Social Justice and Advocacy Department Staff

Social justice and advocacy work is one of our diocese’s ministry priorities. The Social Justice and Advocacy Committee (SJAC), with the Social Justice and Advocacy Consultant, works at the diocesan level to advocate Christ's message of compassion and liberation to influence social policy and public life. Below, you will find information about some of our latest initiatives and accompanying resources:

NEW: G8/G20 Meetings: A Time for Leadership and Action
Sign the interfaith statement to political leaders, at http://petition.faithchallengeg8.com/ or write a letter to Prime Minister Harper. This letter, by members of St. Martin-the-Fields, Toronto, can serve as a guide.

NEW: Archbishop urges Harper to support Senate report on poverty and homelessness
Read the letter from Archbishop Colin Johnson supporting the landmark report, In From the Margins. Please write your own letter urging the government to act on its recommendations. Find out more about the report.

Bishop Patrick Yu talks to Nick Volk from Habitat for Humanity and Murray MacAdam, the diocese's Social Justice and Advocacy Consultant, at a housing workshop at St. Luke, East York, on April 24. Photo by Michael Hudson

Affordable housing: Make the Connection
Join a local housing study group to connect with social housing projects by meeting local housing providers and tenants. Contact Social Justice and Advocacy Consultant Murray MacAdam, at mmacadam@toronto.anglican.ca, if you are interested in taking part. Our new Housing Study Visits Guide can help you plan your visit.

Organize dinner with your MP for G8 and G20 meetings
Encourage your MP to call for action on poverty, care of creation, and peace, at these crucial meetings. Learn more.

Support Bill C-304 for a National Housing Strategy
Archbishop Colin Johnson, the Primate and many others support Member of Parliament Libby Davies' Bill C-304 which would establish a national housing strategy for Canada. (See their recent letter to Prime Minister Harper.) Please urge your MP to support it, as well. Please sign and circulate this petition for a national housing strategy. The Bill is expected to come before Parliament for third and final reading very soon. Please contact your MP to urge support.  

A participant speaks up at the housing workshop at St. Luke, East York, on April 24.

See also: Archbishop, Primate urge support for national housing bill

Outreach Conf. set for Oct. 16
This year’s Outreach Networking Conference takes place on Saturday, Oct. 16, at Holy Trinity School, Richmond Hill. Mark the date now!

Ched Myers, our keynote speaker, is an outstanding theologian and justice advocate. See his Bible study on Luke 12, ecology and economics and watch his video on Sabbath economics.

(To see this video, you need to have Flash Player installed on your computer. If you cannot see the video, download Flash Player.)

Quick facts on hunger and homelessness
Print out this fact sheet for reference.

Add your voice for a strong provincial housing strategy
Archbishop Colin Johnson and Lee Creal, chair of the diocese's Housing Advocacy Subcommittee, sent Ontario Housing Minister Jim Watson this letter calling for a stronger provincial response to the shortage of affordable housing.

Find your Member of Parliament (MP)
If you don’t know who your MP is, use this link: http://www2.parl.gc.ca/Parlinfo/Compilations/HouseOfCommons/MemberByPostalCode.aspx?Menu=HOC

Members of the Ontario Legislature (MPPs) are listed here:
http://www.ontla.on.ca/web/go2.jsp?locale=en&Page=/members/members_main&menuItem=mpps_header

Updated Social Justice & Advocacy Prayer Cycle, 2009-2010
Please use the prayers in the updated Social Justice and Advocacy prayer cycle in your intercessions to share the Good News of how we reach out to people in need across our diocese and beyond by showing God's love in action.

Social Justice & Advocacy Consultant Murray MacAdam (second from left) meets with Ontario's Minister of Children and Youth Services, Laurel Broten (centre), March 9, to discuss the government's anti-poverty agenda, as part of an Interfaith Social Assistance Reform Coalition delegation.

Environmental resources available
Interested in the environment? Check out the Environmental Issues page for resources, worship materials and much more!

July/August edition of our Social Justice and Advocacy newsletter.

OTHER ACTIVITIES

Work with church leaders on advocacy efforts to strengthen our impact with government. Church leaders such as Archbishop Colin Johnson and Bishop George Elliot have met with senior Ontario Cabinet Ministers and other political leaders to discuss such issues as the need for further action to address homelessness and child poverty.

Help individual Anglicans and parishes on advocacy efforts. To succeed, advocacy needs to involve a broad range of people, not just church leaders. SJAC can provide practical advice on how to work with other people in your parish and how to contact politicians. We can meet with your Outreach Committee or other parish group to discuss action ideas. For tools such as the Parish Outreach Guide, go to Advocacy Resources.

Develop advocacy strategies on key issues. Our priority issues are homelessness, child poverty and AIDS. We're working to educate Anglicans about these issues and what can be done in reponse, as well as working to influence government policy to promote solutions. For strategy papers, go to Advocacy Resources.

Work with coalitions. We do much of our work with other partners for justice, especially the Interfaith Social Assistance Reform Coalition, the 25 in 5 Network for Poverty Reduction, and Citizens for Public Justice. For more information, see the Links page.