News & Views

This amazing buyers guide will help you determine whether the companies you support also support the people you support.  Put together by the Human Rights Campaign foundation in the States, an organization working toward achieving and maintaining rights for LGBTQ people across some of the most homophobic regions in North America, the guide indicates that despite tragic choices on the part of state legislatures, a very positive response to equality has been seen throughout the business sector.  But it's interesting to know that BestBuy scores 100% on the Corporate Equality Index whereas RadioShack only scores 40%.  Or that Dell is another shining example of support for the LGBTQ community, but Acer slumps way back at 58% on the CEI.

Take a look at the Buyer's Guide and make your choices as positive as possible.

The Human Rights Campaign Buyers Guide for 2010

Here's the criteria used to make the assessements, HRC's Corporate Equality Index

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As a signatory on the Earth Charter, we support the principles and aims it will be presenting at the Climate Change conference in Copenhagen in a few weeks. ECI brings together elements of climate change challenges that are often missed when discussions take place.  It isn't just science that will save the planet. Economics and justice play a huge role in creating a sustainable world.

If you'd like to participate in the youtube competition and show your support for the Earth Charter, click on this link, then "vote" in the top band across the video. When option boxes appear to the right, type ecinternational in the lower one. They have suggested we vote for the "Club of Rome" video by clicking on the thumbs up button, though you really should make sure you watch the other one, too. (Nothing happens to show you've voted but it's safer not to vote twice and potentially get ECI disqualified.)

"Youtoo" CAN make a difference!

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It 's a great big pat on the back for the many presenters at the Explore the Elements conference last week who were from West Hill United! Participants were over the moon about the calibre of the presentations and the challenging perspectives they encountered during the weekend long conference held at the Crowne Plaza in Don Mills.  Leadership was provided by

Trisha Bower walked participants through the grief process associated with the loss of foundational religious belief systems

John DiPede, who offered a workshop on Values-based community

Debbie Ellis led a workshop on Progressive Personalities

Scott Kearns who offered two workshops, one on language and one on the roots of progressive Christianity

Janice Meighan took on the challenge of engaging participant on the value of symbols and ritual in progressive community

Dana Wilson-Li touched on all the messiness that leading a congregation through change can be

It was a deeply rewarding opportunity for me to see others inspired by the gifts members of this community had to offer!  Thank you to each of you for making the conference such a success!!

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A great big THANK YOU to Dana for stepping up when a need identified itself and  not only shopping for the new equipment needed to replace the video camera that was stolen recently, but also for figuring out the complicated technology, making it an easier system to use and for posting the PODCAST AND WEBCAST.

Yay Dana!!!!!!

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It was a phenomenal day to hoist a hammer and make a contribution to the Habitat for Humanity build taking place in our community, just south of the church off Manse Avenue.  One hundred and eighty women were gathered into house groups and then further divided into work groups as part of Toronto Habitat's first ever Women Build. 

The Habitat Women Build brought together women from all sorts of professions and from communities all over the country. For some, it was their first build.  It was my third and, like the others I'd been on, a total delight from start to finish.  Working under Leslieanna, L.A. for short, we tackled the joists for the second storey floor.  Well into the day, however, we discovered that the "elves", a crew of men who come in after the women each day to make sure what needed to get accomplished was completed so that the women arriving the next day could start where they were supposed to start, had made a serious error.  Two joists, at one end, had been fixed at 171/2 inches instead of 16.  It had thrown the entire length of joists off for the rest of that room.

The hammers turned around and the claws went into action.  A couple of hours later, we'd made up the ground lost, but we didn't get to lay the sheeting for the second storey flooring.  Our elves will have done that once we left and we were grateful to not have to stick around until the work was completed.  Exhausted, we headed home, some to return the next day.

As I said this past Sunday during my reflection, Habitat is one of those global bodies that disturbs the homeostasis we think we have achieved.  Over and again, it points to what needs to be done and, despite community opposition, shortages of funding, and tired volunteers, it hangs in there, gets the job done, and new communities are formed.  Habitat invited those 180 women, and the 200 that showed up the next day, and the day after that, to be part of changing the world 1, 2, 3 families at a time.  It's a great vision and one in which I was honoured to be a part.

You can participate, too.  West Hill has identified a day in October to head down to the site and help with what I hope will be, by then, finishing touches.  Anyone can participate, able-bodied or otherwise -- there's lots to do.  The only requirement is that you try to raise $50 for Habitat in sponsorships or by making a personal donation in that amount.  

It is an amazing experience and one you won't likely forget.  Changing the world -- one of the best highs you can imagine!

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 Many of us have tickets to Rick's newest show, HardSell, for this coming Monday evening, April 20th.  It's going to be an interesting night and will, through Rick's inimitably provocative style, be one we'll very likely talk about for some time to come.

Here are a couple of articles about the show.  One from the Globe this past week. And one from the CBC.  Get ready; it's going to be a blast!

Giving Us the HardSell 

Tales from the Dark Side

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