Education

As part of DARC (Decolonization and Anti-racism Collective, the new name for the Canadian Advisory Committee on Antiracism), I was asked to talk with BIPoC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour) people to hear their honest experiences with the CRCNA. I was honoured to talk with a brilliant woman who is a Doctor in Education and a Professor at the University of Alberta.

Lead Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) Commissioner Murray Sinclair has the wonderful ability to speak important truths in great one liners.  Two of those one-liners have stuck with me for  the 7 years since the release of the final report of the TRC:  education got us into this mess and education will get us out and reconciliation is a generational project.  Both of these short-zingers have inspired our long-term work in the CRC in Canada to advocate for the implementation of TRC Calls to Action 7-10 that focus on justice and equity in First Nation K-12 education.

By calculations I recently heard from a sermon at church, Noah spent about 378 days on the ark. In Canada Corrections terms, any sentence two years or greater is a federal sentence to be served in a federal prison, but anything less than two years can be served in a provincial prison. No matter the place or amount of time, I have been told by many guys that the experience is a lonely soul-searching time.

On August 21, 2022 the CRC celebrates its annual opportunity to reflect on justice and what it means for our lives. Designated by Synod 2017, this date will mark a fifth annual, denomination-wide, Day of Justice and encourages church members to experience unity as a denomination as we consider the meaning of Biblical justice, lament injustices in our world, and commit to the transforming work of standing alongside people whom society oppresses and pushes to the margins.

“Joy is not made to be a crumb”.  So ends Mary Oliver’s short poem ‘Don’t Hesitate’.  Oliver’s poem is a playful but fierce insistence that joy is integral to a full life – even in the face of despair, pain, and human suffering.  But implied in Oliver’s poem is the acknowledgement that joy can be hard; we do hesitate to live joyfully in the face of the world’s pain and so need reminding. 

Writer, teacher, and mother Lisa Van Engen joins us for this conversation on engaging kids in seeking justice. Lisa and Chris talk about how and when to talk with kids about justice, including the reality that many who are impacted don’t have the privilege of deciding ‘when.’ Lisa also shares stories about questions around racism and injustice that her students and children have raised, how they’ve talked together about issues that impact their neighbors and friends, and what kids can do to advocate.

True confession: I lack rhythm. Somewhere between what my ears hear and how my hands clap, my feet tap, and the rest of my body moves, the beat gets distorted. It’s like watching a video with delayed, out-of-sync audio. Nothing lines up the way it’s supposed to. 

Enjoy this look back at the top Do Justice articles written in 2020 (ranked by top pageviews).  It was a big year for us to be reading and praying about justice and you’ll see themes of this year in all of our top articles.  It is our hope and prayer that these articles blessed you and moved you to new action.

Yes, many of us are still stuck at home. Most states have received government mandates regarding COVID19 restrictions including prohibitions of indoor gatherings, limited outside visits, closed bars and restaurants with limited takeaway opportunities, and other limitations on worship, sports, and community functions. Yet as we honor current recommendations to socially distance, there remain plenty of opportunities to engage constructively in our communities and to advocate for justice and equality in our own back yards! 

How have you been coping with the changes brought about by COVID? As someone with a penchant for melancholy I knew that I was going to have to do something to keep from travelling down a negative spiral and stay positive and healthy. Early on I came across a facebook post with 6 questions to ask yourself in quarantine.