In Review – Summer 2014

From The Catalyst Summer 2014

Letters to Canadian Banks

In June, CPJ wrote to the CEOs of Canada’s eight largest banks, commending them for introducing no-fee and low-cost bank accounts to low-income seniors, youth, and students. CPJ also called on the CEOs to extend these accounts to all low-income Canadians.

2014 Annual General Meeting

The 2014 CPJ AGM was on May 29th at Dominion Chalmers United Church in Ottawa. Dr. Doug Gruner from Canadian Doctors for Refugee Care delivered a keynote titled The State of Refugee Care: A Prognosis for Public Justice in Canada. CPJ’s Public Justice Intern, Ashley Chapman, gave the response.

CPJ members elected six new Board Members: Thea deGroot of Sarnia, ON, Monique Verhoef of Calgary, Wayne Groot of Gibbons, AB, Patti Fitzmaurice of Winnipeg, Jim Dekker of St. Catharines, ON, and Adrian Helleman of Toronto. Our special thanks to outgoing members Mark Huyser-Wierenga, Jake Kuiken, Carol Thiessen, Maylanne Maybee, Sister Sheila McKinley, and Lorraine Land for their years of faithful service.

CPJ on the Road

CPJ was one of the organizers of Are We There Yet?, a conference held in Edmonton in May. Joe Gunn organized the panel on Faith, Community and Climate Change and took part in the conference’s concluding panel.

Brad Wassink led several workshops in Winnipeg. He took a group of young adults from The Welcome Home Redemptorist Mission through a Living Justice poverty workshop; hosted The Green Church, a discussion of Living Ecological Justice at St. Margaret’s Anglican Church; and led a workshop on ecological justice for the Adult Sunday School at Aberdeen Evangelical Mennonite Church.

Ashley Chapman spoke on charity, justice, and advocacy at People for Sale: Understanding and Challenging Modern Day Slavery. The week-long course was organized by PACT-Ottawa as part of Carleton University’s enrichment program for high school students.

CPJ on the Hill

In May, Joe Gunn co-led Faith in Public: A Public Theology for a Public Faith in Canada in Ottawa alongside David Pfrimmer of Waterloo Lutheran Seminary. The course looked at opportunities for people of faith to create a more just and peaceful society. Students attended Question Period and met with several Parliamentarians, including Senator Grant Mitchell (pictured), as well as Dr. Andrew Bennett, Canada’s Ambassador for Religious Freedom.

Joe Gunn and Ben Pasha also met with Liberal MP John McKay in March to discuss environmental policy.

Welcome to CPJ!

CPJ is excited to welcome Thomas Coldwell as our Communications Assistant for six weeks this summer. Thomas will be updating our popular Advocacy Toolkit and assisting in other communications activities.

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