ED Newsletter Fall 2021

Dear friend...

September is here again. There is an upcoming federal election, a pandemic that is well into its second year, and all around us, fires continue to rage. The IPCC's recent report tells us that we are living the effects of climate breakdown. We all have a role to play in creating a liveable climate future. 

At FCG, we are not wasting a moment of the precious time we have left to take action. As people of faith and goodwill, acting on behalf of creation is a moral imperative. In this newsletter, we offer our national community the opportunity to join us in taking action.

As well, please take note that we have rescheduled our Annual General Meeting (AGM)  to Thursday, October 14th. We invite you to mark your calendars for this special AGM as it is also a  celebration of 20 years of FCG.

Thank you for your continuing support of FCGs work. Please feel free to contact me should you have any comments, suggestions or questions.

In peace and commitment…

Michelle Singh, Executive Director

Annual General Meeting

Please mark your calendars for FCG's Annual General Meeting, scheduled for Thursday, October, 14th, 5:00pm to 7:00pm EST.

New Staff, New Roles

Our staff is growing! It is with great pleasure that we introduce Calgary-based, Elyse Brazel, our new Network Coordinator. Elyse has an extensive background working with diverse faith communities and will bring a new level of engagement within our network. 

As well, we are delighted to announce that, after 12 years with the FCG network in various capacities, Beatrice Ekoko, is our new Communications Manager. Beatrice will lead our communications strategies including supporting all program managers/coordinators while also raising FCGs profile by writing stories about our impact for targeted national publications. Beatrice is based in Hamilton, Ontario.

Finally, we welcome Chahneet Sidhu to the FCG network. With a generous grant from Colleges and Institutes Canada Career-Launcher Clean Tech program, Chahneet will be with us until July 2022 (at least). She will be working on our Climate Narratives and Greening Canadian Mosques programs, updating The Green Rule poster and the GSS Certification program as well as a number of other initiatives over the next few months. Chahneet is based in Winnipeg.

New FCG Chapter

We are thrilled to announce our latest Ontario chapter! In partnership with Climate Action London, Greening Sacred Spaces London launches Tuesday, September 21, with a special event called Fall Equinox - Greening Sacred Spaces. Guest speaker, Tracey Whiteye, Oshkaabewis Kwe, a woman helper or messenger in Objibewe, Tracey is a holistic practitioner, researcher and educator.

As well as launching GSS London, the event aims to connect all Londoners and future generations to the land that belongs to the Creator. It hopes to support and advance the City of London’s Climate Emergency Action Plan.

Learn more about the event by clicking on this link.

Annual Report 2020

If you missed our 2020 Annual Report, we are sharing it here, once again. The 2020 report is special. 2020 marked a significant milestone for FCG. Last year, we celebrated 20 years of assisting and inspiring religious congregations and spiritual groups of all backgrounds across Canada to take collective action in creating more sustainable communities.

In addition to our usual Annual Report, this edition includes a timeline of our achievements, together with our growing network of faith groups and community partners. Read on.

We are proud partners with GreenFaith International Network for Faith 4 Climate Justice, a global day of multi-religious action for climate justice, taking place on October 17-18 with the goal of influencing COP26 and decision makers. Please register to get involved.

As part of the day of action, FCG plans to host our own national action and we invite you to participate. Please contact our network coordinator, Elyse Brazel for more information.

For the Love of Creation (FLC) Symposium

We are participating in For the Love of Creation’s Fall 2021 Advocacy Webinar Series, taking place over three Thursdays in September (7:00pm EDT). Join us for one or more of the following sessions:

September 9th: Climate Financing

September 16th: Indigenous Rights

September 23rd: Climate Ambition and Transition

Parliament of the World’s Religions

FCG is an active partner with the Parliament of the World’s Religions (PWR), an organization that, since 1893 has promoted interreligious dialogues among leaders of diverse religious traditions, “fostering understanding, cooperation and social harmony.”

This PWR takes place online, from October 16-18. Learn more and register by visiting PWR 2021 Virtual.

Election Resources

We have compiled a handy selection of resources, with the focus being a just, climate resilient society, to help you prepare for the 2021 federal election.

CAN-Rac’s 2021 Federal Election Policy Priorities

Suzuki, Atwood, Ondaatje, Lewis Call for Emergency Leaders Debate on Climate

Climate Emergency Unit

What makes a strong climate plan?

National Observer: Main Parties' Climate Plans

Canada's 100 Debates on the Environment

CPJ’s Creating a Just Canada 2021 Election Bulletin

Get involved with Faith & the Common Good by:

• Creating your own account on this website, which gives you access to downloadable resources
• Creating an account on this website for your faith community, which gives you access to downloadable resources and pins your faith community to our map (if we have your permission)
• Signing up for our national and/or local newsletters (our national newsletter is sent quarterly; our local newsletters vary and include invitations to local events)
• Joining the conversation on social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube)
• Applying for Greening Sacred Spaces certification
• Joining or starting a Greening Sacred Spaces chapter in your community
• Making a donation to support our work