This Library contains documents from all recent United Church governance meetings, including General Council and its Executive. It will also soon include “Our Beliefs Explained” official policy documents dating back several decades. If you can't find something you think should be included, contact gcbusiness@united-church.ca.
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The 34th General Council resolves to: 1. endorse the current Division of Mission in Canada work in the study and possible creation of community-based “land trusts” to support family farming; 2. urge conferences to support the study and possible creation of land trusts, as appropriate.
The 34th General Council requests the Division of Mission in Canada and the Division of World Outreach a) to gather existing resources and up-to-date information on the UCC’s position on the Middle East; and
WHEREAS in the Report of the Committee on Agriculture and Food Resources to the 29th General Council in 1982, a family farm was defined as “a farm in which the family members accept the responsibility for labour, management and risk-taking, and the stewardship of land and capital.
The 34th General Council agrees to 1. urge the Division of Mission in Canada to: compile available studies and evaluate the housing conditions and difficulties of single women on fixed income and single senior a. women (e.g. Maritime Conference study); b. make available the report of this study within the appropriate courts of the church; and 2. request the Government of Canada, on behalf of those in need, to re-establish the funding of cooperative housing proje
The 34th General Council recognizes the moral right and the responsibility of United Church congregations to provide sanctuary to legitimate refugee claimants who have been denied refugee status by a process which the church recognizes as being inadequate; and directs the Division of Mission in Canada to make available guidelines to congregations on the legal and financial implications of attempting to provide sanctuary.
BE IT RESOLVED 1. that the 34th General Council adopt the definitions for sexual abuse, sexual harassment, sexual assault, sexual exploitation, child abuse and pastoral sexual misconduct found in the revised document entitled “Sexual Abuse: (Harassment, Exploitation, Pastoral Sexual Misconduct, Assault) and Child Abuse,” for use in all courts of The United Church of Canada.
The 34th General Council urges the Government of Canada to immediately amend the Canadian Human Rights Act to include sexual orientation as a prohibited ground for discrimination.
The 34th General Council calls upon the Government of Canada and all provincial and territorial administrations to ensure the enshrinement of a social charter in the Constitution of Canada; that this charter guarantee access to basic social, health care, and economic services regardless of gender, ability, race, age, sexual orientation or place of residency; and with a commitment from the federal government to the maintenance of national standards and federal funding to achieve the goals of such a charter.
The 34th General Council agrees to 1 reaffirm the Refugee Policy of the 32nd General council, providing guidelines for work with refugees, and commend the Division of Mission in Canada for the work presently being done to implement it; and 2 ask the Government of Canada to change proposed amendments to the Immigration Act, introduced in Bill C-86 currently before the House of Commons to reflect the following principles: Refugees, Asylum, Justice
The 34th General Council agrees to adopt the following statement on environment and development. Keywords: Ecology, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Consumerism, environmentalism, greenhouse gases, greenhouse effect, global warming