The fall regional gatherings are upon us. This year three regional groups have chosen to highlight some aspect of reconciliation, Treaty, or decolonization. All events are online, and everyone is welcome regardless of location.

Nov 6 and 7

KAIROS Great Lakes St. Lawrence presents its biennial conference, Furthering Reconciliation, on Zoom. Hosted by KAIROS Durham, the conference will include two virtual workshops, Mapping the Ground We Stand On by PWRDF and the KAIROS Blanket Exercise.

Nov 20

KAIROS Prairies North invites you to its Annual Gathering on the theme of Decolonizing Ourselves: Rediscovering Treaty with the Earth. A morning sharing time with stories from around the region will be complemented by an afternoon workshop with Rev. Stan MacKay and Dr. Bob Haverluck that will explore ecological racism and Treaty as covenant. This workshop is presented by the KAIROS Prairies North Decolonization Group and the Treaty Land Sharing Network.

Nov 26 and 27

Atlantic Region presents its virtual regional gathering Living Treaties: How we live into the Treaties and how Treaties live in us. Join Miigam’agan and a growing circle of Indigenous and non-Indigenous Treaty people to consider how our own lives are part of Treaty.

KAIROS actions to build a better world, such as e-petitions, letters to elected officials, and advocacy events are housed on the KAIROS Advocacy page. Take action today!

The Migrant Workers Centre for Solidarity in Simcoe, Ontario is a new organization that came to be due to KAIROS’ Empowering Temporary Foreign Workers During COVID-19 project.  

Father Peter Ciallella explains:

“In January this year the newly founded Migrant Workers Centre for Solidarity opened, thanks in large part to our partnership with KAIROS. The grant has allowed us to reach out to over 4,000 migrant Farmworkers in Norfolk, Brant, and surrounding areas. We have provided welcome gift bags, clothing, food, personal protection equipment, and other necessities as the workers continue to cope with the challenges of the pandemic. Moreover, we provide assistance with information regarding COVID health protection, translation, medical visits, benefits and other important services. As we continue in our outreach, we hope to connect with other important agencies to support the workers through these challenging times.”

Photo description. (L to R), Fr. Peter Ciallella (Centre Supervisor), Fany Belcolsk (General Coordinator), Dr. Matthew Strauss, Chief Medical Officer of Health for Norfolk-Haldimand, and Dolores Interiano (Service Coordinator). Dr. Strauss was impressed with Migrant Workers Centre for Solidarity’s work and is very supportive: “The Centre gives voice to folks in vulnerable situations. You play a vital role in our community, and I look forward to working with you.”  

Women Link, a program of KAIROS' partner South Sudan Council of Churches, was featured during the KAIROS20 gathering webinar, Women of Courage: Women, Peace and Security program on October 27.

Margaret, reporting from South Sudan on Women Link, offered words of hope to the webinar speakers and participants. Great change is happening because of their work!

Women Link provides trauma healing, reconciliation, unity in prayer, and peace intervention to women and communities of different ethnicities and denominations. Women Link’s participants march on the street and travel door-to-door delivering awareness about COVID19 protection and the prevention against early marriage and sexual assault. Women Link also trains people to help empower more girls.

As a result of their work, more girls are going to school rather than marrying at early ages.

Margaret spoke of laughter, understanding, and forgiveness.

“We give the message of hope and encouragement. We preach about peace. Some lose their hope, but now they come together,” she said.