Our 2016 annual forum focused on bridging two areas that are deeply important to our members — reconciliation with First Peoples and climate justice. Many in our interfaith network want to work more closely with First Nations communities on local climate issues, but aren’t sure how to go about it. This forum (and its action oriented follow-up work) was designed to create connections to support one another in the challenge of caring for our natural environment and what Indigenous allyship would mean. The forum was held in Waterloo, Ontario and hosted by Faith & the Common Good, Divest Waterloo, the Green Awakening Network and the Centre for Public Ethics at Waterloo Lutheran Seminary, with funding support from the Justice and Reconciliation Fund of the United Church of Canada.
We need to return to the original relationships. That was the repeated message heard at the forum. These relationships involve taking care of Mother Earth in tandem with revisiting the cordial, peaceful beginnings of our settlers’ and first peoples’ interactions.
Read Indigenous Allyship is about relationships.
Click here for the full conference video, which includes bookmarks to direct you to individual speakers (under SHOW MORE).
In September 2017, Faith & the Common Good continued its work on allyship as an organizing partner in the first annual Great Lakes Water Walk.
In 2018, we are assisting in bringing performances of The Chemical Valley Project to various locations.
We look forward to the Waterloo Story Telling Project in May 2019. Check back for information on this.
