KAIROS Reconciliation in the Watershed - October 14, 2017 @ 10 am – 4 pm

In partnership with the Sisters of St Joseph in Canada – London, KAIROS Canada will host a full-day Reconciliation in the Watershed workshop at King’s University College on Saturday, October 14, 2017. Supported by the Echo Foundation, this workshop is part of a series being delivered by KAIROS Canada across Canada this fall.  The KAIROS Reconciliation in the Watershed Program aims to increase the number and diversity of Canadians who are, knowledgeable about their immediate watershed, able to identify issues related to its protection, and make connections between local ecological issues and Indigenous rights.  The full-day workshop aims to renew the relationship between Canadians’ and their local watershed on a path towards reconciled relationships with Indigenous Peoples.

Wherever we live in creation we are part of a watershed, an interdependent eco-system nested in a larger eco-system, which is also a watershed.  We all have a relationship with the bodies of water that sustain our lives and we too are living parts of a watershed.  In Canada, our watersheds continue to be threatened by mining, fracking, oil exploration, pipeline development, agriculture, water bottling, and more.  The impacts of colonialism and industrialization have alienated us from our watersheds by creating political territories that ignore watershed boundaries and turning our water and natural resources into commodities.  Colonialism has also damaged the relationship between non-Indigenous and Indigenous peoples. Indigenous peoples, who affirm the interconnectedness of our watersheds, continue to offer gracious welcome to settlers and seek partnership in a just transformation of the land. 

It is time to repair these relationships and build relationships of ecological integrity with our local watersheds and between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples.  To do so, we need to go in to our watersheds and listen to the voices of Indigenous peoples who were its first protectors and stimulate learning, affection, and ultimately a commitment to protect our water. The Reconciliation in the Watershed workshop is a great place to start! 

This day of learning, relationship-building, and action, will include presentations and activities focused on decolonization, Indigenous rights, environmental issues, and reconciliation.  In the afternoon, the workshop will move to the Museum of Ontario Archeology, where participants will learn about the history of the land and the watershed’s first peoples.  Participants will also engage in a medicine pouch activity, to learn about the importance of medicine pouches to Indigenous nations and the sacred plants that are used, as well as the significance of the Medicine Wheel.   

Registration for this event is $20 regular/$10 students and includes lunch and activities at the Museum of Ontario Archeology.  Register here or email Mary Shamley at mshamley@csjcanada.org.

Flyer

Guest blogger: Beth Lorimer, KAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives

What would Grandma think?

While enjoying a little more TV than usual during the summer I was intrigued by the increasing number of TV spots advertising food kit subscription services. You may ask, “What are meal kit services?” Meal kits are made by various food companies who deliver right to your doorstep ready-made meals or boxes containing all the ingredients and kitchen-tested illustrated recipe cards to prepare dinner. Some Canadian food kit delivery services include: Chef’s Plate (Toronto), Jolly Table (Calgary), ChefX (Ottawa), and Dinnerlicious (Hamilton).

Google Enlightens

I googled “food kits” to learn more about this growing food trend. Here is what I found:

Why the Need?

In the midst of the hectic and busy lives of individuals and families and an increased consciousness of the necessity of making healthy food choices, it is not surprising to see alternatives to fast food take out dinners surfacing.

How About the Pros?

Revuezzle.com focuses on product reviews and comparisons. In its article, 5 Surprising Benefits of Food Kit Delivery Services it highlights five reasons in support of this growing culinary trend. These reasons are outlined in subsections on: Perfect Portions, Less Food Waste, Healthy Cooking Made Easy, Time and Cost Savings and Access to Ingredients Not Easily Obtained Locally.

Furthermore, the meal kit option is cheaper than restaurant eating. However, bear in mind, kits are more expensive than do it yourself supermarket shopping.

Takechargeamerica.org points out that kits may also help the consumer minimize food waste by providing just the right quality of ingredients needed for the recipe. Whereas shoppers often buy more groceries than required and end up with food spoilage.

Kits are often tailored to meet various dietary needs such as vegetarian, gluten-free, diary free or low- sodium meals. Some services offer organic food options. Although there are numerous benefits to meal kit services, the main perk remains convenience. Kits provide a great way for diners to try new foods, flavours and cooking methods.

How about the Cons?

The main con cited by takechargeamerica.org is related to price. While costs vary, most meals average about $10 a meal per person. One could experiment with several providers and take advantage of the usual significant discount offered on first-time orders. This would allow a lower cost option for trying out the meal kit cuisine.

Another deterrent takechargeamerica.org cites in purchasing ingredients delivered to your doorstep is expanding your carbon footprint. Kits involve excessive packaging since the ingredients within your insulated box are individually packed and in addition there are the cold packs.

Takechargeamerica.org points out that although services allow you a certain leeway in naming ‘no way’ ingredients and flavours, there remains the probability of getting a dinner you don’t like.

Listed on the website is a factor which dissuades me from purchasing a meal kit and that is the lack of wiggle room for creativity or last minute changes.

Grandmas Reaction

Finally, I’m left wondering what Grandma Wales or Grandma Walsh, great home cooks, would think about dinner in a box.

Why not post a comment conveying your thoughts on subscribing to food kit delivery?

Nancy Wales, CSJ

 

Make Your Voice Heard

On July 26^th, listening to the evening news on the car radio, I was elated to learn that the Supreme Court of Canada has ruled that sonic testing by oil companies must cease on the waters in the Arctic.  This decision is the result of a hard- fought battle by the people of the tiny hamlet of Clyde River in Nunuvut. Now, marine mammals like beluga, bowhead and narwhals will be protected from deafening seismic blasts. The decision goes against National Energy Board’s agreement to allow 3 Norwegian companies seeking to fire air guns into the waters of Baffin Bay and Davis Strait.  As part of the ruling, the Inuit community of Clyde River received long term assurance that their culture and way of life will continue.  Most importantly, the ruling stated that the federal government must ensure that Indigenous concerns are heard and treaty rights are honoured.  There must be honest consultation.

Throughout the last three years, the Greenpeace Canada website had been collecting online signatures from the public to support the Inuit community’s local efforts to stop the underwater testing which would wreak havoc on marine life.

Of all the online appeals for signatures to support various causes that pop up on my computer screen, I felt compelled to add my signature to Green Peace Canada to support the people of Clyde River in their quest to halt the big oil Goliath.  As Green Peace regularly reported, the online signatures grew steadily to an astounding over 400,000 advocates petitioning the federal government to stand up for Indigenous rights and stop seismic testing.  Finally, after much work by the Clyde River Inuit and supported by signatures and interventions, justice prevailed.  Clyde River WON their case at the Supreme Court of Canada.  I felt that my signature played a tiny part in that victory.

As to becoming involved in various online pleas for support, it is easy for me to give a cursory glance at the issue presented and press “delete”.  Presto! I have one less thing to consider on a busy day.  However, I’m learning to take a second look and put some time into researching various causes and choose initiatives where my support might make a difference.

I’m proud that I supported the fight to halt a dangerous oil exploration project that threatened the Canadian Arctic.  All it took was some time and effort --- and pressing “click” on the Green Peace website.

Jean Moylan, CSJ

Living Hope-fully in a Chaotic World

In an age with images of violence and the trauma of terrorism, how might a person maintain a sense of hope and not give in to the fear and depression that stalks members of our society? How does one nurture an attitude of peaceful expectation in the midst of financial challenges and demanding relationships?

Awareness of challenges facing society and individuals is necessary in spite of the surrounding and sometimes impending “bad news.” It is still, in my opinion, important to follow daily newscasts and keep abreast of family and neighbourhood happenings, while maintaining a cheerful and hope-filled perspective. This is not to suggest that we should not care and care deeply about society’s problems or our neighbour’s situation; however, wearing an attitude of upbeat curiosity can actually enhance our ability to live meaningfully.

So, how do we do that? How do we wear a smile and have a lift to our step that is real and not fake? First of all, I believe we encounter the truth of difficult situation head-on: no denying, no evading. We talk about a troubling situation to someone we trust- whose opinion we value; praying about a given situation or episode is also helpful. To speak with the Divine about the hurts that trouble our spirit and that of the world is important. We can consciously spread “Good News”, looking for it and then capitalizing on it. That is what we share when we meet our next-door neighbour or our cohort at work. We take responsibility for passing on a smile, for creating a more peaceful corner of our own milieu. Positive “warm fuzzies” create a sense of well-being. May we take charge of the threatening atmosphere and change it in the little ways we can: being people of caring and hope, creating peaceful encounters, lessening the drama of the daily news, and spreading the Good News of faith and renewed energy.

We are called to face reality and truth with courage, not to duck and hide. Life is good. We can be sources of creative energy and enthusiasm; we can live and spread hope. 

Helen Russel, csj 

Spiritual Director at Providence Spirituality Centre www.spiritualcentre.ca

As the world nears four famines, 22 million children are at risk

For Janet Tiko, every day brings the possibility of tragedy. Her nine-month-old son, Simon, suffers from malnutrition. She brought him to be treated at the Al-Sabbah children’s hospital in Juba, but Janet doesn’t know if it’s already too late.

More than one million people in South Sudan are now on the brink of famine. A United Nations declaration in February 2017 made the famine official, but the situation continues to deteriorate. There are 4.9 million people in urgent need of food and it’s estimated that more than one million South Sudanese children will suffer from acute malnutrition this year.

Unfortunately, since I last visited South Sudan in 2014, the situation for children has only grown worse. Ongoing conflict, a collapsing economy and depleted stocks from the last harvest have destroyed families’ livelihoods. As people flee violence, they’re left to survive on whatever food they can find – of which there isn’t much. Children have little choice but to drink unsafe water, leading to an increase in illnesses, especially diarrhoea, which can be deadly. Immediate threats to safety and health are compounded by long-term threats to the future of a generation.

The scale of today’s crisis is staggering, but South Sudan isn’t alone. The world is now facing the very real possibility of four famines, with food crises also threatening the lives of children and families in Nigeria, Somalia and Yemen. Across the four countries, nearly 1.4 million children are at imminent risk of death from severe acute malnutrition, and 22 million children are hungry, sick or out of school.

The good news is that child deaths due to famine and malnutrition are preventable if the right action is taken early.

In South Sudan, UNICEF and partners have conducted massive relief operations since the conflict began, and have intensified efforts to mitigate the worst effects of the humanitarian crisis.

Since the famine was declared, with the World Food Programme, we  have been conducting joint emergency missions, delivering life-saving supplies and services to the affected areas in Unity State. Together, we have reached almost 200,000 people – including nearly 50,000 children –  with food aid, nutrition screening and support and basic health care. This is just one aspect of our large-scale regional response.  

UNICEF is working around the clock to reach vulnerable children and families in the most remote locations. In South Sudan this year, we aim to treat more than 200,000 severely malnourished children and provide therapeutic feeding programs at 620 outpatient and 50 inpatient sites. We’re also working with the warring parties to prevent recruitment of children into armed groups and reunite children separated by the conflict with their families.

Across the four affected countries, UNICEF has more than 750 staff working to bring life-saving aid to the most vulnerable, and that includes more than food. UNICEF is working to provide 7.4 million children with safe water, 3.4 million with measles vaccinations and 2.1 million with education.

But despite our best efforts, the scale of the crisis is far outpacing the humanitarian response. Unless more action is taken, the situation is likely to continue to deteriorate.

UNICEF has requested $255 million to meet the urgent humanitarian needs of children in South Sudan, as well as Nigeria, Somalia and Yemen, in 2017. Last month, Canada announced $119.25 million to help scale up the response to the famine crisis, including $9.6 million for UNICEF’s work in South Sudan.

No child should die of hunger. The continued support of Canadians will make a difference in providing life-saving assistance to these children before it’s too late. 

David Morley is President and CEO of UNICEF Canada.