Advocacy

“For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, 15 by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace”  Ephesians 2:14-15

Merry Christmas from the Center for Public Dialogue and the Office of Social Justice as you reflect on joy during the fourth week of advent. 

Poet Malcolm Guite writes, “Christmas sets the centre at the edge/and from this day our world is re-aligned/a tiny seed unfolding in the womb/becomes the source from which we all unfold/and flower into being.  We are healed.”*

 Once it is gone, it is gone. If a child breaks a toy or if you inadvertently burn a letter to you from your grandmother, it is gone. It doesn’t come back.

The world has a very special asset, located in Alaska, that might face that same plight. The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is a breathtaking parcel of God’s creation. It has unique wilderness qualities and ecological integrity. 

This week may you be filled with shalom as you reflect on the peace advent candle.  “The Lord gives his people strength. The Lord blesses them with peace.”  - Psalm 29:11

I was recently invited as a guest speaker for a webinar with ecumenical partners, to share some information on global forced displacement and migration.

I write this the morning after an election in a country not my own.  

An election in a country not my own, and yet this moment feels fraught even for me.  So much depends on the votes counted, for those citizens casting votes and for those watching and listening elsewhere.

Hondurans huddled in cold valleys south of the Mexican border whose welcome is in part determined by the immigration policy of a country not my own.

During my five-week internship with the Centre for Public Dialogue, I had the opportunity to create lesson plans to be used by independent schools in B.C., Alberta, and Ontario. These lesson plans included the history of Residential Schools, and the reality of  current inequalities in schools on-reserves. I researched to learn more about the beautiful things Indigenous communities offer, the experiences they endured and the current inequalities they are facing. 

Many of us have found it instructive that John Calvin, the theological father for reformed Christians, in the 1559 version of his Institutes of the Christian Religion wrote this about those in civ

In a world with a litany of societal injustices, it’s fair to ask why the Christian Reformed Church in North America (CRC) - through the help of the Office of Social Justice (OSJ) - focuses so much energy on supporting churches to understand and work towards just immigration policies. There are certainly plenty of justice concerns we could choose to focus on, so why immigration? 

IR is an international student at Calvin University.  She came to Calvin from Honduras and studied Economics and Data Science.  Throughout this interview you’ll hear how proposed legislation around international students along with COVID-19 has affected her.  

This interview is part of our series International Students Speak created to give an inside look at how policies impact real people on the ground.