In every country, gender-based violence is a tragic reality. This violence is frequently hidden, and victims are often silent, fearing stigma and further violence.

We all have a responsibility to speak out against violence, to ensure that women and men, boys and girls, are safe from rape and violence in homes, schools, work, streets – in all places in our societies.
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“COP27 is a critical occasion for governments to together re-envision, develop, commit to and implement a roadmap towards a fossil fuel-free, post-growth, equitable and sustainable tomorrow,” said Bishop Arnold Temple of the Methodist Church in Sierra Leone, representing the interfaith liaison group, to the High-Level Ministerial Segment of the 27th Session of Conference of the Parties (COP27).
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Unless the efforts of youth are mobilized for institutional change, their efforts to live sustainably, ethically, and mindful of consumption will not have an impact, warned Ruth Mathen, delegate of Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, during a WCC assembly press conference on 5 September.

Her comments came following a thematic plenary on “Affirming the wholeness of life,” about challenging indifference and systemic injustices so that we can more deeply interconnect the world in which we live.

“Bodies like this,” she said referring to the WCC assembly, “churches as a whole, Christians as a faith community, can make a statement and make an impact.”
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The World Council of Churches (WCC) will host a webinar on 18 February from 14:00-15:30 (GMT+1) entitled “Common witness on environmental justice and religious pluralism” that will explore two recent papers released by the WCC Commission on Faith and Order.

The two publications are “Cultivate and Care: An Ecumenical Theology of Justice for and within Creation” and “Love and Witness: Proclaiming the Peace of the Lord Jesus Christ in a Religiously Plural World.”
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The World Council of Churches (WCC) and the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue (PCID) have released a joint document, “Serving a Wounded World in Interreligious Solidarity: A Christian Call to Reflection and Action During COVID-19 and Beyond.” Its purpose is to encourage churches and Christian organizations to reflect on the importance of interreligious solidarity in a world wounded by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The document offers a Christian basis for interreligious solidarity that can inspire and confirm the impulse to serve a world wounded not only by COVID-19 but also by many other wounds.

The publication is also designed to be useful to practitioners of other religions, who have already responded to COVID-19 with similar thoughts based on their own traditions.

The document recognizes the current context of the pandemic as a time for discovering new forms of solidarity for rethinking the post-COVID-19 world. Comprised of five sections, the document reflects on the nature of a solidarity sustained by hope and offers a Christian basis for interreligious solidarity, a few key principles and a set of recommendations on how reflection on solidarity can be translated into concrete and credible action.
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“There is a remarkable change towards acknowledging the role of faith-based communities and their resources to address humanitarian needs,” said Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, general secretary of the World Council of Churches (WCC), during the World Humanitarian Summit (WHS), held in Istanbul, Turkey, 23-24 May.

“This is promising for those who need more assistance, and it is promising for the constructive cooperation needed,” he added.

The summit was the first of its kind in the 70-year history of the United Nations. The motivation came from the UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-Moon, who called for humanity to be placed at the heart of global decision-making.

The framework of the summit was built upon the principle that, in order to deliver for humanity, stakeholders must act on five core responsibilities: preventing and ending conflict; respecting rules of war; leaving no one behind; working differently to end need; and investing in humanity.

The WCC was represented at the WHS by the general secretary Tveit and the council’s representative to the United Nations in New York, Rudelmar Bueno de Faria, as well as by several member churches, national councils of churches and partner organizations, such as ACT Alliance and its members.
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Pride, greed and selfishness are destroying the planet just as they destroy human lives, said Cardinal Peter Turkson. However, with action inspired by good stewardship and solidarity, people can ensure that the Earth is “a nurturing home for every man, woman and child in every country and in every generation,” said the cardinal, president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace. Turkson, who oversaw work on a first draft of Pope Francis’ upcoming encyclical on ecology, addressed the general assembly of Caritas Internationalis in Rome May 14. Pope Francis is publishing the encyclical, he said, “not to enter into scientific and financial debates, but to remind the world that our choices are ultimately moral in nature,” including when it comes to safeguarding creation. “This is an all-embracing moral imperative: to protect and care both for creation — our garden home — and for the human person who dwells therein,” the cardinal said. “Without stewardship, the Earth will be less and less habitable,” Turkson said. And without solidarity, “greed and rivalry will wreak ever greater havoc.”
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Thousands of people are planning to embark on a pilgrimage of climate justice – either on foot or on bicycles – in many parts of the world. These faithful pilgrims, rooted in their religious beliefs, want to express solidarity with those affected by climate change – urging world leaders to produce a legally binding and universal agreement on the climate at the upcoming United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP21) in Paris. These pilgrims, mostly from Europe and Africa, are mobilized by Christian organizations representing members of the World Council of Churches (WCC). Some will end their journey in Paris, uniting their voices with other faith actors at the COP 21 to be held from 30 November to 11 December 2015. “Paris is a milestone in our pilgrimage of climate justice,” said Dr Guillermo Kerber, WCC programme executive for Care for Creation and Climate Justice. “Yet Paris is not a destination. As people of faith, expected to offer a moral compass to climate dialogue, we need to strategize for 2016 and beyond,” he said.
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Theologians from the World Communion of Reformed Churches (WCRC) and the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity (PCPCU) met together 6-12 April at Coatbridge, Scotland, for their fourth session in the fourth phase of the International Reformed-Catholic Dialogue.

The theme designated for this current phase of the dialogue, which is slated to conclude in 2017, is “Justification and Sacramentality: The Christian Community as an Agent for Justice.”

The two teams discussed several papers on topics related to the theme of justice. Marina Behara presented a paper titled “Sanctification: The middle term between justification and justice.” Jorge Scampini presented a paper on “The relationship between the Eucharist and justice from a Catholic perspective.” George Hunsinger addressed the topic “The Eucharist and social ethics.” Peter De Mey offered a paper on “Justification and the universal call to holiness.”
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Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby has underscored the value of continuing ecumenical dialogue at a “passionate theological level” while at the same time having “a closer relationship of action” that addresses the needs of the world in such areas as poverty and social justice. Ecumenism must be “something that is our burning desire,” Welby told a gathering of ecumenical guests at a reception at Toronto’s St. James’ Cathedral Centre, during his “personal, pastoral visit” to the Anglican Church of Canada April 8 to 9. “In the last seven verses of John: 17, Jesus prays with extraordinary passion and extraordinary directness about the absolute necessity of the visible unity of the church… Love one another…” In a divided and diverse world, Welby said the church could demonstrate “how humanity can overcome its cultural divisions and truly be… a holy nation of God’s people.” In different parts of the world, there has been “a new movement of the spirit,” said Welby. He cited a decision by Chemin Neuf, a Jesuit-founded French Catholic community with an ecumenical vocation, to accept his invitation to take up residence in Lambeth Palace. Last January, four members set up “a fraternity” in Lambeth Palace. “We hope that is something that will grow and develop,” said Welby, adding that he and his wife, Caroline, got to know the community over the last seven years. (The archbishop’s spiritual director is a Swiss Roman Catholic priest, Fr. Nicholas Buttet.) The Guardian newspaper has noted that the move breaks five centuries of Anglican tradition and ushers “a further rapprochement between the churches of England and Rome.”
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The Vatican, the Anglican Communion and a leading Muslim institution signed a historic agreement to work together to end human trafficking worldwide by 2020.

The new accord, signed during a Vatican news conference March 17, launched the beginning of the Global Freedom Network, which hopes to expand to include all the world’s major faiths.

The global initiative aims to prevent modern forms of slavery; to protect, rescue and rehabilitate victims; and to promote concrete measures that condemn or criminalize human trafficking.

In a joint statement, the accord’s signatories called human trafficking and modern forms of slavery “crimes against humanity” and called for urgent action by all faith communities to join the effort to “set free the most oppressed of our brothers and sisters.”

“Only by activating, all over the world, the ideals of faith and of shared human values can we marshal the spiritual power, the joint effort and the liberating vision to eradicate modern slavery and human trafficking from our world and for all time,” the joint statement said.

“This evil is man-made and can be overcome by faith-inspired human will and human effort,” it said.
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The general secretary of the World Council of Churches (WCC), Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, on 3 June spoke to a United Nations conference in Geneva, where he addressed “the role of religion in the search for justice and peace.”

The conference at the Palais des Nations, Geneva, was called by UN Geneva director general Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in search of “a comprehensive framework” or new paradigm for UN work with its partners in the areas of global economy, ecology, education, health, security, and governance.

Calling for “an open, proper, critical and constructive reflection on the role of religion in our work for justice and peace and in our local and global life together,” Tveit urged the international community to grapple more deeply with religion. “It must go beyond discussions about ‘misuse’ of religion,” he said.

“It must also include a self-critical reflection on what our religions are teaching and representing today.”
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Statement issued by the participants of an ecumenical Theological Consultation on Tourism organised by the Ecumenical Coalition On Tourism (ECOT), Thailand, and the National Council of Churches in India (NCCI), in Chennai, India, from 19-21 March 2011.
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Church leaders support Good Food Junction; Grocery store heart of Station 20 West Advent sees many churches encouraging members to give a special gift to charity. This year, local church leaders suggest these gifts be directed to the Good Food Junction project at Station 20 West. Earlier this week, local leaders from a variety of
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The leaders of many Saskatoon churches gathered on Wednesday, November 24th to sign a letter of support for Station 20 West’s Good Food Junction grocery store. The churches have agreed to work together as an ecumenical advent project, to raise much-needed funds for the equipment required by the store.

At today’s public event, the Rev. Amanda Currie (Presbyterian Church in Canada) and Bishop Donald Bolen (Roman Catholic Diocese of Saskatoon) offered their reflections on this project. Speaking about the dream of having a full-service grocery store in the core neighbourhoods, Currie said: “What may come as a surprise to many people across Saskatoon is that many of the families and individuals who live in the core neighbourhoods are not dreaming that they’ll get to move to the East side. Their dream is the transformation of their own neighbourhoods. And that is a dream that can become a reality.”

“We do have differences which separate us as Christian communities, but nevertheless we chose to stand together today,” said Bolen, the Roman Catholic bishop of Saskatoon. “We hope this is an invitation to all of Saskatoon to rise above differences, political differences, differences of neighbourhoods or perspective, to join in support of people of Pleasant Hill.”

“The only politics that really belongs here is the politics of providing food to people who need food, to providing food security for this neighbourhood,” said Bolen.
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An international grouping of churches and Christian organizations says that if one sixth of the world’s population is hungry when there is sufficient food to feed the world, then action to address the problem’s root causes is needed.

The Geneva-based Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance, which campaigns for food justice, said in a statement on September 14 that new figures on world hunger highlight that the food crisis is still acute for one-sixth of the world’s population.

The Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations and the World Food Programme had on the same day announced that 925 million people are estimated to be suffering from chronic hunger in 2010, down from the 1.023 billion estimated in 2009.
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Canadian Government cuts funding for KAIROS overseas work
CIDA cuts to KAIROS will devastate human rights work overseas

(Toronto) The Canadian government’s decision to cut funding to KAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives will have a devastating impact on KAIROS’ overseas partners and the thousands of marginalized people in local communities they support, KAIROS announced today.
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Multifaith Reflection on Restorative Justice

Across Canada, the theme for Restorative Justice Week 2008 is “Fostering a Restorative Worldview”. In Saskatoon, the Prairie Centre for Ecumenism is hosting a symposium entitled “A Multifaith Reflection on Restorative Justice … an evening of shared perspectives”. The symposium will be held Wednesday, November 19th at Knox United Church (Spadina Crescent & 24th Street) from 6 to 9:30 pm.

A meatless supper wil be shared at 6 pm, with a panel of speakers at 7 pm: Claire Ewert Fisher (Christian), Cantor Neil Schwartz (Jewish), a representative from the Islamic Association of Saskatoon, and Harvey Thunderchild (Traditional Aboriginal).

Registration: $15 before November 12th, or $18 after November 12th, $8 under-waged. Students free if registered in advance, or $8 at door. Doors open for registration at 5:15 pm. Register by cheque, payable and sent to: Prairie Centre for Ecumenism, 600 – 45th Street West, Saskatoon, SK S7L 5W9. It is necessary to know in advance if registrants plan to attend the supper. For more information call 306-653-1633.
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Canadian federal election guides – 2008

Another federal election has come to Canada. Canadians will go to the polls on October 14 to select members of Parliament in all 308 ridings across the country. For more information about who can vote, the candidates, and the locations of the polls, please see the Elections Canada website.

Here at “Ecumenism in Canada” we have a continuing interest in highlighting the reflections offered by the Canadian churches on matters of public policy. With this in mind, we have compiled the following links to election resources prepared by the churches and their ecumenical justice groups.

• CCCB Federal Election 2008 Guide
• EFC 2008 Election Kit
• United Church of Canada 2008 Federal Election Kit
• Mennonite Central Committee’s 2008 Election Primer
• Citizens for Public Justice 2008 Election Guide
• Candidates Against Poverty

The Catholic bishops of Canada have a long history of public statements on justice issues, both during and between elections. As in recent elections the CCCB has issued an election guide that is intended to enumerate principles of Catholic social teaching that are relevant to the elections. Like all churches, the CCCB does not endorse any political party. Instead, the CCCB’s Social Affairs Commission “encourages Catholics to become better informed about the issues, to voice their concerns with the political candidates … and, most of all, to vote.” The four-page text goes on to list some basic principles from Catholic moral and social teaching to help voters examine and evaluate public policy and programs. These principles include respect for life and the dignity of the human person, as well as the preferential option for the poor. The text also addresses the question of the war in Afghanistan and the debate on the environment. The four Bishops who signed the document call on the political parties to “engage in a peace process for Afghanistan” and to ensure that “future generations … can have a healthy environment.” The Social Affairs Commission admits that “choices can be tough” for Catholics when a political candidate or a political party holds “values that are not fully in line with Church teaching.” Citing the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the CCCB Social Affairs Commission points out that “a well-formed Christian conscience does not permit one to vote for a political program or an individual law which contradicts the fundamental contents of faith and morals.”

The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada has also issued an election kit. The EFC says that “Canada needs strengthened families and secure marriages. Canada needs to protect its most vulnerable: children, the poor, the unborn and the disabled.” The EFC’s kit is not entirely focussed on personal and family ethics. It also affirms that “Canada needs to share its blessings with the world, especially meeting commitments made to foreign relief and development work.” The EFC kit includes position papers on various issues, and is expected to be updated with further statements as the campaign proceeds.

The United Church of Canada also regularly issues public statements during federal elections. The United Church website says that their new 2008 Federal Election Kit “takes a non-partisan approach. It lifts up justice concerns that need voice to get on the election agenda and into public awareness. As well as offering a brief background and sample questions on issues important to the United Church, the kit offers tips for asking questions at all candidates meetings and advice on how to use the media effectively.” There are a variety issues that the United Church highlights, however it brings a special focus to Aboriginal issues.

The Mennonite Central Committee serves both Canadian and American churches, both of which are in the midst of elections. However the issues and concerns are different, and an election primer is offered by MCC-Canada for Canadian Anabaptists. The MCC is not a church, and thus does not speak on behalf of its member churches. It therefore frames its election reflection in the form of “questions for Anabaptist Christians to consider during the 2008 federal election campaign.”

As of September 16th, there were no election guides or other resources available on the websites of the Anglican Church of Canada (ACC), the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC), the Presbyterian Church in Canada (PCC), the Canadian Council of Churches (CCC), or KAIROS. If these become available, this website posting will be revised to include these links.

There are two other resources of interest. The Citizens for Public Justice is an independent social justice research and advocacy group. The CPJ has issued election guides during many of the past elections. The CPJ 2008 election guide addresses a number of issues of concern in the current campaign: poverty, immigration, tax policy, and the environment. These are issues that CPJ has addressed for many years, and thus their guide draws on additional resources available through their website. The CPJ invites Canadian voters to consider their electoral choices through the lens of public justice.

The Religious Social Action Coalition of Newfoundland and Labrador has created a new website to encourage candidates to establish a government priority to end poverty in Canada. The coalition is “a nonpartisan group from a broad array of religions — Christians, Muslims, Jews, Hindus and others — united in our religious commitment to call on society to abolish poverty at home and abroad. … It is the goal of our coalition to call upon all candidates for Parliament to pledge to move our society toward greater economic fairness. … To finally fulfill the promise that Parliament made to abolish poverty among Canadian children, even though they have missed their own deadline by seven years. To make sure that working families can find affordable housing. And to fulfill Parliament’s Kelowna pledge to Canada’s Aboriginals. … It is our goal to get citizens talking about poverty — and to make Ending Poverty a voting issue.”

The coalition has established an admirably low-tech website entitled Candidates Against Poverty which lists all the candidates who have taken a simple pledge to make poverty a governmental priority. At this point, the number of candidates who have responded is quite small. Voters can explore the website to see whether their candidates have made the pledge. Voters can also challenge their candidates to make this pledge and have it recorded on the website.
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10 a.m. Good Friday, March 21

This prayerful walk through the streets of Saskatoon features a reflection on the Way of the Cross focusing on justice and peace issues in the world today. For information, contact Tony Haynes at the Roman Catholic diocesan Justice and Peace office, 306-242-1500 or toll-free 1-877-661-5005.
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The United Nations General Assembly has approved a resolution calling for a moratorium on the use of the death penalty in all member states. The resolution passed on Tuesday by a vote of 104 to 54 with 29 abstentions. This is the third attempt to pass a moratorium resolution in the General Assembly. Previous attempts in 1994 and 1999 failed. The current resolution called on member states to “progressively restrict the use of the death penalty and reduce the number of offences for which it may be imposed.”
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The Ecumenical Health Care Network of the Canadian Council of Churches invites every congregation and community across the country to join in a time of celebration and renewal of Canada’s commitment to ensuring the preservation and strengthening of its universal public health care system, better known as Medicare. To this end, we have named the week of November 18th “Celebrate Medicare Week.”

In the past, Canada’s churches have played an invaluable role in defending access to care based on need not on ability to pay, and as a living statement of how we care for one another in Canadian society. In the words of a former vice-president of the Canadian Council of Churches, Karen MacKay-Llewellyn, “Defending public health care in a system that promises accessibility to all Canadians at the same level of quality, is a matter at the heart of our Christian confession, and this must rest at the heart of our public witness.”
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Evangelical theology stresses the importance of a personal relationship with God in Jesus Christ and sees the transformation of individuals as an important part of the transformation of the world. However, the notion of a purely privatized faith in which the gospel only affects individual, personal or family life but has no wider implications for society must be rejected as inadequate.
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Social Justice Institute 2007: Whose Story? Whose Justice? Imagining Alternatives – with keynote speakers Lee Cormie, Paul Hansen, Kathy Vandergrift, and several other workshop options. This ecumenical event will be held at Newman Theological College, Edmonton. Overnight accomodation, meals available. For brochure with agenda, registration form, more information contact 780-467-2833 or email: sji2007 [at] telus [dot] net.
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The St. Thomas More Just Youth group is hosting a Solidarity and Justice Coffeehouse on Friday, March 23 at 7 p.m. in the STM Cafeteria (1437 College Drive). The cost is $5.00 per person and all proceeds will go to Development and Peace. Come enjoy this wonderful evening of world music and entertainment!

The coffeehouse is sponsored by Just Youth along with the Newman Centre, St. Thomas More College and the University of Saskatchewan Discrimination and Harassment Prevention Services Office. Just Youth is a student-led Development and Peace group. It organizes education campaigns and activities on campus, and encourages students to become involved in local justice initiatives.
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It is significant that the Prairie Centre for Ecumenism will be host Wednesday to the fifth annual conference on restorative justice. Fr. Bill Bernard, chair of the preparation committee, observes the conference goal is to bring together as many people as possible who work in the area of restorative justice. “We hope to create dialogue
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La semaine du 12 au 19 novembre est la Semaine de la justice réparatrice au Canada. Le thème de 2006 est Partenariats novateurs, collaboration solide. « Ce thème célèbre l’esprit d’innovation qui caractérise déjà certains partenariats existants. Il nous appelle à poursuivre nos efforts en établissant de nouveaux partenariats plus solides où tous les intervenants s’entraident
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The week of November 12-19 will be observed across Canada and around the world as Restorative Justice Week. The theme for 2006 is “Creative Partnerships & Collaborative Action.” This theme celebrates the expression of the creativity found within existing partnerships and challenges us to forge new and stronger ones. These new alliances provide an opportunity to introduce restorative justice principles, values, and initiatives to broader cross sections of Canadians.
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Nidus is a festival for people from all streams of Christian faith with music, arts, keynotes, worship, dialogue, drama & dance. Several thousand youth, young adults, families and others will gather in Kitchener, Ontario from August 4th to 6th. It will be a unique opportunity for people to come together to express faith, celebrate through
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Prime Minister Stephen Harper should move immediately to release funds designated for affordable housing, according to the leaders of four Canadian churches — Archbishop Andrew Hutchison of the Anglican Church of Canada, Bishop Ray Schultz of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada, the Rev. Peter Short of the United Church of Canada and Henry Hess of the Christian Reformed Church of North America.
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La Journée internationale pour l’élimination de la discrimination raciale est mars 21, l’anniversaire du massacre à Sharpeville en 1960.
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The International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination is March 21, the anniversary of the Sharpeville Massacre in 1960.
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We have just celebrated the birth of Jesus, the coming of hope to our world: hope for love and belonging; hope for compassion and sharing; hope for forgiveness and reconciliation; hope for justice and peace. How does the celebration of Christmas hope shape our interactions during a federal election campaign? An election campaign provides many
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[KAIROS Canada] The upcoming federal election has been seen by many as an intrusion on the Christmas season — something that doesn’t — and shouldn’t — be on our minds during this festive, family time. At KAIROS, we think there is another way to look at the relationship between Christmas and public affairs. Perhaps the
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Restorative Justice Week, November 16-23, 2003, Pathways to a Strengthened Community

As we go about our daily lives, looking for the pathways that will help us live in harmony, we do so with the belief that our communities will be better places because of it. Relationships are at the heart of restorative justice, and when we actively use a restorative approach in which people are included and heard, there can be understanding, healing, accountability and a strengthened community.
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