Archives 2021

CBC

Although this is only a small step in the right direction, it is worth celebrating. At the same time, there is still a shocking level of resistance – within the Ontario Catholic system and in other places, to a move as modest as flying a flag to demonstrate inclusion. For the record, the “faith-based” resistance to full acceptance of our LGBTQ+ members is not new, and it’s not something I am going to use space articulating here (but it is cited in the article, above). I’m sure that we’ve all heard it before, and the focus here is on how to move forward, more positively, not on giving space to outdated and discriminatory ideas.

So, in order to help transform the conversation from negative, to positive, I (along with countless others that are working for more inclusive faith groups), would like to suggest the following as a reframing of how we view our faith and actions, for ourselves, and others:

Instead of the too-often used, traditional, inaccurate and discriminatory stance:

“My faith tells me, based on centuries old (mis)understandings of gender and sexuality, that you – and your basic core identifiers, or what you do with your body – are wrong, and I am right. For me to live true to my faith, I need you to change who you are, in order for me to tolerate you.”

Let’s switch to:

• “My faith tells me to love my neighbour, so I am called to accept and embrace the diversity (including gender, sexuality and many other things) that we all bring, without judgement or prejudice.”
• “My faith tells me to be a good neighbour, so I am called to serve others, instead of demanding that others change their core identity to appease me.”
• “My faith tells me that if I own two coats, and my neighbour has none, I should share – so therefore, I am called to give up my big house and move somewhere smaller, live simply, share my wealth, support a universal basic income and work to end wealth inequality in the world.”
• “My faith tells me to care for creation, so I am called to stop eating animal products, use zero waste instead of single use products, switch away from my gas vehicle as soon as possible, and vote for governments that take the climate crisis seriously.”
• My faith tells me to not kill others, so I am called to actively support peacebuilding instead of militaries, not own a gun, ensure that I am not glorifying war or weapons in any way, and actively vote in governments that show love to our global neighbours instead of engaging in war.”
• “My faith tells me to live at peace with others, so I am called to learn the history of racism and discrimination in the world, locally and globally, and actively work to deconstruct any misperceptions I may have about systemic racism in our world. Likewise, I am called to actively welcome refugees and other newcomers with open arms.”
• and so on…

Or, in the super-simplified form…

“My/our faith calls me/us to be better global citizen(s), and to serve others, without discrimination. One of the worst things we can do is latch on to the misguided idea that all we need to do is force someone else to change who they are (“be straight instead of LQBTQ+”, “don’t get an abortion”, “don’t be a refugee”…) and then that will be our ticket into heaven. Over and over, in countless faith traditions, we are called to change our own actions (giving up our own wealth, serving the poor and refugees, giving up our own power and status) instead of forcing change on others, especially on aspects of core identity, that break modern anti-discrimination laws in many countries. God calls us to give up our own privilege and wealth, (which is very hard to do), instead of demanding that others change who they are to appease us.”

So, with that, let’s get Pride Month going!😀

More info:

Taking a stand for her father and her family, she’s raising the Pride flag at her former Catholic school – CBC

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Looking for zero-waste, plant-based or sustainable items? Check out the MennoAdventures online store! There are always lots of great deals to be found, with our many amazing partners! Happy browsing!

Here in Canada, (as with many other places) our yard, like most others, has a lot of squirrels. And, during this year+ of lockdown, we have had plenty of time, in our backyard (eating, reading etc) to watch our neighbourhood squirrels, chipmunks, birds, rabbits and other visitors. So, for the end of the week, here is what someone else (nobody we personally know, to be clear) having some fun with his backyard squirrel visitors. Squirrels are definitely far smarter than I ever realized. Happy Weekend! 😀

Here is Part #1

And here is Part #2…

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Looking for zero-waste, plant-based or sustainable items? Check out the MennoAdventures online store! There are always lots of great deals to be found, with our many amazing partners! Happy browsing!

CBC.ca

Some of you may remember hearing parts of his story several years ago. Now, Hassan Al Kontar has written a book about his experience, since he was welcomed into Canada as a refugee. I haven’t read the book yet, but it is on my e-reader, waiting for me to start (hopefully soon!)

Here is a bit of an update – and his perspective on what he has learned, as a refugee, and in a pandemic.

A group of volunteers, headed by Laurie Cooper of Whistler, B.C., learned about Al Kontar’s plight and organized on his behalf.

Cooper dubbed herself Al Kontar’s “Canadian mom.” She crowdsourced money for him, helped him navigate the asylum system, lobbied the government and co-ordinated with air travellers around the world to hook him up with food, money and supplies — including, of course, his much beloved coffee.

“They restored my faith in humanity,” he said.

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“That’s why my story is not only the Syrian war story. It’s also [about] a country called Canada and people called Canadians,” he said. “Because of them, I am now permanently safe.”

CBC

In addition to working on and speaking on refugee related issues, now that he is safely settled in Canada, Al Kontar has also spoken with the CBC of the impacts of the pandemic, and the related restrictions, especially as they started relatively soon after he had arrived in Canada.

The key to resilience and survival, he says, lies in having empathy for others. During the first couple of weeks of the pandemic, Al Kontar opened his door to find a bag of snacks that an anonymous person had left for him. He took this as an inspiration to volunteer at a food bank.

“If we are going to manage to beat this virus it’s through this kind of behaviour,” he said. (Bold mine)

CBC

It is imperative that we change our systems (including ending wars, actively and seriously addressing our climate crisis etc), so that people are never forced to flee their homes, and make difficult choices. At the same time, there remain countless reasons why people may want to – or need to – leave and resettle somewhere else. It is, without a doubt, our job to welcome others with open arms, every time. It is the right thing to do, and we need to find ways to be welcoming and inclusive, every time. 😀

More details:

• BBC Hassan al-Kontar: Who is the man trapped in an airport helping now?
• Globe: I was a Syrian refugee, trapped in an airport. Now, Canada is my home – and this is what that means to me

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Looking for zero-waste, plant-based or sustainable items? Check out the MennoAdventures online store! There are always lots of great deals to be found, with our many amazing partners! Happy browsing!

After a brief delay (from when we actually got the MennoAdventures IG page set up), everything is now (hopefully) working correctly, and everything that posts here (on the website) should now also show up on IG!

Some of the older posts will be shared over, for reference, and everything new should show up every time there is a new post. Please check out the page, if you are interested, and consider inviting others to follow (on IG, other social media, or here on the website) as well. The more the merrier! 😀

Have a great day!

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Looking for sustainable, zero-waste or plant-based items? Check out the MennoAdventures online store. Looking for more info or resources? Check out the website!

As with most things in life, we can not resolve problems until we fully, honestly admit the truth. Whether it’s the Middle East, COVID, the climate crisis, an inter-personal issue or anything else, we can’t fix what we don’t acknowledge. With honestly, hard work and determination to face problems head-on, we can create a better world. 💛

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Looking for zero-waste, plant-based or sustainable items? Check out the MennoAdventures online store! There are always lots of great deals to be found, with our many amazing partners! Happy browsing! 😀

Guardian

This is a lovely story, from the LEGO headquarters in Denmark. While one act like this does not make up for bad policies, or replace the need for good policies, symbolically, it is a great step in the right direction, towards greater inclusion, recognition of diversity, and acknowledgment of gender and sexuality as more than how it’s been represented in the past.

In the “spraying room” at Lego HQ, tiny figurines are layered with bright, glossy paint before being placed on a rainbow-esque arch. The result, a waterfall of colour with 11 brand new minifigures striding purposefully towards an imagined brighter future, is the Danish toymaker’s inaugural LGBTQIA+ set, titled Everyone Is Awesome.

The colours of the stripes were chosen to reflect the original rainbow flag, along with pale blue, white and pink representing the trans community, and black and brown to acknowledge the diversity of skin tones and backgrounds within the LGBTQIA+ community.

Guardian

In addition, as noted in the article, the company has started selling their marriage sets separately (as opposed to a man and a woman, together in one box), so that couples can choose any two individual pieces that best represent their relationship.

This is one more step, in the right direction, for inclusion, welcoming for all, and a greater respect for the full range diversity within humanity. Let’s hope that these symbolic steps lead to both more similar changes, as well as real-world, actual policy changes – including full rights for everyone, and an end to all discrimination, whether based on gender and sexuality, or anything else.

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Looking for zero-waste, plant-based or sustainable items? Check out the MennoAdventures online store! There are always lots of great deals to be found, with our many amazing partners! Happy browsing!

Along with resources and lots of great info, you may not know that Menno Adventures has a new and improved online store experience, complete with access to countless sustainable items, through various partners.

No matter what you are looking for to guide your sustainable goals, one of our amazing partners probably has it! In fact, they might even have things that you didn’t know could help you on your sustainability journey. Ordering couldn’t be easier – all you need to do is go to the Menno Adventures website, browse the categories under the online store, find the partner(s) you would like to check out and click on their link. From there, you are redirected to the partner store, where you can browse and order. Ordering and shipping all happens directly through the partner website, the same as any other online ordering experience.

Whether you are looking for clothing, tech (compostable phone cases), food and related items or other sustainable solutions, you will (hopefully) find what you are looking for here. 😊

What difference does it make to order through MennoAdventures?

• It saves you the work of researching and finding great stores that sell amazing, sustainable items. All the work is done for you – and there are lots of great options, all in one spot! 😊
• Plus, by clicking on the link on the MA website, before continuing on with your order, with one simple click, you are helping support the work that this website is doing.

What cool things can I find in the online store? Lots of great things (all sustainable, plant-based, mostly zero-waste), including, among many other great options…

• Upcycled Yarn products at Darn Good Yarn
• Comfy clothes, made in Toronto from Encircled
• Zero Waste laundry detergent strips from TruEarth
• Reuseable replacements for single use items at LastObject
• Amazing plant-based sauces, from Good Food for Good
• And so much more!

Each of the partners in the MA online store has amazing products – and there are often sales or discounts that come up as well (too many for me to list here…). So, check Menno Adventures often, see if any new partners have been added, click on the links and enjoy the amazing selection of sustainable, zero-waste and plant-based options that they offer! Know of others who might be interested? Please share widely in your circles. Have a great weekend!

The list of things that have led women to be labelled “difficult” is far too long to list here… Instead of telling women to “be less difficult” or asking women to simply accept negative labels as the price to pay for being smart, assertive or speaking out against systemic problems, it’s time to rephrase how we identify smart, assertive women. So many of the traits that men get praised for are seen as deficits in women, in too many places, throughout history and around the world – while so often people (especially men) are praised for being aggressive and bullying (behaviours that nobody should be doing). Let’s put an end to that! And, in the interim, as women, all we can do is embrace the label as a sign that we are probably doing something right. To be clear, this doesn’t mean that all behaviour (regardless of gender) is good when others say it’s difficult – just that women tend to be over-labelled as difficult for anything that is not completely passive…😀

Women, what is your craziest/best/most frustrating story of being called “difficult” for being, smart, assertive, good at your job, working to change systems or anything else? Share your stories below, in the comments. 😀

The Guardian: ‘Not anti-beef but pro-planet’: recipe website reveals it secretly took cows off the menu.

Interesting update here from a food/recipe website. (Full disclosure – I am not specifically familiar with this food website, and have not specifically tracked their work in the past, although it appears to have a fairly extensive catalogue of recipes, and a significant user base.) They stopped adding/promoting recipes that contain beef – although some older recipes will remain visible for the time being.

The food website Epicurious will no longer feature beef in its recipes, in an effort to help drive more sustainable consumption.

The decision to cut cows from the menu was announced on Monday, but the organisation is confident readers will not miss the meat – because it actually made the change a year ago and has not published a beef recipe since.

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“We know that some people might assume that this decision signals some sort of vendetta against cows – or the people who eat them. But this decision was not made because we hate hamburgers (we don’t!). Instead, our shift is solely about sustainability, about not giving airtime to one of the world’s worst climate offenders. We think of this decision as not anti-beef but rather pro-planet.” (Bold mine).

The Guardian

One of the interesting pieces with this change is that it was made a year ago, without an announcement, and they have been watching the results, which have been positive over this test period. Their conclusion: people want great recipes – regardless of whether they have red meat in them or not. Not sure if they are planning on testing this theory further, but I would guess (and would love to see the data) on what would happen if they continue to shift their focus toward vegetarian and vegan recipes – which appears to perhaps be in their future. Some hints on their website appear to suggest that dairy may be the next to get cut, but that is only speculation, at this point.

If their followers simply love great recipes, what might they (and countless other recipe websites) offer if they switched – either further or completely – to plant-based recipes?

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More details on their decision can be found here.

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Looking for more sustainability info? Great zero-waste items? Check the online store for some great deals!

The ways we do things, within and outside of the non-profit world, is constantly evolving. COVID, along with many other challenges, are forcing a reckoning on what our “new normal” will look like. In my opinion, one of our biggest shortfalls, in the NGO world, is the frequency with which organizations compete for donors/funds/projects – or start a new org instead of supporting an existing organization – when supporting/collaborating would be a much more appropriate choice.

We work in this field because we desire a better, fairer, more equitable world – but sometimes forget to make sure that our actual work methods follow the same high standards we set for our external projects. If we are working on a peacebuilding project, why can’t we make peace with another NGO and collaborate instead of competing?

Although based on the US (and written for the American context), Non-Profit Impact Pledge is one step in the right direction, and is just as applicable globally as within the US. The commitments have two parts: From NGOs and from Funders and Donors. Both are important, in their own way, to helping reshape the sector as a whole, and to creating more positive change in the world — which is so critically needed.

To our communities and all those who benefit from the work of nonprofits…,

Our country is at a turning point, and so is the nonprofit sector. The disparate economic and social fallout from COVID-19 and the widespread reckoning with racial justice have put a spotlight on many long-standing problems with philanthropy and with the way nonprofits work. We cannot avoid these problems any longer, nor do we wish for things to return “to normal.” Our old way of existence, and many of our sector’s past practices for collaborating with funders, donors and our communities (while often well-intentioned), are broken. Instead, we wish to create a new future for the nonprofit sector, for the good of all.

As our country starts down the long road toward recovery from a tumultuous 2020, demand for our services continues to grow, resources continue to shrink, and outmoded systems and ways of thinking seem determined to keep our impact small. It has never been more challenging to run and sustain an effective nonprofit organization, but it has also never been more important, and we will rise up in the face of these challenges.

That is why we take this pledge and double down on these 10 commitments to you, the people and communities we work with. We also ask our donors, funders and those who support the sector to make a similar set of commitments to us.

Together, we can create a better future for our sector, for the good of all.

NP Impact Pledge

Among the 10 commitments in the pledge, all are important in their own way, and all contribute to better organizations, which are better able to make positive contributions, both locally and globally. Here is one example.

Commitment 1
We will collaborate, not compete.
We recognize that we can do more good for our communities together than we can do alone. We will focus our efforts on making a specific contribution that only our organization can make, and when we encounter other organizations doing similar work, we commit to closely collaborating, partnering or merging with them rather than competing in an effort to maximize our collective impact. (Bold mine).

NP Impact Pledge

And, I would add – we commit to supporting others before staring a new NGO that is likely to compete with others, when supporting or joining is a more appropriate and sustainable choice for the sector as a whole.

Want to add your name to the pledge? Follow the link to sign up – and add your name, with others, to commit to a better NGO sector.

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Looking for more NGO resources? Check the website for more info. Looking for more sustainability/zero-waste resources? Check out the online store!