Prioritizing UN Declaration Legislation

Hundreds of people participated in a mass blanket exercise lead by members of Kairos Canada on the steps of Parliament Hill in Ottawa in 2015. (MCC Photo/ Alison Ralph)

"All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation ..."   2 Corinthians 5:18 (NIV). This is MCC's theme verse this year. It also serves as an invitation to participate in reconciliation work through advocacy here in Canada. 

Last year, your letters, messages and energy around Bill C-262, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (introduced by MP Romeo Saganash in 2016), made a difference in moving C-262 forward through the legislative process. While C-262 died in the Senate, thanks to advocacy from across Canada, the current government promised to introduce a legislative framework for United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UN Declaration) implementation this year.  

Both COVID-19 and the minority Parliament pose challenges to the quick introduction and passage of the proposed legislation. Public spotlights on systemic racism, along with the ongoing impacts of COVID-19 on Indigenous communities, however, underline the urgency of measures to protect Indigenous rights in law. 

Given these challenges and the urgency of acting, the Minister of Justice and Members of Parliament need to hear from Canadians about the importance of moving legislation forward and honouring their promise. In fact, the Minister of Justice has reached out to faith bodies and organizations, asking for support in moving this legislation forward. 

As people of faith we continue to be committed to addressing the legacy of harm done to Indigenous Peoples by churches and governments, and to forging right relationships. Passing a legislative framework to implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UN Declaration) is an excellent step toward ensuring the human rights of Indigenous Peoples are respected and honoured in Canada.  

We invite you to join us in urging the Canadian government to fulfill its commitment to reconciliation by tabling legislation this fall, using C-262 as the floor, and making every effort to bring this legislation to Royal Assent in advance of the next election. Join us and use our advocacy tool to participate: 

MP Engagement in the age of physical distancing

July 8, 2020. Zoom meeting with Conservative MP, Jasraj Singh Hallan, top to bottom, left to right: Bekah Sears (Policy Analyst, MCC Ottawa), Leona Lortie (Public Engagement & Advocacy Coordinator, MCC Ottawa), Orlando Vasquez (MCC Alberta Program Director), James Alty (MCC Rep in Palestine and Israel), Dale Taylor (MCC Alberta Executive Director), Jasraj Singh Hallan (MP, Calgary Forest Lawn)

In our previous newsletter, we told you about MCC signing our name to a joint ecumenical letter and co-sponsoring a pledge – joined by Mennonite Church Eastern Canada Palestine-Israel Network and Mennonite Church Manitoba Israel-Palestine Working Group – encouraging  Canadian MPs to oppose Israel’s annexation plans in response to partner concerns. But how would we bring this message directly to MP offices when we could no longer attend physical meetings in Ottawa due to COVID-19?  

Our only option was virtual meetings, but we soon discovered that hosting virtual meetings was a powerful way to bring more voices into the conversation. One of MCC’s strengths in political engagement on Parliament Hill, with supporters and other organizations, is our direct connection to the communities we serve through local partners and programs. With virtual meetings, we were able to have MCC’s Palestine and Israel representatives, Joan and James Alty, join our meetings to talk directly to MPs across the political spectrum and share partner perspectives around annexation. We were also joined by staff from MCC’s Canadian Advocacy Network, to meet with their own MPs – an excellent opportunity to raise this issue from different perspectives! 

Since our meetings, there have been recent updates around annexation. On August 13, Israel and the United Arab Emirates announced a peace agreement between the two countries. One condition of the agreement appears to be the suspension of Israeli annexation plans. We remain concerned, however, that Palestinians were not included in the negotiation process and that there appear to be no measures in place to address underlying conditions of ongoing occupation or the possibility of a return to annexation plans in the future.  We are watching this issue as it unfolds and continue to encourage the federal government to ensure Canadian policies in the region support a just peace for all in Palestine and Israel. We invite you to join us in the advocacy actions below. 

Join advocacy action!

MCC Ottawa Update

A summer evening on Parliament Hill in Ottawa. (MCC Photo/Anna Vogt)

Ottawa Office staff have been taking time this month to rest and recharge through vacations and outdoor activities. This has involved spending time getting to better know the parks and neighbourhoods near our homes and sharing connections with friends and family nearby. In order for us to do advocacy work well, time spent away from our computers and enjoying the world around us is vital. We are also getting ready for a full fall, starting with virtual advocacy network gatherings in early September with our colleagues in Washington and New York, and a webinar on advocacy on Sept 24th.