To commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Global 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence campaign, KAIROS is highlighting 16 Stories of Courage from our Women of Courage partners from the International Day Against Violence Against Women on November 12  to International Human Rights Day on December 10. 

During this kairos time, KAIROS’ network and partners converged – virtually – on October 24 for the youth event, We are Unstoppable, and from October 26 to 28 for the KAIROS Gathering to mark 20 Years of Spirited Action for Justice, part of KAIROS’ 20th anniversary celebrations that began July 1. Stories of kairos moments,  answering “the call,” and positive impacts were common threads woven throughout the gathering. 

The three KAIROS regional gatherings – Great Lakes-St. Lawrence, Prairies North, Atlantic – that happened in November led us into deeper understandings of the treaties that were made on our behalf and how we can be faithful treaty people.  

Help build momentum for corporate accountability. KAIROS invites you to support mandatory human rights and environmental due diligence legislation requiring companies to prevent, report on, and face consequences for human rights abuses and environmental harm. Please sign the petition to the House of Commons, hosted by the Canadian Network on Corporate Accountability, of which KAIROS is a member.

The dust may have settled from COP26, the UN Conference on Climate Change, but the realities of climate change continue to rage. On the final day of COP, meteorologists warned that extreme weather created by an atmospheric river was headed for British Columbia. The impact of that storm was devastating and has many wondering if international climate negotiations are keeping pace with the urgency of this crisis.

Karri Munn-Venn from Citizens for Public Justice was part of the For the Love of Creation and United Church of Canada (FLC-UCC) "virtual" Delegation to COP26. In her blog, she weighs in on the conference’s outcomes and shares reflections from her fellow FLC-UCC delegates. 

For the Love of Creation (FLC) hosted a Fall Symposium on October 30, which convened more than 170 participants and speakers to advance faith-based collaboration for climate justice. Recordings of the Symposium’s plenary sessions are now available on the FLC website!

This Op-ed by KAIROS’ Rachel Warden appeared in the November 29 issue of The Hill Times.

Zara Alvarez, a well-known human rights defender and community health worker was fatally shot last year. Zara worked with EcuVoice, a KAIROS partner in the Philippines. Her death was part of a pattern of rising threats, arrests, disappearances and deaths under Filipino President Rodrigo Duterte’s so called “war on drugs” and use of “red-tagging,” which labels human rights organizations as front organizations for local communist terrorist groups.

KAIROS joins the ecumenical community in solidarity with the Wet’suwet’en peoples who are defending their lands in opposition to the Coastal GasLink Pipeline. This pipeline violates the fundamental right of free, prior and informed consent of Indigenous Nations, endangers the lives of Indigenous peoples, and does not align with pathways for limiting global temperature rise to 1.5°C. The Letter of Solidarity urges the federal government to halt this project and the associated erosion of trust with Indigenous Nations.

With the next phase of the Empowering Temporary Foreign Workers During COVID-19 Project in progress, KAIROS Canada would like to highlight new partners that have joined us for Phase 2! 

Unknown Neighbours provides community information and resources for migrant workers and employers in Simcoe County. Established to support KAIROS’ Empowering Temporary Foreign Workers during COVID-19 project, Unknown Neighbours is also helping spread the word about the project and community support for migrant workers in the following articles, published on Simcoe.com and in local newspapers:

Oct 19: Bradford Hispanic Church and Unknown Neighbours team up to give thanks

June 9: 'Unknown Neighbours' group supporting migrant farm workers

During the second plenary of the #KAIROS20 Gathering, Zoughbi Zoughbi, Director of Wi’am: The Palestinian Conflict Transformation Center, a KAIROS partner, weighed in on where the KAIROS community is today.

He addressed the difficulties of healing under occupation, and expressed hope in allyship with KAIROS, partners, and  Indigenous peoples in Canada. 

“I wish to have a strong bond with the First Nations people, to learn from them, to share and work together on restorative justice, land and reconciliation themes, and to collect the stories of hope,” he said. “We hope to work with KAIROS on exchange visits with the First Nations people. I think we are strengthening and marching together towards a collective understanding of land, Creation, spirituality and allyship and reconciliation.”  

Watch the full second day plenary.

Support Wi’am’s work in the KAIROS Women of Courage: Women, Peace and Security program. Every dollar you donate today will be matched by $3 from the government of Canada!