DATE: July 21, 1998
MEMO TO: Eco-Justice Committee
FROM: Jim Boyles, General Secretary
RE: Comments from Forums at General Synod
____________________________________________________
The following comments were recorded on newsprint and relates to the work of your committee:
TOWARD SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY
. We must understand exactly what sustainable community is on a local level.
. Our local communities are out of balance in many ways:
- depletion of
natural resources
- unemployment (and consequently migration)
- lack of
togetherness on a community level e.g. helping each other.
. The church needs to promote its vision on community and the care of the earth - what is the "good life"
. Partnership with local churches and other national churches.
. Biblical/spiritual foundation for community action.
. Developing partnerships with governments. Example: working guaranteed annual income.
. Pairing North/South churches.
. Compassion for refugees and economic migrants.
GAMBLING
. Can we work ecumenically on this issue? In parishes, dioceses and national level.
. Educational materials needed:
- theological reflection: greed,
materialism, happiness
- study programs - resource kit
. Vigilance in pointing out human costs of gambling - costs to community and family life
MAKING MORAL ECONOMIC DECISIONS
. Moral economic decisions begin with personal commitment to the personal decisions we can control.
. Equip church people to be a moral conscience in their workplace.
FOOD BANKS
. Generally: a huge, complex international issue!
. Food banks and government funding --> NO!
. Government support for potentially addictive activities and substances is [arrowup]rising while funding for social programs is [arrowdown]declining.
. The church and church members should lobby (e.g. letters) to governments and consider carefully when choosing to support a party.
What can the Churches do?
. Education - nutrition, money management, food purchasing and preparation
. Providing information, educating parishes about need
. Using our gifts and resources (e.g. space) to respond.
. Need for food banks and our response to them is a faith issue.
. Individual involvement needs a personal contact and connection.
. Food banks are not needed in small Newfoundland communities who help each other but are found in St. John's area.
. Addressing the problem requires a dual approach - hands on help and advocacy for change.
. Depression of 30's showed need for society's involvement and brought government action - we have short term memories.
. What is the difference between the Lion's Club and a church delivering a turkey? It's a faith issue.
. Help is needed in helping parish renew their faith led support for those in need.
. What about committed "vowed" societies to engage in exemplary ministries? E.g. with a rule of life showing service as a prominent commitment.
. Church dialogue with governments (provincial and federal) appears to be largely unheard.
. Investigate the model for community pastoral ministry with Sue Taylor of Carlington Chaplaincy in Ottawa.
ROYAL COMMISSION ON ABORIGINAL PEOPLE
. Visibility - varies from highly visible to areas where there are no indigenous people in churches. Particularly in cities there are indigenous people not connected to church or home communities.
. Awareness - the responsibility is personal awareness and action begins with each of us living our lives as Christians where we are.
JUBILEE - A CELEBRATION OF HOPE (From Streams of Living Justice Forum)
. The church needs to announce Jubilee as Jesus did as a celebration. We need to present HOPE to parishioners.
. We are the church - what can we do?
. When Jesus proclaimed Jubilee he was more concerned about our salvation out of which Justice will come. Is the church in danger of standing outside and being the ombudsman?
. The church could/should make expectations and be prophetic in our relationships and demands of national and international financial organizations.
. The members of the church need to understand the full implication of Jubilee for themselves and need to help each other to achieve the Jubilee by changing lifestyles and assisting others internationally, nationally and corporately to change their ways. (Resources, education, goals and objectives, prayer).
JUBILEE (From Partnerships Forum)
To what extent and in what ways do you think the priorities for the work of the Partners in Mission Committee and the PWRDF Committee do or should reflect the themes of Jubilee?
* Need a good theological reflection on the meaning of Jubilee - bible study material
* Practical ways to practice Jubilee - 1st question, `what do we let go of?'
* Importance of Sabbath renewed
* Maintain arm lengths with government agencies
* How would debt forgiveness work at all levels?
* Balance of debt forgiveness and human rights
* Means of accountability with debt forgiveness
* Tie debt forgiveness to restorative justice
* Willing to find ways to take a prophetic voice locally in specific ways
* Dioceses finding ways of `letting go'
* Jubilee service to heal brokenness, starting with ourselves and process
* Recognition of forgiveness
* Being in partnership with those in debt / in prison
Jubilee (from Ecumenical Relations Forum)
- Sabbath begins with hearing what each of means by Sabbath
- Let us not confuse commercial celebration of millennium with Jubilee
- set aside time of Sabbath each day for the next 3 years (2001)
- do the givers understand the concept of - land, freedom, slavery, celebrating Sabbath
- We need to work with other ecumenical/inter-faith groups around the categories in 4
DEBT CANCELLATION
* We agree with the campaign but believe it will be a "hard go" and "hard sell" in one parishes and in the context of our society because of attitudes, fear, and enormity of the issues and amounts of $, understanding of the other's reality, locus of power.
* Forgiveness is an act of self interest because of our interconnectedness with the situations of others.
* Need for concrete resources - people, paper, and experience.
* We continue to believe the experience people from elsewhere visiting, living in our communities and speaking of their reality helps - as well as exposure visits - and people's support to cooperatives is of assistance in understanding.
* Need to move from an economy the "bottom line" to a full sense of [omicron][iota][kappa][omicron][nu][omicron]µ[iota][alpha].
FAIR TRADE
What can the Anglican Church do to promote fair trade? What can you do in your community to purchase fairly traded products? (i.e. the Ten Days for Global Justice campaign for coffee).In our communities, we can promote fair trade, and get information from:
* Ten Days for Global Justice
* Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives
* Ecumenical Coalition for Economic Justices
* Task Force on Churches and Corporate Responsibility
* Promote the book "Coalitions for Justice", by Christopher Lind available from ABC
* Join a Ten Days group
* Talk to your PWRDF Parish representative
* Get in touch with national Eco-Justice Committee
* The Church "what can we do"?
* Encourage education on issues such as 'fair trade'
* Provide opportunities to take on leadership
* Promote awareness of issues and resources
* Watch 'Common Grounds ' video, available from Anglican Resource Centre
Scriptural Basis for Ethical Decision-making (From Anglican Identity Forum)
. Some ethical questions highlight the tension between the secular and sacred and this tension causes us to reflect on our understanding of
* human nature
* values and norms implicit in our thinking.
. Scripture (the story) can assist us as we seek to proclaim new life in Christ and seek to follow Jesus as faithful disciples.
. Take time to listen
* to each other
* to the spirit
Sexuality (From Anglican Identity Forum)
. Human Sexuality is a gift from God to be reaffirmed. We do so especially in light of the fact that many experience guilt, vulnerability, and power imbalance in their attitudes and experiences of living out their sexuality.
. Sexuality is a gift -- it cannot be imposed as a discipline.
. Scripture, tradition and reason need to be in dialogue promoting constant reformation -- especially promoting covenant relationships which foster the growth of both / all participants.
. Where we begin scripturally (vis a vis sexuality)
* Informs what we think and believe about sexual expression
. Determining a reliance on scripture, tradition, and reason is a big struggle.
. Relationships need to be an experience of wholeness and completeness and sign of God's love!
. Reported about Diocesan issues regarding sexuality
. Pastoral underground / public
Scripture / Experience
. Dialogue
* sharing ideas
* coming together
* places to talk (Youthfest, fidelity, integrity, days of dialogue)
. Unity - move together
Biotechnology (From Anglican Identity Forum)
. Ask Anglican Communion to push for UN regulation / management.
. Push for research of but limit patents for environmentally extracted substances.
. Stewardship of the microcosm as well as the macrocosm.
Ecumenical Justice Coalitions (from Ecumenical Relations Forum)
- when a coalition becomes involved in an issue that is "hot", the Church should be informed
- accountability: how is coalition accountable to its member churches - who decides when a coalition engages in an issue, when does it withdraw?
- accessibility: good web site on work coalitions cross-referenced by topic not by name of coalition only
- good information avoids duplication of effort at other levels