The good news…..

Canadian foreign aid is achieving real results in the lives of the world’s poor, and all for around just 2% of the federal budget.

And the bad news…..

Canada’s spending on international development has been frozen for some time, and there are discussions to cut that budget even more as the government looks for ways to reduce the deficit.

Please join almost 11,000 Canadians who are calling on the Canadian government to protect critical international development funding by signing the ONE International petition:

http://act.one.org/sign/canada_aid_budget/?referring_akid=2829.4662822.fTQXNF&source=taf

Cuts to programs that fight global poverty won’t balance the budget, but they will risk slowing progress on Canada’s international development priorities and the success of existing programs that make a real difference to people in developing countries.

Take action right now at:

http://act.one.org/sign/canada_aid_budget/?referring_akid=2829.4662822.fTQXNF&source=taf

The 0.01%

by Hugh Mackenzie

The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives’ annual look at CEO compensation reveals that by 12:00 noon on January 3rd, the first official working day of the year, Canada’s Elite 100 CEOs (the 100 highest paid CEOs of companies listed in the TSX Index) will have already pocketed $44,366. It takes the Average Joe an entire year, working full-time, to earn that same amount.*

By the end of 2010, Canada’s Elite 100 CEOs had pocketed an average $8.38 million. That’s a 27% increase over the average $6.6 million they pocketed in 2009. At this rate, the average of Canada’s CEO Elite 100 make 189 times more than Canadians earning the average wage. If you think that’s normal, it’s not. In 1998, the highest paid 100 Canadian CEOs earned 105 times more than the average wage.

Find out more in the report, and visit The Clash for the Cash: CEO vs. Average Joe to find out how much these contenders have earned so far.

*Based on 2010 CEO compensation data and the 2010 average Canadian wage.

To download this report go to:

http://www.policyalternatives.ca/publications/reports/canada%E2%80%99s-ceo-elite-100

(From the Canadian Food Grains Bank website – http://www.foodgrainsbank.ca/)

Grant us, Lord God, a vision of your world as your love would have it:

• a world where the weak are protected, and none go hungry or poor;

• a world where the riches of creation are shared, and everyone can enjoy them;

• a world where different races and cultures live in harmony and mutual respect;

• a world where peace is built with justice, and justice is guided by love.

Give us the inspiration and courage to build it, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
— posted on the Anglo-Catholic Socialism website.

For additional justice prayer and worship resources visit the Eastern Synod Worship Ministries Blog at   http://easternsynod.org/ministries/worship/

The author of “In This Moon of Wintertime” Debbie Lou Ludolph, Eastern Synod Director of Worship Ministries, writes: ”

The song “In this moon of wintertime” comes out of the juxtaposition of the news of Attiwapiskat and rehearsing the carol “Twas in the moon of wintertime.”  In this song, the singing of “Gloria” is not only an affirmation of the way of Love, it is a practice that imagines the fullness of God’s time where healing and wholeness have already occurred.

Please visit the Worship blog ( http://easternsynod.org/ministries/worship/ ) where you will also find a prayer petition (Advent Two, People of Attawapiskat) written by Rev. James Brown.

Please consider taking the time during this holy season to act – through prayers, preaching and writing letters to government leaders. For action suggestions visit http://www.kairoscanada.org/

Here is the Carol.

In this moon of wintertime

In this moon of wintertime when chaos reigns supreme,

Economies and policies suppressing holy dreams

Of peace on earth, good will to all,

O God of promise, hear our call:

“Gloria”  (2x)

The peoples of this land called home are hurting in the North

For food and shelter, let alone the chance to bring forth

Their ways of making peace on earth,

With them we wait for Jesus’ birth:

“Gloria” (2x)

For Jesus’ birth in flesh and blood brings hope and joy and peace.

We long to bring the wholeness that this birth, in fact, completes.

O God of now-and-not-yet time,

Stir us to act and be a sign of

“Gloria” (4x)

Each Advent in recent years, around the time when those prefab, do-it-yourself gingerbread house kits appear on supermarket shelves, Fox News launches its (allegedly) defensive campaign commonly known as the “War on Christmas.”

Fox News’ “war” is designed to criticize the “secularization” of our culture wrought by atheists, agnostics, liberals, leftists, progressives, and separation of church and state zealots— i.e. Democrats. This irreligious coalition force is allegedly waging a strategic offensive on Christmas, trying to banish the sacred symbols of the season, denying our religious heritage, and even undermining the spiritual rubrics upon which our great nation is built.

Fox News positions itself as the defender of the faith and all things sacred. And Bill O’Reilly fancies himself the “watchdog” of Christmas.

Fox News’ usual targets include shopping malls and stores that replace their “Merry Christmas” greetings with “Happy Holidays,” and state governments that no longer call their official “Christmas” trees by their rightful name, or municipalities that ban any depictions of, or references to, the Christmas season in public places. Those who are attacked defend themselves, often claim that they are really religious too, and the perennial war is on.

But what we actually have here is a theological problem, where cultural and commercial symbols are confused with truly Christian ones, and the meaning of the holy season is missed all together.

The war on Christmas is really about what brand of “civil religion” America should have. The particular (read: biblical) meaning of Christmas, for Christians, has almost nothing to do with the media war.

What a surprise.

What is Christmas? It is the celebration of the Incarnation, God’s becoming flesh — human — and entering into history in the form of a vulnerable baby born to a poor, teenage mother in a dirty animal stall. Simply amazing. That Mary was homeless at the time,a member of a people oppressed by the imperial power of an occupied country whose local political leader, Herod, was so threatened by the baby’s birth that he killed countless children in a vain attempt to destroy the Christ child, all adds compelling historical and political context to the Advent season.

The theological claim that sets Christianity apart from any other faith tradition is the Incarnation. God has come into the world to save us. God became like us to bring us back to God and show us what it means to be truly human.

That is the meaning of the Incarnation. That is the reason for the season.

In Jesus Christ, God hits the streets.

It is theologically and spiritually significant that the Incarnation came to our poorest streets. That Jesus was born poor, later announces his mission at Nazareth as “bringing good news to the poor,” and finally tells us that how we treat “the least of these” is his measure of how we treat him and how he will judge us as the Son of God, radically defines the social context and meaning of the Incarnation of God in Christ. And it clearly reveals the real meaning of Christmas.

The other explicit message of the Incarnation is that Jesus the Christ’s arrival will mean “peace on earth, good will toward men.” He is “the mighty God, the everlasting Father, and the Prince of Peace.” Jesus later calls on his disciples to turn the other cheek, practice humility, walk the extra mile, put away their swords, love their neighbors — and even their enemies — and says that in his kingdom, it is the peacemakers who will be called the children of God. Christ will end our warring ways, bringing reconciliation to God and to one another.

None of that has anything to do with the Fox News Christmas. In fact, quite the opposite.

Making sure that shopping malls and stores greet their customers with “Merry Christmas” is entirely irrelevant to the meaning of the Incarnation. In reality it is the consumer frenzy of Christmas shopping that is the real affront and threat to the season.

Last year, Americans spent $450 billion on Christmas. Clean water for the whole world, including every poor person on the planet, would cost about $20 billion. Let’s just call that what it is: A material blasphemy of the Christmas season.

Imagine Jesus walking into the mall, seeing the Merry Christmas signs, and expressing his humble thanks for how the pre- and post-Christmas sales are honoring to him. How about credit cards for Christ?

While we’re at it, here’s another point of clarification: The arrival of the Christ child has nothing to do with trees or what we call them.

Evergreens and wreaths, holly and ivy, and even mistletoe turn out to be customs borrowed from ancient Roman and Germanic winter solstice celebrations, assimilated and co-opted by the church after Constantine made peace between his empire and the Christians.

Now, my family loves our Christmas tree, but its bright lights and wonderful ornaments don’t teach my children much about why Jesus came into the world. We do that in other ways, such as giving needed gifts — goats, sheep, and chickens and the like — to the poorest children and families of the world though the World Vision web site on Christmas Day. The goal is to make our sons more excited about the gifts they give than the ones they get, and it usually works. Last year, my boys sponsored a child in Ghana.

I have no problem with the public viewing of symbols from all of the world’s religions at appropriate times in their religious calendars (which can actually be educational for all of our children) and believe that doing so is consistent with our democratic and cultural pluralism.

But I don’t believe that respectfuly and publicly honoring those many religious symbols has changed many lives, for better or for worse. Much more important than symbols and symbolism is how we live the faith that we espouse. And here is where Fox News’s war on Christmas is most patently unjust.

The real Christmas announces the birth of Jesus to a world of poverty, pain, and sin, and offers the hope of salvation and justice.

The Fox News Christmas heralds the steady promotion of consumerism, the defense of wealth and power, the adulation of money and markets, and the regular belittling or attacking of efforts to overcome poverty.

The real Christmas offers the joyful promise of peace and the hope of reconciliation with God and between humankind.

The Fox News Christmas proffers the constant drumbeat of war, the reliance on military solutions to every conflict, the demonizing of our enemies, and the gospel of American dominance.

The real Christmas lifts up the Virgin Mary’s song of praise for her baby boy: “He has brought the mighty down from their thrones, and lifted the lowly, he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich empty away.”

The Fox News Christmas would label Mary’s Magnificat as “class warfare.”

So if there is a war on Christmas it’s the one being waged by Fox News.
Jim Wallis is the author of Rediscovering Values: A Guide for Economic and Moral Recovery, and CEO of Sojourners. He blogs at www.godspolitics.com. Follow Jim on Twitter @JimWallis.

302–393 Portage Avenue,

Winnipeg, Manitoba R3B 3H6 Canada. www.elcic.ca

The Honourable Peter Kent Minister of the Environment

Les Terrasses de la Chaudière

10 Wellington Street, 28th Floor Gatineau, Quebec K1A 0H3
Minister@ec.gc.ca

December 14, 2011

Dear Minister Kent:

On behalf of the members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC), I am writing to express my disappointment and concern that your government has decided to withdraw Canada from participating in the Kyoto Protocol.

Climate change is very real. It is urgent that we reduce green house gas emissions in order to limit the effects of climate change. At the 2009 ELCIC National Convention, our delegates affirmed, “that global warming is the greatest threat to life on earth–that entire populations and ecosystems are threatened by devastating impacts such as drought, heat waves, fires, floods, storms and rising sea levels.” They also affirmed “that, as scientists have warned the United Nations, only urgent action can avert uncontrollable, runaway climate-change.”

Our planet needs urgent action from the Canadian Government. The ELCIC urges the Government of Canada to set a national target to cut greenhouse gas emissions at least 25 per cent from 1990 levels by 2020. We urge the government to implement an effective national plan to reach this target and help developing countries to reduce their emissions and adapt to climate change. And we urge you to work with other nations to adopt bold and strengthened protocols that will empower nations to work together to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Each person on this planet needs to do their part in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Those of us who have enjoyed the wealth and privilege of industrialization have a particular obligation to find more earth-friendly ways to live our lives. Members of ELCIC congregations are encouraged to reduce their own carbon emissions by 25 percent, and to support a national plan that helps reduce emissions.

In stepping back from the Kyoto Protocol, the Government of Canada appears to be failing to take responsibility for the action that Canadians need to take in order to reduce the threat of global warming. By setting targets and creating a national plan, the government offers leadership that empowers individuals, families, businesses, organizations and public institutions all to do their part in caring for the environment and the global human community. On behalf of the members of the ELCIC, I urge you to work together with leaders from around the world to set national targets to cut greenhouse gas emissions by at least 25 percent from 1990 levels by 2020, and to develop and implement a plan that will help Canada reach these goals.

Yours in Christ,

The Rev. Susan C. Johnson
National Bishop, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada

Cc: The Hon. Megan Leslie, NDP Environment Critic
The Hon. Kirsty Duncan, Liberal Environment Critic
The Hon. Maria Mourani, BQ Environment Critic
The Hon. Elizabeth May, Leader of the Green Party
ELCIC National Church Council

Canadian Foodgrains Bank

Harvest for Hunger Video -

http://www.foodgrainsbank.ca/video_harvest_for_hunger.aspx

Canadian Foodgrains Bank

Climate change adaptation is a priority for low income countries.

Here at the Foodgrains Bank, we’ve been saying that a lot over the last couple of years. For smallholder farmers, women, fisher folk and other people especially vulnerable to climate change, support in adapting to the changes they’re experiencing is more important than trying to slow those changes. After all, they produce few of the emissions that cause climate change.

But it’s good to be affirmed that we’ve got our message right.

At a climate change policy conference that Foodgrains Bank helped organize in Ottawa recently, speaker after speaker from the global south told us that adaptation is their main priority.

“Adaptation is where the need actually is at the moment,” said Maria Theresa Nera-Lauron (pictured at left), who coordinates the People’s Movement on Climate Change in the Philippines.

“For us, the priority in Africa is adaptation,” said Mithika Mwenda, who heads up the Pan African Climate Justice Alliance.

Assétou Founé Samaké, an agricultural scientist in Mali, told us that in some parts of Africa, lack of moisture is already making it difficult to produce food. In a few years, some parts of Africa may be no-go zones for agriculture.  This is not a concern 10 or 20 years down the road. “We’re already facing this crisis,” she said through interpretation.

Which is why it’s troubling that last year’s climate change financing package from Canada gave so very little towards adaptation. Canada gave a total of $400 million towards helping developing countries fight and adapt to climate change, but most of that money ended up going to private companies for large-scale mitigation projects that slow climate change such as clean energy development.

Helping countries develop their economies in ways that are climate-friendly is important, no doubt about it.
But it doesn’t help those who are already struggling to cope with increased droughts, floods, and changes in their seasons. Support for adaptation does.

For farmers, adaptation may mean planting new crops that do better under higher temperatures, building small irrigation schemes, or adopting new practices such as minimum tillage, composting, or mulching. It may mean building barriers to hold back sea waters or, alternatively, to keep soil on the fields when heavy rains pound down. All these resilience-increasing practices require support.

Last year, only 11% of that $400 million went towards adaptation. Let’s encourage the Canadian government to do better this year, and in years to come.

Carol Thiessen is a Policy Advisor at Canadian Foodgrains Bank. She recently helped organize a forum in Ottawa for discussing climate change issues in developing countries.

Want to do something about this? Write a letter to your MP with your views. Click here for resources to help you write an effective letter or plan a letter-writing event for your church or community.

In a letter to the Eastern Synod dated November 1, 2011, Harold Albrecht, MP for Kitchener-Conestoga, invited the members of the Eastern Synod to share his petition with our families, friends and colleagues inviting them to add their voice to the many Canadians who have asked for better coordination of our suicide prevention efforts.

On his web site Mr. Albrecht notes:

Thursday, September 29, 2011 12:24 pm

“Each year, well over three thousand Canadians commit suicide. That is not a tragedy — that is well over three thousand tragedies each year.  Many of these tragedies are preventable.”
Bill C-300, introduced by Mr. Albrecht is titled An Act respecting a Federal Framework for Suicide Prevention and would require the Government to, among other things,

• provide guidelines for suicide prevention,
• promote collaboration and knowledge exchange among different jurisdictions,
• promote the use of research and evidence-based practices in suicide prevention, and
• define best practices for the prevention of suicide.

“This is about sharing information to save lives,” said Albrecht. “From teachers to healthcare workers to community groups, there’s a lot of great work being done in communities across this country — but with some Federal coordination and leadership, we can do better for vulnerable Canadians.”

In the 40th Parliament, Albrecht introduced M388, a motion calling on the Government to amend the criminal code to prevent predators from exploiting vulnerable Canadians over the internet and encouraging suicide. M388 passed the House unanimously on November 18th, 2009.

To download the petition visit:

http://www.haroldalbrechtmp.ca/~harolda1/cmsAdmin/uploads/Petition_SuicPrev_Oct11.pdf

For more information please contact
David Drewe, Assistant to
Harold Albrecht, MP
Kitchener-Conestoga
613.992.1142
David@HaroldAlbrechtMP.ca