International Development Week Hill Day

Over 120 participants from 34 organizations met with MPs and Senators during the IDW Hill Day on February 6, 2020. (Photo courtesy CCIC)

International Development Week (IDW), celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2020, provides a great opportunity to engage with both the Canadian public on global issues, and for MCC to join like-minded organizations to advocate for more support for development from the Canadian government. Events were held across the country in support of IDW highlighting this year’s theme: ‘Go for the Goals’, a reference to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.  

With a sense of optimism and collaboration in the air, the MCC Ottawa Office, alongside 33 other organizations, participated in an IDW Hill Day on February 6 organized by the Canadian Council for International Cooperation (CCIC). The goal of the day was to discuss the challenges, achievements, and aspirations of Canada’s international development community while encouraging government and opposition MPs to support a proposal to double Canada’s Official Development Assistance (ODA) by 2025.  

ODA is the mechanism by which Canada supports programs around the world to help people meet their basic needs, such as water, food, medical assistance, education and more. Canada’s contribution to ODA currently sits at 0.28% of Gross National Income (GNI), a historic low. That is only 28 cents for every $100 of revenue and well below the long-held global target of 0.7%. While these statistics may be disheartening, a recent public opinion survey commissioned by CCIC found that 74% of respondents want Canada to either play a leading role or at least match the contributions of similarly developed countries.  

In the spirit of these responses, member organizations met with 56 MPs from all 5 parties to advocate for an increase of ODA while promoting ODA’s past achievements and continued potential. MCC Ottawa Office staff Rebekah Sears and Silke Groeneweg were able to participate in the day, promoting MCC’s work in supporting grassroots peacebuilding and how increases in ODA can support MCC’s work abroad.

Get involved and send a letter to your MP, asking them to work to increase Canada’s international assistance and support local peacebuilding initiatives around the world.

Canadian Policy on Palestine and Israel on Parliament Hill

Meeting with Green MP Paul Manly (centre) on Canadian policy in Palestine and Israel, (l to r) Kirsten Van Houten (Kairos Canada), Rebekah Sears (MCC), Corey Balsam (IJV) and Nadia Abu-Zahra (University of Ottawa/Carleton University). (MCC Photo)

As Parliament 43 gets underway, it is a critical time to reconnect with returning MPs and build working relationships with new arrivals. In February, the MCC Ottawa Office began our political engagement, raising concerns about Canadian foreign policy in Palestine and Israel. 

Together with colleagues from Kairos Canada, the United Church, Independent Jewish Voices (IJV), Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East, and several Canadian academics, we met with 11 MPs from multiple parties in just two days. We addressed some of the key Canadian policy-related issues in Palestine and Israel and specifically raised questions about how Canada can help contribute to a just peace for all in the region, including:

• Ensuring that all Canadian policy on Palestine and Israel – specifically trade policy, where there are many direct connections – adheres to international law, human rights, a just peace for all, and unilateral condemnation of the Israeli military blockade and occupation (See MCC’s related advocacy tool here).
• Addressing the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and beyond by calling the government to double Canada’s annual contribution to UNRWA to $50 million, especially given the increased needs since the withdrawal of U.S. support. (See MCC’s related advocacy tool here).
• Calling the Government of Canada to drop its appeal of a federal court case, which in July 2019 ruled in favour of David Kattenberg, disallowing products sourced from the Occupied Palestinian Territories to be labelled Product of Israel (which ties directly into the first ask).

Overall, the meetings were productive in gathering information about possible political openings and helpful in setting concrete goals. We were grateful for the opportunity to engage with MPs on this issue and highlight the importance of continuing this key and complex conversation to bring about change.

Find out more: See MCC's letter to the Canadian government to firmly and publically reject the “Peace to Prosperity” plan as a viable solution to obtaining peace in Palestine and Israel (See the French version here). 

MCC Ottawa Update

Michael Lynk, UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian Territory occupied since 1967, shared about his work at a brown bag lunch at the MCC Plaza Drive office in Winnipeg on January 29. (l-r) David Kattenburg, Michael Lynk, Joanna Hiebert Bergen MCC Manitoba, Leona Lortie MCC Ottawa Office. (MCC Photo/Cory Sawatsky Peters)

Much of the work of the Ottawa Office involves meetings and conversations with others, but not always on Parliament Hill! Over the last month, staff meet with coalitions and other organizations for conversations about climate change, forced displacement and Palestine. We are also spending time together as an office, working on strategic planning and preparing for the year ahead.