PWRDF UPDATE October 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. Canadian Refugee System
2. PWRDF Partner News
3. KAIROS Campaign: Re-energize- time for a carbon Sabbath
4. Week to End Poverty October 14-21
5. PWRDF Emergency Response
6. Local Heroes
7. PWRDF November Meetings: Board Meeting, Diocesan Forum, Youth Council & AGM
8. PWRDF Annual Resources
9. 2007 Christmas Cards **Now Available**
10. Inspiration for Christmas Gifts
1. Canadian Refugee System
The Canadian Council for Refugees (CCR) recently charged the Canadian government with undermining the refugee claim system by creating a rapidly growing backlog through its continuing failure to appoint sufficient decision makers. That there is a growing backlog claim system is not news to many Canadians. Canada’s Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB), a quasi-judicial tribunal that decides the fate of refugee claimants, has been facing this problem for the last couple of years.At the end of 2005, there were 20,552 claims pending, since then the number of claims have increased to over 30,000. The issue is becoming critical as there are a few officers available to deal with the claims. According to a CCR press release, “The Refugee Protection Division of the IRB should have 127 members, but because of government failure to appoint and re-appoint, it is short 46 members.” The backlog is a concern because refugees’ lives are on hold until a decision is made on regarding their status. For more information visit www.ccrweb.ca.
2. PWRDF Partner News
Canada-Mexico Relationship: A brief extract from Americas Policy Group of CCIC (KAIROS, Rights and Democracy and PWRDF)
In August, Prime Minister Stephen Harper hosted his U.S. and Mexican counterparts in Montebello, Quebec. What was popularly called the "Three Amigos" meeting was in fact the third annual gathering of the three heads of state who make up the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), to discuss the Security and Prosperity Partnership (SPP). As the name suggests, this largely secretive process seeks to deepen NAFTA's economic measures while increasing "security" in the three countries.
In the lead up to this meeting, PWRDF staff worked with other members of the Americas Policy Group of CCIC to produce a briefing note on human rights issues in the Canada-Mexico relationship. Entitled "Security and Prosperity for Whom? Keeping Human Rights and Democracy in Focus in Canada's Relationship with Mexico", the brief examines a range of concerns that APG members and their Mexican counterparts have monitored and responded to over the years. The brief also calls for meaningful and transparent consultation in all three countries about the SPP, the lack of which "has been at the expense of democratic process and the protection and fulfillment of the human rights of the citizens of Canada, Mexico and the United States."
The full text of the brief can be found at: http://www.ccic.ca/e/003/apg.shtml
Keep the people of Burma in your prayers
PWRDF staff are continually in touch with partners on the ground in the Thai-Burma border area. Amnesty International and Canadian civil society groups are working on sending a letter to the Prime Minister to act. We ask that you keep the people of Burma in your prayers.
United Nations Adopts Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples After more than 20 years of negotiations, the United Nations has adopted the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The September 13 vote was overwhelmingly in favour of the international human rights instrument.Canada was one of the four countries to vote against the non-binding declaration, along with the United States, Australia and New Zealand. All are countries with large indigenous populations.For more information please visit our stories page.
3. KAIROS Campaign: Re-energize- time for a carbon Sabbath
KAIROS invites you to Re-energize yourself, your church, your community and our world! Our thirst for oil is killing people and the planet …it doesn’t have to be this way! www.re-energize.org
4. Week to End Poverty October 14-21
The field of the poor may yield much food, but it is swept away through injustice – Proverbs 13.23.
How will you and your faith community respond? A resource has been mailed to all parishes with the PWRDF annual resources www.kairoscanada.org
Holy Creator, we live in a world of plenty. Yet in this world of abundance, billions of our neighbours live in poverty. We pray for the courage to ask why; to listen for the answer; and to take action. You came that all might have life, and have it abundantly. Renew in us a spirit of justice; help us raise our voices against poverty. Amen Related news story.
5. PWRDF Emergency Response Updates
Hurricane Dean in Jamaica and Haiti:
- PWRDF contributed CAD 10,000 towards the ACT appeal.
On 19 August 2007, Hurricane Dean hit the Caribbean and made landfall in the islands of Jamaica, Dominican Republic and Haiti, before reaching the coasts of Honduras, Belize and Mexico. Torrential rain and strong winds created large-scale devastation. Jamaica and Haiti were the worst hit countries. Local members of Action by Churches Together (ACT) International are responding to the emergencies in Haiti and Jamaica. An ACT rapid response fund of US $20,000 was immediately sent to provide urgent food and non-food items to the affected people. An ACT appeal with a target of US $448, 873 has been issued to rehabilitate shelters and livelihoods of the affected communities and work towards disaster preparedness.
Hurricane Felix in Nicaragua:
- PWRDF contributed CAD 10,000 ACT Rapid Response Fund.
Hurricane Felix hit the North Atlantic Autonomous Region of Nicaragua on Tuesday, 4 September. The areas most affected were Bilwi (Puerto Cabezas), Waspam, and Tasba Pri. The President of Nicaragua declared a State of Emergency in the North Atlantic Autonomous Region of Nicaragua on the same day. An ACT rapid response fund of US $50,000 was immediately sent to Acción Médica Cristiana (Christian Medical Action), Nicaragua, a long-standing partner of PWRDF…to provide urgent food and non-food items to the affected people.
6. Local Heroes
This month we are celebrating:
Mrs. Marj Keen, Parish Representative, All Saints, Weyburn Saskatchewan – we were delighted to hear from our Diocesan Representative, Basil Pogue about Marj Keen’s involvement with PWRDF for over 30 years. Marj believes strongly in her ministry on behalf of PWRDF and found many creative ways to promote the fund, including selling produce from her garden and donating the money raised. We understand that her replacement, Debbie Hubick is another live wire, although can this be rwarded. Good luck Debbie in the years ahead – and thank you Marj.
St. Peter’s, Kingston, Ontario –James Leveille, his wife, Debbie and Mary Crawford were instrumental in raising $2,000 to support PWRDF’s HIV and AIDS work. For more information October 2007 Diocesan paper.
7. PWRDF November Meetings: Board Meeting, Diocesan Forum, Youth Council & AGM
The Annual General Meeting of The Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund will be held on Saturday November 10, 2007 at the Valhalla Inn in Toronto. All are welcome to attend. The PWRDF Board and Diocesan Representatives & Coordinators will be meeting concurrently at the same location November 8 – 10.
8. PWRDF Annual Resources (2007/2008)
Our new parish resources for 2007/08 have now been mailed so please watch out for the delivery of a package in your parish. If there are any changes to resource quantities or to the contact person, please let us know.
9. 2007 Christmas Cards **Now Available**
Our Christmas cards have now arrived and any orders received will be shipped shortly. Please contact Ricky de Castro to order. Information available on our website.
10. Christmas Gifts Inspiration
Looking for gift ideas this Christmas? What better way than to donate to PWRDF in lieu of a Christmas gift. PWRDF funds support programs such as providing food security for flood affected communities, train youth to help in reconstruction after the earthquake in Pakistan, help returning refugees to re-settle in Burundi, and many other projects that PWRDF is involved in funding of the grass-roots level.
Gift cards are available from Ricky de Castro.
