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Faith & Public Life

Faith commitments – each person’s deepest commitments, whether formally religious in nature or not – shape how each person interacts with our neighbours, our institutions, and our environment. CPJ is convinced that Canada needs to engage in serious reflection on core values and faith perspectives and their implications for our public life together – the common good. Without such a debate, the public sphere will continue to be a place for individuals or groups to advance only their own particular interests rather than come to meaningful consensus on how to address important public issues.

One of the key components of a person’s and a community’s identity is the deepest convictions they hold which shape their private, but also their public life. Faith shapes the most basic questions of identity: Who am I? How did I get here? What is wrong in the world? How can it be fixed? The faith perspectives of Canadians, whether Aboriginal, Muslim, Jew, Christian, Hindu, Sikh or Humanist, shape how they participate as citizens in building and shaping a cohesive and inclusive Canadian society.

Some have argued that people must deny their religion, ethnicity, and culture to participate fully in Canadian life. Some have a deep distrust of religion and a tendency to regard public life as distinctly secular – having no room for faith perspectives. CPJ believes that differing faith convictions should be acknowledged as key elements of how individuals and communities can best contribute to the common good. Learning how to do that in a multi-cultural and multi-faith society is crucial to the common good.

50th Anniversary Reflector: Harry Kits

Harry is the first of 12 reflectors in CPJ's 50th anniversary year. Some satisfying legacies of his time as Executive Director were moving the office to Ottawa and creating year-long public justice internships.
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Celebrating 2012: A Year of Inspired Leadership

We opened 2012 celebrating the life and passion of CPJ’s co-founder Gerald Vandezande. A member of the Order of Canada and a tireless Christian activist throughout his life, Gerald passed away in July 2011. Yet in a two-day event in February, and in our pursuit of public justice throughout 2012, we continued to look to Gerald’s example for inspiration.

Public justice on the political agenda

Poverty elimination continues to be a critical policy goal for Citizens for Public Justice. This work was carried on through our leadership of Dignity for All: the campaign for a poverty-free Canada, and our in-depth research and analysis of poverty in Canada. Several events served to keep poverty on the agenda, including: Read more »

Faithfully living God's call: a look back at 2011

Parliament HillFor nearly 50 years now, CPJ has been bearing witness to God's call for love, justice and stewardship in the Canadian public sphere. Together, we have diligently worked for public justice and the common good. In this feature, we look back and celebrate what we accomplished in 2011. Read more »

Gerald: Accomplishments

Gerald being invested as Member of the Order of Canada by Governor General Adrienne ClarksonIf, as Martin Luther King Jr. wrote, the ultimate measure of a man is where he stands at times of challenge and controversy, Gerald Vandezande was truly an exceptional man. Gerry, as he liked to be known, never backed down from a challenge when it came to the causes he believed in. During his career as a public policy analyst and social justice advocate, Gerry took to his public justice pulpit to speak on a number of different issues affecting Canadian society. These issues included everything from aboriginal rights, economic development and educational equality to poverty and refugee rights. Read more »

Gerald Vandezande - public justice advocate

Gerald shares his view of public justice with Citizens for Public Justice. Read more »

Bob Goudzwaard: Living Faithfully in a Rapidly Changing World

Where is our world heading? What is a Christian response to this direction? Is hope possible in these seemingly dark times?

These are all questions that Bob Goudzwaard, a long-time friend of CPJ explored on Thursday, May 12 following CPJ’s Annual General Meeting in Toronto. We give you the highlights of his talk and those of the response by Toronto City Councillor Joe Mihevc. Read more »

Election 2011: The Way Forward

Heading into Election 2011, nobody could have predicted the vastly different political landscape that Canadians would wake to on Tuesday morning. Some were jubilant and others deflated. There was the historic rise of the NDP and the election of the first ever Green MP, the demise of the Liberal Party, and of course, Stephen Harper’s previously elusive majority government.

While it will be some time before we know for certain how this new government will play out, it is clear that things have changed and we are now working within a new context. However, one important factor has not changed: CPJ’s commitment to offer our faithful response to God’s call for love, justice and stewardship. Read more »

A Time for Inspired Leadership and Action

Interfaith Leaders and representatives of their respective faith communities gathered in Ottawa this week for the “Interfaith Forum on Faith and Poverty” which CPJ helped to organize. The leaders of various Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Baha’i and Jewish traditions showed a tremendous sense of timing. Their meeting took place on Parliament Hill immediately on the heels of the disheartening government response to the Parliamentary Committee report, Federal Poverty Reduction Plan (see CPJ’s reaction) and just weeks before a likely federal election call. Read more »

Muted Voices? Public Justice and the Canadian Churches

Cross and the morning lightHasn’t the silence been deafening? What have you heard your church saying about the tremendous recession that has left 1.5 million Canadians unemployed?

There is a troubling trend in Canada. When asked about social justice work, many mainline churches in Canada, even up to two-thirds in some circumstances, report decreases in resources, staff, budgets and overall effectiveness for such programs. Has the church abandoned its work on social justice, rooted in faith and scriptural teaching? Is there any way to revitalize such work? Read more »

The commission of hope

Three crosses and the LightHope came into this broken world, with a message of love and justice, when Jesus Christ was born at Christmas, but it did not end there. Hope remained and became even more powerful through Christ’s death and resurrection at Easter. Conquering sin, death and injustice, Jesus’ resurrection represents new birth, redemption of creation, and the coming of the Kingdom of God. With this renewed sense of hope at Easter comes a renewed call to promote love and justice, bringing hope into our churches, communities and nations. Read more »

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