Seeking Justice Together
In May, CPJ hosted Seeking Justice Together, a four-day virtual conference. Keynote speakers included Melina Laboucan-Massimo, Harsha Walia, Chief Dana Tizya Tramm, Paul Taylor, and Romeo Saganash (below). More than 300 people registered for the conference, taking part in workshops and small group discussions. Twenty-five speakers and facilitators addressed issues of racism, Indigenous/settler reconciliation, 2SLGBTQQIA+ rights, disability rights, poverty in Canada, climate justice, and refugee rights. Read an excerpt of Melina Laboucan-Massimo and Chief Dana Tizya Tramm’s keynote conversation here.
Annual General Meeting
On June 17, CPJ held our Annual General Meeting online. CPJ’s membership affirmed the election of four new Board members: Ian Van Haren from Montreal; Monica Tang from Burnaby, B.C.; Tenielle Patterson from Thunder Bay, Ont.; and Keira Kang from Toronto.
Voices for Peace
CPJ has partnered with the Canadian Council of Churches, the Basilian Centre for Peace and Justice, the Henri Nouwen Society, and Church of the Redeemer for a series of Voices for Peace webinars on the theme “Radical Hope, Radical Resistance.” In April, Sylvia Keesmaat gave a keynote address, and CPJ’s senior policy analyst Karri Munn-Venn responded. The June event featured Terry Leblanc, and plans are underway for an event in September.
Earth Day
CPJ was involved in a number of Earth Day events in April. We co-sponsored a press conference with Climate Action Network ahead of President Biden’s Earth Day Summit. Anglican Indigenous Archbishop Mark Macdonald presented on behalf of For the Love of Creation.
On Earth Day itself, CPJ issued a brief response to the announcement of Canada’s new climate target, and Karri co-hosted a For the Love of Creation Earth Day Celebration along with Beth Lorimer from KAIROS and Lori Neale of the United Church of Canada.
It isn’t too late to participate in the For the Love of Creation’s faith-in-action campaign. Visit cpj.ca/flc-action to join!
Budget 2021
The long-awaited federal budget was released on April 19. CPJ’s analysis, A Pandemic Response Without a Just Recovery, was published on our website on May 5.
Thank you, Brad; and Welcome Back, Deb!
In June, CPJ bid farewell to Brad Wassink, our communications coordinator since 2013. We also welcomed Deborah Mebude back to the team. Deb had previously been a public justice intern at CPJ and served as our communications coordinator during Brad’s parental leave.
Editor’s Note
It has been an honour to serve as CPJ’s communications coordinator and Catalyst editor for these past seven and a half years. As my time at CPJ comes to an end, I want to thank the staff, Board, and members for your dedication to public justice. I have learned so much from so many of you and have been inspired and challenged to deepen my own understanding of justice. As we explore our three key policy areas through a lens of intersectionality, I’m excited about the future of CPJ.
—Brad Wassink