2012 Annual Report – Resolutions
Resolutions Standing Committee
National Chairperson of Resolutions Shari Guinta
Research and Preparation of Resolutions and Briefs
Even without a chairperson of resolutions, information was passed on to councils regarding resolutions and national and provincial websites were encouraged to be used.
In Quebec, members wrote letters regarding the funding cuts to the Canadian Catholic Organization of Development and Peace and included a loony, asking government to match each donation.
Several councils mentioned asking for and offering workshops. Use of sample letters was effective and councils wrote concerning Resolution 2012:2 Employment Insurance Benefits for Adoptive Mothers. Review of past resolutions was also done.
It was reported that “Catch the Fire” encouraged members to study and work on resolutions. Use of the Rick Mercer’s Rant on asbestos mining (mentioned at the 2012 national convention by previous chair of resolutions, Anne Marie Gorman) and featured a speaker on the topic and a seminar was co-hosted with the Knights of Columbus on human trafficking and global poverty.
Two resolutions adopted at the national convention in August 2012 were:
2012:01 Criminalization of th4e Purchasing of Sexual Services
2012:02 Employment Insurance Benefits for Adoptive Mothers
All councils reported having reviewed these resolutions.
Study and Implementation of Resolutions Adopted by Other Levels
Letter writing became the norm in most of the provinces and written requests for meetings with government were followed up with phone calls. There were several provinces that mentioned requests for workshops on resolutions. There was considerable interest in Resolution 2011.04 Caffeine in Energy Drinks. Most provinces reported work on this topic including speakers, letters to all levels of government and study of the issue. Communiqués were sent to other levels of the League about this issue as well.
Councils highlighted articles on the dangers of asbestos and Motion 312.Many issues were discussed, letters written, phone calls made to local politicians and petitions regarding: human trafficking, national organ and tissue donation, infrared breast screening thermography, indoor tanning equipment, use of reusable shopping bags, child poverty, chrysotile asbestos, funding cuts to NGOs, to name only some.
Meeting with Provincial Governments
Only one province reported meeting with its provincial government; down from last year; it was obvious that there was much correspondence with government members, offices and associations. One province meets with and discusses its resolutions with the provincial body of Catholic bishops. Although provinces did not meet with their provincial political counterparts there was considerable activity in dioceses meeting with their provincial MPP and MLA minha opinião aqui.
Meeting with Federal Government
A meeting was planned for the fall (late November) to meet with federal government. However, it became clear that we were not to be successful with securing the offices or number of MPs that would make the trip worthwhile and so it was delayed until March 2013.
Conclusion:
I had written a Communiqué which underlined the importance of letter writing and this has been voiced directly from politicians that receipt of letters from their constituents is a very effective tool for getting citizen’s concerns highlighted. League members have certainly acted this past year in their letter writing campaigns.
It was impressive to see the huge amount of informative work done by councils in their workshops, presentation, information days and review of resolutions. Resolutions from previous years as well as current ones were studied.
Some changes to the Resolutions Dialogue were suggested in 2012 and will move forward somewhat in 2013 and a new archiving policy was presented to national council executive in the fall of 2012 to be reviewed at the winter meeting of 2013.