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A call for action
MCC Canada recently sent a letter to Canadian authorities, calling for safety for a longtime MCC friend in Colombia, Ricardo Esquivia. MCC also invites Canadians to sign this petition, begun by MCC partner organization in Colombia, Sembrandopaz.
 Ricardo is a human rights lawyer, helping communities seek reparations for displacement from their land. He and several colleagues have recently been
subject to threats and acts of intimidation by Colombian authorities. They could be in imminent danger.
Ricardo has been a frequent target of threats for years of courageous advocacy on behalf of the displaced and dispossessed in his country.
In 2004, Ricardo was threatened with detainment on serious but false charges. People around the world responded with thousands of faxes and letters sent to the Colombian government. When a military official called Ricardo in to talk with him, the general greeted Ricardo with the huge stack of letters and the words, "Mr. Esquivia, you have a LOT of friends." Ricardo was not detained or imprisoned.
Advocacy makes a difference! Please pray for Ricardo and sign the petition on his behalf.
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Prorogation and peekaboo legislation
After receiving the consent of the Governor General, the Prime Minister officially prorogued Parliament. A new session with new legislation will begin on October 16.
Typically, prorogation means that the legislative slate is wiped clean. But what about Bill S-10, the Act to Implement the Convention on Cluster Munitions? The "peekaboo" legislation was debated in June but never passed.
 Unique circumstances lead Jenn Wiebe to wonder about the bill's fate. Read her blog to find out whether prorogation is a reason for celebration.
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New resources:
for Advent and other occasions
 It is not too soon to plan for Advent! KAIROS has just released an Advent resource called Growing Justice. This resource is built around the theme of the Advent Garden and includes: - prayers,
- scripture commentaries,
- Sunday school suggestions,
- background information,
- a plan to help you build an Advent Garden.
Click here to download the pdf for a small fee. Don't forget these additional resources:
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Ottawa Office Newsletter archives
Read previous editions of our newsletter here. |
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Quotation
of the month
"We want to know that when we take risks in advocating for life, for peace and for dignity, MCC and the Anabaptist churches in the North will back us. We want your political support."
-- MCC partners in Colombia in a message conveyed to Bonnie Klassen, MCC Area Director for Latin America in 2012.
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Opportunities
Our annual Student Seminar will take place February 13-15, 2014 in Ottawa. The theme this year is "Inconvenient" relationships? Indigenous rights, reconciliation, advocacy. For more information, click here.
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We also invite applications for the position of Ottawa Office Advocacy Research Intern, for January through April, 2014. Click here
for a job description and qualifications.
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Staff update
Our whole team
at the United Nations
(L to R: Mark, Esther, Monica, Paul, Jenn)
From September 11-13, our entire Ottawa Office team travelled to New York for meetings with our colleagues from MCC's Washington and United Nations Liaison offices.
Besides our meetings, we toured the United Nations, met with Canada's ambassador to the UN, visited Ground Zero on the 12th anniversary of 9/11, and also enjoyed "The Big Apple." We love our jobs!
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