Early this February, we were thrilled to have a chance to share some of the work of Martha Justice Ministry, the Sisters of Charity Federation UN NGO, and our partners with a very special visitor to Antigonish.

The Coady Institute’s Digafie Debalke reached out to the United Nations Assistant Secretary General for Peacebuiding and Peace Support, ELIZABETH SPEHAR, in the hope that she might be part of a discussion about peacebuilding and Canada’s role in multilateralism. To his delight, she accepted the invitation! Since Digafie is also my husband, he quickly asked me and the Marthas to be part of the event, knowing the Marthas’ deep commitment to peace. So, the planning began, and we ended up hosting a panel that followed Ms. Spehar’s keynote address in the morning of February 7th at the Coady Institute at St. Francis Xavier University here in Antigonish. It was a real gift to have a high-level UN official here to speak about the importance of multilateralism and of the UN, and the importance of working for peace right now in our fractured world.

In her keynote address, Ms. Spehar reflected on her experience at the UN, acknowledging its structural limitations while affirming its vital role in advancing peace at both global and local levels.  She noted that this is most evident during her country visits, where communities demonstrate what can be achieved with UN support. Emphasizing that she supports—rather than leads—local peacemakers, she outlined ways the UN could strengthen its response to today’s challenges.

Following her address, we had a chance to highlight how we put our commitment to peace and multilateralism into action through our work as global citizens. Our panel discussion was called, “Everyday peacebuilding connecting the local and global – Grassroots communities implementing the UN SDGs”. I was happy to act as moderator of the panel discussion and introduced the wonderful speakers who demonstrated different aspects of this work and commitment to everyday peacebuilding.

Sr. Marion Sheridan shared about the history of the Marthas at the UN, which goes back decades, and about the commitment the Marthas have made to implementing the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Sr. Joanne O’Regan talked about the work she did teaching peacebuilding at the Coady Institute with her colleague Dr. Thomas Mark Turay and how Saint Martha, the patroness of the Congregation, is a model of peacebuilding.

David Matheson, the onsite manager of the Marthas’ New Growers farming program, spoke about the importance of supporting young farmers and of sustainable farming that cares for the land and for local food security.

Colleen Cameron, a community partner and chair of the Antigonish Affordable Housing Society, talked about the work being done to ensure that there is safe, affordable housing in our community for those who otherwise would be homeless or left in precarious housing situations.

We were so grateful that Ms. Spehar joined us on stage to respond to the panel discussion and to respond to questions from the audience with us. It was such a wonderful demonstration of how the local and global work best when they are engaging in these discussions together.

We wanted to ensure that Ms. Spehar had a meaningful gift to take back to New York with her. We asked Sister Dorothy Moore, a beloved Mi’kmaw Elder and Sister of St. Martha, if she might sign a copy of her book, A Journey of Love and Hope: The Inspirational Words of a Mi’kmaw Elder. Sr. Dorothy very graciously agreed and shared a personal note to Ms. Spehar in Mi’kmaw and English. It is wonderful to know that Sr. Dorothy’s book is now at the UN as a contribution to the message of peace to the world.

It was a very special day that reinforced the importance of the work we do together, in our communities, across our regions and countries. We are living as global citizens to create peace in our lives and the lives of each other. Coming together to share these efforts and this commitment is such a gift at this time of need.

~ Darlene O'Leary

Martha Justice Ministry Coordinator

Marthas’ UN NGO Liaison