Month: May 2013

Canada’s affluence a reason to improve human rights

The UN’s 82 member delegations gathered in Geneva on April 26 to review Canada’s human rights performance. Together, they issued 162 recommendations dealing with everything from racial profiling to food security and basic sanitation. Canada has committed to responding to the UPR recommendations by September. CPJ will join other civil society and Aboriginal organizations tomorrow, Tuesday, May 28, in a consultation with federal, provincial and territorial government officials (convened by the Department of Canadian Heritage) to provide input into the development of the official response. At this meeting, we will continue to urge government officials to take action on poverty, Aboriginal rights, and affordable housing.

In an article published in Embassy on May 8, CPJ unpacks the recommendations we made to Canada’s human rights review and the reasons action is so urgently needed.

Growing Food Sovereignty in Gardens

Cultivating a mindful relationship with our food has never been more challenging or more important. Unlike preceding generations, the majority of us no longer live among those who grow our food. Much of the food sold in Canadian grocery stores has travelled long distances. And most eaters know remarkably little about their daily meals: Where was the food grown? By whom? Under what conditions?

Carbon and the Common Good: A CPJ backgrounder

CPJ’s backgrounder on pricing carbon emissions, Carbon and the Common Good, looks at the environmental crisis from a public justice perspective. After summarizing some of the biblical principles that guide our reflection, this paper addresses one specific and complex area of debate, carbon taxes. It also lays out some positioning for the organization on this issue.