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Quotation of the month 
"The doctrine of Imago Dei [Image of God] is not just a matter of what we preach as churches; we must ensure that it is embodied in lives and embedded in politics. Let us commit ourselves to making real in history, both in our churches and in our society, the essential rights articulated in the [United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples]."
- Ethna Regan (head of School of Theology and Philosophy, Dublin City University)
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MCC Canada's Response to the TRC
These seem like obvious and simple commitments to make, and they are. However, generations of internalizing the superiority of what is now the dominant culture hides from us ways we fail to
act with equality, respect and justice - even as we fervently believe these principles are central to our Christian faith. Uncovering how our actions fall short of our words is slow and painful work. MCC Canada covets the prayers and accompaniment of all our constituents and partners as we do this.
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Parliamentary business: Federal budget 
On March 22, Finance Minister Bill Morneau unveiled the Liberal government's inaugural budget. The budget forecasts a $29.4 billion deficit over five years to finance spending for veterans, seniors, child benefits, infrastructure, and so on.
Encouragingly, not only will billions in new spending be directed toward the environment, but an entire chapter is dedicated to investments for Indigenous Peoples. As the financial road map highlights, $8.4 billion will be spent on programming to address issues such as education, drinking water on reserves, social infrastructure, and child and family services.
Disappointingly, however, the budget proposes only a modest increase in aid investments for fighting global poverty ($256 million over two years for the International Assistance Envelope) - a far cry from the Liberal promise to "restore" the aid budget. The Canadian Council for International Cooperation had been anticipating a significant increase in Overseas Development Assistance, as well as a time-table for meeting the internationally agreed-upon target of allocating 0.7 percent of GNI to aid. Also absent was any mention of how Canada will implement the Sustainable Development Goals.
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Are you passionate about peace? And do you like to write worship materials? We are looking for someone to write prayers and readings for the annual Peace Sunday Packet. This year's theme focuses on the peace witness of the broader Christian church. An honorarium will be provided.
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New resource: Advocacy Toolkit
Our Ottawa Office has just launched our brand new Advocacy Toolkit. This new resource is intended to help ordinary people - like you! - become involved in advocacy. It includes information on how to get started, how the government system works,and how to be effectively involved. It includes biblical and spiritual resources for advocacy. Let us know what you think!
Make sure to also check out our World Refugee Day worship resource coming soon called Hospitality and Hope. World Refugee Day takes place annually on June 20. This resource provides definitions and statistics about refugees, as well as a whole collection of prayers, sermon-starters and stories to help you prepare a worship service for refugees.
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Staff update
March was a busy travel month! Bekah, along with counterparts in MCC Washington and New York, Charles Kwuelum and Kati Garrison, spent much of March visiting MCC partners and staff in Nigeria, DRC, South Sudan and Ethiopia. The goal was to increase our own understanding of MCC's work in various contexts, as well as support partners and staff on local peacebuilding and advocacy initiatives. The team was so inspired by the dedication of MCC partners and staff in every context who, despite many obstacles, are working wholeheartedly for peace.
Esther Epp-Tiessen was also traveling in March, part of a learning tour with MCC Alberta staff to MCC's program in Israel/Palestine, as well as taking part in a conference on religious freedom in Bethlehem. Read some of her reflections.
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See what's happening on our social sites:
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