Advocacy

Each year, when my students and I travel to Cuernavaca, Mexico to visit with local activists, community builders, human rights workers, and anti-poverty advocates, we meet with a lifelong justice and peace practitioner named Juan Francisco.  After discussing his lifelong work for equality and justice, our students have the chance to ask him questions.  Juan Francisco’s deep experience in neighbourhood renewal, anti-violence campaigns, community art projects, gender justice initiatives, and advocating for mothers of the ‘disappeared’ in Mexico means that our students always have lo

“The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it”, says the NRSV in Psalm 24:1. God has called human beings to take care of that precious gift. We need to work hard to protect the earth from threats to its well-being.

Dubai, a city synonymous with opulence, ambition, and grandeur, played host to the crucial COP28 summit. As I walked through the Expo Center, memories of a bygone era in 2005 flooded my mind. I remember the moments of excitement and anticipation that randomly happened during my busy work days leading up to my first trip to Dubai that year to attend a film festival for work. The thought of the hotel—which had canals for roadways, and gondolas that drifted you from your villa to the world-class spas, or elegant shops and restaurants—elicited sighs.

I was at the United Nations conference on climate change (called “COP” for Conference of Parties) in Dubai of the United Arab Emirates in December. I watched a David versus Goliath battle. The fossil fuel industry (processors of oil, gas and coal) was the Goliath and had 2,400 lobbyists at the meeting.

I had a friend in my twenties that had a knack for getting himself arrested. As a rule-follower, child of immigrants and an immigrant, getting arrested is something I try to avoid. The only run-ins I had with the law was getting speeding tickets; and that was painful enough. For him, he wore that fact with pride. 

Dear Do Justice readers and co-labourers in the sacred call of justice, peace and reconciliation.

Some of you may have heard that I’ll be stepping away from employment with the CRC at the end of summer after more than 20 years of beautiful and challenging service with justice ministries.  This note is a remembrance of these years with a helping of gratitude, and a reflection or two.