council of canadians | london | seeking volunteers

Council of Canadians London Campaigns 2008 - 2009 Volunteer with Us

The idea of global responsibility and global citizenship, of seeing ourselves as one family, is an emerging movement. Although many people in power have a very materialistic, industrial, linear frame of mind bounded by concepts of 'national security needs' and 'economic growth' many ordinary people have not forgotten our roots in the interconnected life-web of which we are but one species. We perceive that our life support systems around the world are deteriorating and dying. Not only have most of our natural forests been destroyed but also the life in the oceans. The basic security of healthy and vibrant living eco-systems upon which we can base our own human societies is no longer intact. We can see, feel, hear, breathe and taste the death of the life-support systems all around us. There are reports from ordinary people all over the planet telling us of new diseases and decreased fertility in many species including our own, of contaminated and dwindling fresh-water supplies, soil-erosion, forest destruction, desert encroachment, mass extinction of other species, climate change, and mass social dysfunctions and we can see the evidence in our own areas. The good news is - we can change this. We can redesign the way we think and live.

Why Volunteer?
For the sake of our survival we must acknowledge that the further we are from the physical and personal impact of our actions or the human effects of our decisions, the less moral responsibility we feel. The longer and more complex the chain of events, the more moral responsibility gets dispersed and reduced. Then the point comes when the system may be guilty of an appalling crime against humanity, even our environment, yet no individual feels obliged to own the consequences of their actions. Regardless of the actions of governments and corporations we, global citizens, must peacefully experiment with alternatives, reclaim our humanity, build up our communities, reclaim our land, rebuild the commons, reclaim morality and law, empowering ourselves and others in the process. We will join our struggles, to learn from and with each other - not allowing ourselves to be imprisoned and domesticated by our governments and corporations. We live locally but we choose to demonstrate our global responsibilities seriously with care and deep consideration.

“By far the most dangerous foe we have to fight is apathy - indifference from whatever cause, not from a lack of knowledge, but from carelessness, from absorption in other pursuits, from a contempt bred of self satisfaction”
William Osler quotes (Canadian Physician, 1849-1919)

Council of Canadians London Chapter Principles
Council of Canadians London Chapter is working towards ensuring that our words and actions support the inherent value and dignity of everyone. We view this as an on-going process of becoming more accountable to our allies, to our supporters, and to our own beliefs. We are committed to:

- Working with the perspective that social, economic and environmental issues are interconnected and interdependent.
- Understanding and learning about systems of oppression and challenging the power structures which support those systems and create injustices.
- Examining the resources and privileges we have and utilizing them thoughtfully, respectfully, honestly and transparently.
- Working with the principles of participatory democracy in our meetings and actions and recognizing that all people should have equal access to decision-making processes.
- Taking responsibility for equalizing power and creating a space where all are encouraged to actively engage, listen, speak and act with respect.
- Learning about the histories and struggles of impacted communities and other groups as told by them.
- Working in solidarity with communities directly impacted by corporate power.
- Prioritizing and building our relationships with impacted communities and a broad base of constituents across social, economic and political boundaries.
- Becoming better allies by helping to build broad-based movements for environmental, social, and economic justice.
- Listening to, learning from and amplifying the voices of our allies.
Supporting the Principles of Environmental Justice adopted by the Delegates to the First National People of Color Environmental Leadership Summit (1991).

We, the staff, activists, and volunteers of Council of Canadians London Chapter commit ourselves to working together to embody the above-stated values. If you share these principles, we invite you to join us in fulfilling them.

For more information email councilofcanadians.london@sympatico.ca.