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Throughout the history of the Marthas, social
justice has been a value to which the members have been
committed. At a gathering of members in 2004 this commitment was
reaffirmed:
'Justice, expressed in right relationship with our sisters and
brothers, God, self and creation; honoring the dignity,
responsibilities and rights of all, especially those who are
poor and marginalized.'
Against this backdrop, the social justice
committee of the Marthas focused on specific areas:
- becoming knowledgeable about justice issues
- raising awareness of justice issues among the members ,
within the Church and human family
- encouraging all to pray daily for justice and peace
- advocating for justice issues in a peaceful way
- collaboration with other groups on justice concerns
The committee has:
- sponsored a workshop in collaboration with Peace and
Development and the Diocese of Antigonish entitled 'Mining
for Justice'.
- together with the women religious of Atlantic Canada,
promoted the stage drama entitled Lost in Traffic performed
by
Theatre Parminou.
The committee has networked with various local
and provincial groups:
- advocating with government for affordable housing in the
town of Antigonish
- supporting recommendations from studies on Social
Assistance.
Contact with
the UN:
As members of the Federation of the Sisters of
Charity, the Marthas enjoy NGO status at the UN. Through this
valuable network and attendance at its meetings, we experience
the impact of global concerns on people, and identify issues for
which we can advocate and address locally, e.g. lack of access
to water for drinking, hygiene, and food security on a global
scale.
Peace Pole
A peace pole stands
at the front of Bethany handcrafted with the inscription "May
Peace Prevail on Earth". Inscribed in 12 languages it is one of
200,000 peace poles spread across the world. They stand as a
constant reminder for us to wish for, pray for and to visualize
and think about peace in our lives, homes, communities and in
the world. Weekly gatherings are held around the Peace Pole at
12:50 on Wednesday. Wherever you are we invite you to pause at
that time and join us in our prayer for peace.
Newsletters on social justice issues are
published on a regular basis.
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