Solidarity Statement on CIDA funding cuts to Kairos
- Take action below!
The Student Christian Movement of Canada expresses its shock and dismay at the news of the Canadian government’s decision to cut funding to KAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives.
KAIROS, a church-based non-governmental organization, represents seven of Canada’s largest Christian denominations. It works with global partners on a range of social justice issues, and has a long history of advancing human rights in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East. KAIROS has long maintained a relationship with the Student Christian Movement of Canada, and together we have worked to empower students to become leaders in their communities, their churches, and in positions of global leadership.
According to a media release issued by KAIROS on December 2, 2009, an official from the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) called KAIROS executive director Mary Corkery on Monday afternoon, November 30, to inform her that CIDA would no longer fund KAIROS. Corkery was told that KAIROS no longer fits CIDA priorities. No other explanation or information was provided. KAIROS’ current contract with CIDA expired in September, but it had received an extension until November 30, the day it was informed of the cuts.
We find this sudden cessation of funding with insufficient explanation to be unacceptable and question whether it is an ideologically driven attempt by the Government of Canada to deprioritize social justice and international development work.
For more than 35 years, KAIROS and its precursor organizations have been funded by CIDA. KAIROS says the decision to cut CIDA funding will have a devastating impact on KAIROS’ overseas partners and the thousands of marginalised people in local communities that these partners support.
The Student Christian Movement of Canada calls on CIDA and the Government of Canada to reverse this decision and reinstate funding for KAIROS. Ideological opposition to social justice is an unacceptable reason to cut funding to twenty-one ecumenical and citizens’ organizations in Latin America, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, to cut educational work that helps Canadians across the country to develop skills and knowledge in the exercise of their global citizenship, and to cut funding to organizations which empower students to become leaders in international development and justice.The cuts to this funding will have long-ranging impacts on the progress of human rights in the world and the invaluable work carried out by KAIROS and its partners.
Passed by consensus of the elected General Board of the Student Christian Movement of Canada, December 7, 2009.
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- Visit Kairos Canada website
- Write emails immediately to members of government, especially Bev Oda, minister of international cooperation
- Have your church, place of worship or community send a strongly worded letter saying you support Kairos.
Please contact:
The Rt. Hon. Stephen Harper, Prime Minister of Canada, pm@pm.gc.ca, or harper.s@parl.gc.ca;
phone 613 992 4211, fax 613 941 6900
The Hon. Bev Oda, Minister of International Cooperation, oda.b@parl.gc.ca;
phone 613 992 2792, fax 613 992 2794
Margaret Biggs, President of CIDA,
Margaret.Biggs@acdi-cida.gc.ca and info@acdi-cida.gc.ca;
phone 819 997 5006, fax 819 953 6088
Please copy your letters to KAIROS at info (at) kairoscanada.org.
