That the Executive of the General Council make the following Statement on Anti-Semitism: In the face of the recent upsurge of attacks against Jewish people and property in Canada and around the world, The United Church of Canada reiterates its absolute condemnation of all acts of antisemitism.
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Thirty-sixth General Council to call upon the Government of Canada to implement a National Childcare Program which provides affordable, accessible, and quality childcare.
Having given careful consideration to the comment expressed that a ban on the production of land mines would remove a significant defensive weapon from members of the Canadian Armed Forces in any future war;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the 36th General Council: a) urge the Government of Canada to support "the initiation and conclusion by the year 2000 of an international convention that will set out a binding timetable for the abolition of all nuclear weapons" (from the Abolition 2000 petition); b) urge the Government of Canada to cease all activities determined to be of questionable legality by the July 8, 1996 ruling of the International Court of Justice, including, but not limited to:
1. Humanitarian intervention and civil war Three years after the formal end of the Cold War, the major nuclear powers have agreed that they will not use nuclear weapons against each other. Still, roughly 50,000 nuclear weapons remain. In addition, 82 armed conflicts are underway in 60 locations. Thirty-five are full-blown civil wars, clustered in 5 major hot spots in the world: (i) Southern and south-central Africa; (ii) the Horn of Africa; (iii) the Middle East, south-eastern Europe and the central Asian republics of the former USSR; (iv) south-east Asia; and (v) the Andes. People who have escaped these wars have become our neighbours in many of the major cities of Canada.
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT the 35th General Council 1. express its support for a negotiated peace settlement between Israel and the peoples in the occupied territories of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip; 2. express this support to the government of Israel and to those negotiating on behalf of the Palestinian peoples, encouraging them to use all peaceful methods possible.
WHEREAS Christ calls the church to be concerned for this world; and WHEREAS the ways of peace and reconciliation are preferred to acts of violence and the perpetration of hatred; and WHEREAS negotiation and mutual recognition of issues can lead to justice;
Whereas the House of Commons did not take into consideration on Bill C 86 by the Senate Standing Committee on Social Affairs, Sciences and Technology; and Whereas the Senate Committee’s recommendations reflect the recommendations of ICCR, Amnesty International, the Canadian Bar Association and UNHCR representative to Canada in briefs presented to the Senate Committee and the House of Commons Committee; and
On motion of Buckley/Wiegand it was proposed that having heard and considered Petition 68 and the Sessional Committee report of the 34th General Council take the following action: Recognize the moral right and the responsibility of United Church Congregations to provide sanctuary to legitimate refugee claimants who have been denies refugee status by a process which the church recognizes as being inadequate; and to direct the Division of Mission in Canada to make available guidelines to congregations on the legal and financial implications of attempting to provide sanctuary.
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the 34th General Council a) makes the following statement on the future of Canada: “The 34th General Council of The United Church of Canada prays for and declares its hope for Canada, where, Aboriginal peoples, Quebecois and other francophones, Metis, anglophones, and peoples of many other cultural heritages share this land together in peace and justice, with respect and appreciation for each other’s history, culture, language, and other distinctive gifts- a sign of hope for the global family of nations.