温哥华寻道会

Vancouver Unitarians
Close

Outreach Opportunities Fund supports Carnegie Housing Project

Social Justice4 days ago

From July through October 2026, our Outreach Opportunities Fund recipient will be the Carnegie Housing Project.  The Carnegie Housing Project works with residents and community organizations to secure a future for the DTES that serves the needs of its residents.

The Carnegie Housing Project (CHP) delivers community-based research and organizing on issues related to social housing, income, and gentrification in the Downtown Eastside neighbourhood of Vancouver, BC. The Carnegie Housing Project is a project of the Carnegie Community Centre Association a registered charity.

Click here for more information about the Vancouver Unitarians Outreach Opportunities Fund – vanu.ca/oof

Leave a comment

2026 Cherry Blossom Haikus

Blog, IPA, Social JusticeApril 19, 2026

Glad glad are the trees

Bursting into sherbert blooms

Glad my eyes to taste

(Nan Gregory)

Nature works hard all year

Sun, rain, leaves enrich the soil

For a party in spring

(Jennifer)

Cherry blossoms bloom

Bringing hope of a refreshed life

Walking with lightness

(Alison)

Cherry Blossom bloom

I walk to my yoga

On the flower way

(Hisako)

Blossoms bloom and fall

Every day I remember

I am not alone

{Nan Gregory}

The pink moon brings spring

Community blooms for all

Warm days peaceful nights

(Anonymous)

Spring

BLOOM

UNFOLDS

FALLS

Petals in flurries

Drop on the tender green grass

Spring blessing the street

(Anonymous)

Up through last fall’s leaves

Snowdrops, daffodils surge up

Celebrating spring

(Anonymous)

Nature awakens

In a burst of pink blossoms

Hearts and minds rejoice

(Anonymous)

Leave a comment

Environment, Intercultural, and Social Justice Teams Sponsor World Water Day Musical Fundraiser for Indigenous Water Protectors and RAVEN

Environment, Social JusticeApril 9, 2026

More than 100 people attended an afternoon of song and inspiration in the Sanctuary on March 21 to raise funds for Indigenous Water Protectors and RAVEN’s “We Are All One Planet” campaign.

Wonderful music was provided by the Alouette Sisters (three women, including Catherine Hembling, who met and started singing together when they were in prison at the Alouette Correctional Centre for peacefully protesting the Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion project) in collaboration with the Left Coast Labour Chorus and Holly Arntzen (a west coast musician well-known for her great musical talent and her ability to engage with her audience).

The event raised over $2600, some of which will support the Sepcwemec women appealing to the Supreme Court of Canada about their arrests for protesting the Trans Mountain Pipeline.

The three sponsoring VanU teams are grateful for this opportunity to help the Indigenous Water Protectors and RAVEN.

Leave a comment

Actions you can take – March 2026 – SJ Team

Blog, Social JusticeMarch 6, 2026
As a follow-up to our Apartheid Free Communities Forum, the Social Justice team made this post of ACTIONS you can take to make a difference for Palestinian communities


If you need convincing that you can make a difference, look no further than recent news that Scotiabank has finally divested from Elbit Systems, bowing to unyielding international pressure to end investments in the Israeli weapons manufacturer. 

(This list was copied from an email sent by Alexis Kellum-Creer to Maxine Kaufman-Lacusta)


✍️Petition:
Israel is banning 37 aid organizations from humanitarian work in Gaza under false pretenses starting in January 2026, including Doctors Without Borders/MSF.
Sign the petition demanding Canada take concrete action in response.

✊Letter of Solidarity:
Sign the letter of solidarity with a group of new Palestinian physician colleagues who graduated in December in Gaza amid the ruins of destroyed al-Shifa Hospital.
Learn more.

💡Learn More:
+972 Magazine – Basel Adra reports on a multi-village attack in Masafer Yatta
+972 Magazine – Israel is revoking entry authorization of foreign activists
Amnesty International – Report on Israel/oPt Annexation

🗳️Donate:
Donate directly to Palestinian communities in the West Bank. All proceeds from donations made on the No Other Land website go directly to families living under occupation:  https://supportmasaferyatta.com

Become a sustaining donor for the Gaza Soup Kitchen. A donation of $10 a week helps keep these soup kitchens open, bringing desperately-needed food to families:
https://tinyurl.com/4szz5xuw

⚽️Event: Friday March 27 2026 from 5-9 pm PST
Djavad Mowafaghian World Cinema SFU, 149 W Hastings Street, Vancouver
Beyond the Pitch: Soccer, Power and Identity

As Vancouver prepares to host matches for the FIFA World Cup, join us for a dynamic evening of conversation featuring Canadian sports journalist Shireen Ahmed, Aaron Hughes (University of Rochester), Tamir Sorek (Penn State University) and Ehsan Kashfi (University of Copenhagen), moderated by Nazanin Shahrokni (Simon Fraser University). Together, they explore how the world’s most popular game intersects with politics, culture, religion, and contested identities.

The evening also features a special photo exhibition by Iranian sports photojournalist Maryam Majd, showcasing powerful visual stories from the field and beyond.

Free Admission
Tickets and Info

👩‍⚕️Event: Friday April 10, 2026 from 7-9pm PST (doors open 6:30pm)
Normand Bouchard Memorial Theatre at the UBC Student Union Building (6138 Student Union Blvd #130, Vancouver).
Notes from Palestine: Justice and Collective Healing, A Conversation with Dr. Samah Jabr.
Dr. Samah Jabr is a consultant psychiatrist serving in East Jerusalem and the West Bank and a leading researcher on incarceration, historical trauma, and Palestinian resistance. She will examine how solidarity and responsibility inform mental health practice amid political violence. Dr. Jabr will be joined by Caroline Abedrabboh, a local Palestinian health care worker, as well as Muhammad Sultan, a member of BC Physicians Against Genocide. Opening remarks by Jada- Gabrielle Pape.

Tickets: Free for students | $15 general | additional donations welcome.

Please RSVP through the following link: https://actionnetwork.org/ticketed_events/notes-from-palestine-justice-and-collective-healing/

Resources supplied by Sheila Lindfield – Independent Jewish Voices

Podcast –Beyond Israelism with Simone Zimmerman

Interview with Yuli Novak Executive Director of B’tselem (Israeli Human Rights Organization) on that organiozation’s release of report “Our Genocide” in July 2025

Our Genocide – July 2025 Report from B’tselem – an Israeli Human Rights Organization

Apartheid-Free Communities – (Cut your ties top Israeli Apartheid)

Unitarian Universalists for Justice in the Middle East

Witnessing Apartheid: AFSC’s May 2023 delegation to Palestine and Israel (Quakers)

Independent Jewish Voices Canada – A host of position statements, recent releases, campaign descriptions, videos

United Nations Report: Genocide as Colonial Erasure – this is a report by Francesca Alabanese Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories

Leave a comment

Outreach Opportunities Funds supports Out In Schools

Social JusticeFebruary 7, 2026

From February to May 2026, our Outreach Opportunities Fund recipient will be Out In Schools.

Out In Schools is BC’s award-winning 2SLGBTQIA+ education program with more than 15 years of experience in BC’s education system. We inspire and empower youth. Work with us to support your classroom or community today.

We use film and facilitated group discussion to engage youth in building safer, more inclusive communities.

Click here for more information about the Vancouver Unitarians Outreach Opportunities Fund – vanu.ca/oof

Leave a comment

Outreach Opportunities Funds supports RAVEN Trust

Environment, Social JusticeOctober 28, 2025

From November 2025 to February 2026, our Outreach Opportunities Fund recipient will be the RAVEN Trust. RAVEN (Respecting Aboriginal Values & Environmental Needs) is a registered charity that works to support Indigenous Nations who are upholding their rights in court.

RAVEN’s vision “is a country that honours the ancestral laws, rights, and stewardship values of Indigenous Peoples and their equitable access to the justice system within a thriving natural environment” and their mission is to “raise legal funds to assist Indigenous People who enforce their rights and title to protect their traditional territories.”

Click here for more information about the Vancouver Unitarians Outreach Opportunities Fund – vanu.ca/oof

Leave a comment

Serving lunch in DTES with other VanU members on Friday, Sep 19th at 11:00

Blog, Social JusticeAugust 20, 2025

The Social Justice team has sponsored 6 meals with the First United Food Truck.   Here are photos of our smiling volunteers:

Description of Event:

This is an opportunity to serve lunch to residents of the Downtown Eastside community. First United cooks the meal and we prepare plates of food and hand them out to about 150 members of the community who come to the food truck at lunchtime. Here is a link that explains the First United Sponsor a Meal program.

We will meet at 368 Powell Street at 11:00 and will be greeted by First United staff members.  They will give us instructions and answer questions. At noon, we will walk (4 minutes) to Gore and Hastings where we will serve the meal and hand out socks. At 1:00, we return to 368 Powell Street and have the opportunity to listen to a presentation/discussion by other First United staff. The event is usually finished by 1:45.

The Social Justice team has funds to cover the cost of sponsoring the meal on Friday, September 19, 2025, please send an email to yvonnemarcus [at] gmail [dot] com if you are interested in volunteering.  There is space for 2-3 more volunteers.

Leave a comment

Outreach Opportunities Fund supports Alzheimer Society of BC

Lifespan, Social JusticeJuly 4, 2025

From July 2025 to October 2025, our Outreach Opportunities Fund recipient will be the Alzheimer Society of British Columbia (ASBC). Please watch this video made for Vancouver Unitarians by the Alzheimer Society of BC.

Alzheimer Society of BC’s vision is “a world without Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, and that world begins with a society where people affected by dementia are welcomed, supported and included.”

ASBC works with people with lived experience in order to mobilize a broad community of care and support research into the disease to ensure people affected by dementia are not alone.  For more information, please visit their website: https://alzheimer.ca/bc/en

Click here for more information about the Vancouver Unitarians Outreach Opportunities Fund – vanu.ca/oof

Leave a comment

Vancouver Unitarians Repudiate the Doctrine of Discovery and the Doctrine of Terra Nullius

IPA, Resolutions, Social JusticeJune 10, 2025

The Vancouver Unitarians’ congregation formally endorsed the Canadian Unitarian Council’s (CUC) motion  passed on May 19, 2023 to “Repudiate the Doctrine of Discovery” later amended in May 2024 to also include repudiating the doctrine of Terra Nullius.

This resolution builds on the work that members of the Environment, IPA and SJ teams started in 2022.  Here is a recording  of the Doctrine of Discovery and Terra Nullius Forum held on November 20, 2022. This forum was instrumental in helping the CUC draft and approve their motions to repudiate the Doctrine of Discovery and the Doctrine of Terra Nullius. The resolution was passed at the Extraordinary General Meeting on June 8, 2025.

The Doctrine of Discovery comprises several 15th century papal bulls proclaiming that Christian nations had the right to take possession of the lands of non-Christians to save their souls by Christianizing them. The Doctrine of Terra Nullius (vacant land) was considered to apply to land not yet occupied by Christians, so sovereignty, title and jurisdiction could be claimed over it.

Please click here for a timeline of repudiation by major religious groups and other additional information.

Please click here for additional reading materials related to this resolution.

Leave a comment

Social Justice – News and Thank Yous

Blog, Social JusticeMarch 21, 2025

The SJ Team would like to express our thanks to Tim Smith for stepping forward to be the captain of Team Vancouver Unitarians in the 2025 Coldest Night of the Year Walk. He was joined by Hisako Masaki and the team raised $878.00.  The funds raised were tax-deductible contributions to support and serve people and families experiencing hurt, hunger, and homelessness in the DTES community. Thank you to all the Unitarians and Tim’s co-workers for their greatly needed donations.

 On January 26, Vivian Davidson-Castro presented her film, Food Synergy, a one-of-a-kind feature documentary in the sustainability genre. The documentary uncovers the challenges and, more importantly, the solutions that everyday food heroes locally and across the world are enacting in each level of the food supply chain to make food loss and waste a thing of the past.

There is so much that each of us can do to reduce food waste.  The Food Donor Encouragement Act was passed by the BC Legislature in  1997 and it provides guidelines for donation of food by individuals and businesses. Please contact Vivian if you have questions about food waste.  If you would like to financially support future screenings of Food Synergy, please donate here.

Upcoming Events

On May 18th, the SJ Team is hosting a free screening of Where Olive Trees Weep. Where Olive Trees Weep offers a searing window into the struggles and resilience of the Palestinian people under Israeli occupation.   Please visit the event page on the VanU calendar for more information and to reserve your free ticket.

The Social Justice and IPA teams have submitted a Resolution on the Endorsement of the CUC Motion to Repudiate the Doctrine of Discovery and the Doctrine of Terra Nullius. This resolution will be voted on by the VanU congregation at the June 8, 2025 AGM.  A forum was held on Feb 23. The slide deck for this forum can be found here. Please click here for additional reading materials related to this forum.

Leave a comment

Outreach Opportunities Fund supports Salal SVSC

Social JusticeMarch 5, 2025

From March 2025 to June 2025, our Outreach Opportunities Fund recipient will be Salal Sexual Violence Support Centre.

Founded 40 years ago, Salal Sexual Violence Support Centre is the largest sexual assault centre in British Columbia, operating on the stolen and unceded Coast Salish Territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and Sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil-Waututh) peoples. Salal provides free-of-charge support services to women, trans, Two-Spirit, nonbinary, and gender diverse survivors of sexualized violence. Gender-based violence is systemic, and our work goes beyond service provision to include advocating for, and enacting change within our society to create safer communities. For more info please see salasvsc.ca

Click here for more information on our Outreach Opportunities Fund.

Leave a comment

Social Justice Forum Resources

Blog, Social JusticeMarch 4, 2025

This post will contain links to slide decks and other online resources for past Social Justice Team forums.

August 3, 2025 – Remembering Hiroshima, Nagasaki, and 80 Years of Nuclear Violence. Text of homilies and poems for this service is available here.

March 9, 2025 – Let’s Talk about Peace Building. The slide deck for this forum is available here.

February 23, 2025 – Resolution on the Endorsement of the CUC Motion to Repudiate the Doctrine of Discovery and the Doctrine of Terra Nullius. This resolution will be voted on by the VanU congregation at the June 8th AGM. The slide deck for this forum is available here. Please click here for additional reading materials related to the Feb 23, 2025 forum.

Leave a comment