Advocacy

September 6th is National Read a Book Day! With the upcoming Canadian election in mind, the Centre for Public Dialogue has compiled this great list of books for you to read on Sept 6th, or any other day this fall. These titles have been read and enjoyed by our staff and board members as they endeavor to speak hope to elected officials, and to engage our families, neighbourhoods, and church communities in doing justice. 

I’ve been procrastinating on writing this blog, hoping that some inspiration would hit me and I would punch out a message that would lift you up and fuel your desire to care for God’s world and its’ people. Usually it comes. 

Hope is the newest member of the Office of Social Justice team. She joins our team this week as the Justice Mobilizing and Advocacy Fellow, a one year position with our office. Hope comes to us with a background in Political Science after attending Gordon College in Massachusetts. Most recently Hope worked as an English teacher in Jordan.  

We are thrilled to welcome Hope to the team!

The state of Maine Legislature and its governor, Janet Mills, signed a new law on June 13, 2019 that protects its citizens from two groups of ubiquitous chemicals that threaten human health: phthalates and PFAS.

An anti-alcohol law was passed in 2017 in Gulu district, after concerted and collaborative efforts of the Diocese of Northern Uganda and other stakeholders with support from World Renew. Petitions were raised by Diocese of Northern Uganda and peaceful protesters, both Muslim and Christian, marched through Gulu town to raise awareness of the need to have a law to stop the dangers associated with this kind of drink. And we were successful! All alcohol sold in sachets under 50 millilitres were banned in Gulu district.

This is the first post of our Power Over/Power With series, a collaboration between Safe Church Ministry and Do Justice.

We all have some power. Power to act, to choose, to alter our world and affect others, is part of being image-bearers of God.

Yet power can so easily become corrupt and be used to marginalize, manipulate, or control others. When we are unaware of or not careful with the power we hold, we can cause deep harm.

Jesus’ way of wielding power looks different from our own sin-corrupted ways of using our power.

We're grateful to welcome Richard Silversmith as a new Do Justice columnist! 

Perhaps you have heard about the disturbance and engagement between Omaha Native American elder Nathan Phillips and Covington High School student Nick Sandmann on the major news outlets and social media, January 19, 2019.  

From the very beginning of God’s walk with his people, the blessings they enjoyed because of their relationship with God were meant to overflow. “All peoples on earth will be blessed through you,” God promised Abraham.

We're excited to welcome Laurel Luke as a new Do Justice columnist, focusing on criminal justice!

Four years ago, I knew very little about criminal justice reform or prisons. I didn’t know anyone who had been to prison, have any knowledge around what a prison was like or how long people stayed, and I didn’t have a clue what legislation or stories got people locked up. All I knew was that prisoners did something bad, were serving a sentence, and most would be released.

During the proceedings of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission it was often said that the journey of reconciliation is long. Colonialism has a long and lasting legacy that requires continual commitment to the hard work of reconciliation. Therefore, we urge you today to continue the work as a matter of honouring God’s image in Indigenous people in Canada, to keep striving towards the high bar that Christ set for us: that we become reconcilers, following the example of the Great Reconciler, Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 5:11-21).

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