The Office of Religious Congregations for Integral Ecology

Advocacy

The Fair Share Platform for Global Climate Equity

Filed Under: Advocacy, Take Action

ORCIE has joined organizations from across Canadian civil society to call upon the government of Canada to fulfill our fair share of the global effort to confront the climate crisis.

Canada cannot take on the climate crisis alone. As one of the world’s top polluters and wealthiest countries, we must do our fair share globally, not just at home. As the 30th annual UN Climate Change Conference (COP30) approaches, Prime Minister Carney has a generational opportunity and responsibility to lead boldly on climate justice, economic transformation, and international solidarity.

Why this matters

The climate emergency was created and is accelerated by a deeply unjust global economic system that is unfairly distorted against Indigenous communities and the Global South. The time has come to reckon with Canada’s role in the international community. Canada can show leadership in supporting energy transitions around the world. We can also help transform unfair systems that have become barriers to climate action.

Doing our fair share means building a new package of support to the international community from the Canadian government – rooted in justice and led by social movements.

  1. Triple Canada’s climate finance to support the Global South with grants, not loans.
  2. Cancel unjust Global South debt and free billions for climate solutions.
  3. Make big polluters and the ultra-rich pay their fair share. 
  4. End trade rules that undermine climate action. 

Individuals are encouraged to sign the petition to send these demands to the Prime Minister and key cabinet ministers.

Religious congregations are invited to sign on as an organization and can do so through this form.

Read the full platform for a detailed breakdown of how Canada can do its part in the global climate fight. The Platform is a living document that is growing and evolving as our Fair Share movement expands.

ORCIE at the G7 Jubilee People’s Forum: Connecting the Dots on Debt Cancellation and Climate Justice

Filed Under: Advocacy, Communications, Media, News, Take Action

From July 12–15, ORCIE was proud to join voices from across the globe at the G7 Jubilee People’s Forum in Calgary, where Chair of the Board Sue Wilson and Executive Director Genevieve Gallant represented our shared commitment to integral ecology and economic justice.

Held in the days leading up to the G7 Summit in Alberta, the Jubilee Peoples’ Forum in Calgary brought together people from across Canada to explore how debt cancellation, financial system reform, development issues, climate change, and ecological debt are deeply connected—and why, as Sue Wilson reflects, these challenges must be addressed concurrently.

ORCIE, along with KAIROS, Development and Peace – Caritas Canada, Citizens for Public Justice, and the Canadian Council of Churches came together at the Jubilee People’s Forum to deepen our understanding of the interconnectedness of global debt, ecological harm, climate justice, and systemic inequality.

“Who Owes Whom?”: Understanding the Debt Trap

As Development and Peace vice-president Tashia Toupin aptly put it, the issue of debt can feel overwhelming—politically, economically, culturally, and ideologically. Yet the Forum helped to demystify these dynamics, showing how unjust debt, particularly in the Global South, is both a result of and contributor to structural inequality. ORCIE Chair Sue Wilson helped unpack these complex relationships through a lens of integral ecology.

“At the rally, a bystander came up to me and said, ‘Your group is concerned about a lot of issues.’ I looked at the signs the people around me were holding: Turn Debt into Hope. Climate Justice. Reform the Financial System. People before Profit. Who owes whom? Where he saw different issues, I saw the multifaceted and interconnected aspects of the Jubilee Debt Campaign.” — Sue Wilson, CSJ

Sue emphasized how unsustainable debt in the Global South is often driven by:

  • Global economic shocks such as the COVID-19 pandemic and war in Ukraine;
  • Predatory lending practices by private financial institutions;
  • International systems that force countries to prioritize debt repayments over development;
  • Lack of global rules on responsible borrowing and lending.

Debt cancellation, then, is not charity. It’s a form of justice—especially when viewed through the lens of ecological debt, the concept that the Global North countries, including Canada, owes a climate and resource debt to the South and Indigenous communities due to centuries of exploitation and emissions.

“This is not charity, but a commitment made in the 2015 Paris Agreement which states that countries must fund global climate actions according to their responsibility for the climate crisis and their ability to pay. Countries like Canada (wealthy, large historic climate polluter, and a key producer of crude oil and gas) must contribute our fair share towards addressing the impacts of climate change in the Global South (Canada’s Fair Share Platform).”
— Sue Wilson, CSJ

Read Sue’s full analysis here: Connecting the Dots: Jubilee People’s Forum and The Debt Cancellation Campaign | Sue Wilson

Let us continue connecting the dots—between faith, finance, and the future—and transforming systems that exploit into systems that heal.

Spring Advocacy

Filed Under: Advocacy, Communications

As part of our work on the Jubilee 2025 Turn Debt Into Hope campaign, ORCIE-BCRÉI sent a letter to the Honourable Dominic Leblanc in February, during his short time as Finance Minister, as well as a letter to PM Mark Carney when he became the newly elected leader of the Liberals in March. These moments may seem like flashes in a pan (was this only a few months ago?) but they are part of setting the stage for in person meetings and keeps the urgent issue of debt cancellation and climate justice front and centre.

On the issue of climate finance and ecological debt, staff from ORCIE-BCRÉI and other Jubilee 2025 organizations met with Associate Assistant Deputy Minister Steven Kuhn from Finance Canada and a few other Directors as they were preparing for the 4th International Conference on Finance for Development https://financing.desa.un.org/ffd4. They were very encouraged by the conversation about both financial debt and ecological debt as Canada prepares for G7, G20 and COP30.

Laudato Si 10th Anniversary

For the 10th anniversary of Laudato Si, KAIROS is inviting people to visit the new ORCIE website to learn about what Religious in the Global South have to say about the intersections of ecological debt, colonialism, and the responsibilities we hold to respond with reparations. 

ORCIE-BCRÉI’s very own Darlene O’Leary—Coordinator of the Martha Justice Ministry with the Sisters of St. Martha in Antigonish—explores the enduring wisdom and prophetic urgency of Pope Francis’ encyclical. She draws out its core message of integral ecology, showing how its vision of interconnectedness deepens and strengthens our pursuit of economic justice—especially in this year of Jubilee. 

Resources

Excellent article from Broadbent Institute Perspectives This Time It Is Worse: Political Economy of the Current International Debt Crisis with historical context on the debt crisis and is pointing to some of the solutions that align with the Jubilee campaign, including the Bridgetown Initiative.

From Debt to Hope: Watch Our Spring Webinar on Ecological and Financial Justice

Filed Under: Activities, Advocacy, Take Action

Webinar Recap and Recording Available: From Ecological Debt to Ecological Hope

Thank you to everyone who joined our spring 2025 ORCIE webinar, From Ecological Debt to Ecological Hope. We’re grateful for the insightful presentations and the powerful conversations that took place.

We’re pleased to share that the full recording of the webinar is now available for those who were unable to attend or would like to revisit the event. You can watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ujh3-bPLyik

During the webinar, speakers explored the deep connections between ecological and financial debt, highlighting how global financial structures contribute to both climate breakdown and economic injustice—especially in communities in the Global South.

As Darelene O’Leary reflected:

“The global financial structures behind the debt crisis are the same structures behind the climate and ecological crises facing the planet… We must move toward new models of economic life that respect human dignity, the common good, and the flourishing of earth systems.”

The voices from Brazil were particularly impactful, sharing the lived realities of ecological and financial harm—especially on women and children—and reminding us of the role of religious communities in bearing witness and speaking out for justice.

This event also highlighted the ongoing work of congregations in Canada and abroad, including the continued advocacy of the Sisters of St. Martha for corporate accountability and extractive industry regulation in line with Indigenous rights and sovereignty.

Coming Soon: English and French Translations

A second recording will soon be available with subtitles translating the original Portuguese presentations into English and French.

The PowerPoint presentations used during the webinar were in Portuguese. Translations of these slides into English and French are available at the following link: Webinar Resources: From Ecological Debt to Ecological Hope – The Office of Religious Congregations for Integral Ecology

Thank you for continuing this journey with us—from ecological debt to ecological hope.

Join Our Partners for a Global Town Hall: Pilgrims of Hope

Filed Under: Advocacy, News, Take Action

A Jubilee Inspiration for Action on Debt, Climate, and Development
🗓️ May 28, 2025
🕝 2:30 PM CEST
📍 Online (Zoom)
Click here to register

ORCIE is honored to stand in solidarity with Caritas Internationalis and the Holy See Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development as they host a special global town hall: Pilgrims of Hope.

Marking the 10th anniversary of Laudato Si’ and celebrating the 2025 Jubilee Year, this event invites us into a shared space of reflection and action on the pressing, interconnected issues of debt, climate justice, and sustainable development.

At a time when the call for Jubilee justice resounds more urgently than ever, this conversation gathers faith leaders, civil society actors, and global institutions to chart a hopeful path forward. We’re grateful for the leadership of our partners in convening this vital dialogue—and we hope you’ll join us in listening, learning, and acting together.

🌍 Let’s journey as pilgrims of hope, building a more just and sustainable future for all.

📬 For inquiries, contact: Alfonso Apicella | Caritas Internationalis | apicella@caritas.va