DATE: July 23, 1998
MEMO TO: PWRDF Committee
FROM: Jim Boyles, General Secretary
RE: Comments from forums at General Synod
____________________________________________________
The following comments were recorded on newsprint and relate to the work of your committee:
UPROOTED PEOPLES
In what ways do you think we can be a part of the solution so that people are not forced to leave their homes, be it to look for jobs or to search for refuge?
* By recognizing the difference between civic and Christian responsibility (politician) vs. (Christian political understanding)By assisting, supporting fair trade, understanding the injustice of the Nike runners example and may others and that we prolong, as consumers, the problem
* By educating congregations to the problems at home and overseas, making the connections, the parallels, recognizing food banks as good short-term efforts but needing analysis as to why in Canada are people hungry
* By walking with, as pilgrims people on our doorstep, recognizing the health and financial risks and fear felt mutually e.g.: working with street people
* By working ecumenically and lifting our prophetic voice
YOUTH
In what ways do you think that youth could be enabled to experience international partnerships of the Anglican Church of Canada?
* 2001 Youth Event
* Info on the world wide web
* Need more advertising/information about national partnership/exchanges/ programs (i.e. Canada World Youth)
* National Youth Resource Network to share 'how to" info needs to be fast, accurate and more. Does it fall to Information Resources to do this?
* We need to learn from other countries/ denominations about how to fund this work
* Where are the funds going to come from?
* PWRDF is looking at the future of youth involvement in the international working being done
* Still need more National support
* We need to make this happen
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
MULTICULTURALISM
What steps do you think could be pursued to engage multicultural communities in the life of the church and in the international partnerships
* Old multicultural images and stereotypes are not the same todayPeople of a same culture may reflect a wide range of cultures1st generation immigrants are very culturally different from succeeding onesLanguage is not the only criteria of culture
* Where are the walls of partition coming down?
* Identifying them is a big first step
FOREIGN AID
What do you think about Canada's current level of foreign assistance.
What role might international partnerships play in informing people about levels of international partnerships play in informing people about levels of international development assistance.
* Ashamed and outraged at current level of foreign aid agreed amount .7% of GNP. Actual is less than .25%
* Need more videos like "Garbage kids" and those more widely distributed to raise awareness
* Unmask the myth of poverty at home and our complacency for foreign aid.
* Need success stories that are viable to market to raise awareness and also refute current perceptions of mismanagement of foreign aid.
* Churches should raise people's vision - then motivate to reach the vision
* Next year is critical to motivate government to increase commitment to foreign aid
* Need an ecumenical collective strategy to reach .7%
PARTNERSHIP: SHARING GIFTS
What does this mean in practical terms in our parish or diocese?
What gifts might we give to overseas partners?
What gifts might we receive from them?
What does our biblical understanding of stewardship teach us about the sharing of resources?
* The meeting and connections made between 1st Nations people and partners from the Philippines discovering similarities over land use and lack of accountability.
* Parishes have difficulty understanding sharing gifts if parishioners do not understand they are a part of a diocese , a national church a world.
* Volunteers In Mission, who return are `money in the bank'
* The first need in going to a new country - family, support, people to stand with you as a partner. We cannot stand alone. We know this in Myanamar. You in Canada, you think you can go it alone. You give the impression you don't need others
* Do we need help from our partners to learn how to support each other in the face of despair and `bad news' `powerlessness'
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 - A CELEBRATION OF HOPE (From Streams of Living Water 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 Forum on Ecumenical Relations)
- 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 (From Streams of Living Water Forum)
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].
TOWARD SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY (From Streams of Living Water Forum)
. 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.
FOOD BANKS (From Streams of Living Water Forum)
. 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 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 (From Streams of Living Water Forum)
. 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.
The Church in the North and Aboriginal Peoples (From Forum on North)
The Council of the North dioceses have given special attention to our relationship with the Anglican Council of Indigenous People during the last triennium.
a) What further steps can be taken to enrich our partnership with aboriginal people, especially as we move in the direction of the Covenant and in other areas of mutual ministry?
b) How can the Canadian Council respond to the challenge of the Anglican Council of Indigenous People and the Council of the North to the spiritual and other needs of Aboriginal peoples living in large southern Canadian cities?
A healthy Church requires a healthy community.
Development of Companion Congregations.
How can the Church facilitate urban native people connect with their own culture and language?
Find Diocesan models that work e.g. Diocese of Brandon model.
Learn from one another through parish