Ten ways to engage yourself, your faith community and your riding's candidates

Catholic New Times, June 20, 2004

KAIROS CANADA unites churches and religious organizations in a faithful ecumenical response to the call to "do justice, and to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God" (Micah 6:8).

It deliberates on issues of common concern, advocate for social change and join with people of faith and goodwill in action for social transformation.

Know the landscape

Discover who is running for election in your riding and what they stand for. Learn their names, research their web sites, and find out what they promise to do. Also, some electoral districts have recently changed. Explore more about your federal riding at www.elections.ca

Find the facts

Educate yourself about issues of justice. KAIROS has developed eight fact sheets linked to the "Cultivating Just Peace campaign" on aboriginal rights, the arms trade, ecology, human rights, human security, debt and overseas aid, trade, and HIV/AIDS. Use the fact sheets to give yourself solid background information and talking points for discussions with candidates. Use them (and the election questions provided) to question your candidates about their positions on these issues.

Speak out at All-Candidates meetings

Find out when All-Candidates meetings are and attend them. Or, when candidates come campaigning to your door, talk to them about their positions. Learn more about what candidates are saying; use questions from the KAIROS fact sheets here to engage candidates in discussion about issues of global justice. Ask candidates how they will address injustices in your riding, and how they will commit to justice and equity for all peoples.

Involve the media

Once you know what the issues are encourage people to consider what issues politicians are talking about, and which ones they are avoiding. Write letters to the editor, get involved in community radio or TV shows or prepare a public service announcement with alternative perspectives. Also, the election will get prominence in the news. Be sure to read a variety of media to get a more balanced perspective on the issues.

Mix faith and politics

Get your congregation or faith community involved with election issues. Invite them to pray for the candidates, and to consider how they can respond to God's call to justice through the election process. Also, when your community of faith gathers, share information about All-Candidates meetings and encourage people to vote.

Advocate for just peace

Encourage candidates to sign the "Agenda for Just Peace" action cards. Share with them that you want our leaders to govern in a spirit of peace. The action card represents a call for Canada to consider the primacy of human rights, social security, controlling arms exports, increasing aid and cancelling the debt as key steps towards obtaining true security.

Talk about the Canada we want

More than 25 major environmental, women's, labour, student, arts, and social justice organizations (including KAIROS) have signed onto the "Our Canada Project"--a call for a return to the Canadian traditions of peace-keeping and environmental protection. Consider the vision that you have for Canada, and share that vision with candidates. Read the statement of the "Our Canada Project" on our web site.

Link with other groups

There are several other groups working on elections and advocacy issues. Seek out and connect with local groups working on similar issues. Two other national Christian groups have produced election kits Citizens for Public Justice, and the United Church of Canada. You can find a list of other organizations involved in the election here.

Vote

The number of people who vote if a a federal election has been steadily declining because most people do not think their vote matters. Encourage family, friends, and colleagues to exercise their democratic right to vote, and to speak up for issues they are passionate about.

Lobby after the election is over

After the election, continue to hold candidates accountable. Remind them of the promises they made, of their commitments and urge them to make peace and justice for all peoples a focus of their work.

RESOURCES and LINKS from KAIROS

www.kairoscanada.org/e/action/ election/links.asp

Explore these websites for more about the election and related issues. Please note that they do not necessarily reflect positions of KAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives.

Web sites:

* Citizens for Public Justice www.cpj.ca

* The United Church of Canada www.united.church.ca

* Civil society groups working on advocacy issues Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives www.policyalternatives.ca

* Centre for Social Justice: A Voter Education Campaign for Peace and Justice www.voteforachange.ca

* Common Frontiers www.web.net/comfront

* The federal elections web-site Elections Canada www.elections.ca

* Conference of Catholic Bishops: www.cccb.ca