No images? Click here Love in a time of pandemic March 2020 Issue No. 89Quotation of the month
Love in a time of pandemicWhile we don’t recommend holding hands these days, this group of Honduran youth is an example of community care. In Tegucigalpa, they gather weekly through the support of MCC partner Association for a More Just Society. In a context that struggles with high levels of violence, the youth learn about their rights, and ways they can work together to implement change in creative ways. (MCC Photo/Anna Vogt) As many Canadians and others around the world, the Ottawa Office staff has seen drastic changes in our daily lives this week. On Monday, March 16, our office closed its physical location in Ottawa and transitioned into a new and socially distant reality. As we work remotely in our homes, we continue to follow the news and make use of virtual tools to connect with each other and the communities and people we work with. Just like most of you, we are also asking ourselves how we can respond in these uncertain times. One of the questions we are asking is, what does love look like in a pandemic? COVID-19 has reminded us that we are connected to one another and that our actions, whether social distancing, bringing food to our neighbours, donating to those in need, prayer, and seeking a response based on public health expertise, matter. We are encouraged to take our cue from our global neighbours, especially those who are used to living in situations of uncertainty and respond in love and care, for those nearby and for the collective whole. Just as this situation is a reminder that our individual actions, together, matter, we are also reminded that we have more influence than we think. More than ever, this is a time for the work for human dignity, justice and peace to continue. As we wonder about the future and what normal will look like again, we can also imagine what change can look like when we all work together. Imagine a world where policies and structures uphold the lives of the most vulnerable, placing human dignity above profits and allowing creation to flourish beyond destruction and conflict. This is a moment in time when everything is changing, let us embrace this reminder that change is always possible and that each one of us has a role to play. Let’s work to care for one another now and imagine a future with new ways of connecting and being in this fragile, beautiful world we share. Pray with usWe invite you to continue to pray for all those who are impacted by COVID-19: We pray that we would respond with grace and compassion, leaving xenophobia and suspicion behind. -Amen Non-violence for social change: Active PeacebuildingStudents participate in the “A look at privilege” workshop during the student seminar. (MCC Photo/Anna Vogt) On a cold winter morning on February 20, students from across Canada started arriving at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, one block from Parliament Hill in Ottawa. The 2020 Ottawa Office Student Seminar was heading off to a good start. Over the next two and a half days, 31 students explored with us concepts of active citizenship, non-violence, advocacy, privilege and peacebuilding while listening to and interacting with Parliamentarians, civil servants, civil society, and MCC staff. As part of the seminar, students also had an opportunity to learn more about our Canadian parliamentary system by attending question period and participating in a tour of the House of Commons. Students were encouraged to contemplate what they are passionate about and how they can make a difference by working for change, even in divisive and difficult circumstances. While various speakers presented different themes and issues, commonalities became apparent. Advocacy and public engagement tools and opportunities are similar, regardless of what issue we are passionate about. Understanding our political, economic, and societal structures and systems is essential when working for change, whether organizing a grassroots movement to counter oppression and injustice or meeting with your local MP to discuss a particular issue. It was fitting to conclude the student seminar by taking a group photo on Parliament Hill, the place that symbolizes and holds power and privilege in Canada, and then sending students off to explore opportunities of working for change by engaging their own communities. Common StrengthThe Canadian Foodgrains Bank celebrates the strength of women farmers in a newly released documentary. Colleen Dyck, a farmer and entrepreneur from Niverville, Manitoba, travelled to western Kenya to live and work alongside small-scale farmer Lucy Anyango. Watch the full 23-minute documentary here. MCC Ottawa UpdateThe MCC Ottawa staff on Parliament Hill at the conclusion of the 2020 student seminar, l-r: Leona Lortie, Rebekah Sears, Silke Groeneweg, Anna Vogt. (MCC Photo/Mark Tymm) The Ottawa Office staff was joined by several provincial MCC staff in facilitating a successful 2020 student seminar. From making coffee in the kitchen, to leading sessions, to greeting guests, it was all hands-on deck! Then, at the beginning of March, Ottawa staff had the chance to engage in various activities around food security and the need to increase Canada’s Official Development Assistance during a Canadian Foodgrains Bank reception and Hill Day. |