The Poverty of Loneliness

The Poverty of Loneliness

By Courtney Reeve and Becca Sawyer 

Our neighbours who are poor, Indigenous, or mentally ill, those who experience racial discrimination, members of the LGBTQ+ community, and other marginalized people are fighting to be seen, heard, and known. And the Spirit is busy calling us to lives of friendship and community building with these neighbours. We cannot ignore this epidemic of loneliness.

Faith Groups Join Chew On This!

Faith Groups Join Chew On This!

​We are on the cusp of seeing Canada’s first national poverty reduction strategy. And faith communities have played a major role in getting us here.

It’s been a long time coming. In 1989, Canada’s House of Commons unanimously voted to end child poverty by the year 2000. With 17.4 per cent of children in Canada living in poverty, clearly we failed to meet this commitment.

Tax Reform Can Serve the Common Good

Tax Reform Can Serve the Common Good

In July 2017, Bill Morneau announced the Liberal government’s proposed tax reform, which seeks to close tax loopholes and ensure a more progressive tax system in which all Canadians pay their fair share. Here at CPJ, we have consistently advocated for a fair taxation system that advances the common good in our society. And we are not alone. As outlined in Taxes for the Common Good: A Public Justice Primer on Taxation, 75 per cent of Canadians believe taxes are good because they pay for important social investments that can contribute to an improved quality of life. But not everyone is happy with these proposals, and they have created quite a stir among the Canadian public.

CPJ at the UN Climate Conference

CPJ at the UN Climate Conference

Welcome! Bula! Willkommen!

These were the words of greeting at the site of the UN Climate Conference (COP23) in Bonn, Germany. I was there for CPJ, to learn, to meet others in the climate justice community, and to bring a voice of Canadian Christians into the conversation. And I wanted to see firsthand how the Canadian government would frame their priorities in this international context.

Give it up for the Earth: Lent in a Catholic High School

Give it up for the Earth: Lent in a Catholic High School

By Leah Daly

Sometimes my adult faith journey gets stuck in a rut of routine and apathy. During these times, I find myself simply going through the motions of faith, work, and home life. Intentionality and genuine engagement slip away when apathy seeps in.

The antidote for apathy and disengagement, for me, comes through my work with high school students. 

Canada’s Not So Safe Agreement

Canada’s Not So Safe Agreement

While Prime Minister Justin Trudeau began his term in office by welcoming Syrian newcomers at the Toronto Pearson Airport, Donald Trump kicked off his presidency with three executive orders pushing for expedited deportations and strengthened immigration enforcement. When it comes to immigration and refugee policy, Canada and the United States seem to be increasingly at odds.

Dignity for All applauds launch of National Housing Strategy

Dignity for All applauds launch of National Housing Strategy

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Ottawa, ON: November 22, 2017 – To mark National Housing Day, the federal government unveiled the details of its National Housing Strategy (NHS), a national plan to address housing and homelessness in Canada. The Dignity for All campaign, co-led by Citizens for Public Justice (CPJ) and Canada Without Poverty (CWP), welcomed the announcement as a step toward ending poverty in Canada.

Letter: Travel Loans Burden Refugees Disproportionately

Travel Loans Burden Refugees Disproportionately

November 2017

Read the letter

CPJ responded to the Minister of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship, Ahmed Hussen, to continue to stress our concern over the extensive burden of travel loan repayment on resettled refugees’ ability to adjust to new life in Canada. We repeated our recommendation for the federal government to cover all costs for resettled refugee travel to Canada, while raising an inquiry over the costs of administering the program. 

Canada’s Coal Phase-Out is Not Enough: CPJ

International engagement must be accompanied by more action at home

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Bonn, Germany: November 16, 2017 — The Powering Past Coal Alliance was announced today at COP23 by the Environment Ministers of the UK and Canada. The announcement included a celebration of the partnership established between 25 national and sub-national governments to phase out coal-power around the world and a commitment to achieve the “phase-out in a sustainable and economically inclusive way, while providing appropriate support for workers and communities.”

Christians Call for Canadian Climate Leadership at COP23

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Bonn, Germany: November 13, 2017 —As the world convenes for the COP23 climate conference in Germany, Citizens for Public Justice (CPJ) will be there to call for Canada to do its part to implement the Paris Agreement.

“COP23 marks a critical moment for Canadian climate leadership,” said Karri Munn-Venn, Senior Policy Analyst for CPJ. “While some important advances have been made, it is clear that Canada — and the international community — must commit to a much higher level of ambition to close the gap between projected emissions and the Paris targets.”