Ola! February 2011

Undeterred by winter winds and low temperatures, CPJ has spent a busy February meeting with MPs and Senators, planning and attending events, and looking ahead to the future. Read on for more details and to hear how you can help us out and maybe get more involved!

CPJ Out and About

Bedtime Stories for Politicians?

CPJ was pleased to help organize and attend the January 26th Ottawa release of Persistent Poverty: voices from the margins, the result of the Interfaith Social Assistance Reform Coalition’s 2010 social audit. The book, which was distributed to every Member of Parliament, has been lauded as essential bedtime reading for every politician: let’s hope they listen!

For more on Persistent Poverty see the latest Catalyst.

CPJ Welcomes Parliamentarians Back to Ottawa!

The new session of Parliament has begun, and CPJ has taken full advantage of having the nation’s political representatives back in Ottawa. On January 20, CPJ’s Karri Munn-Venn sent letters to Conservative, Liberal, and NDP Members of Parliament and Senators requesting urgent action on the November 2010 Human Resources Committee (HUMA) Report, “Federal Poverty Reduction Plan: Working in Partnership Towards Reducing Poverty in Canada.” Since then, we, along with Dignity for All campaign partners Canada Without Poverty and Make Poverty History, have had several key meetings.

We received a warm welcome by Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff on February 2. Joined by Liberal MP Mike Savage (Dartmouth - Cole Harbour), we were encouraged by Mr. Ignatieff’s strong statements on the importance of equality of opportunity and maintaining the fiscal capacity of the federal government, and, in particular, his openness to action on poverty in Canada. This meeting, and subsequent ones with Liberal MPs Carolyn Bennett (St. Paul’s) and Glen Pearson (London North Centre) made it clear that CPJ’s work on poverty is having an impact on the Hill.

Liberal Senator Art Eggleton (co-author of the 2009 Senate Report “In from the Margins: A Call to Action on Poverty, Housing and Homelessness”) in turn, offered his ideas on how the Dignity for All campaign could further develop a public support by engaging provincial premiers, business interests, and the media.

As part of our engagement with Make Poverty History, we met with Bloc Québécois MPs Yves Lessard (Chambly-Borduas) and Johanne Deschamps (Laurentides-Labelle), who commended us for our contribution to the increasing parliamentary awareness of poverty in Canada. We were offered assurances that key recommendations from the HUMA report – namely, Employment Insurance reform and affordable housing – would be taken up by the Bloc in the next federal election.

Finally, while we were unable to secure a meeting with Human Resources Minister Diane Finley (her schedule made it impossible), we did speak with Allen Sutherland, Assistant Deputy Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development Canada and Doug Murphy, Director of the Income Secuirty Policy Division. We engaged in a significant exchange of ideas with these senior civil servants.

“Evening with Tony Martin”

CPJ’s Jenny Prosser spoke about the Dignity for All campaign to approximately 100 participants who braved the snow on February 9th to attend Eradicating Poverty in Canada: An evening with Tony Martin, MP. This informal evening did a lot to raise awareness about Dignity for All and created a lot of energy around several of our current campaigns.

Faith in Action: Anglican and Lutheran Churches in Canada call for Poverty Reduction Strategy

CPJ would like to congratulate and thank the Anglican Church of Canada and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada for their excellent letter to Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development Diane Finley in support of the recent HUMA Report and Dignity for All: the campaign for a poverty-free Canada. The churches called for federal action on poverty and the creation of a national poverty reduction strategy.

Raise your voice with theirs: together we can eliminate poverty in Canada!

For more on the letter from the Anglican and Lutheran Churches in Canada: www.anglicanjournal.com

Collaboration to Come: Joe goes to Toronto

On February 1, CPJ’s Joe Gunn addressed the Anglican Diocese of Toronto’s Social Justice & Advocacy Committee. The conversation focused on increased possibilities for collaboration around poverty reduction work, and how they would like to use materials such as CPJ’s upcoming election bulletin, the worship resource, and action suggestions from the Dignity for All campaign.

CPJ looks forward to the collaboration to come!

Getting Active in 2011

Please use our new Air Miles Reward number. Every donated Air Mile goes to expanding our social justice efforts such as the Dignity for All campaign, allocating more of your financial gifts directly to eradicating poverty and expanding our efforts in ecological justice and the environment. Please use this number the next time you go shopping or call CPJ for your own card today.

Download and print the card as an image file or a Word document

Grassroots Action: Your turn to help end poverty in Canada!

The Dignity for All team is looking for people to collect signatures for our ongoing pan-Canadian petition campaign in support of Bill C-545, An Act to Eliminate Poverty in Canada. Please help distribute and collect petition forms and present them to your Member of Parliament, who (with a minimum of 25 signatures) will then present them to the House of Commons. The combined presentation of these many petitions will send a strong message to our elected officials: Canadians care about poverty and want to see action!

• Take action on Bill C-545! Download the petition form.
• For more information on the campaign or if you have any questions, please contact Karri or call 1-800-667-8046, ext. 222.

Support the report!

March 17 is the deadline for the official Government of Canada response to the HUMA report, “Federal Poverty Reduction Plan” calling for a federal poverty elimination strategy.

If you have not yet done so, please write to Hon. Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development (copy your MP) before March 10, 2011. Ask her to adopt the main recommendations of the HUMA Committee report and to inform you of her response.

For more information, including a sample letter and electronic submission form visit www.dignityforall.ca.

For additional analysis, see "You don't always get what you want… But then sometimes, you do" and CPJ's Winter 2010 edition of Catalyst.

CPJ opportunity: Policy Intern position

For the last several years, CPJ has been able to offer a keen university graduate the chance to work for a year as a Policy Intern with our seasoned team of researchers and advocates. Located a half-dozen blocks from Parliament Hill, CPJ provides a unique, hands-on opportunity to experience work in the voluntary sector and engage with federal decision-makers. Visit the CPJ website for application details. This position commences in September 2011. Applications are due by 5 pm March 18, 2011.

Would you like to serve on CPJ’s Board?

CPJ has one vacancy on the Board in 2011, and we are looking for a representative of Manitoba, Saskatchewan or Nunavut. 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.

Upcoming Events

“Go West, Young man”

And so he will. CPJ’s Darryl Exelby will be travelling to BC’s Lower Mainland and then on to Calgary to take part in two Christian Reformed Regional meetings and will be visiting Trinity Western University and Columbia Bible College in the Fraser Valley. He is excited to be able to visit some of our faithful supporters and to discuss with them the exciting programs and initiatives that we will be embarking on in 2011.

Nearly 1/3 of our supporters live in the Vancouver/Abbotsford and Calgary areas and we are excited to be able to visit with our CPJ family.

CPJ Gets Organizing:

1) Protecting What We Love: Deepening our Compassion and Faith as God’s Earth-Keepers

2) Translating our Faith into Action: Making a Difference for the Environment

"We know enough of our own history by now to be aware that people exploit what they have merely concluded to be of value, but they defend what they love." Wendell Berry

On February 24, 2011 those in the Ottawa area who are interested in exploring more deeply this idea and its potential impacts on action on climate change are invited to join CPJ, Rev Dr Mishka Lysack and Kathryn Guindon for an evening workshop. The workshop will take place in the Parish Hall at St. John the Evangelist Anglican Church in Ottawa from 7-9 pm and has a suggested donation of $10.

On February 26, 2011 from 9 am to 12 noon at Centretown United Church in Ottawa you are invited to join CPJ for this half-day retreat exploring how faith communities can take effective action on environmental issues.

For more information on either of these events, or to register: http://ucalgary.ca/oikos/Retreat/Ottawa

Domestic Poverty and Canadian Faith Communities

Faith leaders from the Canadian Council of Churches, the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada, and the Interfaith Partnership (which includes non-Christian faith communities) are meeting in the nation’s capital in early March to encourage Members of Parliament to address issues of poverty at home and abroad. CPJ has been asked to help facilitate these encounters, and through our leadership role in the Dignity for All campaign, will be organizing a public meeting on Monday, March 7th at 7:30 pm at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, 82 Kent St. (at Wellington, directly in front of the Supreme Court.)

Come and hear faith leaders and politicians speak to what we should all be doing to eradicate poverty in this wealthy country we call home.

Stay tuned for more details!

Thank you!

The Sustainable Development Technology Canada Foundation, (SDTC) deserves a major shout out for their donation of used computer equipment (like new to us here at CPJ!). Their generous donation included several computers and an emergency power source. SDTC has a mandate to support companies that are developing clean technologies for Canada. They are making a significant contribution in providing new employment and helping to mitigate climate change as well as working on issues of cleaner air and water.

To CEO Vicky Sharp and her whole team, our sincere thanks.

Web Features

In the last month CPJ has both reflected on what is to come in 2011, but also taken a step back in time to look at an old issue that has reappeared. Enjoy!

2011: Looking Forward with Anticipation
Earlier in January, we reflected on the year gone by. Major moments in the life of Citizens for Public Justice, our successes and advances, and the challenges that we face as a society, and as a Christian community. Looking forward we see many opportunities for deepened relationships, stronger policy perspectives, and additional advances in the pursuit of public justice. Read on to learn more...

Mackenzie Valley Gas Pipeline Redux
The Mackenzie Valley Gas Pipeline is not a new issue in Canada. Originally proposed in the 1970s, this project involves constructing a 1200 km natural gas pipeline system along the Mackenzie Valley in the Northwest Territories. Thirty years ago, CPJ was part of the committed effort by civil society and faith-based groups that worked in solidarity with Aboriginal groups that eventually defeated of the MGP. Now, the construction of the MGP has been brought forward again. Read more…

Reflection

O God, who would fold both heaven and earth in a single peace:
Let the design of your great love
lighten upon the waste of our wraths and sorrows:
and give peace to your Church,
peace among nations,
peace in our dwellings,
and peace in our hearts:
through your Son our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

* Author unknown

From all of us here at CPJ, Jenny Prosser. Our best wishes go with you for the next month: see you in March!