue the abandoned and forgotten of this earth,
so precious in your eyes.
Bring healing to our lives,
that we may protect the world and not prey on it,
that we may sow beauty, not pollution and destruction.
Touch the hearts
of those who look only for gain
at the expense of the poor and the earth.
Teach us to discover the worth of each thing,
to be filled with awe and contemplation,
to recognize that we are profoundly united
with every creature
as we journey towards your infinite light.
We thank you for being with us each day.
Encourage us, we pray, in our struggle
for justice, love and peace.

Amen.
​Pope Francis
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled."
Matt. 5:6 NRSVCE
April 27, 2016

​Canadian Farmers need your help!

The petition will be delivered to:
  • Hon. Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food

Huges greedy corporations like Monsanto are slowly erroding our food system as we have known it. We all need to speak out about this growing injustice spreading in our world and close to home - George Guimond ofs (I signed the petition).

Farmers in Canada are once again under attack from Monsanto through their affiliate Forage Genetics International (FGI).  Monsanto has developed a new Genetically Modified (GM) variety of Alfalfa with the Roundup Ready gene.  Introduction of this variety in the US has resulted in the contamination of 30 percent of the alfalfa varieties in the western states. Containment protocols do not prevent pollinators, such as bees, from transporting the GM pollen to non-GM crops.
We need to stop the sale of this variety in Canada and prevent the contamination of existing alfalfa varieties.  Since pollinators do not respect national boundaries the contamination of alfalfa from the US is likely inevitable and this may only be a delaying tactic but we need to slow down this assault on our non-GMO farmers.  READ MORE......

Also see our ALERTS of March 7, 2016, July 27, 2015 and June 16, 2014 below for more on Monasanto!
April 19, 2016

Tobie Mining and Energy
Keep this U.S. mining company out of Colombia's Amazon

SumOfUs
Colombia protected a portion of the Amazon rainforest setting up a national park -- and got slapped with a $16.5 billion lawsuit for it.
Ask the U.S. mining corporation behind this rididiclous suit to drop it immediately. 
A U.S. mining company has launched a $16.5 billion lawsuit against Colombia. What did Colombia do to earn this dubious distinction? Well, the government stopped a deadly gold mine that was threatening the Amazon rainforest. 
Not only does the Colombian government have a right to protect the world's most diverse rainforest from profit-hungry mining interests -- it has a duty to do so.
This lawsuit is just but one example of corporations undermining national sovereignty for the sake of private profits. We can't let corporations sue governments when they can't make a profit.
​
Tell Tobie Mining and Energy to drop its lawsuit.
Andrew Conradi, National JPIC Animator) recently sent the message below to:
 
Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency
cc: BC Environmental Assessment Office
      Stk’emlupsemc te Secwepemc First Nation

​11 April 2016

RE: Stop Ajax Mine Project

   I attended a symposium in Vancouver, BC (8 April) hosted by St Paul University (Ottawa) and the Archdiocese of Vancouver entitled "Mining and the Common Good: A Symposium on Mineral Resource Development and Laudato Si'.
   I am not against mining but my thoughts in what follows are based on the evidence of many, many cases. One example: why has there been a lack of honesty and transparency over the Mt Polley spill 4 August 2014? Who is, and why are they, dragging their feet?
   Canadian governments of any level should not act as shills for mining companies or as captured agencies i.e. regulatory bodies so influenced by those they are supposed to regulate that they favour a private interest at the expense of the public interest, i.e. the common good, they supposedly serve. There is an imbalance of economic power and we (Franciscans) do not support asymmetrical power relationships or ones of domination. We believe there should be free, prior and informed consent by local communities, especially First Nations, affected by extractive operations. Tainted profits, hiding the truth and misleading the public must be denounced. Governments must not be seen to be in moral conflict. To do less could lead to class actions similar to what we saw in the recent case of tobacco companies in Québec.
    Many organisations have criticized Canadian Governments complicity or lack of action in countering Canadian mining companies’ detrimental actions, not just in Canada but also abroad, including Franciscans International at the UN. 
   I write as a Franciscan of Western Canada who has been asked to take on the responsibility to raise awareness of issues of justice, peace and the integrity of creation. Until there has been proper consultation and a consensus to proceed, I oppose the Ajax mine at this time.
​
Peace & all good,
Andrew Conradi, ofs

14 March 2016

Proposed Assisted Death Legislation

Assisted Suicide will become legal in Canada on June 6 2016 in the case of  “a competent adult person who (1) clearly consents to the termination of life and (2) has a grievous and irremediable medical condition (including an illness, disease or disability) that causes enduring suffering that is intolerable to the individual in the circumstances of his or her condition”.
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​​“I will give no deadly medicine to anyone if asked, nor suggest any such counsel…” The Hippocratic Oath
​“You shall not kill.” Exodus 20:13​
"violation of conscience... You employ me, you don't own me!... Our value as people, comes ... from who we are, from within, from our inherent dignity as human beings..."
How do you feel about "Physician Assisted Suicide"? Do you need help in formulating your opposition?

If so, we have received resources from Father Peter Knaapen, Spiritual Assistant, Toronto, Canada - please click on the bold green font to access them.
  1. a fact sheet
  2. a suggested letter to legislators or politicians outlining opposition to the new proposed Assisted Death legislation. This is in English only on the second page of the above fact sheet. You can also visit CanadiansforConscience for more guidance/information.
  3. an English and French PDF file from the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops containing informative resources and statements from various bishops across Canada.
  4. The Archdiocese of Toronto also has a video of Cardinal Collins reading his letter.
March 7, 2016

​On care for our common home: a very urgent request; please sign

According to the World Health Organisation, the chemical contained in Monsanto's Roundup weed killer can cause cancer. It's so pervasive that it is found everywhere: in our bread, our tampons, and even in breast milk.  Just last week it was revealed that most German beers contain the poisonous glyphosate. (What about Canadian beer?)  The European Commission is rushing to approve weedkillers like Monsanto's deadly Roundup for another 15 years. But it's not too late to stop the decision.Government officials are voting on Monday in Brussels. France has already said it will oppose the re-approval of glyphosate.
But lobbyists from Monsanto, Syngenta and Co. are out in full force to make sure other countries vote for its approval. Can you help remind our politicians who they are actually working for?

Ban Plastic Bags in Canada

​We all know that the planet is a really bad condition and that's because of us, humans. Climate change is a real problem these days, and has been for the last years, but we cannot get climate change without social change. We have to change our habits and to do so, I invite you to tell the Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, to ban plastic bags all over Canada. These bags are a big part of the pollution problem and it would be a great start to ban others trashes. 
November 21, 2015

​Paris Attacks: An Open Letter from a Young Catholic

"I hope, dear terrorist, that these words will reach you ..."
​                              A Prayer
​Read more.....

Aleteia
November 19, 2015
September 8, 2015

Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops
RESPONDING AS CATHOLICS TO THE REFUGEE CRISIS
Open letter to Canadian Catholics

To OFS Fraternities of Canada 
Consider this call to help in this crisis. Review the links provided by the CCCB and discern how your fraternity can help.             - Franciscan Voice Canada

 Following the call of Pope Francis during his Angelus message this past September 6, 2015, the Most Reverend Paul-André Durocher, Archbishop of Gatineau and President of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, has released an open letter to Canadian Catholics on how all the members of the Church can respond to the refugee crisis. In his letter, Archbishop Durocher proposed seven ways Catholics can respond, including diocesan or parish sponsorships of refugees as well as donations toward the work of Canadian Catholic "aid and development agencies which do outstanding international work and are deeply involved in assisting Syrian and other refugees and displaced persons." Also today, the Archdiocese of Toronto announced the launch of "Project Hope", a special emergency appeal to respond to the tragic situation of refugees.

Link to the open letter of the President of the CCCB (PDF)
27 July 2015

Monsanto is Taking the Poorest to the Brink

Monsanto, the world's most hated corporation, will stop at nothing to increase its profits, even if it means swindling struggling Indian farmers.

For generations, farmers have saved seeds from year to year -- but the company has now made that illegal.

Monsanto is sowing the seeds of debt bondage by charging outrageous annual royalties to keep using its seeds. Farmers are hopelessly saddled with crippling debt. Since Monsanto's crops were introduced, over 200,000 farmers in India have committed suicide.

Stand with India's farmers and tell Monsanto to stop charging crippling royalties on its seeds.

Read more.....Sign the Petition!

India's farmers are forced into poverty by Monsanto.
8 May 2015

Nuclear Waste near Lake Huron

There is concern that the proposed dumping of nuclear waste below the Bruce Power nuclear generating station at Kincardine by Ontario Power Generation (OPG) puts Lake Huron and the other lakes at risk. The concern is that nuclear waste might seep into these lakes which apparently provide drinking water to some 40 million people in Canada and the U.S.

While a federal panel has provided the initial approval, the Minister for the Environment minister has 120 days to decide whether to approve the project. The OPG claims that it will not construct the repository without the support of the Saugeen Ojibway Nation.

More information is available:
22 April 2015

Mining, El Salvador - the Canadian Connection

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Héctor Antonio Garcia Berrios, his wife Zenayda and Luis Morao Andreazza, OFM, Bishop of Chalatenango, El Salvador.
In mid March 2015 Jacek and  Erick Lopez, ofm, and several of their parishioners took part in a rally in front of the World Bank to support the people of El Salvador against the mining companies. The mine in question would poison sources of drinking water and trample the will of its people and their right to prior and informed consent. This is a clear case that can help people in our OFM provinces and OFS regions learn about how the destruction of the environment and systemic injustice against the poor are intimately related. 
We need to act to overcome the globalization of indifference and stand for the common good. I am joining Friar Jacek asking different provincial and regional ministries to circulate the following petition from Oxfam directed to the World Bank Tribunal which will be meeting soon to make its decision in this case.
Let us raise our Franciscan voices!

Peace & all good,
Andrew Conradi, JPIC National Coordinator
Good day and Happy Earth Day!
As you know, mining is one of the top environmental justice and human rights issues for the Franciscan Order world-wide and Pope Francis has emphasized the link between environmental issues & social issues impacting the poor. Franciscans International approaches these issues from a human rights perspective as well - read "Development: Sustainable for whom".  For further information, download  The Myths and Reality of Gold Mining in Central America by Andres McKinley, from Caritas, El Salvador.

In this specific case of mining companies, Pacific Rim/OceanaGold, suing El Salvador in the World Bank for $301 million, there is a Canadian connection. OceanaGold is an Australian company that bought out the Canadian company Pacific Rim and inherited the case. For information on their claims, read more here.

Jacek Orzechowski, ofm of Holy Name Province (USA) has issued a call to all provincial ministries - parishes, Franciscan schools etc - to help with an important advocacy effort focused on the issue of  mining in El Salvador.  His parish is home to one of the largest Salvadoran diasporas.

The democratically elected Government of El Salvador has not granted OceanaGold a mining permit, because the company will not meet the basic environmental and social safeguards required by Salvadoran laws. But OceanaGold is suing the citizens of El Salvador (40% of whom live in poverty) for $301 million in an obscure three person panel at the World Bank court for the theoretical future profits they might have earned from the mine.
30 March 2015

Global Catholic Climate Movement

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“On climate change, there is a clear, definitive and ineluctable ethical imperative to act.” — Pope Francis
The Global Catholic Climate Movement is requesting of us all to ask "Should we take action on climate change?" When you click "Yes", you are brought to a Petition page. The petition you are free to sign, addresses world leaders:

"Climate change affects everyone, but especially the poor and most vulnerable people. Impelled by our Catholic faith, we call on you to drastically cut carbon emissions to keep the global temperature rise below the dangerous threshold of 1.5°C, and to aid the world’s poorest in coping with climate change impacts."
21 February 2015

$2.25 per 1m litres of water

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British Columbia, Canada, will finally start charging companies like Nestlé for taking its groundwater and bottling it to sell at a profit. The problem is it will only be charging $2.25 per million litres. Under this new pricing structure Nestlé and corporations like it will be able to buy up Canada's water for next to nothing.
If a Canadian were to bottle enough groundwater to fill an Olympic-sized swimming pool, they'd pay $180. Nestlé will pay $6.25.

At a time when water is in short supply globally, it is outrageous that Nestlé can draw limitless amounts of Canada's natural resources to sell for a huge profit.

Tell the government of British Columbia to charge a fair price for Canada's most precious resource.
16 December 2014

Children, little children...

In light of what happened yesterday to over 100 children in Pakistan who were killed in school (which can be seen as a threat to some groups), let us sign this petition, asking governments everywhere to keep the promise made at the United Nations in 2000, to ensure that all out-of-school children gain their right to education before the end of 2015.

Education is an antidote to poverty and to hopelessness, a basic human need, yet some 58 million children around the world are not at school.  Join the campaign to honour the memory of the children of Peshawar.  Gordon Brown, UN Special Envoy on Education will deliver the petition to the Prime Minister of Pakistan, and leaders who can make it a reality just like he did when Malala was shot at the age of 15 - the Pakistani President signed it himself and announced a stipend programme for 3 million children...
Lord God, ever caring and gentle
we commit to your love these little people,
quickened to life for so short a time.
Enfold each of them in eternal life.
We pray for their bereft parents
who are saddened by the loss of their child.
Grant them courage
and help them in their pain and grief.
May they all meet one day
in the joy and peace of your kingdom.
We pray for those who took their lives
That they may see Your light
And live in love guided by your abiding Love
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen
17 August 2014

Urgent! Prayers requested for martyred children, their families and their missionaries

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“Today – Pope Francis said – we look upon the Church of Rome that grows, fed by the blood of martyrs. So it is right – he continued – that our thoughts turn to the many martyrs of today, the many martyrs who give their lives for faith. It is true that during the times of Nero many Christians were persecuted, and today – he said – there are just as many”.
Read more...
This is so sad. A friend from Ohio just got a text message from her brother asking her to cover him and his parish in prayer. He is part of a mission team and ISIS has taken over the town they are in today. He said ISIS is systematically going house to house to all the Christians and asking the children to denounce Jesus. He said so far not one child has. And so far all have consequently been killed. But not the parents. The UN has withdrawn and the missionaries are now on their own. They are determined to stick it out for the sake of the families - even if it means their own deaths. He is very afraid, has no idea how to even begin ministering to these families who have seen their children martyred. Yet he says he knows God has called him for some reason to be his voice and hands at this place at this time. Even so, he is begging prayers for his courage to live out his vocation in such dire circumstances. And like the children accept martyrdom if he is called to do so. She asked me to ask everyone we know to please pray for them. These brave parents instilled such a fervent faith in their children that they chose martyrdom. Please surround them in their loss with your prayers for hope and perseverance. She was able to talk to her brother briefly by phone. She didn't say it but I believe she believes it will be their last conversation. Pray for her too. She said he just kept asking her to help him know what to do and do it. She told him to tell the families we ARE praying for them and they are not alone or forgotten -- no matter what. Her e mail broke my heart. Please keep all in your prayers.
14 August 2014

Increase Canada's commitment to protection & humanitarian assistance for civilians in Iraq

Calling on Minister John Baird to increase Canada's commitment to protection and humanitarian assistance for civilians in Iraq.

Read more...
17 June 2014

Hold Enbridge accountable

But First Nations and other stakeholders are wary and may challenge the Governments decision. Will Enbridge keep its promises, engage in dialogue with all stakeholders and be transparent in delivering on the 209 conditions set? Who will ensure that Enbridge is accountable?
The Government of Canada, as expected, approved the Joint Review Panel’s independent review of the Northern Gateway Pipelines proposal to construct and operate two parallel pipelines to transport crude oil between Bruderheim, Alberta and Kitimat, British Columbia, and a marine terminal at the port of Kitimat. In December 2013, the Joint Review Panel found that construction and operation of the Northern Gateway Pipelines project "is in the public interest", subject to 209 conditions. The government also accepts the independent Panel’s recommendation to impose these 209 conditions on Northern Gateway Pipelines’ proposal.
With 8 out of 11 communities and 2/3 of British Columbians opposed to the pipeline, it is important to let Enbridge know that they must honour the consultation process and address the stakeholders' concerns before any building starts.
16 June 2014

Support GMO Labelling

We the consumers have the right to know what is in our food so that we can make buying choices that we feel protect our health and that of those we care about.

When food manufacturers oppose being transparent in their labeling of genetically modified organisms, of course, we ask questions. When they decide to take states to court, especially a small state like Vermont, undoubtedly alarm bells ring. We question why and wonder what they are trying to hide from us. Is there danger lurking? What is that danger? If there is no danger, where is the education to help us understand the benefits of GMOs? Does it cost more to add a line or two on the existing labels than to go to court against all 29 states who are trying to legislate for GMO labeling? Is that cost prohibitive? Is it not more expensive to regain a customer when you've lost their trust? Is it that they have been remiss in tracking all elements of GMOs in their production process and feel that they cannot possibly tell us the whole truth? What's at issue? What's really at stake when it's clear that the majority of U.S. consumers want GMO labeling?

In Vermont, U.S., where 90% of consumers want to know what's in their food, bill H.112 has been passed and will be challenged in court by the GMA.

How can we educate ourselves?

  1. FVC will continue to monitor what is happening and to provide new information as it becomes available
  2. Visit Union of Concerned Scientists who tell us about what they've noticed so far; believe that there is a lot we do not know about genetically engineered products and suggest we proceed with caution
  3. Visit Coalition for Safe Affordable Food which claims that 70-80% of our food is genetically modified already and provides information on the benefits of GMO food
May 8 2014: The Governor of Vermont signed an historic bill - illegal for food manufacturers to use "natural"/"all natural" where food is genetically engineered and required to label foods with genetically modified organisms, effective July 1, 2016.
May 9 2014: The Grocery Manufacturer's Association (GMA) confirmed that it would sue Vermont to overturn bill H. 112, challenging its constitutionality
Vermont is preparing to fight back against The Grocery Manufacturer's Association whose 300 plus members including Monsanto, Dow, Coca-Cola, General Mills and Kellogg's are suing the state to overturn bill H.112. The state has already established a legal defense fund to fight against the multi-billion dollar lobbying group that is pushing a bill in Congress to stop all states from passing GMO labeling laws. This lobby group is claiming that GMO crops are not dangerous to human health or the environment but will only increase food prices and over-complicate interstate trade.

How can people support Vermont and other states in their GMO labeling battle?

  1. The Organic Consumer Fund is raising money to help Vermont and also Oregon (November 2014) in their legal battle
  2. SumofUs is also raising money to help Vermont with the court case
12 June 2014

Fair pay in Indonesia - respect employees' rights

Tell Nike to reinstate the 'Nike Nine' with full back pay, and clean up their supply chain so that joining a union is genuinely respected.
Workers should have to right to join a union without anyone harassing or interfering with their democratic, social and moral right to do so. Corporations have the social and more obligation to value their employees and to respect their democratic rights.

When this breaks down, we must, in solidarity, do what we can to assist.

Nike appears to be in violation of human rights. It is believed to have fired nine people who formed a union at their Chang Shin shoe factory - they wanted to negotiate better wages, health insurance and the payment of bonuses.

What else can you do?

1. Stop buying the product/s. Consumer-driven corporations will react when the profits are threatened.
2. Get in touch with the company and tell them why you have decided not to buy from them.
    a) Call them (1-800-344-6453 and press 3 on their voice mail system to make comments.)
    b) Write to them: Phillip Knight, CEO, Nike, One Bowerman Drive, Beaverton, Oregon 97005.
3. Spread the word. Tell your friends about what Nike has been doing. Write a letter to your local newspaper.
4 June 2014

"Include the Family" in UN Policies

This petition comes from Sharon Slater, President of Family Watch International and Chair of the UN Family Rights Caucus.
Forward this petition to mothers, fathers, grandparents, aunts, uncles, co-workers, religious and community leaders, officers of government, everyone you know, and ask them to sign it and forward it on as well. Use Social Media to spread the word.
Since the family is key to peace, prosperity and development, not only should protecting the family be a standalone goal, but the family should also be mainstreamed into each of the other UN goals as well.
The United Nations Family Rights Caucus is urgently requesting our support of "Include the Family UN petition!" They believe that the UN is ignoring its obligation to protect the family as called for in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which recognizes the family as “the fundamental unit of society” entitled to the protection of society and State. Other UN documents also call upon the UN to assess the impact of policies on the family in order to protect it. A few countries such as Belarus, Qatar and the delegation of the Holy See have called upon the UN to establish a standalone goal to protect the family as part of these new UN goals, but they have been completely ignored.

With important deliberations happening to decide the International Development Goals for the UN and all 192 UN member countries for the next 15 years, we are asked to sign this petition that will be sent to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, the head of the UN General Assembly, the chairs of the UN Open Working Group on the new goals, and the ambassadors of all 192 UN Member States. It calls upon each of them to fulfill their international obligation to protect the family by including the family in the UN’s post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
22 May 2014

Death Sentence for her faith

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100 lashes and death by hanging for Meriam Ibrahim and imprisonment with her for Meriam’s 20 month old son so as he will “not be further indoctrinated to a Christian lifestyle by Meriam’s husband.”
Meriam Ibrahim, a 27 year old Sudanese convert to Christianity, wife, mother of a 20-month old boy and eight months pregnant with her second child has been sentenced to 100 lashes and death by hanging by a Sudanese court. She has been convicted of apostasy (for her conversion to Christianity) and adultery (because her marriage to her Christian husband is not recognized.)

The Sudanese Government is in clear violation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and their own constitution Section 6a which respects religious freedom.

We must defend Meriam, her unborn baby, and her son.
12 May 2014

Stop selling bee-poisoning neonicotinoids

Note also that in 2013, U.S. Representatives Earl Blumenauer and John Conyers introduced the “Saving America’s Pollinators Act,” which seeks to suspend the use of neonics on bee-attractive plants until EPA reviews all of the available data, including field studies.
We owe it to the bees and to our food chain to speak up on their behalf. Sign the petition and ask before you make a purchase.
Bees are dying off around the world in record numbers according to three separate reports while retailers are still selling the poison that is killing them.

Read Friends of the Earth report, "Follow the Honey: 7 ways pesticide companies are spinning the bee crisis to protect profits,” which documents the tactics used by Bayer and other pesticide companies to delay regulatory action on neonicotinoid (neonic) pesticides that are believed to be a key contributor in bee decline.

The Canada Environmental Agency's "Planning for a Sustainable Future: A Federal Sustainable Development Strategy for Canada 2013–2016 is targeting 100% re-assessment of pesticides - see Goal 4 at 4.8.11.
1 May 2014

Google, be fair in your application of your own policies!

Let Google know that you oppose their banning of ads because of pro-abortion political pressure.
Google's Advertising Policies fall under seven broad headings with a Policy Change log that does point to variances in different jurisdictions related to Abortion, among other areas. If an ad is in violation of policy, the user is advised what changes to make in order to resubmit for approval. Advertisers who do not comply with Google policies may see their ads rejected, their domains disabled or their accounts suspended.
According to Julian Hattern, The Hill, Google has bowed to pro-abortion pressure to remove ads from crisis pregnancy groups who offer other alternatives.

He says: "National Right to Life Committee President Carol Tobias, though, said that the resource centers are used by many pregnant women who would be hurt by Google's action. He quotes Carol Tobias: "Google is waging a war on women by limiting knowledge of the options and services available to women," she said in an email to The Hill. "Google's decision to refuse ads by the centers is unconscionable."

If you do a Google search for Crisis Pregnancy Center (CPC), you will read articles related to Naral and how they have worked with Google to have CPC ads removed for false advertising - targeting users looking for abortion clinics as well as centers denouncing CPCs... Where are the CPC ads now?
15 April 2014

Food Justice - transparency in short supply, Oxfam and SumofUs

Oxfam's report BEHIND THE BRANDS Food justice and the "Big 10" food and beverage companies assesses the social and environmental policies of the world’s ten largest food and beverage companies and calls on them to take the critical next steps to create a just food system. Oxfam believes that our food system is in crisis:
  • while agriculture produces more than enough food to feed everyone on earth, a third of it is wasted; more than 1.4billion people are overweight, almost 900 million people go to bed hungry each night
  • up to 60 percent of farm laborers live in poverty.
  • fertile land, clean water, and reliable weather are growing scarce
Although Oxfam recognizes that companies speak about shared value and appreciate that they can do well by doing good, transparency is lacking. Oxfam's "The Behind the Brands scorecard" examines company policies in seven areas: women, small-scale farmers, farm workers, water, land, climate change, and transparency. They state: "that all of the Big 10 – including those which score the highest – have neglected to use their enormous power to help create a more just food system. In fact, in some cases these companies undermine food security and economic opportunity for the poorest people in the world, making hungry people even hungrier." According to Oxfam, ABF and Kellogg who score on the lower end of their "scorecard" have few policies addressing the impact of their operations on producers and communities.

Oxfam challenges the big corporations "to begin a race to the top to improve their social and environmental performance" in order to create a more just and sustainable food system.
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For more information on Oxfam's GROW campaign see http://www.oxfam.org/grow
Let's answer Oxfam's call to "engage by demanding transparency and putting public pressure on companies to improve their policies and practices." Sign the petition from SumofUs asking Kellogg's to "Report on human rights abuses with workers and in your supply chain." Kellogg's has answered these appeals before - see Kellogg's to buy only sustainably sourced palm oil.
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Click on the image above to see the latest Oxfam "Behind the Brands: Food Companies Scorecard."
7 April 2014

Our prayers are requested for three servants

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Sr. Gilberte Bussières in Cameroon. Photo courtesy of Bineta Ba, a CDN colleague who recently visited the region.
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The two Italian priests Giampaolo Marta and Gianantonio Allegri, come from the Diocese of Vicenza in northern Italy. Photo courtesy of Sr. Gilberte's CDN colleague, Bineta Ba, who recently visited the region.
In Cameroon, April 4, 2014, Sister Gilberte Bussières, Congrégation of Notre Dame (CND), Montreal, was kidnapped at gunpoint along with two Italian priests. 

74-year-old Gilberte Bussières, originally from Asbestos, Quebec has worked in Africa since 1979, promoting access to education and human dignity in North Cameroon where she ran a school in Douvangar.

Despite being weakened by cancer treatment two years ago, Sr. Gilberte convinced her doctor to let her back to the people whom she worried about, left behind in Cameroon.

Now, three large vigil lights are burning in the Mother-house chapel in Montreal and also in the dining room.  The Community gathered in silent communion in the chapel on Sunday evening.

Your prayers are requested for these three servants of God.
25 March 2014

Supporting Life New Brunswick

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The blueprint for building a civilization founded on love.
New Brunswich has the only private abortion clinic in Canada that receives no public funding. This petition addressed to the Honorable Hugh J. Flemming urges him not to fund this clinic in support of life and helping pregnant mothers. It also requests that the clinic be audited to ensure that it complies with reasonable health and safety standards and provides the requisite information to women to enable them make informed choices.

To prevent public funding of abortion on demand at the Morgentaler Clinic in Fredericton NB, read more and sign the petition here.
6 March 2014

Witness to the Truth - Presence in the World Commission, CIOFS

The Presence in the World Commission of the CIOFS Presidency is appealing to us to act on our commitment “to create worthy conditions of life for all and to work for the freedom of all people.” (GGCC 18.3) - to provide worldwide support for the Venezuelan people. Read the letter in its entirety here or on CIOFS.
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"We have to be witnesses to the truth."
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“They should take up the challenges and accept the responsibilities that this reflection will lead them to discover” (Const. 14.1)
In a letter to the National Councils of the OFS, we as Franciscans are called in solidarity to:
  1. support the exhortation that the Commission of Justice and Peace of the Bishops Conference of Venezuela has issued in their communiqué: “We have to be witnesses to the truth”, reject government politics that, instead of guaranteeing social peace, are using violence indiscriminately, thus violating human dignity. 
  2. ask the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops as well as the Peace and Justice Commissions of the Franciscan Family, to come forth and speak out with regards to the situation in Venezuela.
Here is a sample letter that you can personalize before sending to your Archbishop.
3 March 2014

Tea - if you knew, what would you do? SumofUs

After you've read the reports and articles, consider signing the petition urging Tata Global Beverages to comply with labour laws and upgrade the working and living conditions at their plantations now.
Tea plantations in India are exploiting the 31,000 workers who remain undernourished, children and seniors alike, working from sunrise to sunset for pittance pay, often spraying industrial pesticides with hardly any protection and living in overcrowded homes, unsanitary conditions with little, poor or no healthcare.

Read the World Bank’s ombudsman report and the damning report by the Human Rights Institute at Columbia Law School, which visited 17 of the 24 plantations during two years of its own investigation.

The World Bank is investigating APPL which owns 41% of Tata Global Beverages who supplies tea to brands such as Tetley.
13 February 2014

Human Smuggling and Ransoms in the Sinai - Avaaz

Nine months pregnant and in chains, Haben's torturers beat her ruthlessly demanding a $35,000 ransom from her husband. She gave birth in shackles, beside other terrified captives, with only rusty metal to cut the umbilical cord. She survived. Read more and sign the petition to shut down the torture trade in the Sinai.
Avaaz has prepared a petition to the Egyptian president: "As citizens outraged by the horrific trafficking of vulnerable Eritreans, we call on you to immediately dismantle the kidnapping and torture rings in the Sinai Desert. We also urge you to ensure all survivors receive adequate protection and assistance. The world cannot remain silent in the face of this atrocious modern-day slavery. We call on you to stop it at once." Sign the petition here.
9 February 2014

Stop Forest Peoples Violent Evictions in Kenya - Avaaz

Avaaz is calling on our global solidarity to use our leverage over the Kenyan Forest Service and the Kenyan government to urgently halt the violent evictions of the Sengwer people from the Embobut Forest. These evictions violate Kenya’s Constitution and are illegal under Kenyan and international law. They also urge the World Bank to prevent such abuses in future by ensuring all its projects respect fundamental human rights or lose funding immediately.
Read more about how the Sengwer people are being treated in The Guardian, the pressure the U.S. is putting on the World Bank in the Washington Post and the advocacy by the UN and the Forest Peoples Programme. Sign the petition in solidarity with the Sengwer - 1 million signatures will encourage more advocacy on their behalf.
February 2, 2014

How do you like your salmon? SumofUs

There's still so much we don't know about GM salmon - the environmental, ecological, socio-economic affects?
Such a complex issue. If you believe justice and integrity of creation are at risk, you can take individual action by signing the petition.
SumofUs is calling on us to sign a petition to ask Health Canada not to approve the first genetically modified (GM) animal destined for human consumption. Environment Canada has already allowed the American Company, AquaBounty to produce genetically-modified salmon eggs on a commercial scale while US agencies have refused approval for some 18 years.

You can read more about the potential dangers and risks to our native fish population, our coastal economies and consumers who will not know what they're eating since there is no GM labelling yet.
January 24, 2014

Chief of the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation, with Avaaz

Chief Adam Allan, ACFN with Neil Young

Be informed: Aboriginal Peoples and Care of Creation
Judge the impacts - Oil Sands Reality Check.
Show your solidarity and sign the petition.
The Chief of the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation (ACFN) with Avaaz is asking concerned citizens to sign a petition to Stephen Harper and other ministers urging them to:
  1. reconsider the approval of Shell’s “Jackpine” project due to the significant environmental damage the environment minister believes it will cause and because the project violates Canada’s treaty with the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation
  2. pursue the economic benefits of the Oil Sands responsibly, and
  3. live up to Canada’s commitments to the ACFN and other First Nations.
January 22, 2014

LOVE IS... Fair Trade Label, Ghirardelli - Global Exchange

Show you care by signing the petition.
Global Exchange, an international human rights organization dedicated to promoting social, economic and environmental justice around the world is urging people to ask Ghirardelli to use Fair Trade Certified cocoa in their chocolate. By doing so, farmers and communities get a fair price, no children have to work instead of going to school, and the environment is protected. Not only that, it ensures community empowerment and democratic decision making for the farmers.
January 12, 2014

Keep the ban on "terminator seeds" - SumofUs

Read more and sign the petition.
SumofUs is advocating that we sign a petition to demand that Brazilian lawmakers reject attempts by giant corporate landowners and agribusinesses to allow the use of genetically modified seeds that can only be used once, forcing small farmers into buying seeds from Monsanto, Bayer or others over and over again. The use of these seeds is essentially prohibited under a UN treaty on biodiversity which over 193 countries, including Brazil, have signed. But if Brazil overturns its own ban, poor, small farmers could be locked into a cycle of endless debt and dependency.
January 9, 2014

Banking on and for the Poor - Results Canada

PictureYour help can make a difference. See how.
Results Canada are banking on us to join the advocacy to ensure that the poorest are set up for microfinance success.

Microfinance, an International Development success story, that was recognized with a Nobel Peace Prize in 2006, is an important tool in fighting poverty. Providing a diverse range of products and services, including savings, insurance and loans of small amounts to people with little to no credit history, services may be offered in innovative ways, such as lending to groups instead of individuals to help poor people escape the ravages of extreme poverty. In combination with Graduation Programs participants became more food secure, stabilized and have diversified income, increased assets, savings, and improved health. Your help can make a difference. See how.
January 8, 2014

Stop funding anti-GMO labeling campaigns - Change.org

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Ocean Robbins and the Food Revolution Network have placed a petition on Change.org They are calling on Coca-Cola to join the many other companies, including Dole Food Company, and Mars, Inc., that have responded to consumer pressure and stopped giving money to fight GMO labeling.

If you want to know what is in the food that you buy, read more and sign the petition.

Hanes is stealing from some the world's poorest....

Giant clothing brand Hanes has been caught stealing from some of the poorest workers in the world, and we've got less than a week to stop it.

Haiti has become an apparel-producing powerhouse as global clothing brands like Hanes move factories there to take advantage of some of the lowest wages in the western hemisphere.  But workers aren't benefiting from the boom - a new report from our friends at the Worker Rights Consortium has revealed that every single export garment factory in Haiti has been paying workers less than the minimum wage. And as a result, three quarters of Haitian garment workers don’t make enough to afford three full meals a day.
CLICK BELOW TO LEARN MORE
You can Help.
Take Action!
December 19, 2013

Say "no" to Enbridge - Pacific Wild


On the Line is an eco-adventure documentary by Frank Wolf. It follows him and Todd McGowan on their 2,400 km journey by foot, bike, raft and kayak, seeking to uncover the truth about a proposed $5.5 billion dollar oil pipeline. Watch the full-length documentary here, free of charge.
Enbridge's Northern Gateway pipeline was approved with 209 conditions.  “It is inconceivable how the NEB could dismiss the impacts that an oil spill could have on the B.C. coast as being ‘significant’ but not ‘permanent’, while Alaskans are still living with the devastation to their coastal environment caused by the Exxon Valdez disaster more than 20 years later,” states Ian McAllister of Pacific Wild Alliance.
Read Pacific Wild's reaction to this announcement.
Help them ensure the Great Bear Rainforest remains oil tanker free.

November 23, 2013
Gold Mining Threatens Salmon and Indigenous People

A fierce battle is happening right now over Bristol Bay, Alaska -- home to the last wild salmon run in the world, and the indigenous Alaskans who depend on that salmon to survive.

A huge mining corporation, Northern Dynasty Minerals, want to exploit the land for gold and copper. The proposed ‘Pebble Mine’ threatens to pollute miles of pristine streams and wetlands, the 40 million sockeye salmon who come to the bay each year, and the livelihoods of local fishermen and indigenous people.

Sign the petition now to tell Northern Dynasty Minerals to pull out of the Pebble Mine project. http://action.sumofus.org/a/northern-dynasty-minerals.

November 18, 2013
The Crisis in the Philippines

The CIOFS website headline reads, "The Philippines: Super Typhoon Haiyan". It writes

The string of catastrophic events throughout the world should cause us to reflect. It seems as if the planet is reacting to the violence that humanity is inflicting on her and her elements with a violence a thousand times greater, destroying and killing.

How can we respond to all this without losing hope?

Article 19 of the Rule can give us the direction to move in and the elements for a living and effective fitness where it says:

.. Mindful that they are bearers of peace which must be built up unceasingly ...

However, how can we understand these words in the concrete dramatic situation of the Philippines where, we know, that our brothers and sisters of the OFS have also been struck severely?  Read more and consider helping.....

November 3, 2013
D&P - Canadian Mining Operations 

Many communities in the Global South report that their rights are not respected and that their health and livelihoods are threatened by Canadian mining operations.

In Madagascar, a mining company prevents farmers from cultivating many of their fields. In the Philippines, villagers live with heavy metals in their blood. In Honduras, the contamination of a river killed all the fish. In Peru, a village will be moved without the consent of its inhabitants.
Read more and act....
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