As you know, Development and Peace is working with Caritas Haiti on the emergency response to the Earthquake.  The following is a Caritas Blog where members can read and see how their support is being used by the Caritas Team. 

http://blog.caritas.org/category/emergencies/haiti-quake/

Making Mining Mind - why Canadian companies need government controls. A free event.

sites/default/files/file/Feb%2016%20notice.pdf

All are invited to attend St. Basil's Church on Saturday evening, January 16 from 6 to 8 pm. The event is:  'Justice in the Land of Jesus: The Situation of Christians in the Holy Land,' and has been arranged by the St. Basil's Development and Peace Group.

With the Copenhagen conference coming up, climate change is even more present in our reflections. Follow the link below to view a document produced recently by Caritas Internationalis: “ Climate Change: Seeking a global justice” which is also available in hard copy:

http://www.caritas.org/activities/climate_change/SeekingAGlobalEthics.html

The following is from the Kairos Times newsletter:

On November 30, KAIROS received notice from the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) that our project proposal for 2009-2013 had been declined. We were not given an explanation for this decision, other than that our program did not fit CIDA priorities.

Our 2009-2013 proposal was developed within two priority sectors of CIDA: promoting good governance (human rights) and advancing ecological sustainability (reducing the impact of climate change and addressing land degradation). It was approved at every level of CIDA before being declined on November 30.

This decision terminates a 35-year history of cooperation between CIDA and KAIROS and its predecessor organizations, and compromises the work of human rights and ecological integrity in the developing world. (For possible impacts on specific partners, please see the background materials below.) This decision also negatively affects the ability of Canadians to develop skills and knowledge in the exercise of their global citizenship.

Please contact your MP to discuss this urgent matter. Please, respectfully and politely,

- Speak about your own positive involvement with KAIROS;

- Express grave concern about this decision;

- Ask that CIDA restore its long-standing relationship with KAIROS;

- Emphasize the impacts of this decision on global partners and our work in Canada;

- Ask them to call on CIDA to reverse this decision.

Please also write to:
The Rt. Hon. Stephen Harper, Prime Minister of Canada, pm@pmo-cpm.gc.ca,
The Hon. Bev Oda, Minister of International Cooperation, oda.b@parl.gc.ca, and
Margaret Biggs, President of CIDA, Margaret.Biggs@acdi-cida.gc.ca
requesting a reversal of the decision.

Please copy your letters to KAIROS at info@kairoscanada.org.

Further Background Material

Situation

- KAIROS submitted a 4-year program proposal to CIDA on human rights and ecological sustainability. The total program cost of the proposal is $9,211,483 over four years (CIDA contributes just over $7 million of that amount). This is consistent with previous levels of CIDA funding to KAIROS.

- On November 30, we received a call from CIDA informing us that our 2009-2013 program proposal had been rejected and that KAIROS would no longer be receiving funding from CIDA. We asked for an explanation and were informed that our program did not fit CIDA’s priorities. This was the last day of an extension to our current proposal. No written explanation has been provided.

- This decision, if not reversed, would cut funds to 21 ecumenical and citizen’s organizations in Latin America, Africa, Asia-Pacific and the Middle East, and cut educational work that helps Canadians across the country to develop skills and knowledge in the exercise of their global citizenship.

Background

- KAIROS and its precursor organizations have been funded by CIDA since 1973.

- The KAIROS-CIDA 2006-2009 program received a positive audit report and an excellent evaluation.

- KAIROS staff worked closely with global partners to develop the 2009-2013 program proposal which focused on human rights and ecological justice.

- It was submitted to CIDA in March 2009 and went fairly quickly through all levels of approval. KAIROS made all adjustments to the program requested by our program officer.

- The proposal arrived on the desk of Bev Oda, the Minister of International Cooperation, in July 2009. It remained on the Minister’s desk for five months.

- In September 2009, when our agreement had still not been signed, we were granted a two-month extension on our previous contribution agreement. During this time we received no communication from the Minister’s office. On November 30, the last day of this extension, we received the phone call from CIDA informing us that KAIROS would not be funded.

CIDA priorities and human rights

- With the support of CIDA staff, and in collaboration with our partners, our proposal was developed within two priority sectors of CIDA: promoting good governance (human rights) and advancing ecological sustainability (reducing the impact of climate change and addressing land degradation). Our proposal was deemed by CIDA staff to be within CIDA criteria and priorities throughout the approval process.

- Our proposal places a strong priority on advancing human rights. States are obliged to protect, respect and ensure fulfillment of human rights. Canada is expected to collaborate to fulfill these rights, including providing international assistance for these efforts. Our proposal is one way in which the government can demonstrate that it is providing support to the fulfillment of rights around the globe.

- Our focus on human rights is completely consistent with the ODA Accountability Act which came into effect in June of 2008. The act requires all Official Development Assistance "to be consistent with international human rights standards."

Impact of the decision

- This decision, if it is not reversed, will have a devastating impact on the work and well-being of our partners overseas, the hundreds of marginalized communities and the thousands of people who have benefited from their programs. Furthermore, it will decimate our education program in Canada, which enhances Canadian’s commitment to international cooperation.

- KAIROS supports partners in countries such as Sudan, the Congo, the Philippines, and Colombia who face extreme human rights and humanitarian crises as well as political repression. Many of our overseas partners risk their lives for the work that they do. KAIROS’ accompaniment, advocacy and education work with partners has saved lives.

- In the Congo, KAIROS funding means a women’s legal clinic to address rampant gender-based violence will be established. Loss of this funding to our critical human rights partner, Héritiers de la Justice, compromises this critical work to fight rape as a weapon of war.

- In Sudan, KAIROS is working with Sudan Council of Churches (SCC) and its members to mobilize greater action for democratic peace. The full implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement in Sudan is essential to ensuring that basic humanitarian, food security, livelihood needs of women and children and their communities will be met. Without KAIROS funding, the SCC will not be able to adequately pressure parties to implement this peace agreement. In a country with very weak civil society networks, SCC has been an essential voice in negotiating and implementing peace.

- In Indonesia, KAIROS, through CIDA, supports KONTRAS: The Commission for Disappearances and Victims of Violence. KONTRAS is highly recognized as a credible human rights organization in Indonesia and internationally, working specifically on human rights monitoring, documentation and advocacy. KONTRAS plays a lead role in ensuring the Indonesian government investigates past military abuses and compensates victims (and the families of victims) of human rights violations and military atrocities. Without KAIROS funding, KONTRAS will lose ground on the achievements made over the years in widening democratic space in Indonesia and will be unable to hold the Indonesian government accountable for national and international human rights covenants.

- In Colombia, KAIROS supports a grassroots women’s human rights organization, Organizacion Femenina Popular (OFP), in Magdela Medio, a region that has experienced some of the worst human rights abuses in Colombia. The OFP now has a membership of 5,000 women in the region of Magdalena Medio and runs 22 women’s centers, offering programs which include integrated community development, human rights of women, health and legal services, and education. In a recent letter the OFP appealed to Minister Oda to continue funding to KAIROS, "so that our sons and daughters grow up without being recruited by armed groups, kidnapped or assassinated - so that they have the right to a dignified life."

D&P members can now access bulletin announcements that can be published in your local parish bulletin. You can find them under the "Member Resources" on the website! If you have a bulletin announcement that you think other parishes can use, please e-mail it to luke.stocking@devp.org

ONTARIO PROVINCIAL MEETING!

The annual Ontario Provincial Meeting was held May 1-3 at the Sisters of St. Joseph Motherhouse in North Bay. Over 50 D&P members came from across the province to excercise their democratic muscles! The OPM is the annual meeting of the membership in Ontario where resolutions considered and both National Council and Youth Rep members are elected for Ontario. At this OPM Wambui Kipusi was elected as the new national council member for Eastern Ontario, Kaitlyn Duthie-Kannikkut and Julie Prior were elected as youth reps for Eastern Ontario and Central Ontario respectively.

Colleen Ross from the National Farmers Union, Paul Hagerman from the Canadian Foodgrains Bank, and Fr. Jean Vezina all gave wonderful and inspirational talks to strengthen us in our work as we begin to move from our current education campaign towards our upcoming theme of food sovereignty for 2009-2010.

Wednesday April 22nd Development and Peace members will be giving a presentation on Development and Peace to the senior grades at St. Michael's college school at 9:30am. Each homeroom will also recieve a package of materials, including campaign action cards for signing, for follow-up after the presentation.

                                                                                                                                                                      right to left: Daniel Schultheis, Tosh Miller-Francis, Julio Garcia (youth National Council rep) pictured here at the 2008 Toronto D&P Student Day

Today Daniel Schultheis and Tosh Miller-Francis will be speaking to the youth at Francis Liebermann high school in Scarborough who are participating in a development and peace THINKfast, going without food for 25 hours in support of Development and Peace. Daniel and Tosh are both post-secondary students who have become very involved in carrying the message of D&P to high schools in the archdiocese of Toronto. Daniel was a participant in the annual Development and Peace student day two years ago.  He and Tosh have since become committed volunteer presenters! Besides helping run the student days this year, they have both been involved in giving many presentations similar to the one they will give tonight! They will be speaking on our current education campaign and gathering signatures from the participating students.