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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WHEREAS it has been demonstrated that overfishing of stocks of fish which straddle the 200 mile limit is seriously reducing the fish available to Canadian fishermen: THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the 32nd General Council request the General Secretary to invite the Government of Canada, through the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, to take action to obtain international agreement on quotas for the various fish species.
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the 32nd General Council requests the General Secretary of General Council to request the federal government to develop a white paper for discussion purposes on the impact of plant breeders’ rights legislation on Canadian and developing countries before proceeding further.
WHEREAS the 28th General Council (1980) expressed The United Church of Canada’s deep concern for the well-being of this and future generations and the belief that science and technology should serve the quest for a just, participatory and sustainable society; and where an ability to solve many of the problems associated with uranium mining/nuclear power has not been demonstrated;
That the 31st General Council endorse the work presently being done by the (church) in urging all levels of government to redirect cutbacks so that programs designed to help the poor and underprivileged both in Canada and abroad are not subject to funding cuts or closure and encourage the (church) to continue this work on our behalf.
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the 31st General Council requests the General Secretary of the General Council to inform the government of Canada that The United Church of Canada is opposed to a general free trade agreement with the United States, preferring a sector-by-sector approach for agriculture and fisheries. This would preserve existing trade arrangements and at the same time provide opportunities for expanded markets.
Across Canada, hundreds of farm families find themselves face-to-face with ruin, caught up in the nation’s worst agricultural economic crisis since the Great Depression of the 1930s. Increasingly, Canadian farmers are trapped in a vicious squeeze exerted by high costs of production, high interest rates, declining land values accompanied by low prices for their produce. As of June 1985, some 34 per cent of all farmers were suffering moderate or severe financial stress accompanied by an even more serious level of emotional stress.
Since the early 1980s the world has witnessed a rapid rise in arms spending and in military activity in many countries of the world. Because of trading links and foreign investment, countries like Canada have been inadvertently drawn into the current boom in the arms race, led in the west by the United States.
That the 31st General Council 1 Reaffirm the policy of The United Church of Canada that all formally constituted United Church groups abstain from applying for grants to government commissions or foundations based on lotteries. (ROP 27th GC p. 307)
The United Church supports public research and development in the area of agriculture and food production, and the adequate funding of same, provided such research is socially beneficial and in particular does not have destabilizing effects on the farming and fishing communities Keywords: Farming, Genetic Modification, Animal Experimentation, Animal Rights, Animal Husbandry, Biotechnology, Genetics
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the 31st General Council requests the General Secretary of General Council to request the federal, and where appropriate, the provincial governments to clarify, strengthen and guarantee Indian fishery rights in full consultation with the Indian people; this to include Licensing Principles and Licensing Boards.
