KAIROS


KAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives/Initiatives canadiennes oecuméniques pour la justice is a coalition of Canadian churches and religious organizations dedicated to promoting human rights, justice and peace, viable human development, and solidarity. The name KAIROS refers to a moment of transformation through faith.

Since the 1970s, Scarboro Missions has worked with the inter-church coalitions mainly in the areas of economic justice, corporate responsibility and human rights, particularly in Latin America and Asia. We have been much enriched by the opportunity to work with and experience the insights of other churches and religious congregations who share the concern for justice. Together we are able to raise a collective voice with a greater capacity to influence governments and public opinion while also providing research for justice education in our respective churches.

History

In July 2001, KAIROS brought together ten previously independent inter-church coalitions and consolidated the ecumenical justice work of the Canadian churches and related church organizations with the intention of ensuring continuity and enhancing coordination of research, advocacy, education and social mobilization. These ten coalitions were:

  • Aboriginal Rights Coalition (ARC)
  • Canada-Asia Working Group (CAWG)
  • Ecumenical Coalition for Economic Justice (ECEJ)
  • Inter-Church Action for Development, Relief and Justice (ICA)
  • Inter-Church Coalition on Africa (ICCAF)
  • Inter-Church Committee on Human Rights in Latin America (ICCHRLA)
  • Inter-Church Committee for Refugees (ICCR)
  • PLURA (Inter-Church Association to Promote Justice in Canada)
  • Taskforce on the Churches and Corporate Responsibility (TCCR)
  • Ten Days for Global Justice (TEN DAYS)

The new ecumenical organization provides continuity to the work of these coalitions and their more than 30-year history of highly respected research, policy development, advocacy and grassroots mobilization on a range of justice issues in Canada, Latin America, Asia and Africa. KAIROS will also continue to partner with local ecumenical social justice networks across the country and provide funding to help build the capacities of partner organizations in the Global South.

Back to Top

Priority Areas

Priority areas for the new ecumenical organization have been expressed in six thematic program committees that will have oversight for the work and make recommendations to the Board. These six priority areas are:

  1. International human rights: monitoring, exposing, and building public pressure for change around issues of human rights abuses, including the rights of refugees, uprooted people and migrants; accompaniment of oppressed groups in affected countries of Latin America, Africa and Asia; policy advocacy work with government and multilateral institutions such as the United Nations and Organization of American States;
  2. Global economic justice: researching and critiquing the global economic system in relation to its lack of consideration of the social and environmental impacts on marginalized people; maintaining strategic alliances with Southern groups; critiquing international financial institutions; policy advocacy with regard to economic alternatives; engaging Canadian corporations and financial institutions on issues of global corporate social responsibility expectations and practices.
  3. Environment/ecological justice: monitoring environmental issues of concern; analysis of governmental, multilateral and corporate responsibility for environmental damage; policy advocacy work;
  4. Canadian social development: research in areas of health, housing, income security, family and child poverty, social and economic development; policy advocacy in response to existing refugee legislation and other government social policies; engaging Canadian corporations and financial institutions on issues of global corporate social responsibility expectations and practices.
  5. Aboriginal peoples: advocating with Aboriginal peoples regarding Aboriginal rights and land rights; responding to regional and local Aboriginal communities to address cultural, social and economic issues; and
  6. Animation/education/communication: developing resources, training programs and other animation tools to assist grassroots ecumenical social justice networks in educating and campaigning on key issues; nurturing and supporting the growth and development of these networks.

Back to Top

Contact Information

For more information, please contact:
KAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives/ Initiatives canadiennes oecuméniques pour la justice
310 Dupont Street, Suite 200
Toronto, ON CANADA M5R 1V9
Tel: 416-463-5312
Toll Free: 1-877-403-8933
Fax: 416-463-5569
E-mail: info@kairoscanada.org
Web Site: www.kairoscanada.org

Back to Top

Bi-weekly Newsletter

KAIROS also publishes a bi-weekly bulletin for ecumenical justice activists and friends. If you wish to receive KAIROS Times, please contact Julie Graham at jgraham@kairoscanada.org with your email address, province or territory, and full name.

Back to Top

Canadian Ecumneical Jubilee Initiative (CEJI)

"You shall hallow the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a Jubilee for you…" (Leviticus 25:10)

The Canadian Ecumenical Jubilee Initiative (CEJI) was a project of over 30 churches and ecumenical organizations, including Scarboro Missions, seeking a new beginning for our world. The Jubilee Initiative was intended to take advantage of a historical moment to strengthen the Churches' capacity to work for social justice and ecological integrity and to facilitate theological reflection, education and networking. CEJI's call for a new beginning followed three themes arising out of the biblical tradition of Jubilee:

  • Release from Bondage (1998-1999): Focus on international debt cancellation campaign.
  • Redistribution of Wealth (1999-2000): Focus on Jubilee Pledge with local, national and global commitments for living out the biblical challenge of Jubilee to redistribute wealth.
  • Renewal of the Earth (2000-2001): Focus on restoring right relations through support of Aboriginal land rights, climate change campaign and continuing the Jubilee debt campaign.

Scarboro Magazine issues and articles on Jubilee:

  • September 1998—A New Beginning, A Call for Jubilee (issue)
  • September 1999—Release from bondage: Jubilee initiative 1999 (article)
  • December 1999—We are a Jubilee People! (Jubilee Pledge)
  • September 2000—CEJI Year III: Renewal of the Earth (issue)

Back to Top

Questions or Concerns? Contact the Justice & Peace Office:
Karen Van Loon, Coordinator — jpo@scarboromissions.ca — 416-261-7135 ext.249


Scarboro Missions Homepage