Advocacy

MCC has worked in Haiti since 1958 in the areas of relief, development and peace through partnerships with local initiatives, congregations and denominations that seek to meet basic human needs.  

The catastrophic earthquake that hit Haiti on January 12, 2010, is one the worst humanitarian disasters in the history of Western Hemisphere. Estimates are that more than 1 million people were displaced from their homes and more than 200,000 killed. The international community has responded with a tremendous outpouring of compassion for the people of Haiti. We especially commend the response from the governments of the United States and Canada. And we call people in Canada and the United States to prayer and action for Haiti as MCC works alongside Haitian partners.

MCC is committed to approaching Haiti in the aftermath of the earthquake in a way that holds the dignity of the Haitian people above all, and is just and sustainable, addressing immediate needs and creating an environment for positive, long-term development.

Click here to learn more about key issues MCC has identified for a just response to the earthquake.

Click here to learn how you can help.

When Parliament was prorogued on December 31, 2009, Bill C-23 (An Act to implement the Free Trade Agreement between Canada and the Republic of Colombia), died on the order paper. However, on March 10, 2010 Minister of International Trade Peter Van Loan introduced Bill C-2 an Act which would implement not only the Free Trade Agreement between Canada and the Republic of Colombia, but also agreements on the environment and labour cooperation between these two countries.

Watch here for further updates.

MCC's Program in Colombia

A quick look at the letters columns of church papers shows that Mennonites and Brethren in Christ have a wide range of political views. These constituents and Christian partners around the world are an integral part of MCC. The MCC boards and committees in the United States and Canada, which represent 18 member conferences, strive to take the diverse opinions of constituents and partners into account when making statements and determining the most appropriate and faithful ways of serving others. However, when political views are polarized, MCC cannot represent all Mennonite and Brethren in Christ viewpoints.

All MCC work is done “In the name of Christ.” Ultimately, as Christians we must look to Jesus as the source for our beliefs and guide for our actions. While decisions on what action to take are not always easy, a starting point should be to look at Jesus’ vision, rather than at a political spectrum of right and left. How would Jesus respond to civil war in Somalia? To homelessness and poverty in the United States and Canada? To women forced into prostitution in Thailand?

Even when looking to the Gospel as the guide for our actions, Christians sometimes disagree. MCC relies on and values the opinions and concerns of North American constituents and supporters. If you have questions about MCC policies or actions, please contact any MCC office. Together we can work to have God’s will done “on earth as it is in heaven.”

Sometimes not. Yet Christians are called to be faithful, whether or not their actions result in movement toward justice.

Ultimately, the effects of laws and policies depend on the good will and consent of individuals. Racial harmony did not immediately happen when laws abolished slavery. But those laws were an important first step on which we continue to build today.

In many cases changed laws and policies do make a difference. Re-directing government funds from military spending to job training and rebuilding urban communities can improve the lives of poor people. When North American governments work for a negotiated end to a war rather than supplying arms to one side or another, movement begins toward ending the suffering of those caught in the conflict. Cambodia, El Salvador and Angola are examples from recent years.

Our first allegiance must always be to God. But our actions and choices have economic and political effects in the world, whether or not we vote or speak on public policy issues. Taking positions on public policy issues can be an important way to “love our neighbour as ourself” (Luke 10:27), as can making choices to live simply or to live and work with people who are poor in our communities.

In the Lord’s Prayer Jesus called for God’s will to be done on earth as it is in heaven. God wills that people have food, clothing, shelter and safety – and sometimes public policy must change before this can happen.

Of course we can never legislate the reign of God. We must follow Jesus first, rather than the consensus of the majority (Acts 5:29).

As North American Christians, we have the freedom to speak to our governments without fear of retribution. This freedom enables us as faithful Christians to speak out against injustice.

The United States and Canada are also wealthy nations whose influence and power extend around the world. When that power is used to the detriment of others, Christians have a responsibility to speak for hurting people who are voiceless and poor. MCC workers in Central America, for example, have spoken out when they see U.S. policies contributing to the suffering of the people with whom they work. When North American arms sales provide weapons that fuel wars and drain economic resources, Christians need to speak out against those sales. When developing nations pour more resources back to wealthy nations in the form of debt interest payment than they receive in foreign aid, we need to be a voice for the people suffering and dying as health care and education are cut, food costs rise, wages are depressed and agriculture is used for export instead for subsistence farming.

Mennonites and Brethren in Christ have traditionally refrained from political involvements. But both the Bible and Anabaptist history give precedents for speaking to government leaders. Moses, Esther and the prophets called on rulers to stop oppressing people. Jesus also challenged those who ruled Palestine (especially the Pharisees, chief priests and Herodians) to stop oppressing their own people and genuinely care for them instead. Because of Jesus’ deep care for all people, he saw and resisted the ways in which the authorities of his time used laws about tithing, cleanliness, and the Sabbath to exclude and exploit those who were too poor or too much on the outside to keep them. He also called on wealthy people to share with poor people (Luke 4:18,19, 6:1-6, 11:37-54, Mark 2:18-36, John 7:25-32).

In the 16th century Anabaptist leader Menno Simons wrote to the magistrates of his day appealing for tolerance and true justice. He also exhorted them to take seriously their responsibilities for punishment and restraint, in the true fear of God, “and not so cruelly to lord it over the children of God and his Word, as alas, many of you have a way of doing, it seems.” (Complete Writings of Menno Simons, p.193).

In our own time North American Mennonites have spoken to government leaders about issues that affect us, from military conscription to school issues, land use and taxes. In the same way, MCC workers have felt compelled to speak out on issues that affect the people with whom they live and serve around the world, especially when they ask them to do so. Jesus did not hesitate to act on his compassion for suffering people, even when it offended the leaders of his day. We too need the courage to speak to those in power when compassion calls us to help prevent the suffering of poor and powerless people.

Romans 13 states that God has established authorities to support good and oppose evil. Our nations’ best ideals call for freedom, justice and peace for all people, but government actions often fall short of ideals. Our call to governments to live up to these ideals and to God’s mandate is both biblical and patriotic in the best sense.