National news

 — Sept. 30, 200430 sept. 2004

A campaign to raise public awareness about violence against Aboriginal women, an estimated five hundred of whom have disappeared over the past twenty years, has been launched by Canadian churches. Called Sisters in Spirit, the campaign was inaugurated in Canada’s capital, Ottawa, on 22 March by the United and Anglican Churches, and the Native Women’s Association of Canada. Key goals of the one-year campaign include research to establish the number of Aboriginal women who are missing or have been killed in Canada, education on the causes of violence against Aboriginal women and a hotline and registry for reporting missing Aboriginal women. For more information: Native Women’s Association of Canada, 1292 Wellington St., Ottawa, On, K1Y 3A9, tel.: 613-722-3033, fax: 613 722-7687, Website: [www.nwachq.org].
(Ecumenical News International and Native Women’s Association of Canada)

To mark the 40th Anniversary of the Canadian Centre for Ecumenism a benefit conference by Douglas John Hall, Emeritus Professor of theology at McGill University, on “Many Churches, Many Faiths, One Planet: The Perils and Possibilities of Religion in a Fragile World” was held in the Birks Chapel at McGill, May 20th. The presentation was moderated by Pamela Bright, chair of the Department of Theological Studies of Concordia University. (CCE)

A group of Canadian academics gathered at the University of Toronto to launch the Canadian Forum for Religion and Ecology (CFORE). Supported by the Harvard Forum on Religion and Ecology, CFORE offers a unique perspective on environmental issues, especially as it hopes to influence public policy in Canada. Dr. Heather Eaton who teaches at Saint Paul University in Ottawa, is the founder and co-chair of CFORE. Eaton emphasizes that the extinction of countless species each year is not just a question of losing a human resource base. Instead, she says, Canadians will get the sense that “destroying our natural world is really diminishing modes of divine presence on earth”. Kenneth Kraft, one of the world’s foremost scholars on Buddhism and ecology, delivered CFORE’s inaugural lecture. He explained that the Buddhist way is to see all being as interconnected. Humans know that they will die when their lungs stop working. The Buddhist perspective recognizes that the forests are our lungs outside our bodies. (The Catholic Register)

The Canadian Council of Churches through its Ecumenical Health Care Network, wants to ensure that the “most deeply held values” of Canadians are enshrined in a health care covenant. The organization has launched an online petition to the health minister calling for broad public participation in establishing such a covenant for Canadians. The petition can be found at [councilofchurches.ca]. The covenant, formal binding agreement, would be based on principles of solidarity, community, equity, compassion and efficiency,” said the network. (Prairie Messenger)

The Women’s Inter-Church Council of Canada is an independent, ecumenical organization of Canadian Christian women engaged in work around ecumenism, women’s spiritual growth, social justice, and women’s issues. The Council has produced numerous worship, theological and educational resources, and has sponsored national events where women gather together to explore their spirituality, such as the Women Doing Theology in Canada conference in Winnipeg in 2002 and the upcoming conference in Montreal in 2005. Council members are ether elected or appointed from 11 church partners. For more information: WICC, 394 Bloor St. West, suite 201, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 1X4, Canada. Tel.: 416-929-5184, fax: 416-929-4064 [www.wicc.org]. (WICC)

Posted: Sept. 30, 2004 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=112
Categories: CCEIn this article: Centre Canadien d’œcuménisme
Transmis : 30 sept. 2004 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=112
Catégorie : CCEDans cet article : Centre Canadien d’œcuménisme


  Previous post: Ancien article : Nouvelles régionales
  Newer post: Article récent : Nouvelles nationales