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Read, judge and act... FVC alerts its readers to causes which come to our attention via our readership. You are free to read, judge and act according to our individual beliefs in support of the Gospel and our Franciscan values.
Healthy Planet Healthy People Petition - COP15 postponed
July 19, 2021 - GCCM
Pope Francis will attend the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow in November if his health permits, let us aim to gather as many petitions as possible to honor this course. Click here.
Francis strongly supports the goals of the 2015 U.N. Paris accord to reduce global warming which prompted him to write the Laudato Si encyclical on the need to protect the environment, reduce wasteful lifestyles, stem global warming and protect the poor from the most devastating effects of climate change. READ MORE Urgent Action: Chiapas towns threatened by criminal invaders.
July 13, 2021 - Global Exchange
On July 8, the residents of the municipality of Pantelhó, Chiapas - including members of the Las Abejas de Acteal Civil Society, a historic human rights indigenous organization - reported receiving threats from organized criminal organizations that have been attempting to establish operations on Indigenous land.
In recent days there have been armed clashes on the outskirts of Pantelhó and Chenalhó, Chiapas. Local leaders have taken the decision to resist, making the case criminal organizations must not be allowed to establish roots in their communities. The conflict is raging approximately 2 kilometers from the Las Abejas de Acteal headquarters. Our partners in Mexico estimate that more than 120 members of the peaceful community have already been driven from their homes. Some have taken refuge in La Casa de la Memoria and La Esperanza and have no plans to return given the imminent risk of an armed attack. Other families have opted to stay in Penthaló. The situation is tense and very dangerous. The Mexican Federal Government must act immediately to protect the lives of the inhabitants of Penthaló and maintain the rule of law. Take Action: Letter to President of Mexico re Chiapas 2021
For background visit:
Andrew Conradi, ofs and Franciscan Voice Canada editor who has visited Las Abejas and Acteal and worked with Maya Vinic and Fray Bartolomé de Las Casas Human Rights Center in San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas, modified the Global Exchange letter to address a Canadian position and is found below. Please take a moment to write to Mexico President, Andres Manuel López Obrador and demand the Federal Government take action to protect innocent lives and civilians. Write to: Andrés Manuel López Obrador, President of Mexico via: Juan José Gómez Camacho, Mexican Ambassador to Canada mailto:infocan@sre.gob.mx and: Alejandro Encinas, Subsecectario de Derechos Humanos http://www.alejandroencinas.com.mx/ cc: The Hon Marc Garneau, MP, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Canada marc.garneau@parl.gc.ca Download the sample letter and take action A message forwarded from the General Office for JPIC | OFMJune 27, 2021
AN OPEN LETTER BY GLOBAL CIVIL SOCIETY FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A NEW UN SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR ON HUMAN RIGHTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
As the 47th session of the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) is taking place from 21 June to 15 July, 2021, the undersigned civil society and Indigenous Peoples organizations call on the UN member States through the HRC to establish at this session a new UN Special Rapporteur on human rights and climate change. Learn More...and give your support Kamloops Indian Residential School - Call for Urgent Action
June 7, 2021 - LeadNow
Our communities are sharing in the collective grief of generations of children, women, men & 2SLGBTQQIA persons who have been stolen, abused and murdered. The bodies of 215 children were discovered buried on the grounds of the Kamloops Indian Residential School, adding to the growing list of 4,100 children previously identified by the TRC’s Missing Children’s Project, and the ongoing genocide against Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA persons. We ask for the Government of Canada, as well as Provincial and Territorial Governments, to take swift and immediate action to support our communities.
SIGN THE PETITION Bill C-15: An Act Respecting the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
June 1, 2021 Thank you again for signing up as a supporter of Bill C-15, An Act Respecting the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples on faithinthedfaithinthedeclaration.ca/eclaration.ca Your support is making a difference. Last week, Bill C-15 was passed by the House of Commons and has now moved on to being reviewed by the Senate. Although this is great news, there is still lots of work to do in order to see it receive Royal Assent. Faith in the Declaration is sending the attached letter to Senator Gold later this week. We are looking for signatures from faith houses and groups to add to the letter so that it has the maximum impact. If your faith house/group is interested in adding its name to the letter, please respond to this email with the name of your faith house/group and the name of the leader (if you have one) to add to the letter. This letter is being sent on Friday, so please respond no later than Thursday, June 3rd. TAKE ACTION Girls' Education around the WorldJune 1, 2021 - Results Canada
Photo - Results Canada
Use your voice on social media to demonstrate the inherent power of girls and how their education is a tremendous engine of development. Read more... TAKE ACTION
#SOSColombia: Stop the crackdownMay 13, 2021 - Amnesty International
Right now, thousands of people are risking everything to join protests across Colombia and hold their government to account for fuelling inequality and violence. Help them, take action
Big brands are driving the plastic pollution crisis
Canada Must Stand Against Brazil’s Illegal Undercutting of the Amazon’s Indigenous Peoples
April 28, 2021 - McGill Policy Association
Canada, now, has a unique opportunity to leverage its status as one of Brazil’s primary four agricultural trade partners to pressure the Bolsonaro government into reducing development licenses in the Amazon. Without dramatic changes in environmental policy, the large and interconnected Amazonian biosphere is at severe risk of tipping from jungle to savannah, destroying one of the world’s most important carbon sinks and jeopardizing global efforts to mitigate the climate crisis. Read more...
You can take ACTION here: We must stop fuelling the flames in the Amazon NO to the Canada-Mercosur free trade deal with Brazil Global Campaign: Stop the Massacre in MyanmarApril 18, 2021 - Ordo Fratrum Minorum | JPIC
Emergency Call to Action Stop the Killing of Innocent Civilians in Myanmar!!! 
This petition is an urgent call for the UN Security Council and its members – especially the US and China – to intervene in the Myanmar crisis.
The petition can be signed as an ORGANIZATION or an INDIVIDUAL (do both!) Learn more - SIGN THE PETITION Supreme Court decision on carbon pricing is both a victory and a call to actionMarch 25, 2021 - Council of Canadians
Today, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that the federal government’s carbon pricing plan is entirely constitutional and that provinces can’t choose to opt out of a federal climate plan.
We need to see cooperation between provincial and federal governments on equitable climate action, but we also need to see a much stronger federal plan to steer that cooperation. One place we can start is the Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act. SIGN THE PETITION The Real Facts About Plastics in CanadaMarch 11, 2021 - Environmental Defence
What are the chances that Dow Chemical lobbied against Canada’s plastic ban? Very high! 
Canadians are sick of seeing plastic waste in our environment, waterways, parks and harming wildlife.
The good news is the federal government is promising to take steps to reduce plastic pollution. These initial steps include listing plastics on the toxic substance list under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) and banning six single-use plastic items. But the companies that profit from pumping plastics into our economy —and the environment—are pulling out all the stops to make sure nothing interferes with their bottom line.... Read more and Take Action Take Action: Letter to Brazilian GovernmentMarch 8, 2021
Catholic investors call on Brazilian government to better protect the Amazon and the rights of its indigenous population
FVC has signed and we suggest that fraternities and Regions consider signing also. The Special Commission on Integral Ecology and Mining for the Brazilian Bishops' Conference (CNBB), the international Catholic network Global Catholic Climate Movement (GCCM) and the German Catholic Church Bank Bank für Kirche und Caritas (BKC) will send a letter to Brazilian government officials with clear demands to protect the Amazon and the indigenous people living there. By supporting this letter as a co-signatory, you can give more weight to these demands and join the first Catholic engagement in this dimension. Please confirm your co-signing by 25 March by filling in the form. Here is the link: https://www.bkc-paderborn.de/nachhaltige-geldanlagen/nachhaltigkeitsfilter/engagement/engagement-brasilien.html#reiter_146475023 #JusticeForBerta: Demand action today
Berta’s family and her organization COPINH have appealed for us to raise our voices with them to demand justice for everyone behind the killing. Messages from Canada carry weight in Honduras. Take Action - Send a message
Unbreathable No More: The EPA and clean air in 2021January 11, 2021
You are invited to join us on January 19, 2021 for a free screening of the short film Unbreathable followed by the webinar, Unbreathable No More: The EPA and Clean Air in 2021.
The right to clean air is an environmental justice issue, affecting communities of color and low-income communities at much higher rates. Air pollution directly contributes to health issues such as asthma, heart ailments, and cancer. Justice calls people of faith to work in solidarity with these communities to create a world where all can thrive. Join this screening and webinar to learn how you can plan to take action in 2021. Five years after Paris Agreement, where is Canada?December 15, 2020 - David Suzuki Foundation
Five years after Paris Agreement, where is Canada? Dear George, Five years ago on this day, countries around the world signed the Paris Agreement, which is aimed at keeping global average temperature from rising more than 2 C, with an aspirational goal, added by Canada, of 1.5 C. It appeared the world was aligned to heed science and chart a new course for climate action. Since then, we’ve seen progress:
Ontario church builds "tiny homes" for the homelessNovember 15, 2020
The local parish of St. Mary’s in Kitchener, Ontario, has completed a project that saw the construction of 24 “tiny homes.” These new houses, each sized 8 ft. by 10 ft., will provide shelter for those in need during the first winter of the world pandemic.
What a great project: for the homeless, for the parish and especially for the youth! Learn more 10 ways to green your parish
November 10, 2020 - GCCM
Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si’ calls on all people and communities to care for our common home by taking action. “The effects of the present imbalance can only be reduced by our decisive action, here and now.” (LS 161)
Parishes throughout the world are in a unique position to lead the way. There are more than 220,000 parishes across the globe. Most have multiple buildings and vehicles that, by using conventional fossil fuels for energy, contribute directly to the ecological crisis and climate emergency. Learn More
Then I remembered he’s still planning to spend billions on the Trans Mountain Pipeline. The project could end up costing taxpayers more than $20 billion. That’s double the total infrastructure investment announced last week! Read more and take Action!
Make the ultra-rich pay their shareOctober 5, 2020 - Greenpeace
While poorer communities get hit the hardest by COVID-19 and climate change, the ultra-rich are getting richer.
Yet, as Canadians face the severe social and economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, the wealth of the ultra-rich is growing and soaring: just in Canada, the top 20 richest billionaires increased their wealth by a total of $37 billion since March. Read More Tell the government to include a wealth tax in the Economic Response Plan The Amazon is on fire -- again!August 30, 2020 - Avaaz
Diego Casaes - Urgent: The Amazon is on fire -- again! And my government is failing to protect it! We've never seen this level of destruction before. But If we push the EU to freeze an imminent trade deal with Brazil, we can force Bolsonaro to save the lungs of our planet. Join us now to safeguard the Amazon, and share with everyone. Sign the Petition
Two transformational ways to start the Season of Creation
August 30, 2020 - GCCM
Time is running out for the Fed to keep their promise on plasticsYour fast foods may contain toxins!
August 20, 2020 - environmental defense
Plastics continue to pile up around us, putting our environment and health at risk. Last year, Prime Minister Trudeau committed to banning certain single-use plastics as early as 2021. And with less than five months left in the year, the clock is ticking for the federal government to follow through on its promise. There’s no time to waste. Tell the government to take action on plastics now. Sign the petition and let's get rid of plastics.
Petition to the House of Commons - for Canadian OmbudsmanJuly 20, 2020 - Development and Peace
Not another LNG Project
July 2, 2020 - STAND.earth
GCCM - Stop the EACOP Oil PipelineJune 22, 2020 - GCCM
Attention Ontario OFS - Ford's latest attack on the environment
At the beginning of April 2020, the Ford government passed a regulation that effectively suspended public consultation under Ontario’s Environmental Bill of Rights (EBR). Under this regulation, the government will not have to notify Ontarians or give them the opportunity to weigh in on decisions that may have a significant effect on the environment... Read more and take action
© Phil Moore
You’ve probably heard that Canada has committed more than a billion dollars to develop COVID-19 vaccines, medicines, and diagnostic tests that we all need. What you’ve not heard is whether a successful Canadian vaccine candidate will be accessible or affordable to those who need it most.
That’s because right now, most public funding for medical research and development (R&D) comes with no strings attached – meaning that even when public funds are used to discover or develop lifesaving medicines or vaccines, there are no requirements to make them affordable for people who need them, including Canadians. In fact, these publicly funded vaccines, medicines and health technologies are often sold to private companies, who get to decide who receives access to them — and at what price. This is unacceptable. Learn More and sign the petition
What is the provincial energy efficiency scorecard?
A national low-carbon transition requires a tripling of energy efficiency from current levels. Energy savings will be largely driven by the provinces and territories, because they have jurisdiction over the most relevant policy areas, such as public utility regulation and building energy codes.
Canada’s first Provincial Energy Efficiency Policy Scorecard benchmarks progress, promotes healthy competition, and shares best practices. The scorecard assesses efficiency policies and performance in energy efficiency programs, enabling measures, buildings, transportation and industry. Learn more. Our leaders need to do better, much better. Tell your representatives how you feel. Ask for more action. DOWNLOAD THE SCORECARD
Join us:
In his statement, Pope Francis says, “Young people remind us that the Earth is not a good to be wasted, but a legacy to be transmitted . . . we owe them real answers, not empty words; facts, not illusions.” This Season of Creation, we’re standing together in the hope this world sorely needs. Pledge to go zero waste and give up single-use plastics
August 27, 2019 - David Suzuki Foundation
Signify your commitment to reducing waste and supporting the oceans by signing our zero waste pledge. In Canada, nearly 90 percent of plastics end up in landfills, incinerators, lakes, parks and oceans. We can do better! Let’s reduce over consumption of plastic and improve management of recyclable residues. A world without single-use plastic is possible. Sign the zero waste pledge 
I agree to adopt one or more of the proposed actions:
You can go even deeper with your commitment to support a federal ban on single-use plastics by contacting the federal Minister of Environment and Climate Change: 819-938-3813, ec.ministre-minister.ec@canada.ca. And, our Queen of Green can also help you on your journey to sustainability with tips and resources, including her five ways to recycle less. Encourage family and friends to do the same! Share the pledge with your network. URGENT: Tell Canada what matters to you!
In early June, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced an ambitious commitment to ban certain single-use plastics as early as 2021. This is great news! But with the federal election only a few months away, we need all party leaders to make a commitment to reduce plastic pollution, ban single-use plastics, and hold producers responsible for the plastic waste they create. TAKE ACTION
THIS ELECTION, WHO WE VOTE FOR MATTERS MORE THAN EVER. NOT JUST FOR OUR COUNTRY, BUT FOR OUR CHILDREN'S FUTURE AND THE HEALTH OF OUR PLANET.
JUly 19, 2019 - Environmental Defence Canada
I DEMAND THAT ANY GOVERNMENT THAT REPRESENTS ME MUST:
The power of micro loans - an option for taking actionJuly 8, 2019 - submitted by Jewel Jasmins, ofs
Jewel Jasmins wrote, "At our last OFS General meeting… one of our candidates in formation shared with us her response to our JPIC Reflection, on alleviating poverty. She shared with us that both her and her husband supported this Kiva for years, putting in $20.00 to help a poor person have access to some money to develop a small business in a poor country. The video clip explains how this works. They would always have their $20.00 returned at a later date, and would make it available again to use for this noble cause, or use this contribution as a gift to someone they know, so that this would be in their name."
Commentary: The editors at Franciscan Voice Canada did some checking into this form of helping people, but we found there can be some pros and cons to micro-finances. We recommend you do your own checking to ensure the agency your are dealing with is a reputable one. KIVA seems to have a good reputation - FVC Margaret & Andrew engaging with the youth at climate strikeMay 26, 2019
Margaret Ross ofs, from Coquitlam, B.C. and Andrew Conradi ofs, from Victoria, B.C. are seen here engaging with the youth at climate strike in front of Calgary Municipal Hall on May 24, 2019. This is taking action! The youth who are concerned and taking action are greatly encouraged when we, the older generation, get out there and support them. We thank them both for their initiative!
Canada needs an Ombudsperson with teeth
Pope Thanks and Encourages Greta Thunberg in Her Commitment to Defend the EnvironmentApril 18, 2019 -- Zenith
Bayer/Monsanto: Drop your appeal against Dewayne Johnson
December 2, 2018 - SumOfUs
FILE – In this Aug. 10, 2018 file photo, Dewayne Johnson reacts after hearing the verdict in his case against Monsanto at the Superior Court of California in San Francisco. (Josh Edelson/Pool Photo via AP, File)
Join the wave of resistance against oil pipelinesJuly 9, 2018 - Greenpeace
Aerial shot of the enormous tailings ponds at the Syncrude mine in the Canadian tar sands. Canada’s tar sands are an oil reserve the size of England. Extracting the crude oil called bitumen from underneath the unspoiled wilderness requires a massive industrialized effort with far-reaching impacts on the land, air, water and climate. Greenpeace is calling on oil companies and the government to stop the tar sands, for the sake of the people and the planet. Photo –William Akehurst
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Read, judge and act...FVC alerts its readers to causes which come to our attention via our readership. We are free to read, judge and act according to our individual beliefs in support of the Gospel and our Franciscan values.
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