A speech given by Bri-anne Swan, Minister for Social & Ecological Justice and Network Support, on September 6th, 2020 to supporters of the Interfaith Coalition to Fight Homelessness. Please check against delivery. Thank you, Rafi, and the Interfaith Coalition to Fight Homelessness, for inviting me to be here today. I am happy to be among friends this afternoon but sad for the reason we are here together. I was sad while reading about the welcome, or rather, the lack of welcome, the...
Category: Justice
Slavery existed within Canada, and it’s important to acknowledge its legacy. This is the Oro African Methodist Episcopal Church in Oro-Medonte. It is only a few kilometres north of the Shining Waters Regional Council's main office. Opened in 1849, this place of worship is the last remnant of one of the earliest Black settlements in the country. It is a sacred space, with unmarked graves scattered across the one-acre piece of land. I grew up in this township. Throughout my school years, my...
A Regional Statement on Anti-Black Violence and Racism – Racism is an ongoing sin existing within our communities. It is with both lament and anger that we respond to the recent killing of George Floyd at the hands of law enforcement officers, as well as additional examples of anti-Black violence emerging across North America. The deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and Regis Korchinski-Paquet further highlight the injustices encountered by Black civilians every single day. Anti-Black discrimination is not new, and it is important to name the systemic racism that exists within the Canadian context, as well as within the Church.
To: Partners in Ministry in the Shining Waters Region From: Members of the Social and Ecological Justice Commission In a commission meeting on May 27th, 2020, the Social & Ecological Justice Commission was asked to consider endorsing two calls to action in response to what has been learned about the situations in Long Term Care Facilities in Ontario. Both the Interfaith Social Assistance Reform Coalition (ISARC) and the Ontario Health Coalition have written to the Premier and Cabinet...
When news of the coronavirus first began to spread in Canada, Chinese Canadian restaurants and businesses quickly took a devastating hit. Once crowded restaurants were nearly empty. Other Asian restaurants and businesses that were neither Chinese owned nor operated were also shunned and targeted with racist graffiti and vandalism. “Chinese”- identified and “Chinese looking” people were publicly blamed for the growing pandemic and the downturn of the global economy.
On March 14 Affirm United/ S’affirmer Ensemble will once again offer resources to help you have fun with pie and with PIE: how to offer a Public, Intentional, and Explicit welcome to people with diverse genders and sexualities.