PWRDF UPDATE July 2007
Welcome to Update - The Primate's World Relief and Development Fund newsletter and information bulletin for subscribers.
PWRDF is the Anglican Church of Canada's agency for international development, relief, refugees and justice issues. Please contact Yvonne Lane for more information on any of the following items.
1. Under the Sun
Please watch out for our summer issue of Under the Sun – issue #38, which will be in your mailbox in the next few weeks and will focus on emergencies.
2. General Synod
Cheryl Curtis and Beth Baskin were very happy to meet so many of the delegates at General Synod, wonderful conversations were held and good ideas emerged. We are most appreciative of the volunteers from Rupert’s Land who took the time to staff the PWRDF booth and to Susan Roe-Finlay, our Diocesan Representative who coordinated the volunteers.
PWRDF partner, Bishop Pie Ntukamazina and his wife Clavera from the Diocese of Bujumbura, Episcopal Church of Burundi also attended General Syond as invited guests. They both came to Toronto and visited our offices.
3. Refugee Issues
It is always timely to offer information on issues that are prone to misunderstanding. If you would like a tool that will lead you to better understanding the reality of Refugees and Immigrants in Canada, as well as enable you to challenge people with inaccurate information, please visit the Canadian Council for Refugees website and look for their document Facing Facts: Myths and Misconceptions about Refugees and Immigrants: www.ccrweb.ca
4. CIDA Update
The Canadian Government established the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) almost 40 years ago. Since 1971, PWRDF has sourced CIDA funding for country specific work, theme specific work, emergency response, development programming, public engagement programming, and over the past twenty years, for core-funding.
With CIDA funding there are compliance requirements on the part of PWRDF and partners for regular financial and narrative reporting and availability for audits. There have been significant changes to CIDA compliance requirements in recent years. PWRDF, as a partner-centred development agency works to maintain strong working relationships with partners and thus we have had to consider partner capacity to respond to changing CIDA reporting requirements. By decision of the Board of Directors, PWRDF is entering a new strategic period focused on evaluation and learning for the organization and has struck a PWRDF-CIDA Discernment Task Group to discern and make recommendations to the November 2007 Board meeting regarding PWRDF’s future relationship with CIDA. The task group is lead by recent Anglican Award of Merit recipient, Dorothy Davies-Flindall.
PWRDF is in its final year of a multi-year core funding agreement with CIDA with a 3:1 match currently standing at a $1,239,000 annual contribution from CIDA. PWRDF will submit a new 3-year funding proposal to CIDA in late 2007 that furthers our thirty-year partnership, recognizes the valued contribution of Canadian Anglicans to PWRDF since 1959, and celebrates an improved method of operations and reporting. The research stage of the CIDA Discernment work is wrapping up and the analysis and recommendations work is the next phase. Research has included interviews with CIDA, overseas development partners, ecumenical partners, staff, and General Synod participants.
We invite your thoughts and comments regarding this discernment process over the summer months by contacting Carolyn Vanderlip via email cvanderlip[at]gmail.com
5. PWRDF Partner News
AWEPON receives 2007 Betty Plewes Award – the African Women’s Economic Policy Network, PWRDF Partner through KAIROS, was selected as the winner of the $15,000 award for its engagement on research and policy development on issues of priority to women. Based in Uganda, and spanning some 20 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, AWEPON works to enable women – especially women at the grassroots and national levels – to influence the shaping of economic policy. It promotes gender equity and economic justice. Elizabeth Eilor, AWEPON’s Executive Director last visited Canada in October 2005 and attended the introduction of the KAIROS water campaign. She traveled out west and was hosted at events by Holy Trinity Cathedral, New Westminster, BC and spent some time-sharing her work with them.
PWRDF Partner, Friends of Burma based in Ottawa, celebrate Karen Connelly’s major award for her book set in Burma, The Lizard Cage. This Canadian writer gathered her material during visits to the Thailand-Burma border, where she met Burmese activists and former political prisoners. “Telling the true stories of what happens under secretive regimes is an important form of caring, sometimes even of justice. So many Burmese people helped me to write this book; I am glad their stories have been honoured in this way,” She said.
PWRDF is proud to support the Fifth Continental Meeting of Indigenous Women of the Americas which will take place from July 9 - 11, 2007 in Kahnawake, Quebec, Canada, under the theme Restoring our Balance. This opportunity for exchanges, training and networking, will allow Indigenous women leaders once again to solidify actions and to strengthen links developed over the last fifteen years in their path for a good life. It is also a great opportunity for Indigenous women of the Americas to learn about “one strong nation in North America: the Mohawk nation and the community of Kahnawake”.
Among the more than 300 participants expected from across the Continent, there are two indigenous women who are PWRDF board members, Vivian Ayoungman, Siksika Nation, member of the First Nation Adult Higher Education Consortium-FNAFEC and Donna Goodleaf, Kahnawake Mohawk Territory, Quebec, Director of the Kanien'kehaka Onkwawen: naRaotitiohkwa Language and Cultural center. For more information please refer to: http://www.faq-qnw.org/5conti/
6. Youth Initiative
Are you between 16 and 30 and looking for something to do this fall? Taking a break from school or work? Why not consider being a fall intern with justgeneration.ca. We are seeking a justgeneration.ca (PWRDF) intern for this fall. The justgeneration.ca intern works closely with the Youth Initiative Staff person and the Public Engagement Team to promote and support the involvement of young people (16-30) in the work of PWRDF, while working on things the intern is also interested in. Email youth[at]pwrdf.org for all the info!
7. KAIROS 2007 Regional Meetings
Every fall the KAIROS grassroots network gather to make plans for the coming year and to welcome anyone who wants to get involved with justice work. Whatever your background, age or faith, KAIROS welcomes you to these retreat-style meetings. Travel costs and registration fee assistance are available from KAIROS.
Fort Qu’Appelle, Sk September 28-30
Tatamagouche, NS September 28-30
Ancaster, ON October 12-14
Sorrento, BC October 19-21
St. Boniface, MB October 12-14
For details of local contacts, please refer to Kairos website www.kairoscanada.org
For more information on the KAIROS network, contact Julie Graham – jgraham[at]kairoscanada.org.
8. International Day of Prayer for Peace – September 21, 2007
On 21 September, churches and communities throughout the world are committing to the International Day of Peace through prayer, meditation and other forms of spiritual observance. For 2007, the WCC office for the Decade to Overcome Violence (DOV) has made available prayer and liturgical resources developed in the context of this year’s DOV focus on Europe and its theme “Make me an instrument of your peace.” For more information visit www.overcomingviolence.org
9. Local Heroes
The Three Cantors – we celebrate a recent concert given by the Three Cantors at Christ Church Cathedral in Ottawa and their continuing support through the Huron Hunger Fund of PWRDF. Since 1996 they have been giving concerts and contributing to PWRDF 100% of the proceeds of the sale of their CD’s. The cantors are Anglican priests – Rev Canon Bill Cliff, Rev Canon David Pickett, Very Rev Peter Wall. Angus Sinclair is accompanist to The Three Cantors.
For the rest of the year their schedule includes Montreal, Hamilton, Sudbury, Owen Sound, Thunder Bay, Hanover and Simcoe. For more information on the Three Cantors concert schedule and sale of CD’s, please refer to www.3cantors.com
10. Partnership for Life – Continuation of the Ribbon
Did you or anyone in your parish provide a denim square for PWRDF’s Ribbon of Hope? We have now, thanks to the original artist, Thomas Roach, constructed two new Community Ribbons from the additional 400 squares that were collected by individuals during the journey of the Ribbon of Hope across Canada and its appearance at Nidus Festival in 2006. For more information, please check out the story at http://www.partnershipforlife.ca/. If you scroll down the page you will also see one of the ribbons hanging in our office – the other one was displayed at General Synod, accompanying the photo exhibit – Facing Aids, Facing Reality. Thank you so much for your participation, we do so enjoy reading the squares and admiring the creativity involved in many of them.
11. 2007/08 Resources - *** Please watch out for new Resources in September**
PWRDF is currently working on new resources for 2007/08 – the theme will be Enough for All - Care of Creation. Resources will be sent to all parish representatives in early September. Please watch out for these new resources and if you know of a change of address, representative change, or would like to check on quantities on our database, please let Yvonne know at ylane[at]pwrdf.org.
In addition, we have a new Introducing PWRDF in the works that will be available at the end of July. This will also be distributed to all parishes in September.
We are always happy to receive your comments on how you use our resources and what you find helpful, or not. Remember, it is easy to comment by sending an email to ylane[at]pwrdf.org. Thank you for all you do.
KAIROS Education and Action for 2007-10 will be: Re-Energize…Time for a Carbon Sabbath. An introduction to this campaign addressing fossil fuel dependency in the form of a postcard will be sent out in early September along with the PWRDF resources with suggestions and ideas of how you can participate. www.kairoscanada.org
