Catholic Women’s League of Canada | BC and Yukon Council

Submitted by: Lois Charlebois

I begin this Communiqué by sending you our Duties as listed in the Constitution and Bylaws:

• dignity and rights of persons
• social and economic justice
• refugees, immigration and citizenship
• Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace (CCODP) and
• developing countries

As it is more than a month after the Christmas and New Year celebrations, I hope all of you had a great time and, as Mary Nordick said in her last Communiqué to me: “Welcome to a new year and a new decade”.

However, many of the issues we have been working on are not new and are still with us: human trafficking, human rights, violence against women, poverty—especially child poverty, “global accountability for Canadian registered mining companies”—Resolution 2007.2. I will begin with this last issue. Bill C-300 was put on hold when parliament was prorogued.

It dealt the fact that Canadian Registered Mining Companies are operating around the world and engaging in unjust and unethical practices causing much harm to the environment and to the people. Your support and letters are urgently needed to ensure that Canadian Mining Companies live up to International human rights and labour standards, and also use the best environmental practices when they operate overseas. Other bills affected by closure of Parliament were C268—Human Trafficking and C-384 Right to Die with Dignity (this issue is important to Christian Family Life Chairpersons). These 3 bills having a C-and a # are all Private Members bills, and should return to the floor when Parliament returns in March.

Mary Nordick sent me two messages dealing with the problems in Haiti caused by the Earthquakes and she asked us to help these people by donation of funds by our Parish C.W.L. Councils and also as individuals. In our Diocese this has definitely happened. Mary was able to go to Africa in the Fall with a delegation from CCODP, and wrote about the difficult plight of the people there. She asks us to help the African people and especially the women, by joining them in prayer and by making donations to CCODP. Mary also wrote about a report tabled in the Senate on December 8th, 2009—it is entitled “In From the Margins: A call to Action on Poverty, Housing and Homelessness”. This report contains 78 recommendations. It is available on-line at: http://www.parl.gc.ca?40/2/parlbus/commbus/senate/com-e/citi-e/repe/rep02dec09-e.pdf. Mary says it is worth closer examination and may prove to be fertile ground for resolutions.

On the topic of poverty, I read about the “2010 Poverty Olympics Torch Relay Through Metro Vancouver”. The purpose of this relay is to emphasize the “ devastating reality of poverty and homelessness within communities in B.C.” Their slogan is “End poverty–it is not a game”. The article mentions that our province has the highest child poverty rate in Canada for 6 years in a row. If you wish to write letters on this topic you may wish to look at Resolution 2004.02.

With the Olympics beginning very soon, I would like to mention the work being done by the Vancouver Archdiocese to welcome the people coming to our city—many C.WL. members are involved in the hospitality being provided. This reminds me that part of our mandate is to “Welcome the Stranger”. This can mean visitors coming for a short visit, or refugees and others coming to live in our communities. If you have the opportunity and are able to do this, it is a great part of our work.

As I close this Communiqué, I thank all of you for the work you are doing—also for keeping me informed about this work, I also pray for all of you and especially I ask Our Lady of Good Counsel to guide all of us in this work. I pray God will bless all of you!