I had the opportunity in January to represent our country at the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum (APPF) in Vladivostok, Russia.  This was the 21st annual Forum which hosted over three hundred parliamentarians from 23 APPF member states as well as representatives from other countries, the UN and other world organizations. Our...

What does living faithfully mean? In my context, it means living faithfully to my understanding of God's call in the world. 'Call' being a pull into realizing there is much more than 'me' involved in the warp and woof of the universe. There are connections in many realms. Connections to the Divine Light pervading all Creation....

If the B.C. government is ever on the hunt for a new slogan perhaps “spending our children's inheritance” would be fitting.  Since 2001, British Columbians have been witness to the sale of key parts of B.C.'s infrastructure, transfers of its wealth to private interests and sweetheart deals for industries that can afford...

This is the time of year that finds us exploring the beginnings of Jesus' ministry. Each Gospel has a different take. Mark tells of teaching, casting out demons and healing. Matthew relates teaching, healing, and preaching a sermon from a mountain top. In Luke we hear a sermon preached in Nazareth that riled the assembly so...

In this column I will continue the discussion on the creation of a Department of Peace by highlighting some of the initiatives undertaken in other countries. Over 30 countries have campaigns to create a Department of Peace.  In three countries – Nepal, the Solomon Islands and Costa Rica this is a reality. On September 14,...

Arc of the Cognizant XXI “What do you mean ‘we,’ Paleface?”  -- Tonto to the Lone Ranger By Charles Jeanes Oh, Canada. If ever there was a time for Canadians to take a prominent place in global affairs, it would seem to be now. But is the consciousness of our people up to this task? We have a very favourable ratio of population...

I am not sure if Idle No More is a movement or merely a passing protest. Like Occupy Wall Street before it, Idle No More, above all, appears to be an expression of frustration. Earlier protest actions opposed the status quo, but they did have a clear focus — civil rights, women’s rights and gay rights — visions for a new...

The B.C. government likes to boast that the province's personal income tax rates are among the lowest in the land, if not the lowest. Expect to hear it repeated a lot in TV ads over the coming weeks, when the legislature reconvenes in February and when the 2013 provincial budget is tabled.   On one level they're right. On...

The remarkable Idle No More movement is the biggest and most important national outpouring of grassroots aboriginal anger ever seen in Canada. Not since the late 1960s when Indians (as they then referred to themselves) and Métis confronted governments with demands for justice has such a dramatic and passionate expression of...

Doing the math confirms it; unless we start going fossil fuel free, our glaciers may be doomed. There are only three numbers to remember so the equation is quite simple. The enormous challenge is to find ways to curb human addiction to the solid, liquid and gaseous hydrocarbon remains of living matter from a previous geologic...