Mennonite Weekly Review

WINNIPEG, Man. — Mennonite Church Canada wants to hold G8 leaders to their pledges to the Millenium Development Goals.

Children take care of infants in Burkina Faso, the world’s second- poorest nation. — Photo by Ed Doell/MC Canada

Nearly 100 religious groups have joined together to prompt action on the 9-year-old pledges.

In 2000, leaders of the G8 — eight countries with the world’s leading economies — pledged to support development goals set by the United Nations.

But progress is not keeping pace with promise, and faith leaders are determined to speak to the situation.

The goals — to be achieved by 2015 — seek to enhance conditions for peace by addressing the root causes of conflict such as poverty, illiteracy, disease, gender inequality, child mortality and unsustainable environmental practices.

MC Canada is adding its voice through its membership in the Canadian Council of Churches. The CCC has helped to form the 2010 Interfaith Partnership, which will host the 2010 World Religions Summit at the University of Winnipeg on June 21-23, just prior to the G8 summit meeting in Hunts­ville, Ont., on June 24-26.

Karen Hamilton, general secretary of the CCC, has set a goal that every member of the Canadian Parliament would receive five visits from people representing the spectrum of faith traditions, encouraging their government to live up to its pledges.

Dan Dyck, volunteer chair of the 2010 Interfaith Leaders’ Summit Communications Team and director of communications for MC Canada, is leading a “Peace in the Public Square” campaign in his denomination.

The four-year campaign encourages congregations to “act for peace” and log stories about their actions with the denominational office.

An Act of Peace can range from an individual extending an unexpected act of hospitality to someone or the collective effort of launching a public advertising campaign for peace, as is being done in Mennonite Church Alberta.

“Mennonite Church Canada is attempting to log 1,000 Acts of Peace in our denomination,” Dyck said. “We will collect these stories and publish them as a source of creative inspiration for peacebuilders of the future.

“We hope to demonstrate that when ordinary people choose to pursue peace, they can transform individuals and situations into sacred vessels and experiences.”