Welcome to the Local Global Advocacy Network information site. This site is the gathering spot for the many aspects of the justice work of the Saskatchewan Conference of the United Church of Canada.
You may be interested in visiting the United Network for a Just Peace in Palestine/Israel
Dear friends in the justice work of the church (LGAN of Saskatchewan Conference),
Best wishes of the season from Catherine Christie and Linda Stumpf, co-conveners of the Local Global Advocacy Network. We write this to the existing LGAN Network, and to the Presbytery people who had signed the form presented at your Presbytery meetings to ask if you want to continue to be involved in justice issues continuing the work LGAN has been doing.
The work of the Church is still going on, in spite of the change of structure, and we wanted to share with you some information of the activities that have been taking place in the last months of 2018, including rural issues, Israel and Palestine, refugee sponsorship, and next steps including a spring conference call. Continue reading
Organic Connections Conference & Trade Show 2018 Prairieland Park, Saskatoon
Notes from Joan Harrison, Loon Lake and Vicki Obedkoff, Saskatoon, “Raising Sustainable Food” working group, Local/Global Advocacy Network, SK Conference of the United Church of Canada. Continue reading
Canada Without Poverty banner.
On July 16, an anti-poverty charity, Canada Without Poverty, won a landmark court challenge against the Canada Revenue Agency regarding political activity audits. An Ontario Superior Court judge ruled that the Income Tax Act infringes on charities’ constitutional right to free expression. In other words, the rule that limits charities’ ability to speak out on behalf of Canadians has been overturned. This is definitely a big step in the right direction, but concerns remain.
The federal government can appeal the ruling and if this happens, it would be a clear signal that the Prime Minister has abandoned his promise to “allow charities to do their work on behalf of Canadians free from political harassment, and modernize the rules governing the charitable and not-for-profit sectors.”
Continue reading
No Justice, No Adaptation: Climate Change and Palestine
Local groups in Regina and Saskatoon and SK Conference join with Just Peace Advocates to present:
Suha Jarrar, researcher at respected Palestinian human rights group Al Haq, discussing justice and adaptation in relation to the politics of climate change in Palestine.
Everyone is welcome to three opportunities, September 12 in Regina and September 15 and 16 in Saskatoon. Continue reading
We all want refugees to settle well in Canada. That’s why many SK congregations and communities have sponsored so often over the years. But Canada currently asks refugees to pay back the money that the government spent on their travel to Canada.
The evidence shows that these immigration travel loans have a negative impact on refugees’ ability to settle well. The pressure to pay them back can make it difficult to pay for necessities, push refugees to find jobs before they’ve completed their language training, and add unneeded stress to already stressful transitions.
The government knows this–which is why they just stopped charging interest on the loans. But it would cost just 40 cents per Canadian to stop asking refugees to repay these loans entirely. Please join ecumenical partners in asking the government to end the loan system. Please read more here.
A year ago, the Saskatchewan government introduced a budget that continues to have enormous social impact on our communities.
A citizen’s group called SaskCrowns has contacted the Local Global Advocacy Network to ask for United Church assistance in circulating a formal petition calling on the government to respect its own legislation regarding public input in the sale of Crowns. Conference Executive has approved this request. This letter is your invitation to consider whether (and how) you might promote and distribute this petition. Continue reading
This is your invitation to What Makes Food Good?, an open gathering on May 23 2018, 10:00 AM to 4:30 PM near Cochin, SK. All ages and people of all backgrounds welcome! We’ll share in a hands-on day focused on ecumenical theological and spiritual reflection on sustainable food; a look at the food systems that feed and employ us; workshops; and farm work tailored to your abilities. Farm lunch included! Please note: you will need to bring your own drinking water, and ride sharing is encouraged. And we’ll post more info right here as plans progress. 
Where: Largo Farm on Treaty Six territory, next to Moosomin First Nation; near Cochin and Murray Lake, a half hour north of the Battlefords.
Registration: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/VXGQ6RP Registering well in advance helps us plan the workshops! Cost: $25, waived if cost is any barrier. More info: contact Julie Graham at the Conference office.
Download the PDF flyer here. Or, right click on the photo and save/ share. And check out our Facebook event here.
This event is organized by the Sustainable Food group of the Local Global Advocacy Network (SK Conference) and by the Largo Farm community, with help from Nettie Wiebe. It’s one contribution to a conversation on how we in SK can grow sustainable food and create sustainable food systems.
