hile recent headlines haveproclaimed that economic

recovery is proceeding full steam ahead inCanada, recovery is not the reality for fartoo many Canadian families. Therecession created poverty for hundreds ofthousands of Canadians, leaving manystruggling with the recession's continuingimpact.

While standard poverty measures willnot be available until 2011, new researchfrom Citizens for Public Justice (financedby World Vision Canada) on key economictrends reveals the deep impact of therecession on poverty and economicinsecurity. Bearing the Brunt: How the2008-2009 Recession Created Poverty forCanadian Families was released in Ottawaon May 4th.

insecurity experienced by Canadianfamilies resulted from high unemployment,inadequate EI, and rising cost of living.

Over 400,000 jobs were lost betweenOctober 2008 and October 2009. Thosewho were already economically vulnerablebefore the recession began suffereddisproportionately from job loss. 1 in 4workers making $10 an hour or less losttheir job. Employees with a high schooleducation or less, recent newcomers toCanada and Aboriginal Canadians werealso more likely to lose their job.

EI is the program intended to helppeople who lose their job, providingincome based on previous salary or wagesto bridge people between jobs. But EI wasan utter failure in responding to theravages of the recession. While EIcoverage rose throughout the course of therecession, it only reached 51% in October2009. In other words, nearly half of theunemployed were not receiving benefits.In October 2009, this meant 777,400unemployed Canadians were not receivingEI benefits.

– continued on page 6

The recession created poverty forfamilies as hundreds of thousands ofCanadians lost their jobs. EmploymentInsurance (EI) failed to adequately supportthe unemployed, as nearly half of theunemployed did not receive benefits andthose who did received a poverty income.As a result of the gap created by EI, socialassistance caseloads increased across thecountry. Low income Canadians were alsohit with a rise in the cost of living, as foodprices and rent increased more thaninflation. As a result, debt loads grew,bankruptcies increased and food bank useskyrocketed.

In 2007, one of the strongest economicyears in the past 30 years, 9.2% ofCanadians – 3 million people – lived inpoverty. Our trend analysis projects thatthe poverty rate increased to 11.7% in2009, adding more than 900,000 people tothe population living in poverty. The childpoverty rate likely increased from 9.5% in2007 to at least 12% in 2009, an increaseof 160,000 children.

Incomes sufferThe rising poverty and economic

Volume 33 Number 1

CatalystCitizens for Public Justice www.cpj.ca

I N D ES IReligious Pluralism in QC 4

Dignity for All Anniversary 5

Ecological Justice 8

Recessions create poverty. The

2008-2009 recession was no

different as thousands of Canadian

families were pushed into

poverty...there are a number of key

economic indicators that already

reveal the trends of increased

poverty and economic insecurity

throughout the recession.

the

WBy Chandra Pasma

Bearing the Brunt: Recession Increases Poverty Rate in Canada

Summer 2010 Volume 33 Number 1 2

Ottawa/St. Lawrence Conference of theEvangelical Lutheran Church in Canadain April.

In recent months, we have saidgoodbye to a number of staff. KarenDiepeveen spent over two years as theCommunications Coordinator at CPJ,editing many CPJ publications with hersignature wit and wisdom. Kevin Elderleft his position as Financial Develop-ment Assistant to travel the world with hisnew bride. Congratulations, Kevin andHeather! Suzanne Boileau was CPJ'sDirector of Finance and Operations fortwo years, overseeing our financialmanagement during the challenges of thetransition to Ottawa and the recession. Wewish them blessings as they each pursuenew opportunities.

CPJ also benefits from the work ofseveral interns each year. In the fall wewelcomed Rebekah Sears as our PublicJustice Intern. Kathryn Cummings, asocial work student at Carleton University,joined CPJ this year to do her practicumhelping out the Dignity for All campaign.Ottawa University Law School internChristie Conway gave CPJ pro-bonoadvice. Thank you to all our interns!

Grace Christian Reformed Church inMarch and April, relating how the publicjustice voice of the major Christianchurches has become "muted andmaligned" and how groups like CPJ canhelp fill the gap. Joe also joined MaryCorkery, Executive Director of Kairos, fora Toronto presentation on spirituality formission for 42 leaders of Catholic religiousmissionary congregations.

Chandra and Karri visited CarletonUniversity in Ottawa in March to talkabout their work in policy and advocacywith the 4th year social issues class of theSchool of Journalism. Chandra was also inMontreal in April to present on economicsecurity and GLI at the BIEN conference,Basic Income at a Time of EconomicUpheaval?

The Dignity forAll campaign hasbeen gatheringmomentum withmore sign-onsevery month. InFebruary, theDish on Dignitybrought togetherpeople living inpoverty with 27MPs, Senators andfederal candidatesto dialogue about poverty eradication.

Board member Mike Bulthuis helped CPJstaff to make the well-attended event a success.

In January, Karri gave a sermon on afaith response to poverty at St. Peter'sLutheran church in Ottawa, and thenjoined CPJ intern Adam Snook in leadinga workshop on the Dignity for Allcampaign after the service. Karri andAdam also facilitated a workshop at the

Despite the challenge of prorogationof Parliament, CPJ has had opportunitiesto dialogue with MPs in the past fewmonths. In the fall, CPJ policy analystChandra Pasma joined colleagues fromBIEN Canada in meetings with Con-servative MPs Ed Komarnicki and DeanAllison, NDP MPs Jack Layton and TonyMartin, and Liberal Senator Art Eggletonto dialogue about Guaranteed LivableIncome (GLI).

In February, Karri Munn-Venn andJoe Gunn were invited to an all-daysession organized by Liberal Members ofParliament to develop their thinking onpoverty reduction strategies. Joe alsoattended a similar panel with speakers andMP respondents organized by the Liberals onenergy and climate change.

More recently, Karri and internKathryn Cummings met with the newchair of the House of Commons HumanResources committee, Candice Hoeppner,as the committee works to complete itsimportant study on the federal role inreducing poverty. Karri and internChristie Conway also attended aroundtable organized by Tony Martin todiscuss his private member's bill, "An Actto Eliminate Poverty in Canada."

In March, Membership andDevelopment Officer Darryl Exelby wasin Vancouver to meet with supporters.Darryl spoke at two church meetings anddistributed new resources for churches tohelp them get to know CPJ better. Darrylwas encouraged by the high level ofsupport for CPJ he found there.

Joe Gunn spoke at universities inLondon and Waterloo and Scarborough's

CPJ On Top of the Hill

Goodbye and Thank YouDignity for All

CPJ On the Road

Agreementno. 40022119

the Catalyst Spring 2010 (v.33, #1) ISSN 0824-2062Citizens for Public Justice 613-232-0275, toll-free 1-800-667-8046. e-mail: cpj@cpj.ca

Undeliverable copiesof the Catalyst should

be returned to:

Citizens for PublicJustice

309 Cooper St., #501Ottawa, ON K2P 0G5

The Catalyst, a publication of Citizens for PublicJustice (CPJ), reports on public justice issues inCanada and reviews CPJ activities. Please contact usif you wish to reprint material.

EDITING AND DESIGN: JAMES ROCHE

Catalyst subscription: $15 (four issues)

CPJ’s mission is to promote public justice in Canada by shaping keypublic policy debates through research and analysis, publishing andpublic dialogue.CPJ encourages citizens, leaders in society andgovernments to support policies and practices which reflect God’s call

for love, justice and stewardship.

CPJ membership fee: $50/$25 low-income, includes theCatalyst.

Visitus online:

www.cpj.ca

CPJ’s Kevin Elder and Kathryn Cummingsshow their support for the Dignity for AllCampaign at a rally on Parliament Hill.

Round-up

Mike Bulthuis wraps upthe “Dish on Dignity event”

n only a few weeks, Canada will host the meetings of the G-8 and G-20, where climate change should be high on the

agenda for all of the nations involved. In mid-May, UNSecretary-General Ban Ki-moon came to Ottawa to plead withPrime Minister Harper to make climate change a priority issue forthe G-20 discussions. Ban also exhorted the Conservatives to liveup to the greenhouse-gas reduction targets Canada negotiatedunder the Kyoto Protocol. And why not? As UNICEF recentlystated in its report on maternal and newborn health, climatechange is, "the biggest global health threat of the 21st century."But Mr. Harper declined the Secretary-General's suggestions inno uncertain terms.

After last December's Copenhagen climate negotiationsfailed to agree on binding targets for emission reductions, Canadahas once again lowered its sights. The Conservatives had alreadyrejected the Kyoto Protocol, which was negotiated by theprevious Liberal government and called for a six per centreduction of greenhouse gases by 2020 based on 1990 levels. InDenmark, Canada supported the two-and-a-half pageCopenhagen Accord (negotiated at the last minute by Washingtonand Beijing) which allows countries to set their own targets. ByJanuary Ottawa announced it would echo Washington's policy,and pledged a 17 per cent reduction by 2020, but based on 2005levels. Unfortunately, this new target does not reach the reductionlevels creation actually needs. By shifting the base year of ournew target to 2005, Canada can actually do less to address globalwarming than we were prepared to do when we went into theCopenhagen negotiations!

The Copenhagen Accord also called upon wealthy nations tofinance up to $100 billion in "new and additional" funding foradaptation and mitigation spending to allow poor countries toface the changes global warming is starting to impose upon them.Among donor countries, Canada's share of this new fundingwould be $300-$400 million in each of the next three years. Yet,the March 4th federal budget announced that developmentassistance funding will be frozen for three years starting in 2011.

Creation Care?The Gulf Coast oil spill has Canadians talking about the

environment again. And we certainly should be concerned aboutthe oceans, which are home to at least half of the mass of life onthis planet. According to Canadian journalist Alanna Mitchell'sdisturbing book, Seasick, climate change is causing a larger andmore serious problem for human kind than atmosphericwarming: global ocean change. Roughly a third of the carbon

dioxide that humans put into the atmosphere has entered theocean, and 80% of the extra heat we've created has also beenabsorbed there. Rising oceanic acidity is happening all over theglobe at an astounding and troubling rate which is affecting alllife on the planet.

Nonetheless, our professed commitment to creation careseems rather fickle. In 2007, when the economy was performingwell, Canadians chose environmental issues as their mainconcern. Our government, reading the polls, got the message, andthe Prime Minister declared climate change as "perhaps thegreatest threat to confront the future of humanity today." But withthe economic crash of 2008-2009, concern for the environmentdropped from the minds of Canadians, and thus also from the lipsof our political leaders.

Nonetheless, on the evening of May 5th a historic vote tookplace on Parliament Hill. By a vote of 149-136, with only thegovernment voting against the legislation, Parliament passed theClimate Change Accountability Act. Bill C-311 sets a national,science-based emission reduction target that represents Canada'sfair share of the global effort to reduce greenhouse gas pollution.This target is to reduce Canada's emissions to 80% below the1990 level by 2050, which is identical to President Obama's 2050target. (G8 leaders as a group committed to a similar target attheir 2009 Summit.)

A Public Justice ResponseCanadian churches were less than vocal in the lead up to the

Copenhagen climate conference. United Church ModeratorMardi Tindal was the only North American church leader toattend the global event. But perhaps that is about to change. TheCanadian Council of Churches is organizing a Religious Leaders'Summit to be held in Winnipeg from June 21 to 23. Over 100faith leaders will gather from around the world to prepare aninter-faith statement for the G8, focusing on poverty alleviation,peace, and demanding action on climate change: specifically acommitment to avoid global warming of more than 2°C. And inOttawa, CPJ is co-hosting a multi-faith retreat on climate changeas a moral issue, designed to assist faith communities to helpcreate political momentum in the lead up to the November-December UN climate change conference in Cancun, Mexico.There the nations of the world will return to negotiating theglobal warming action commitments that eluded them inCopenhagen – hopefully this time with a better result.

Joe Gunn is CPJ's Executive Director.

Volume 33 Number 1 Summer 20103

I

Public Justice Must Include Climate Justice by Joe Gunn

The Debate Over Religious Pluralism in Quebec

Summer 2010 Volume 33 Number 1 4

ecent immigration has brought a new religious pluralismto Canada, including Quebec. Yet the two societies have

reacted to this development in very different ways. To explain thedebate in Quebec over this development two historical factorsneed to be taken into account.

Stressing integration of immigrantsQuebec, a linguistic minority on the North American

continent, defends its collective identity against the culturalpower of the English language, especially in Montreal. At thesame time, a high percentage of immigrants who come to Quebecprefer to become part of the anglophone world of North America.

To protect Quebec's cultural identity, the provincial governmentmade a law obliging immigrants to send their children tofrancophone schools. The government has rejected the federalpolicy of multi-culturalism. Its own policy of 'inter-culturalism'fosters interaction between and the gradual convergence of the hostculture and the cultural communities to promote active citizenshipof all with an accent on the integration of immigrants.

Resentment against the Catholic ChurchThe second factor to consider is the rapid secularization of

Quebec. Since the Quiet Revolution, Quebec has become the mostsecular of the Canadian provinces. Although the Catholic Churchlost its power to influence government and control the publicculture, resentment against the church and religion in general isdominant. There is, for example, wide approval of the government'sdecision of 2005 to secularize the formerly Catholic andProtestant school commissions. Curiously enough, when fillingout census forms, Quebecers still call themselves Catholic.

The resentment against their own Catholic past makes manyQuebecers react negatively to the religious signs and symbolsused by recent immigrants, especially by Muslims. Since thereasonable accommodations made to respect the religiouscustoms of new citizens were controversial, the governmentappointed a commission, chaired by the sociologist GérardBouchard (an independentist) and the philosopher Charles Taylor(a federalist), to study the issue and make recommendations.

The Bouchard-Taylor CommissionThe Commission recommended freedom in the area of

religion, generosity on the part of the majority to make room forspecial religious practices, and reasonable accommodations torespond to people's religious needs. At the same time, theCommission recognized equality between men and women as anessential value of Quebec society that newcomers must learn toembrace.

The Bouchard-Taylor Commission insisted on la laïcité ofthe State; the application of a principle that calls for separationbetween State and Church/religion. The ideologicalunderstanding of la laïcité regards the secular interpretation ofthe world as the one truth and tolerates religion simply as aprivate cultural choice. The pragmatic understanding of la laïcitéemphasizes that, for reasons of justice, the State may not privilege any one

religion. The Commission accepted the pragmatic interpretation,thus recommending that the sphere of the State must be free ofreligious symbols. The crucifix, for example, in the provincialparliament can no longer be justified, nor should the highestrepresentatives of the State, members of parliaments and judges,be permitted to wear religious symbols that signify their faith.But apart from this highest sphere, there must be the freedom towear visible religious signs.

The Bouchard-Taylor Commission has been severely criticizedin Quebec and has generated vigorous debate over how societyshould respond to the new pluralism. Some Quebecers demandmore emphasis on Quebec's need to defend its collective identity,and some argue that no one employed by the State should beallowed to wear religious garb. There are even voices that expressdislike for immigrants and others that entertain ugly prejudices.

Supporting Bouchard-Taylor are those who emphasizeQuebec's pluralistic character, appreciate the new pluralism as anenrichment of society, and regret the sense of insecurity thedebate has created among many recent immigrants.

Largely following the Commission, Quebec's Liberalgovernment on March 24th introduced a law that bans womenfrom wearing the niqab when working in a public office orreceiving services from a public office. Premier Jean Charestmade the intent of the bill clear at the press conference: "Saythree words to them: Uncover your face." This has added fuel tothe larger debate.

Le Centre justice et foiAt le Centre justice et foi we are not happy with the present

debate. We are more troubled by the war in Afghanistan than bypeople's religious customs. The founder of the Centre, JulienHarvey, SJ, a passionate nationalist, always insisted that justice ismore important than nation. In present-day Quebec we do notaddress society with Christian words. If we did, the mass mediaand the opinion-makers would overlook our point of view. Butwe do speak to the present debate as Christians. The humansuffering produced by unemployment and poverty, by prejudicesagainst people of colour, by inadequate schooling and the plightof public healthcare are issues of greater urgency than the issueof religious pluralism.

We support the Bouchard-Taylor Commission's defense offreedom, pluralism, reasonable accommodations, and thepragmatic understanding of la laïcité. But we differ from theCommission by our greater concern for Quebec's culturalidentity. We hold that a nation conscious of its history has thecapacity to welcome newcomers and together with them create anidentity that is respectful of the past and at the same time open todiversity. We recognise the great contribution made by recentimmigrants to this francophone society on various levels. Wetherefore find ourselves disagreeing with public statementsemphasizing Quebec's identity that do not appreciate pluralism orthat express prejudice against religion.

Gregory Baum is professor emeritus of theology at McGill University,and a collaborator at Montreal's Centre justice et foi, a Jesuit-inspired education and information group which publishes the

magazine, Relations.

By Gregory Baum

R

Liberty or equality? We tend to think we can't have both. Thisbook argues that greater equality is the strongest "bastion againstarbitrary power" and the best way to a sustainable economy. It

combines a wealth of facts,thoughtful analysis, and options toprove its point. In doing so itaffirms the Biblical promise: dojustice and things will go well inthe land.

Comparisons between indus-trialized countries and betweenindividual states in the UnitedStates are used to document thelink between disparity, healthproblems, and environmentaldamage with higher costs. Thebook’s analysis of widely accepted

Since 2001 progressive individuals and civil society organiza-tions from around the world have gathered under the banner"Another World is Possible" at the annual World Social Forum.Economist and development expert David Korten offers richinsights on how we may achieve this new world order.

Despite having been written before the global meltdown of2008, Korten identifies the conjuncture of global crises as anopportunity for cultural, economic, and political "turning" basedon reaching for higher levels of human consciousness.

Korten offers a vast historical perspective on social, eco-nomic and political organization, while simultaneously consid-ering religion, philosophy, ecology, human development andpsychology. As humans, we have been granted "the gift ofchoice." Building on the "Great Turning" image of eco-philoso-pher Joanna Macy, Korten suggests we have the capacity tochoose to turn towards a more just and responsible future path.

"If we succeed, future generations may look back on this asa time of profound transition and speak of it as the time of theGreat Turning. If we fail, our time may instead be known simplyas the tragic time of the Great Unraveling."

facts shows that inequality is a greater social problem than poverty.Moving beyond statistics, the authors argue that inequality

corrodes society because people are social beings; as such trust andacceptance by others are key to health and well-being. There is lesstrust in highly unequal societies. In addition, these British authorscite numerous polls to show that a majority of people want changefrom the highly individualistic, consumer-driven models of growthand the huge gaps between rich and poor that hold true in Canadatoday.

Lack of political will is the missing piece. "Nowhere," theywrite, "is there a popular movement capable of inspiring peoplewith a vision of how to make society a substantially better place tolive for the majority. Without that vision, politics will rarelyprovoke more than a yawn."

Often, books that diagnose the problem of inequality are shorton solutions. This one stands out because it goes beyond therecommendation of governmental redistribution of wealth as asolution to propose a combination of policies that lead to moreshared ownership and participatory management at all levels of theeconomy and community life. The authors show even smalldecreases in the inequality of power can make big differences in thequality of social life and economic sustainability. Creating thepolitical will to do it is the challenge.

Ultimately, "The Great Turning" is a call to humanity to rejecta society based on domination, ecological destruction and unsharedmaterial wealth and to embrace a new way of living based on part-nership, community, and respect for all of life's richness.

Living examples of the strength and beauty of collaboration,Korten says, can be taken from the rain forest ecosystem andhuman body – there is no single leader, but millions of elementseach essential to the healthy functioning of the whole. In the inter-connectedness and interdependence of all Creation he finds lessonsfor a more holistic organization of human society.

While impressive in its breadth and clarity, the book probablyfalls short of providing an argument that will convince those inpositions of power (or even those happyto keep up with Joneses) of the greatmutual benefit of reimaging how we, asindividuals, communities and nations,relate to one another and the magnifi-cent ecosystem of the earth.

Still, Korten presents an inspiringvision of the possible for those with thewill to hope and energy to work forchange.

David Korten will speak about The GreatTurning in Ottawa on October 29, 2010upon invitation of CPJ and other partners.

Book ReviewsGreater Equality: The Best Way to a Sustainable Economy

SUMMER BOOK SUGGESTIONS FROM CITIZENS FOR PUBLIC JUSTICE

The Spirit Level: Why More Equal Societies Almost AlwaysDo Better By Richard Wilkinson and Kate PickettAllen Lane-Penguin Books, 2009

Reviewed by Kathy Vandergrift

Reviewed by Karri Munn-Venn

The Great Turning: From Empire to Earth CommunityBy David KortenKumarian Press, Inc. and Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc., 2006

BOOK REVIEWS A SUMMER 2010

Who are we for Jesus Christ, today? In acontemporary Canadian context, longremoved from first-century Palestine, thisis the essential question John Stackhouseposes.

For Stackhouse, incorporating contextis crucial in Scriptural application. Jesusused parables to convey Biblicalprinciples to people of his time. ThroughJesus' teachings, Stackhouse sees ourprinciple task as bringing knowledge ofGod to others through our vocations. Hecalls this furthering shalom, or peace,wholeness and goodness in everything wedo, from working in government topainting a masterpiece. Bringing shalomdoes not mean winning the world forChrist through political power, or isolatingourselves, but doing our best in the world.

But is Stackhouse promoting slightlytoo passive a stance? Stackhouse'sinterpretation of calling, furtheringshalom, is similar to theologian N.T.Wright’s. But Stackhouse emphasizes thatbringing the Kingdom is solely the workof God. Wright does not dispute this, butargues that God has and can empowerpeople to help usher in the Kingdomthrough our vocations. Stackhouse warns,with good reason, not to focus too muchon bringing the Kingdom. He fears suchrhetoric might lead to the desire toconquer nations for God through politicalmeans. He provides multiple examples ofC h r i s t i a ng o v e r n m e n t swhich, after com-ing to power, didnot rule underprinciples ofGod's Kingdom.The quest forbalance answerswho we are forJesus, today.

Every now and again a book comes alongthat you want to keep close by forever.This collection of talks and writings byAlbert Nolan is such a book.

Nolan, a member of the Dominicanorder, is about 75 years of age. Thecontext for his early writing was thestruggle against apartheid. I rememberfirst reading his 1985 essay, "TakingSides," in which he wrote that "thecommandment to love one's enemies onlymakes sense once we recognize we dohave enemies…" He argued that thepeople and institutions that maintain theunjust distributionof wealth andpower "and thosewho prop up theirthrones" are every-b o d y ' s enemies.Nolan cautionedagainst the Christiantemptation to thinkthe most lovingthing we can do isattempt individualconversions, when in fact, "the only effectiveway of loving our enemies is to engage inaction that will destroy the system that makesthem our enemies."

Do Nolan's current writings still holdthe fine edge of his earlier work? WithSouth Africa ending apartheid in the mid-1990s, the older friar now identifiesdespair as the defining characteristic ofmodern times. He now argues for the"personal liberation" necessary to defeatthe corruption and hopelessness evident inpost-apartheid regimes, where change hasbeen slow. Our hope, he says, cannot lie inany human institution or politicalideology. Rather, "the object of humanhope is the common good" whichbecomes "our participation in God'sWork." Ultimately, what matters is notthat we are hopeful but that we acthopefully – helping to make God's workour own.

Books on hope, vocation and wonder

BOOK REVIEWS B SUMMER 2010

Hope in an Age of DespairBy Albert NolanOrbis Books, 2009

Making the Best of It: Following Christin the real worldBy John G. Stackhouse Jr.Oxford University Press, 2008

Beauty, Wonder and Belonging: ABook of Hours for the Monastery of theCosmos By James ConlonBarnes and Noble Publishers, 2009Reviewed by Joe Gunn

Reviewed by Rebekah SearsReviewed by Sheila McKinley, OSU

"We deny ourselves our deepest delightby not participating in the dawn, thedusk, the solstice, the springtime."

These words areThomas Berry's,the renownedPassionist priest,cultural historianand leader ine c o l o g i c a lthinking. JamesConlon has ded-icated this book toBerry. It is de-signed specificallyto help us reflect prayerfully at dawn anddusk each day.

This slim volume is not intended to bea fast read. Pausing and pondering arewhat the author has in mind. The book hasa section for each day of the week. Headdresses The Universe Story, Mystery,The Sacred, The Human, This Moment,Struggle and Fulfillment, and CulturalTherapy. The same form is used each dayand includes an explanation of the theme,a reflection, a prayer, a story, quotationsfrom prophetic voices, time for silence anda response.

Conlon aims, in his reflections andpoem-prayers, to help us make theconnection between the sacred truths ofour faith tradition and the fresh insightsinto the nature of modern science. Heinvites the reader to ponder the sacrednature of the universe and to recognizeoneself as a member of the Earthcommunity.

The book provides an opportunity topause as we begin and end our day. Takingquiet time opens us to the wonders of ourworld that we miss in our frantic rush to dogood, and is an excellent antidote for anexaggerated sense of our importance.

This is a book that would be a goodsource for shared reflection or for a weeklong retreat.

Volume 33 Number 1 Summer 20105

feel it was my own fault. Truth is, it canhappen to anyone." And E. underscoredthe pervasiveness of poverty's reach, "Thestigma of poverty is present in the smallthings, like the different colour ofgovernment cheques. I feel ashamedwhen I have to cash my welfare cheque atthe bank."

But it wasn't all lament. This was aninformed group actively engaged inimproving their circumstances andworking hard to inform the response ofothers. There were many calls forparliamentarians to take leadership and tomove beyond the game of political hot-potato that has characterized the federal-provincial dynamic around poverty.Citizens and civil society representativesemphasized the issue of political will, andthe need for a comprehensive federalplan.

There was a welcome opennessamong the politicians present. Now, thatopenness needs to translate into action.Going forward, the Dignity for Allcampaign will continue to build thedialogue, make proposals, and press forsustained action to address the structuralcauses of poverty in Canada. We'rebuilding a movement and we want you tobe a part of it. Stay informed, spread theword, and let our elected officials knowthat you care about the poor andmarginalized. Together, we can eliminatepoverty in Canada!

* Citizens for Public Justice and CanadaWithout Poverty appreciate thecontribution made by guest speakers Alex Neve (Amnesty InternationalCanada), Joan Jessome (Nova ScotiaGovernment and General EmployeesUnion), members of the House ofCommons' Standing Committee onHuman Resources, Skills Development,Social Development and the Status ofPersons with Disabilities-HUMA, past-Chair Dean Allison (Con), Mike Savage(Lib), Yves Lessard (Bloc), Tony Martin(NDP), and Green Party candidate,Rebecca Harrison.

Karri Munn-Venn is CPJ's Socio-EconomicPolicy Analyst.

in poverty met directly with the 27Members of Parliament, Senators, andfederal candidates. Guest speakers* set thetone, but the main focus was on buildingunderstanding through dialogue. Low-income citizens had the rare opportunity toshare their stories and raise pointedquestions.

Isolation, insecurity, and the inadequacy ofsupport featured prominently in thediscussion.

"I have a child at home, EI has run out,and welfare is too low to put food on thetable," said E. Her anxiety was echoed byothers, including J., "After my accident, Ifaced many barriers: forms to complete,wait times… I had to go to a shelter withmy son before I could get subsidizedhousing. The money I received wasn'tsufficient. The bureaucracy made it achallenge to succeed. There was no desireto help, even after I had gone through allthe hoops."

F. spoke to the stark reality that manyCanadians choose not to think about, "Iwent from a yearly salary of $52,000 towelfare; from have to have-not. It was adegrading process. I got sick – heartproblems and diabetes – and was made to

t is has been a year now since Citizensfor Public Justice and Canada Without

Poverty launched Dignity for All: TheCampaign for a Poverty-Free Canada.The response has been overwhelming. Wehave received the support of 315organizations from across the country andover 5000 individual Canadians(including 50 parliamentarians!). We havebeen called on regularly by members ofparliament, church groups, and colleagueorganizations to offer insight, analysis andrecommendations for action to address thesocial and economic complexities ofpoverty in Canada. We've succeeded atraising the profile of inequality and socialexclusion and we've informed the movetowards much-needed change.

There have been many encouragingmoments, but one campaign event standsout.

"The Dish on Dignity: A Discussionabout Eradicating Poverty in Canada"brought together 140 low-income citizens,politicians, and social justice representatives foran evening of conversation on February 1,2010. The hall at St. Andrew's PresbyterianChurch, Ottawa, was packed to capacityand the discussion lively, as people living

Dignity for All Celebrates Tremendous Success in First Year! By Karri Munn-Venn

I

Left:Dean Allison, MP(Conservative)

Right:Yves Lessard MP(Bloc Québécois)

Left: Tony Martin, MP(NDP)

Right:Mike Savage, MP(Liberal)

Summer 2010 Volume 33 Number 1 6

Those who did qualify for benefits received a poverty income– average EI benefits are below the poverty line. So unless theyhad another household source of income, recipients were living inpoverty. As length of unemployment increased, the length ofbenefits became increasingly too short. As many as 500,000Canadians may have exhausted their benefits without finding newwork in late 2009 and early 2010.

Canadian families without employment income or EI need tolive off savings and credit, or turn to social assistance. In fact,social assistance directly filled in the gaps for EI, as caseloadsincreased the most in the provinces with the lowest EI coverage.While EI has problems, it is preferable to social assistance sinceit is far less stigmatizing and controlling of people's lives thansocial assistance. Social assistance also requires recipients to getrid of all assets and savings, making it harder for people to getback to employment.

Social assistance caseloads increased in every province, butAlberta, Ontario and British Columbia were particularly hard hit.Welfare caseloads in these provinces rose more than 20%. Thenumber of children receiving social assistance increased in allprovinces with available data, while the number of recipientfamilies increased in all provinces but one.

While social assistance caseloads increased significantly in2009, they have not yet reached their peak. Eight provinces hadtheir highest caseload in 2009 in December. Of the sevenprovinces which have already published statistics for January2010, all seven show an increase. Welfare caseloads could contin-ue to rise for some time as the unemployed exhaust their EI ben-efits without finding new work.

Meanwhile, those who kept their jobs were not untouched bythe recession's impact. Precarious work – work that is part-time,temporary or contract, with low pay and few or no benefits –increased as part-time jobs replaced full-time jobs and temporarywork replaced permanent positions. Self-employment alsoincreased 3.9%. Many people with jobs are therefore in a moreprecarious position and need to make ends meet with a lowerincome.

These trends are cause for serious concern because evidenceshows that recessions increase the income gap between the richand the poor. Low income Canadians lose proportionally more oftheir income during a recession, but do not recover at the samerate as higher income Canadians following a recession. It is verylikely that the 2008-2009 recession has increased Canada'salready very high income gap.

Rising costs mean growing insecurityWhile hundreds of thousands of Canadian families saw their

incomes cut, they also had to stretch their meager incomes fartheras the cost of living increased in 2009. Food prices across thecountry rose 4.9%, compared to inflation of 0.3%. Average rentfor a two-bedroom apartment grew 2.3% between October 2008and October 2009, compared to inflation over this period of 0.1%.

The rise in poverty and economic insecurity had an immedi-ate, visible impact. Average debt load per household increased

5.7% between the third quarter of 2008 and the third quarter of2009, as Canadians struggled with declining incomes and risingcosts. Bankruptcies increased 36.4% over the same period. In2009, there were nearly 36,000 more consumer insolvencies thanin 2008.

Food bank use experienced its largest ever recorded increase,growing 18% between 2008 and 2009. 794,738 Canadians need-ed to use a food bank in March 2009. This number is close to therecord set in 2004, meaning the gains of the past five years havebeen totally undone. Unfortunately, given the economic outlook,it is likely that the number of food bank users will decline veryslowly in coming years.

While 2010 has brought headlines of economic recovery, theemployment situation has barely budged. Unemployment hasedged down only marginally, to 8.2%. Because unemployment isprojected to remain high throughout 2010, it is very likely that thepoverty rate will remain at or close to 11.7% for 2010.

Lessons from past recessionsExperience from previous recessions also provides caution.

During the last recession, the employment situation improvedmodestly for six months before declining for another seven. Soeven small signs of recovery should not be expected to continuewithout interruption.

It also took nearly eight years for unemployment to decline toits pre-recession rate after the last recession. It took 14 years forthe poverty rate to return to its pre-recession level. While the cur-rent focus of governments seems to be on recovery and budgetcutting, there is a risk that poverty and unemployment couldremain high for years to come if they do not receive attentionnow.

It is clear from these trends that the recession's impact is stillbeing felt by far too many Canadian families, and could be felt foryears to come. Too many Canadian families are at the mercy ofthe economic cycle, as poverty declines slightly in good econom-ic times and increases during recessions. To make recovery a real-ity for these families, we need action to reduce and eventuallyeliminate poverty in Canada. To join the call for a federal plan forpoverty elimination, sign on to Dignity for All: The Campaignfor a Poverty-Free Canada, at www.dignityforall.ca. For moreinformation on the recession's impact, check outwww.cpj.ca/bearingthebrunt.

Chandra Pasma is CPJ's Public Justice Policy Analyst.

Thousands lost jobs- continued from page 1

Volume 33 Number 1 Summer 20107

One of the motivations in developinga safe country list is cracking down on so-called bogus refugees. Minister Kenneyhas used Hungary as an example. Lastyear, Hungary, a European democracy,was the leading source of refugee claimsbut over 95 percent of them were rejectedor withdrawn. Kenney says claims likethese are clogging the system.

However, not all rejected claims arebogus. Many are claims by individualswho genuinely believe they were indanger, but did not meet the criteria forrefugee status. Claimants should not bepresumed to have an alternative agendabased on their country of origin.

The proposed refugee reforms havethe potential to speed up the process inCanada, but to ensure that the systemremains fair, special precautions must betaken. Expanding the waiting periodbefore a first hearing to 120 days, asproposed by refugee advocates, wouldaccount for time sensitive issues andspecific vulnerabilities of refugees. As forthe safe country list, it will only work andremain fair if unsafe countries are notincluded, cases are given fair and equalconsideration at the first hearing, andclaimants are never presumed to be bogusbefore making their case.

Speed does not necessarily have tocome at the expense of fairness, but itdoes increase the risk of unfairness withinthe system. The bar is set high for meetingthese conditions.

Rebekah Sears is CPJ’s Public Justice Intern.

appeal rejections to the new RefugeeAppeal Division. They will have to appealdirectly to the Federal Court. Kenneyproposes such a list include countries thatare free from widespread persecution,such as democracies with strong humanrights records.

Safe country lists are not new. MostEuropean democracies have them, some withas few as two countries. However, the develop-ment and use of safe country lists come withsignificant risks concerning fairness.

First, there is the question of how sucha list is developed, and which countries areconsidered safe. Minister Kenney claimsthe list will not be very long and mainlyreferred to the European Union countriesas prospects, but he also made referencesto several countries in Latin America.However, given the recent histories ofinstability in many Latin Americancountries, including ongoing drug andgang related violence, many advocates andcommentators question whether suchcountries should be included.

Second, there is a danger that claimswill be judged solely by their country oforigin and not on the basis of individualmerit.

United Nations High Commissionerfor Refugees (UNHCR) Antonio Guterresis wary of safe country lists for this veryreason because persecution can occuranywhere. "There are certain areas where,even if you live in a…political democracy,you still have a certain number ofimportant grounds for a well-founded fearof persecution to be real."

ecently, Citizenship andImmigration Minister Jason Kenney

proposed sweeping changes to Canada'srefugee system. He is promising moreefficiency and speed from employingmore public servants at the independentImmigration and Refugee Board (IRB),reducing wait times for a first hearing to60 days for all claimants, a new RefugeeAppeal Division (RAD), and thedevelopment of a "safe country of origin"list.

These proposals are motivated by abacklog of over 60,000 refugee claimantsand a wait time of at least 19 months for afirst hearing, one of the slowest in theworld and partly the result of insufficientresources for the IRB as well as adisorganized and drawn out appealprocess.

The greatest emphasis within Kenney'sreforms is the need for speed, so claimantswith the greatest need for protection arewelcomed into Canada as quickly aspossible. Canada's refugee system wasone of the fairest in the world, because allcases were examined equally. But will thisnew emphasis on speed diminish fairnesswithin Canada's refugee policy?

Most refugee advocates agree that 19months is too long to wait for a firsthearing. But there is such a thing as toofast. With documented evidence often noteasily accessible from countries of origin,60 days is too short a period to get thelegal evidence organized. Advocates arepushing for at least 120 days.

In addition, there are specific concernsassociated with refugee claimants. Many,if not most, have been traumatized bypersecution, and the process of sharinginformation must be handled with care.Refugee lawyer Heather Neufeld told theOttawa Citizen it can take several weeks,if not months, for clients to trust legalrepresentatives and reveal full details ofpersecution. Rushed decisions could endup hurting those most in need.

Another reason for concern is theproposal of a "safe country of origin" list.Claimants from these countries will have afirst hearing, but will not be permitted to

Fast at the Expense of Fair? Restructuring Canada's Refugee System By Rebekah Sears

R

Summer 2010 Volume 33 Number 1 8

Groundings: Birthing a New Ethic for Ecological Justice

ow do we honour what Godcreates? Do trees have rights? Do

the oceans, fresh water streams, rivers,wetlands, lakes and glaciers, the life-teaming soils, and the birds and animals whodepend on the plants have rights?

Whether we are thinking of trees,waterways, airways, salmon, salamanderor otherwise, this question presses into ourevolving human consciousness – do theseothers have rights? Many will dismiss thequestion as ludicrous. Yet others alreadysense a different response, locked up in therecesses of a slumbering consciousness and canfeel it stirring like a long-dormant seedsprouting to the surface. Some arebeginning to hear the subtle yet profoundchanges in their own words: from ‘globe’to ‘Gaia,’ from ‘the environment’ to ‘theEarth community,’ from ‘objects’ to‘subjects,’ from ‘resources’ to ‘gifts ofearth.’ All this suggests a growing feltrelationship and deeper integration withthe being-ness of all creation, ourinseparable oneness embedded in the greatweb of life. As we awaken to a new day, afew more words are changing, a few moreways of thinking are shifting, a few moreacts of gentleness and protection arechosen, an inner sense of the ‘law of love’stretches a little wider.

While some still sleep, and othersawaken, we know too that there arecultures that have not ever fallen asleep inthe arms of worldviews that objectify and‘divide and conquer’ nature. For millenniathey remained faithful to a sacredsensibility and sustainable relationshipgoverned by the laws of balance from theEarth community. For example, theDheevar caste of Bhandara district ofMaharashtra, India, never catch fishswimming upstream during the spawningmigration, even though the fish areexhausted and easy to catch. There we

find entire sacred groves and ponds inwhich no plant or animal is damaged; theyare regarded as sacred and protected widelyin many parts of India.

Within the last twenty years I havebeen profoundly influenced by theteachings of Thomas Berry. His writinghas awakened me to a much deeper senseof place and purpose within the ongoingcreative processes of cosmos and Earthcommunity. He points to the criticalimportance of developing a comprehensiveethic and of broadening our sense ofjustice from a narrow humanpreoccupation to a creation-inclusive one.‘Law,’ which I once understood as limitedto a human-centered context for justice-making and governance, is opening up to‘Wild Law’ that governs the whole ofnature's Commons and our existencewithin it. It is inclusive of the life contextwhich, as Chief Seattle expressed,‘humans are but a strand in the web.’

Berry writes explicitly about aspirituality that is not merely appreciationof the Earth. Rather, Earth itself isendowed with an innate spirituality. Earthpossesses a maternal and nurturing qualitythat is the source of our existence and ourspirituality.

In light of his mystical awareness ofEarth's innate spirituality and his profoundunderstanding of the science of a newcosmology, Berry outlines overarchingprinciples for understanding ecologicaljurisprudence. Here are a few:

1. Rights originate where existence originates. That which determines existence determines rights.

2. The universe is a communion of subjects, not a collection of objects.As subjects, the component members of the universe are capable of having rights.

3. The natural world on the planet Earth gets its rights from the same source that humans get their rights,from the universe that brought them into being.

4. Every component of the Earth community has three rights: the right to be, the right to habitat, andthe right to fulfill its role in the ever-renewing processes of the

Earth community. 5. All rights are species specific and

limited. Rivers have river rights. Birds have bird rights. Insects have insect r ights . Difference inrights is qualitative, not quan-titative.

Berry's vision of an Earth community,in which the rights of all subjects arerespected, involves an enormous paradigmshift from our present exploitative ways ofthinking about the Earth. Earth is notmerely a collection of raw materials ornatural resources to be exploited, butrather an ultimate good in itself,irrespective of how humans may benefit orprofit from it.

What we need now is an awakeningspiritual sensitivity to the Earthcommunity as sacred, and a commitmentto protect the rights of the largerCommons. Our survival depends on it.

Scripture is filled with references tohow we should treat the earth. In Leviticus25:23-24 we read: “The land is mine andyou are but aliens and my tenants.Throughout the country that you hold as apossession, you must provide for theredemption of the land.”

Who are we to destroy it and to limitGod-given rights only to ourselves?Imagine giving birth to a new day thatdawns a species-wide commitment tochoose life (Deut. 30:19)!

H

Job 12:7-10“But ask the animals, and they will teachyou; or the birds of the air and they will tellyou; or speak to the earth and it will teachyou; or let the fish of the sea inform you.Which of all these does not know that thehand of the Lord has done this? In Hishand is the life of every creature and thebreadth of all mankind.”

Sister Maureen Wild, SC, M.Ed, is aninternational speaker, writer and

retreat guide who, for twenty years,has focused on themes of a new

cosmology and deep ecology, andtheir interface with topics of

spirituality, healing, justice, ethicsand Christianity.