Shawkat Hasan, a member of the local IofC team in Metro Vancouver was one of two key speakers at an event in Vancouver organized by the Multifaith Action Society on the topic of The Power of Spirit, a Multifaith Exploration of Triumph over Adversity & Persecution. He spoke alongside Susan Powell from the Lakota Nation, who is involved with the Circles of Understanding.

'Do you want to be the change?' was the theme of a three day consultation process and Annual General Meeting of Initiatives of Change Canada, over the weekend of April 5 – 7th, 2013. This theme was thought of in the midst of news coming at us each and every day of corruption, abuse, selfishness and greed. We came away with the thought of 'be the change and give hope to others'.

Juba, 8 April. South Sudanese Vice President Dr. Riek Machar this morning officially opened the training of 200 South Sudanese who will serve as peace and reconciliation mobilizers within communities all over the country over the coming years. Click here for more.

Interfaith work, when done well, has the power to transform communities. The level of trust that develops in effective interfaith groups provides a safe “container” for asking powerful questions. As that trust radiates out into the community, so does the power of those questions.

Quebec City-March 3, 2013

A moving testimony on forgiveness and reconciliation from Francine Lemay, sister of Corporal Marcel Lemay of the Sûreté de Quebec, killed during the 1990 Oka crisis, was one of the most powerful moments at the Citizen Project Forum organized by Initiatives of Change and Espace Art Nature. 

IofC is one of the community partners at the Centre for Global and Community Engagement at the University of Ottawa at the University of Ottawa. For the winter term 2 placements were available as archival assistants working under the direction of Elaine Gordon in the IofC Ottawa office.

Are faith and feminism compatible?

Forty or more women gathered in North East Calgary to address such questions as: Do religions grant equal rights to women? Are religious doctrines being used to control women both in society and the family? To read more click here.

I of C’s Ottawa office has become the scene of lively conversation, interspersed with thoughtful silences, every Thursday night since the Multicultural Women’s Friendship Circle was launched on November 8.

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Volunteers are important in any organisation and the Initiatives of Change Canada national office has recently been given help from five high school students, who were fulfilling. Community Involvement volunteering with a charity.

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A diverse group of women took part in the first Women`s Creators of Peace Circle in the Greater Toronto Area in early November. They created supportive bonds of friendship over the span of the weekend.

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