Deborah Mebude

An election forum on immigration drew a large crowd to the downtown Kelowna library on Saturday. The event was co-hosted by Amnesty International, KAIROS and Citizens for Public Justice.

An event during the election campaign can be a great way to discuss important issues with candidates and educate members of your community. You can structure the meeting in various ways, including a roundtable discussion, a town hall meeting or a debate.

Canadian voters will select a new government in a few months, joining nearly 2 billion citizens around the world participating in elections this year. Appeals to the “everyday” citizen have been widespread, as candidates around the world have attempted to present themselves as the sole representative of the disenfranchised.

Canadian voters will select a new government in a few months, joining nearly 2 billion citizens around the world participating in elections this year.

Amid this historic moment in time, appeals to the “everyday” citizen have been widespread, as candidates around the world have attempted to present themselves as the sole representative of the disenfranchised.

But when political leaders claim to be “for the people,” research shows that there can be legitimate reasons for voters to be concerned about the state of democracy.

According to a provincial break-down by Citizens for Public Justice, Manitoba has the highest poverty rate in Canada, with one-in-five currently living below the poverty line. That translates to 25% of children living in poverty and it’s forced 115,000 Manitobans to rely on the province’s Employment and Income Assistance (EIA) programs.

Citizens for Public Justice (CPJ) also objects to the government’s new strategy because it “would further limit the welcoming nature they claim Canada is proud of.” “The use of language that suggests potential claimants are not genuine in their reasons for seeking asylum or that they pose a threat of exploitation to our system is…

By Tima Kurdi Simon & Schuster, 2018   Review by Deborah Mebude   The Boy on the Beach is an intimate retelling of a family’s tragedy, one that woke up the world to the Syrian refugee crisis. Author and Syrian-Canadian Tima Kurdi brings to life the story of her nephew Alan Kurdi, the two-year-old boy…

After 10 years at the helm of Citizens for Public Justice, Joe Gunn, 64, is leaving Feb. 11 to head up the new Oblate Centre at Saint Paul University in Ottawa.

The nation’s churches and church members have been active on social justice issues over many decades, a Lethbridge audience was reminded Thursday. But Joe Gunn outlined how they’ve been quietly working across denominational lines – though a younger generation of Canadians knows little about their positive impact. Gunn, executive director of Citizens for Public Justice, said evangelical…

Citizens for Public Justice is grateful for the leadership of Executive Director Joe Gunn, who has served CPJ since 2008. Joe’s passion for public justice has propelled CPJ to where it is today, establishing the organization as a leader on faith and public policy in Canada. Joe will be finishing his tenure of service on February 1, 2019. He sat down with CPJ’s Communications Coordinator to reflect on the last 10 years.

Together we can bring change! You make change possible! As a faithful supporter of CPJ, you know first-hand what happens when people and groups work together for the common good. On this Giving Tuesday, you can make a donation that brings fair and just changes to Canadian public policy. By donating to CPJ, you are supporting a…

Faith communities need to continue serving the poor, but even more important, let’s remain vigilant to ensure that political promises to reduce poverty do not simply go up in smoke.