A KAIROS cause: refugees

We often read or hear Margaret Mead's famous words: "Never doubt that a small, committed group of citizens can change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." It appears on posters, in email signatures, and is uttered as invocation at social justice events. It is an article of faith for activists and we never tire of it.

Mead believed that people learned and built (and therefore could unlearn and deconstruct), racist and violent behaviors. She said that the key to social change is working together. She was not alone in that belief. Activists of many stripes persist in proving her right.

One such group of committed citizens is the network of Canadians involved in KAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives.

Some are members of the 100 local KAIROS groups in communities like St. John's, Peterborough, Brandon and Kelowna. Others are members of religious communities, parishes and congregations. Some are anti-poverty, aboriginal rights, or refugee activists. What unites them is their belief that they are called to make a difference.

As Sister Angie Martz, a Sister of Charity and local KAIROS group member in Saint John, N.B. said, "KAIROS is the way that I express my faith commitment to social justice."

For members of our network, taking action is one of the most power ful forms of prayer--living prayer--that they can make. In the last year, many of them have channeled their energies into learning more about, and taking prayerful, reflective action to change, the situation of refugees in Canada.

Refugees come to Canada from around the world, arriving at our borders hopeful that they will receive fair and compassionate treatment. Instead, they often encounter a Canadian government that will not even obey its own refugee laws, designed to ensure fair treatment, including the right to a merit-based appeal.

In Canada today, you cannot appeal a negative decision on your refugee claim, even though the right to appeal is enshrined in the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act of 2001. Despite many promises, it has never been implemented. Minister Joe Volpe is now talking about eliminating all plans for the merit-based r efugee appeal process, arguing that there are existing avenues of appeal "for everybody" that "work quite well."

The experience of refugee claimants suggests otherwise.

In March, activist Wendy Maxwell, a refused refugee claimant, was deported to Costa Rica despite her fears of gang violence. Ms. Maxwell had submitted a Humanitarian and Compassionate application, which was under consideration but did not protect her from removal. For Ms Maxwell, existing avenues of appeal did not work at all.

Even for victims of torture, existing avenues of appeal are inadequate. Falcon Rips, a Mexican refugee claim ant and torture survivor, applied for a judicial review of the negative decision given to him by the Immigration and Refugee Board, only to be told he had failed to demonstrate any err or that would justify intervention by the Court. Rips' lawyer took the case to the UN Committee Against Torture. In December 2004, the UN Committee, noting the lack of an effective appeal, found that Canada had failed Rios.

Parliament and the UN Committee Against Torture have already decided in favour of the appeal. KAIROS has been lobbying for it for years. More than 24,000 Canadians, believing that they can and should make change in the world, have signed a KAIROS petition calling for immediate implementation of the Refugee Appeal Division.

They know that Canada is capable of better than the government's delay tactics. Over the years, Canada has opened its doors to large influxes of refugees. Our private sponsorship program is recognized around the world. Over the last 25 years, faith and community groups have sponsored some 180,000 refugees to Canada. This enormous investment of time and money shows that ordinary Canadians are deeply committed to welcoming refugees. The signatures on the KAIROS Refugee Appeal Petition show that we are equally committed to making change when change is required.

Refugees are drawn to our country by the promise of democratic government and respect for legal rights. These same forces now drive the people who work in the KAIROS network to bring about social change, one signature--and one prayer--at a time.

Sara Stratton and Tanya Chute Molina work on refugee issues at KAIROS. www.kairoscanada.org

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