|
Millions of people worldwide are on the move. Some are seeking new opportunities or uniting with families, while others are forced migrants: fleeing home due to violence, unfit environmental conditions, or development projects (mines, roads, dams, etc.).
According to the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), over 35 million people are considered populations of concern: refugees, internally displaced people (IDPs), asylum seekers and those wishing to return home (returnees).  | |
The Al Hol camp in northeastern Syria, photo credit: B. Diab
|
MCC program is already responding by accompanying refugees and IDPs, supporting peace-building efforts and addressing systemic causes; and engaging with policy makers. In the coming years, our office intends to strengthen and focus such efforts through new research and public engagement. Let us know your thoughts about how best to support people on the move. And stay tuned. For more information on the current global context of migration, see the UNHCR's 2014 assessment. |
 |
Parliament resumed on January 26 with raucous debate and the scent of an election in the air. A federal election is set to take place on October 19, 2015, but speculation continues that it could happen in spring.
******************
At the Ottawa Office, we are closely following debates in Parliament and a study within the Standing
 | |
Displaced family in Iraqi Kurdistan, MCC photo/Ryan Rodrick Beiler
|
Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development regarding Canada's role in a military campaign against ISIS. A formal decision to extend the six-month mission will take place within Parliament in April. We are preparing to communicate with the Government of Canada on this issue.
*****************
We also continue to follow Bill C-26, the Tougher Penalties for Child Predators Act, which is currently being studied in committee. This legislation proposes, among other things, the creation of a publicly-accessible national database of high-risk child sex offenders. On January 26, MCC sent a letter to Minister of Justice Peter McKay, arguing that such a database would likely decrease, rather than increase, public safety. Our letter calls for risk-management strategies that will "assist offenders take responsibility for their actions, while offering them the opportunities, strategies and skills they need to live without re-offending."
|
|
Returning veterans. Returning hope. 
A new adult Sunday School resource, created by MCC U.S., called Returning veterans. Returning hope. aims to help congregations reach out to and learn from military veterans. It asks, "What biblical resources can help shape our response to war and the trauma it visits on soldiers and civilians alike? What can veterans and peace churches learn from one another?"
Do you or your church interact or engage with Canada's military veterans? Can you see the value of a Canadian adaptation of this U.S. resource? Let us know.
|
|
|
Quotation
of the month
"Many veterans among us still carry the emotional trauma and moral pain of war within. Their pain is a living reminder of our shared failure to prevent war and create a culture of peace."
- new MCC U.S. resource, Returning veterans. Returning hope.
|
|
Opportunities
MCC Canada will accept applications for the position of permanent Director of the Ottawa Office until March 2.  This is a great opportunity to engage the intersection of faith and public policy, to give leadership to MCC's advocacy in Canada, and to work with an awesome team of staff.
|
|
Office update:
Preparing for the student seminar
On a recent cold day, Bekah Sears (Policy Analyst) and Cory Funk (Advocacy Research Intern) had fun planning an outdoor scavenger hunt around Parliament Hill for participants in our annual Student Seminar, which takes place February 12-14.
|
|
Read previous editions of our newsletter here. |
|
|
