Statement of Solidarity with BIPOC
Racism, and in particular anti-Black racism and anti-Indigenous racism which has been promoted by white supremacy and colonialism is the very foundation upon which both Canada and the United States have been built. The incidents we have seen in recent weeks, incidents repeated so many times over the course of weeks, months, and years, have been a scary reminder of the realities faced by Black and Indigenous people. It is a reminder that the barbaric colonial displacement and genocide executed against North America’s First Nations, and the enslavement of African peoples continues to directly affect every person, particularly racialized communities, all across North America.
We stand in solidarity with, and alongside all people across this land, in demanding justice, accountability, and equity. We are calling for a fair, unbiased justice system which includes reparations from any government and authority involved in violence against racialized communities, particularly Black and Indigenous communities. We recognize the additional vulnerabilities experienced by racialized women and youth, and the tremendous systemic barriers faced by these populations.
The priority for the government must be funding humanity and not furthering oppression.
We recognize and support the resilience, the actions, the will, and the power of all oppressed people to fight for their freedom. But we recognize this self-determination with conscious awareness of our own privileges, and welcome the responsibility of joining in the resistance; refusing to stand silently by while violent barbaric acts of systemic oppression continue. We commit to actively and deliberately breaking the silence that protects and promotes structural and systemic racism wherever it exists across Turtle Island, our shared home.
Black Lives Matter Here. Indigenous Lives Matter Here. These lives are valid, are worthy, and are loved here. This is our shared home. And we will not stay silent.
Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande valley informed us today that the COVID-19 (coronavirus), as well as possible quarantines pose a threat to Sr. Norma’s ministry with susceptible refugees at the USA-Mexican border.
FCJ Youth Network is inviting newcomer youth interested in learn about storytelling and filmmaking. The project “The Past, The Present, Our Future” was launched with the Storytelling series of workshops that are taking place on Wednesdays from 4 to 6 pm.
Migrants are often vulnerable to abuse by their employers and are afraid to speak up or form unions due to their precarious immigration status. Undocumented migrants, in particular, are reluctant to access essential services such as public health, education, and shelters due to fear of detention and deportation, exacerbating their vulnerability and isolation from the rest of society.