You can find the CUSJ 2013 Annual Report online now on the AGM webpage or right here in the link.  Hope many will join us at the AGM physically or per Live Streaming .. here is the report:  Read AGM Annual Report (PDF)

ICLMG fight against Bill S-7

The International Civil Liberties Monitoring Group has flagged the Conservative move to extend the security certificate legislation so they can continue to arrest people and hold them indefinitely without knowing who their accusers are and without seeing the evidence against them in a legal trial.  Urgent to write all MP’s now.  The bill is in 3rd reading in the house.  Their letter campaign is on our human rights page complete with MP e-mail addresses ready to go.

CUSJ has been a strong supporter of ICLMG for many years, and appreciates its diligence in following these important human rights issues in Canada and abroad.  Thanks to the dedication of Bob Staveley and Bob Stevenson, who regularly attend their meetings and follow their activities.

Tar Sands Updates

Westcoast Chapter of CUSJ presents a brief to the National Energy Board making a business case against the Enbridge Pipeline Proposal.

Globe and Mail Article on Eagle Spirit Energy Holdings.  A Group of First Nations people envision an energy corridor controlled by First Nations to bring oil from the tar sands to the West Coast.

See both the brief and the article on our Oil Energy Page

February is CUC Resolutions Month

There are many resolutions coming before this year’s annual meeting at the May Conference and AGM.  Some relate to governance, active democracy, CUC voice, and 3 are related to social action.  One relates to climate change, one to the Enbridge pipeline, and one calls for the repeal of C-31 – the new refugee act and replacing it with something closer to Canadian values and within the UN Convention on refugees.

Congregations are strongly encouraged to call meetings in February and discuss these resolutions.  This is the time to provide feedback and suggest changes.  When the resolutions come to the meeting in May they can’t be amended.  This is your chance to get involved.  We encourage all CUSJ members to discuss these resolutions and provide their feedback.

The full resolutions with action plans can be found on the CUC Website

CUSJ Declares Support for Common Causes

The Council of Canadians been working with 47 organizations (Idle No More, all key labour organizations affiliated with the CLC, Canadian Federation of Nurses, Greenpeace, National Farmers Union, Voices, Alternatives, Canadian Peace Alliance, Lead Now,  many, many more… including Oxfam,) to pull together a common front to tackle the social issues of our day and build enough strength to have real influence toward change.  Canadian Unitarians For Social Justice declares its support for this collective effort to bring our country to face the problems of the twenty-first century and to find the new approaches that will work in a post peak-oil world.  Here is our declaration:

CUSJ’s Press release January 27th, 2013

Bill C-400 – Campaign for National Housing Strategy

The vote at first reading for Bill C-400 is due to happen around February 13th.

CUSJ is supporting the Dignity For All Campaign to focus on persuading Conservative back benchers to support the bill.

Choose your approach and help Canadians communicate the importance of action on the Canadian Housing crisis (400,000 Canadians either live on the street or live in shelters at least some of the time.)  Consider writing letters, getting names for the petition, or contacting your MP.  Join up with Dignity For All to participate in a group MP visit.  MP visits will take place in the ridings until January 28th, and then in Ottawa between then and the vote.

See our Housing Page for more details and lots of resources.

 JUSTnews December 2012 Vol. 16 No. 2: Justice Heros issue.  Lead article by Frances MooreLappe on the City that Ended Hunger (Belo Horizonte, Brazil.)  Obits for Richard Bocking, Jean Mary McBean, and Joop Schuyff.

First Nations Pages updates — * Latest news on Idle No More and Chief Spence.  New letter campaign needed now!  * Liberal Senators launch an inquiry into Missing Aboriginal Women.

Housing Page has updated campaign for Bill C-400.  Urgent deadline February 13th 2013 for action.

Social Action Movie Page – New film added:  5 Broken Cameras (94 minutes):  An extraordinary work of both cinematic and political activism, 5 Broken Cameras is a deeply personal, first-hand account of non-violent resistance in Bil’in, a West Bank village threatened by encroaching Israeli settlements.  Shot almost entirely by Palestinian farmer Emad Burnat, who bought his first camera in 2005 to record the birth of his youngest son, the film was assembled by Burnat and Israeli co-director Guy Davidi.  Structured around the violent destruction of each one of Burnat’s cameras, the filmmakers’ collaboration follows   one family’s evolution over five years of village turmoil.  Burnat watches from behind the lens as olive trees are bulldozed, protests intensify, and lives are lost. “I feel like the camera protects me,” he says, “but it’s an illusion.”  Sensational Reviews.  http://www.kinolorber.com/5brokencameras/#

Annual General Meeting Updates:  Registration is almost ready for the CUSJ AGM.  If you are interested in looking to see what our program will be and the timings, in case you are making your travel arrangements for the Canadian Unitarian Council AGM and Symposium, check our AGM Page for all the information you need.

Democracy Page – Participate in the campaign to get politicians to take the 7-point pledge for democracy.

Fair Vote Canada is reviewing its basic principles.  Should it focus only on Proportional Representation (as it does now) or should it promote non-proportional systems like alternative vote in municipal elections where there are no parties.  What do you think?

Go direct to the Fair Vote Canada page to get involved or see the links under Fair Vote Canada on our Democracy Page.

Congregations in Canada are enjoying social action movies (often with a pot luck meal) as a way of getting more people engaged in discussions about our society and what direction we should go.  We have posted a long list of great movies and where to get them to get you started.  Let us know if you have seen a movie that should be on our list!

See our new Movie Page under Get involved.

CUSJ Supports First Nations Goals

2013 01 12  First Nations Page updated with results of meetings between Harper and Shawn Atleo and with an excellent handbill on the consequences of Bill C-45 which the First Nations want many parts of to be repealed.

CUSJ joins with First Nations .  We support their goals to have treaty rights upheld, to have fair and proper consultations on matters affecting their territories, to have land claims settled.  Here is our Letter to Prime Minister Harper.  We are calling for negotiations with First Nations Leaders for a real and fair economic, education, health, and environmental accord with provinces and the Federal Government.  January 4th, 2013

We hope they will avert a disaster regarding Chief Spence’s hunger strike (currently at day 24.)  While we do not condone fasting unto death because we value human life, we hope that the Federal Government will use this opportunity to initiate funamental change in our relations with First Nations.

See our First Nations Page

See Letter to John Duncan on Actions Page

We Won!

Highland Companies Withdraws Its Application for a Quarry in Melancthon Township

It is time for a National Housing Policy Now!

CUSJ is supporting the CUC Housing Faith in Action and Monitoring Group to get bill C-400 passed and confirmed into law.  Bill C-400:  An Act for a National Housing Strategy to ensure secure, adequate, accessible and affordable housing for Canadians

See our letter writing campaign on the Housing Page — What We Can Do.

Congregations can also take a stand on this issue and Endorse this Bill.  See the sample endorsement letter on the Housing Page – What We Can Do.

Letter 2012 11 14 To Membership – Buy Nothing Day

Written by Debra Mair, Member at Large, CUSJ Board

The CUSJ Board decided to follow up our Climatefast action with other actions starting with Buy Nothing Day, November 23rd and 24th, 2012.  See the full action on our environment page.   Find links to Adbusters which also recommends we consider Buy Nothing Christmas.  In addition, a good CBC link shows a route to getting control of your debt by taking on the “110-thing challenge.”

NEW: watch Clayton Thomas Muller’s presentation on 12 video clips:

http://cusj.org/annual-general-meeting/clayton-videos/

CUSJ Takes Action!

CUSJ writes to Prime Minister Harper asking the Conservatives to support Bill C-400 for a National Housing Policy – Housing Page

CUSJ writes to Standing Committee on International Trade to demand democratic process for the Canada-China trade deal – Democracy Page

CUSJ writes to Premiers to ask them to intervene in the Canada-China trade deal – Democracy Page

CUSJ responds to Federal Environmental Review on Darlington Upgrades  –  Nuclear Power Page

Protest against Prison Chaplain CUTS — Criminal Justice Page

CUSJ signs on to Health Care coalition – Health Page

CUSJ appeals for Climate Leadership – Environment and Climate Change Page

CUSJ appeals for Nuclear Disarmament and signs on to Coalitions — Peace Page

CUSJ appeals for a list of Canadian Buildings with asbestos for the protection of Canadian workers – ACTIONS/Human Rights

CUSJ supports Hassan Diab — Human Rights Page

CUSJ writes an open letter to the Senate and Parliament after C-10 was passed — Criminal Justice Page

CUSJ supports Native Women in their invitation for an investigation from the UN – First Nations Page

Our new Discussion Paper 24 on Economic Justice, Keynesian economic solutions, and alternative views is hot off the presses.

See more Discussion Papers and Issues of Just News at Just News

Toronto Chapter posts invitation to join in a fast

– a protest to promote more action on climate change.  See our new Environment Page.

Starts Friday, September 21st at 8:00 am at Parliament Hill in Ottawa.  Goes till October 2nd.

Is your chapter taking action on climate change or other serious environmental issues?  Help us publish your efforts on our new Environment page.

Edmonton Chapter posts a list of Harper’s actions to destroy Canada

See Our New Democracy Page

THE CONSERVATIVE GOVERNMENT’S DECONSTRUCTION OF CANADA

Compiled by Brian Staples, 2012 05 24 from Edmonton Journal news clippings and from materials from Lawrence Martin and John Ibbitson

CUSJ affirms Obama’s Goal To Reduce Nuclear Arsenal

CUSJ signed on to a letter from many groups encouraging Obama to stick with his goal to destroy nuclear weapons and set an example for all countries by doing so.  See the letter on the CUSJ website:   See actual letter  under Actions, Peace

Discussion Paper No. 23 on Immigrants, Multiculturalism, and the God Problem – Summer 2012

DP #23 – Multiculturalism, Religion, and Canadian Culture

(The Paper opens in its own window, for easy comments on this page)

In this Discussion Paper our search for truth and meaning
takes us from the practical to the esoteric.  Articles:

“Immigrants, Multiculturalism, and the God Problem” by Jerry Storie

“In the Beginning” – Excerpted from The Mind of God, by Paul Davies
“If physical reality is somehow built on the laws of physics, then these laws must have an independent existence in some sense” [i.e., they
are not part of physical reality]. So is God the laws of physics?

For other issues of Just News and other discussion papers go to JustNews.