CUC Statement on A Call for Peace and Compassion – March 1st, 2022 –
As Canadian Unitarian Universalists (UUs), we are deeply concerned about the state of unrest, aggression, and violence in the world.
“It is understandable to feel saddened, outraged, or helpless as we read or watch the news,” says Anne Barker, President of the Unitarian Universalist Ministers of Canada. “We may even feel numb. The cumulative effects of the Covid-19 pandemic; violence against Indigenous, Black and marginalized people; and the wildfires and flooding brought about by climate change have exhausted and overwhelmed us.”
Our weariness has been made worse by recent actions that threaten democracy at home and abroad.
Earlier this month, we watched as a convoy of protestors and their supporters converged on Parliament Hill to protest vaccine mandates. Bitter blockades, intimidation, and violence brought the city of Ottawa to a standstill. For weeks, residents (including members of First Unitarian Congregation of Ottawa and Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Ottawa) lived with the incessant blasting of horns; blocked access to workplaces and stores; and displays of symbols of racism and hate.