In May of 2023 ORCIE and Joint Ecological Ministry (JEM) organized a successful, multi-day “Learning & Lobbying” series, culminating in meetings in Ottawa on Parliament Hill with MPs and Senators on issues of ecological justice. Our preparation began with our online education session SEE: The Problem of Climate Change in the Context of Canadian Public Policy, a panel conversation with staff from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives and Climate Action Network-Reseau action climat. The second step in the process involved 30 religious meeting online for DISCERN: Levers for Faith Communities, led by Sr. Sue Wilson, CSJ, PhD – Office for Systemic Justice, Federation of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Canada. In this session we looked at how our creation-based worldview calls us as people of faith to heal the distorted relationship we have with nature, and to act with the level of urgency this emergency requires. The final step was an in-person advocacy training ACT: What is the focused government action we want to achieve? by ORCIE’s Genevieve Gallant, ahead of visiting 8 MPs, Ministers, and/or Senators on Parliament Hill the following day. These sessions as well as the excellent debrief can be watched at: http://tinyurl.com/learnandlobby
Productive advocacy meetings took place with Senator Rosa Galvez (Quebec), MP Elizabeth May (Green), MP Julie Dabrusin (Liberal), MP Joanne Thompson (Liberal), Sheri Meyerhoff (CORE), MP Peter Fragiskatos (Liberal), MP Damien Kurek (Conservative) and MP Filomena Tassi (Liberal), Minister of Public Services and Procurement. The day was also a great opportunity to attend the House of Commons where we heard London, ON MPs talk about the opioid crisis, and to visit the Senate of Canada for International Women’s Day, where ORCIE and women religious were recognized as special guests.