Current Ola!

Welcome to the first 2012 edition of Ola!, the e-newsletter of Citizens for Public Justice. The new year has begun and with it a renewed desire to seek public justice in our nation. Exciting happenings are on the horizon, keeping the CPJ office busy planning, coordinating and meeting with our partners. Read on to learn about important upcoming events and the latest CPJ news.

Dignity for All Discussion on Poverty

CPJ and the Dignity for All campaign for a poverty-free Canada’s “What’s Next: How Do We Address Poverty in Canada?” event in Ottawa, originally planned for December 5, 2011, has been re-scheduled to February 14, 2012. With an aim to renew national conversation on poverty issues, the event will feature a panel discussion and Q&A with MPs, people with lived experience of poverty, and social policy & advocacy groups.

Due to Parliament Hill security requirements, please RSVP by no later than February 8, 2012 to Simon at 613-232-0275 x222 or simon@cpj.ca.

You can also encourage your MP to attend this event by calling their constituency office or sending them a brief email explaining why you think poverty demands their attention!

Memorial Event for CPJ Co-Founder, Gerald Vandezande

In honour of his memory and to celebrate his life’s work, CPJ, together with our co-organizers, has put together a special event called Hungering for a New Politics: The Life’s Work of Gerald Vandezande. This memorial event over two days will take place on February 17-18 in Toronto.

Event Overview:

• Memorial Evening with Family and Friends
  • View video, hear speakers, visit with Gerald’s family and celebrate his many contributions to public justice and community
  • Friday evening February 17, 2012: 7 p.m. at First Christian Reformed Church of Toronto 67 Taunton Rd., Toronto (one block east of Mount Pleasant Rd., just south of Eglinton Avenue East)
• Saturday Morning Workshops
  • Hear speakers and participate in workshops on the issues Gerald cared about: including Housing, Family and Child Poverty, Government interaction, Becoming Neighbours, Environment and Christian Social Ethics.  
  • Saturday morning, February 18, 2012; 9 a.m. – 12 noon at Wycliffe College, Leonard Hall, 5 Hoskin Ave., University of Toronto

CPJ on the Hill

On January 11 part of the CPJ team met with Liberal Defence Critic, MP John McKay. The meeting was an opportunity to discuss the upcoming memorial event for Gerald Vandezande who was good friends with Mr. McKay. Mr. McKay will be sharing his thoughts and reflections on Gerald’s life at the event in February.

Dignity for All Asks Premiers to Strengthen Canada Social Transfer

The Dignity for All campaign recently sent a letter, co-signed by CPJ Executive Director Joe Gunn, to the members of Council of the Federation in advance of their January 16-17 meetings in Victoria. Discussions around the upcoming renewal of both the Canada Health Transfer (CHT) and Canada Social Transfer (CST) are underway. The letter highlights the important role social programs play in contributing to good health and asks the provincial/territorial premiers to work, along with the federal government, towards establishing a coordinated federal/provincial plan for the equitable delivery of social services across Canada. Read the letter.

Welcome to Katherine

CPJ is pleased to welcome Katherine Scott as a research associate. Katherine has worked in community development and research over the past 20 years, serving as the Head of Research at the Vanier Institute of the Family and the Canadian Council on Social Development. She holds degrees in political science and environmental studies from Queen's University and York University. Katherine will be working with CPJ’s policy team to develop a follow-up report on CPJ’s “Bearing the Brunt” publication. We are excited to have her share her talents with us this season.

Welcome, Katherine!

Would you like to serve on CPJ’s Board?

CPJ has a vacancy on the Board in 2012, and we are especially looking for a representative of Quebec or Ontario. The Board usually meets twice a year, and holds teleconferences or committee meetings almost every month.

Nominees need to:

• be a CPJ member;
• be a Christian;
• affirm that they agree with the document entitled, “Public Justice for citizens, governments, and CPJ”; and
• be willing and able to serve well and enthusiastically as a Board Member.

The responsibilities of a Board Member are to:

• oversee the development and implementation of policy;
• approve program areas, new staff positions and hiring criteria;
• select and evaluate the Executive Director;
• approve the annual budget and any major expenditures that may not be included in the annual budget;
• support and participate in fundraising activities, including the annual telethon;
• participate in membership recruitment activities;
• participate in semi-annual two-day meetings and conference calls or email discussions between meetings;
• participate in Board Committees by conference call or email discussions; and,
• be a public face of CPJ in your geographic area, and help organize events in your area.

Within these criteria, the Board will endeavour to add diversity to their membership with respect to location, gender, race, denomination, age, employment, skills, and academic background.

If interested in serving, please contact Joe Gunn.

ICS Conference on Social Justice and Human Rights

CPJ is part of a panel discussion at an important conference being planned by the Institute for Christian Studies in Toronto. The conference is entitled Social Justice and Human Rights, and takes place from April 27-28. Dr. Nicholas Wolterstorff will be the keynote speaker, and the event will feature many other excellent panels and workshops. Register online, or plan to attend the public lecture on justice and love for a lesser fee. See details

Thank You to CPJ Supporters

Dear Friends,

Thank you very much for your donations in 2011.

Through your faithful support in 2011, CPJ has been able to maintain a stable foundation throughout the year. We thank you for your continued support and participation in efforts to seek public justice in Canada.

The blessing that your support brings to CPJ helps ensure that the voice of public justice – the political dimension of loving our neighbour – is heard in Ottawa. Without you this important work would not be possible and Canada would be a country of greater spiritual and material poverty.

From CPJ Board and staff, we thank you for your faithful support that makes the work of CPJ possible.

Thank you!

Sincerely,
Rene Joergensen
Development Officer

Canadians for Tax Fairness Summit

Canadians for Tax Fairness is hosting a conference in Ottawa on tax fairness, social needs and public services. The conference is intended to foster support for progressive taxation and dialogue on related issues such as income disparities and underfunding of important public services. It also represents an opportunity to share and learn from experiences of campaigns in other countries. The summit will feature academic experts, elected officials, NGO leaders, and labour leaders among others, and will take place March 29-30. For more information, please contact dennis.howlett@taxfairness.ca.

CPJ presents free Lenten Bible study: Living Justice and the Psalms

Is your church interested in how a biblical understanding of poverty and justice issues in Canada can inform efforts for change? Do you wonder what the Psalms have to say about emotional, spiritual, community, or material poverty?

Just in time for Lent and Easter, Citizens for Public Justice (CPJ) has released Living Justice and the Psalms, a free 6-week online Bible study based on the Psalms and CPJ’s ecumenical prayer and action guide, Living Justice: A Gospel Response to Poverty.

Designed for churches or individuals, Living Justice and the Psalms, can be used for reflections, a Bible study, small groups, or sermons in preparation for Easter. Each study consists of six main parts: (i) an introduction and opening prayer; (ii) a Bible reading from the Psalms; (iii) a brief reflection; (iv) a devotional reading from Living Justice; (v) discussion questions and suggested activities; and (vi) a closing prayer. Highly engaging, each study encourages reflection, discussion, and action.

More information, including a study overview, facilitator’s guide, and preview of the first study is available on our Living Justice and the Psalms webpage.

Participants will require a copy of the companion resource, Living Justice: A Gospel Response to Poverty (individual and bulk pricing available).

Web Features

Gerald Vandezande: How Did His Life's Work Inspire Us?
As a co-founder of Citizens for Public Justice, a member of the Order of Canada and a tireless Christian activist throughout his life, Gerald Vandezande’s life serves as an example of what it means to live out one’s faith.  Befriending politicians of all political persuasions and advocating for the marginalized, Gerald contributed to constructive dialogue on and action toward the common good. Read more…

Faithfully living God's call: a look back at 2011
“Biblical faith,” wrote CPJ’s co-founder Gerald Vandezande, “requires us to stand for justice, not just us”. “We are called to be public evidence in God’s good creation of an alternative way of life rooted in human dignity, community, legal equality, equity, justice and solidarity". For nearly 50 years now, CPJ has been faithfully promoting this alternative value-framework in Canadian public policy. Together, we have diligently worked for justice and the common good. 2011 was no different. Read more…

Part III – Climate Change and Poverty
Poverty and climate change are two of the most pressing issues for Inuit in Canada's North. Our final segment in our series on Canada’s North reflects on the need to consider both issues in addressing challenges in this region. Housing and food security are key examples, with global warming exacerbating the costs of both in the region. Solutions must be found. However, solutions will only be effective if they are sought in cooperation with the Inuit and in recognition of the integrated nature of poverty and climate change in the North. Read more…

The Nativity, “Rogue Refugees” and Canada
In 2011, Citizenship and Immigration Canada spent a great deal of energy drawing attention to illegal migrants who abuse the immigration system. While it’s important to maintain the integrity of our immigration system, constantly stressing an association between migrants and criminality can contribute to a less compassionate, less hospitable culture with grave consequences for vulnerable newcomers – particularly refugees.  The post-Christmas season serves as a good time to reflect on our need to remain a compassionate nation, remembering that God too was once a refugee. Read more…

Status Quo Budget Advice
The Finance Committee’s 2012 budget recommendations are in and the message is clear: cut taxes and pursue economic growth at all costs. The problem is that low taxes do not necessarily lead to more jobs and increased investment. And even if they did, economic growth doesn’t benefit everyone. It is the wealthy that disproportionately gain from tax cuts while those at the bottom of the economic ladder suffer from lower investment in health and social programs. Is that what Canadians really want and need? Read more…

The Deal in Durban
The Durban Conference on climate change ended in a most Canadian fashion – sudden death overtime. Unfortunately for us all, the environment lost in the shootout. The European Union and some countries of the Global South pushed to continue Kyoto beyond its scheduled expiry in 2012 but this marked merely “an agreement to work towards an agreement.” Environmental groups were deeply ashamed of Canada’s role in thwarting cooperation on the issue. However, youth engagement at the conference as well as the unprecedented advocacy by faith organizations represented sparks of hope for environmental justice. Read more…

A Discourse of Disrespect Lessens Us All
Engaging in positive public discourse demands thoughtful application. During the week of climate negotiations at the UN conference in Durban, the discourse was soured. When South African dignitaries criticized Canada for their ongoing development of the Athabasca oil sands, CBC TV News responded with a feature that included virulent comments directed toward the dignitaries, including Archbishop Desmond Tutu.  For public justice to become a reality, avenues for political dialogue must remain open and respectful. Read more…

A Blessing for the New Year

May the Lord of wisdom
guide
your every
action;
May the Lord of glory
keep your worship
true;
May the Lord of justice
fire
you with his
passion;
May the Lord of mercy
grace
his world
through
you.

“Keep Your Worship True” by Mike Hollow, England. 600 Blessings and Prayers from around the world, compiled by Geoffrey Duncan, Twenty-Third Publications, Mystic Ct: 2001.

For all at CPJ, Melodi Alopaeus. May 2012 be a blessed year for you and your loved ones.