Winter 2017 – Vol. 40, No. 3
Download (PDF)
Canada’s Not So Safe Agreement
By Deborah Mebude
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.
In Review
CPJ at the UN Climate Conference
By Karri Munn-Venn
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.
Tax Reform Can Serve the Common Good
By Sarah DelVillano
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.
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.
Faith Groups Join Chew On This!
By Brad Wassink
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.
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.
Groundings: We Need Refugees
By Danielle Steenwyk-Rowaan
We are called to welcome the stranger, because we need them. I need them, in a deep and sometimes mysterious way. This subversive biblical teaching, along with the call to welcome because we have been welcomed, breaks down the charity mindset and the delusion of self-sufficiency.