St Stephen’s Ottawa West will be hosting a World Day of Prayer service on Zoom at 1 p.m.
For registration please email rector@ststephensottawa.org

Seniors in Conversation
Trinity Anglican Church in Ottawa offers a weekly online program Seniors in Conversation to help seniors stay connected and social during the isolation of the pandemic, meeting every Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

In March and April, an Interactive Speaker Series offers an exciting list of guest speakers:

March 23: Ottawa mayor Jim Watson

March 30: Archbishop Linda Nicholls, Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada

April 13: Senator Gwen Boniface
If you are interested in participating in Trinity’s Seniors in Conversation on Tuesdays or  Friday Coffee Conversations, register to receive the Zoom link by emailing seniors@trinityottawa.ca. Each session is free of charge, and open to everyone interested, even those living outside of Ottawa. Also on Facebook, @HealthyAgeingOS

Lenten Resources available
(Source: Anglican Church of Canada.
Link to the resources listed below at https://www.anglican.ca/resources/lent2021/)

Events

Thursdays, February 18-April 1, 10am Encounters with Christ: A Lenten Sermon Series (Diocese of Huron)

Mondays, February 22-March 29, 7pm: Basic income for Canadians, a Lenten study (Diocese of Huron)

Wednesdays, February 24-March 31, 7pm ET: Meeting God in the wilderness, a Lenten journey (Zoom, led by Sylvia Keesmaat; small fee involved)

Wednesdays, February 24-March 24, 7:30pm ET: Deanery of London Lenten series (Diocese of Huron)

Recordings

Pew and Beyond—Lent in a lockdown: Discussion begins at 2:15 mark (Hosted by the Rev. Dr. Neil Mancor and the Rev. Canon Lisa Vaughan, with guests the Rev. Canon Dr. Dawn Davis and the Rev. Canon Leslie Gerlofs)

Activity guides

Becoming the story we tell, adapted for the Church in a time of pandemic A comprehensive program for Lent and Easter, including: activities for dioceses, parishes and small groups; liturgical resources; homiletic resources; and more (PDF, adapted 2021)

A Fast for the Earth (Diocese of Toronto)

Children’s Ministry Toolbox, including “Lent in a Box” (United Methodist Church, Michigan)

Resources for Lent and Easter at-home kits (Illustrated Ministry)

Daily or weekly reflections

Weekly video reflections from the Bishop of British Columbia

Behold, now is the day of salvation (2016 Lenten video series, Diocese of Ontario)

PWRDF’s Creation care, climate action: 40 days of PWRDF stories, 40 prayers for the Earth

Come, pray: Weekly video series (Society of St John the Evangelist)

Weekly Lenten Meditations (Wycliffe College)

Lent Madness: Fun and engaging daily email Lenten devotion series (Forward Movement)

Living well through Lent 2021: daily email devotional (Living Compass)

#LiveLent 2021: Living His Story daily email reflections (Church of England)

The post Bulletin Board appeared first on Perspective.

In 1863 the Mission of Buckingham consisted of three townships: Buckingham, Templeton and Lochaber where outside of Buckingham villages’ services were held in schoolhouses.  In 1875, Mr. Joseph C. Storey donated a free grant of land to the Reverend W.C. Clarke of Buckingham to build a church at Silver Creek in Lochaber Township.  In 1876, other Protestant denominations chipped in to help build “the log church of Saint Thomas in Lochaber.”

We interrupt our narrative to wonder what happened to that log church, for it clearly cannot be the building we see here.  If this were a log building, the windows could not be so large and so numerous.  Even as we wonder what happened between the building of a log house of worship and the construction of this light, airy frame structure, we note that on 18 February 1879, Saint Thomas’s Church was consecrated by Bishop William Bennett Bond of Montreal.

This modest size church, with Thomas as patron saint, provides two major clues that its founders feared its future might be doubtful.  And yet, unlike many larger churches built in more remote or isolated locations, Saint Thomas’s did not endure the fate of being shunted around from one multi-point parish to another, as bishops attempted to resolve the conundrum of an undersupply of clergy with an oversupply of churches.  From its founding until 1996, Silver Creek consistently was one of a select number of stations in the Parish of Buckingham.

This house of worship, almost by definition, could not have been built on the Ontario side of the Ottawa River.  True, many carpenter gothic churches were built in Ontario in the 1870s utilizing board-and-batten, but the complex line of side gables along the two side walls was a Quebec anomaly, with numerous examples in West Quebec.  The only example on the Ontario side of the river was at Saint James’s Church, Perth where, as an afterthought, when the original  high walls were cut down, such gables were used to accommodate the already built tall windows.

It is Silver Creek’s casement windows that pique our curiosity.  By the time Saint Thomas’s was built, casement windows had fallen out of favour in favour of sashes that slid up and down, to hold screens keeping out flying insects.  The two North American traditions of casement windows were those made by Québecois craftsmen (opening into the building) and those made by New England craftsmen (opening outward) such as those at Silver Creek.  The casements of Saint Thomas’s Church are unusual for having an arch in the window itself.

In 1996, Saint George’s Church, Gatineau joined the parish.  The new three-point parish was renamed Buckingham-Gatineau, to change in 1997 to the Parish of the Eastern Outaouais.

If you would like to help the Archives preserve the records of the Diocese and its parishes, why not become a Friend of the Archives?  Your $20 membership brings you three issues of the lively, informative Newsletter, and you will receive a tax receipt for further donations above that amount.  

The post Silver Creek, Saint Thomas appeared first on Perspective.

Watching the assault on the U.S. Capitol building on Jan. 6 or simply reading the comments section under any Canadian article that speaks to any of the above-mentioned issues, not to mention seeing the struggles that our LGBTQ2S+ community still face on a daily basis, can make you wonder if the whole idea of neighbourly love, or community unity and love is simply too much to hope for.

As a Christian clergyperson, however, I am not ready to give up on hope just yet. In 2013, I began my studies in the Doctor of Ministry program at Saint Paul University. It was during this time that I was introduced to the field of Monastic Hospitality, or Sacred Hospitality as I would later come to call it. Rooted within the ancient hospitality practices of the early Christians, and formally embraced by the decision of Vatican II, which recommended being good neighbours with Christians from other denominations, as well as members of other religions, Benedictine monks have been living a way of life that can help us learn how to come together as diverse people, with respect for each other, and be mutually transformed through the process. 

While not easy, the Benedictine way of hospitality is simple. In fact, it is based on only four straightforward principles: Rootedness, Invitation, Respect, and Openness. 

While there isn’t enough room to do each one justice right now, the short version is:

Rootedness

Know what you’re talking about and representing. Don’t just know your own experience. Know about the topic. If you represent Anglicans, know what that means in a broad and deep sense. It’s not just about you. 

Invitation

Intentionally invite people who are different than you, especially if they disagree with you on a topic. The only way we expand our knowledge and experience is to expose ourselves to thoughts, ideas, people, and places we haven’t discovered or considered yet. 

Respect

Give up your need to convert the other person to your point of view. Listen to understand, not to respond, correct, or convert. Be curious about them, and how they got there. What is their lived truth? Believe their experiences. They will tell you when they believe you understand. 

Openness

While you give up your need to convert, you must be open to the idea that an encounter with “the other” may convert you, or at least expand your horizons, understanding, and compassion. If the other person is being respectful, it creates a space to be vulnerable, authentic, and open to transformation. 

I recognize that the topic is much more complex than I’ve described, but I do think these four principles are a great place to start. Jesus called us to love our enemies and to love our neighbours. Our baptismal vows call us to seek and serve Christ in ALL persons and respect the dignity of every human being. This is why I haven’t given up hope. Not because of a fancy university course, but because Jesus called us to do it. I may be biased, but I think Jesus knew what he was talking about.

 In some regards I think this concept of hospitality is one of the most important challenges of the church today. It can, and should shape everything from our daily interactions, to how we shape and develop the ministry of the church. As Fr. Raimon Panikkar has stated, “Either we discover again and anew the neighbor in flesh and blood, or we are headed toward a disaster of cosmic proportions…”. We must learn to see “the other” as fellow human beings. Not as labels. We must reconnect through God’s call to love. 

We can love our neighbours. We can end divisions. Jesus worked to bring in the Kingdom of God, and I think this is one way we can help with that work.  

The post Hospitality as a remedy for division appeared first on Perspective.

My name is Jennifer Omoike. I am a student at Immaculata High School in Ottawa, and I enjoy dancing and writing stories. I plan to study engineering at Carleton. 

I am doing my YIP work placement with Crosstalk, and in this article I would like to introduce you to this year’s YIP participants, their mentors and the people that work hard to support this program.

Donna Rourke, who manages this program for the Diocese, is the one who brings us all together. She visits parishes, speaks to groups and encourages new young people to join the program. YIP gathers youth aged 16 to 21 of diverse ethnicities and beliefs with different interests, goals and career paths.

Thomas attends high school and has a strong interest in world history and military history.

Emily lives in Toronto and is in university. She loves being involved with her school’s model UN team, teaching swimming lessons and reading. 

Freddy and Jefferson are students at Carleton. Freddy is studying electrical engineering; Jefferson is in the criminology program. 

Alex is a Grade 12 student attending Immaculata High School and Naomi is in Grade 12 at De La Salle High School. Alex plans to attend Carleton University in September, hoping to study software engineering and follow her dream of learning computer programming. Naomi is part of the dramatic arts program and plans on taking a gap year in September. 

Caleb and Caroline are Grade 12 students. Caroline is a former student of Longfields Davidson Heights Secondary School, now attending Ottawa Carleton Virtual Secondary School (due to the COVID-19 pandemic). In September, Caroline plans on pursuing a Bachelor of Commerce degree in university. Caleb lives in Markham with his brother, sister, parents, and grandparents. He attends Markham District High School. He has been playing soccer for as long as he can remember and is the goalkeeper for his team.

Izzy and Greg both took a gap year. Greg hopes to attend Algonquin College in September to take a degree in hospitality, and Izzy began attending Seneca College in January for early childhood studies.

There is always room for past participants who want to continue in the program. Calum and Maritsa are YIP alumni. Calum is a Grade 12 student at Earl of March. He has been playing in concert and jazz bands in and out of school for four years. When he is not playing his trombone, he is playing his guitar (electric or acoustic) or participating in remote musical theatre sessions. Maritsa is a first-year student at the University of Ottawa in the Honours Bachelor of Health Science program. Maritsa has a passion for science and health care. Her goal is to enrol in the University of Ottawa Medical program and pursue her lifelong dream of becoming a physician.

YIP helps participants walk towards their dreams by providing experiences and helping them acquire skills in relevant work site placements. This year, there are placements with St Albans Church doing children’s ministry; KAIROS; PWRDF; The Parish of Blackburn, Navan, Bearbrook: website development and communication through social media; Epiphany Anglican Church/ local Food Bank;  Ottawa Police Services; The Glebe Wellness Centre; Crosstalk; St. John the Baptist in Richmond and YIP’s faith formation team. 

YIP offers participants a safe place filled with people ready to listen and help in whatever way they can. Donna is available to the interns not only for work and life coaching but also as a caring and interested adult/mentor/coach. 

YIP provides every intern with their own personal mentor, a person with whom they can talk and relate. These mentors are good listeners and become part of the intern’s networking team. This year’s mentors include: Dave Kim, Michael Farrell, Beth Hughes, Isobel MacFarlane, Anke Rohleder, Robert Rourke, the Rev. Linda Privitera, Emily Savage, Aimernace (Aimé) Ligbongbo, Charles Jean, Dr. Susan Farrell, Lizzy Jones and the Rev. Michel Gagné. They are always ready to listen.

The YIP faith formation team this year includes a YIP intern, Donna Rourke and the Reverends Arran Thorpe and Geoff Chapman.

Breanna Pizzuto, Tatanisha Riggan, Eliot Newton and Donna Rourke are the leadership team.

YIP is very fortunate to have a wonderful prayer team and a supportive and caring advisory committee. The Rev. Alana McCord, Bob Albert, Izzy MacFarlane, Executive Archdeacon Linda Hill, Ron Chaplin and Sarah Simkin make up the advisory committee. 

If you have any questions about YIP, or would like some information about the program, being a mentor or being a part of our prayer team, please contact Donna Rourke at donna-rourke@ottawa.anglican.ca

Caleb, YIP intern for KAIROS: 

My YIP experience so far has been extremely beneficial and valuable to me in many ways; Faith Formation sessions allowed me to ask important questions about many topics including the Church, Jesus, and God. It has strengthened my faith tremendously, and I am looking forward to learning even more in the sessions to come. 

Emily, YIP intern for PWRDF:

The Youth Internship Program has been the combination of meaningful work, connection, and learning that I have been looking for. This year, I am the YIP intern with the Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund, and I am working to create a podcast series telling the social justice stories of PWRDF. The first episode is on gender equality in the Anglican and Lutheran churches. Receiving an email from the Primate, Archbishop Linda Nicholls, supporting this project and a commitment to be in conversation together has been SO exciting. I look forward to hearing from the Lutheran National Bishop Susan Johnson when she returns from a sabbatical. It’s rewarding to see my work grow as the weeks go by and know that I am creating something that people will hear and enjoy. The work of my internship connects well to our YIP leadership sessions where we get to learn from a diverse set of people on pressing issues that I and other young adults care about. We have sessions on gender diversity, anti-black racism, effective communications, and the importance of mental health. I am also blessed to have a fantastic mentor with this program! Anke’s excellent questions always find a way to help me dig deeper into my faith in God. Through this supportive community where so many people are praying for us as interns but also in our times of need, you cannot help but see the love of Christ in our meetings and friendships.   

Maritsa, YIP Intern for the Parish of St John the Baptist:

The YIP program taught me professionalism, the basis of a healthy community, and allowed me to learn more about God and church. Equally importantly, the program expanded my network and allows me to belong to a wonderful community. 

I came back to YIP for a second year because I felt that there were more things to learn and discover. That was a great decision because no two experiences are the same. So far, I have met new people, learned and been introduced to new topics in our leadership and faith formation sessions including racism, God’s image, and gender diversity. As a second-year intern, I had the chance to work on myself to develop my leadership and communication skills and learn more about myself and the world around me.

I’m grateful to have the opportunity to take part in such an amazing program for a second year. Being an intern in the middle of a pandemic has been one of the most meaningful experiences because I always feel supported and heard by Donna, the other interns and my mentor Susan. Donna works hard to be there for me and all the other interns in every way possible.

Naomi –YIP intern for St Albans Youth Ministry

I am enjoying being part of the 2020-2021 YIP internship. I find the faith formation sessions valuable and informative. I particularly enjoy being able to ask any faith related question to the Faith Formation team in the section ‘Faith Leaders on the Hot Seat’. I think that a YIP community is important because we have standards to which we hold each accountable and therefore create a safe and encouraging environment that helps us all grow.

Ujuamara (Alex), YIP intern for the Glebe Osteopathy and Wellness Centre 

My relationship with Donna means that I have a caring adult in my life who genuinely want to see me happy and succeed. She advises me, checks in with me, worries about me and even helps me out whenever I am in any form of crises. She is the person I turn to whenever I need anything and she is always there for me.

Having a mentor has helped me discover a lot of things I never would have realized on my own. My mentor, Dave, listens to me and we talk about my school, my work and my future career.  Dave does the same kind of work that I hope to go into in the future and he tells me about the mistakes he has made and suggests how he might have avoided making them. 

I am learning through them to become a better person.

Freddy, YIP intern at the Anglican Parish of Bearbrook, Navan and Blackburn and Vars Chapel.  

My work includes designing and creating a website for the parish as well as maintaining its social media platforms. A part of the YIP program is having a mentor. I find great value in a mentor because I was able to be connected with someone who is in the same field that I am and is well respected in his position. I am learning a lot from him and gaining insight in the work field. Combined with my work placement, I am  gaining  lots of good experience and knowledge.

Jennifer Omoike, YIP intern for Crosstalk

In monthly Faith Formation sessions, we meet virtually and spend time speaking about our own faith journeys. Here we are safe to share our many perspectives on the belief in God. As Christians, we believe in God; our faith and belief system is centred on Him.  Many people do not know or feel comfortable talking about God, and that is why I feel that  our Faith Formation sessions are important. We gain confidence to speak openly, and our knowledge becomes broader. Sometimes in life, especially in this COVID time, we can forget God or we have questions—questions like “Is He still there?”  These sessions help all of us to build a stronger relationship with God and to learn and build community with each other.

The post Getting to know the 2020-2021 Youth Interns appeared first on Perspective.

At the logistical level, my team is The Communications Collective (TCC): Heidi Fawcett (Social Media Coordinator), Cathy Kent (Webspinner), Leigh Anne Williams (Crosstalk Editor), and Jane Waterston (Crosstalk designer and production manager). 

Although Communications is Strategic Priority1 for the Diocese of Ottawa, it intersects with three important priorities:

• The Shape of Parish Ministries and Buildings
• Engagement with the World
• Lifelong Formation, Worship, and Hospitality

The advisory panel is tasked with developing a three-year strategic plan. The vision of the Communications Panel and the strategic plan is “to employ vibrant, clear and timely communications, using all forms of media effectively to engage with its different audiences.  

“These communications will position the diocese as both a leader and an active partner with the parishes in carrying out God’s work and ministering to all communities in the diocese.” 

As well as communicating locally, the goal is to reach out to and engage the wider world.

Objectives for 2021

In 2021, the Communications strategic plan includes the following priorities:

• to develop a new “brand” and a common look and feel for diocesan communications including a new logo and protocols to guide all of our communications
• to update the website to simplify it and make it easily navigable for all target audiences
• to ensure vibrant, clear and timely website and social media content to represent all of our ministries
• to develop protocols for website content and social media posts to ensure they include opportunities for parishes to showcase their ministries
• to integrate Crosstalk with social media and the website to ensure that stories are posted quickly
• to feature and promote ADO On the Move podcasts

The new branding will be “unveiled” in the second half of this year so please stay tuned. In the meantime, the Panel will be working hard behind the scenes to guide this exciting and creative process along.

Please note that TCC welcomes people to join in their zoom meetings on Mondays at 11 am, to discuss any communications requirements or questions they have.  To join a meeting please send a note to  jane-scanlon@ottawa.anglican.ca.

The post Priority, time and effort being given to strengthening our communications in the Diocese of Ottawa appeared first on Perspective.

—2 Timothy 1:7

Even during a pandemic, I encourage you to think about messages of abundance  and gratitude to share with your congregation(s).  

Think about how people in the congregation can serve others who are lonely, struggling, suffering or at-risk at this time.  There are plenty of ways to make that connection if your parish leadership thinks creatively and considers the abundance of gifts available. 

The stewardship message does not always have to be about money; instead it could be about opportunities for mission.  

How is your congregation engaged in communities and helping others now? 

How is it being the light in the midst of the darkness? 

I believe these are very important questions for all of us to pray about and consider at this point in time. 

Please send any of your creative initiatives that might inspire others to jane-scanlon@ottawa.anglican.ca. Thank you!

The post Stewardship challenge for the month of March appeared first on Perspective.

Webmaster and network administrator Cathy Kent, who oversees server and email security for the Diocese, has provided the following advice for people who want to increase security measures for their email.

What is email spoofing?

Email spoofing is when someone sends an email with a forged sender address. Typically, the sender’s name or email address and the body of the message are changed to mimic a legitimate source. By pretending to be someone the victim trusts, the scammer directs them to a fake website that collects their personal information (a process known as phishing) or trolls them within the email, asking for a favour, typically the request is to visit a link, or for gift cards or money. There is always a sense of urgency. 

How do email spoofing scammers find victims?

Scammers use various methods to locate a target’s email address. A robot searches the Internet for email lists, online newsletters, websites and much more, collects email addresses for spoofing. If an email account has vulnerabilities, the scammers can sometimes enter the account, parse the address book, and harvest those addresses. 

Owners of the accounts likely do not know their email has been spoofed and it is good to let them know.

Tips for increasing email security

While there is no fool-proof way to protect your email address, adopting some of these best practices can help: 

• Change your account passwords frequently.
• Keep anti-malware/virus software up to date and running in the background at all times. (Norton, McAfee are paid software. AVG or Avast are free.) 
• Run a full system scan at least once a week.
• Clear your history / cache frequently (Glary Utilities has a free history clean up).
• Avoid including your email address in online blogs and posts. Try using (at) and (dot)com instead of @ and .com to prevent malicious automations from harvesting your address.
• Avoid using your primary email account for everything online. If you are signing up for a mailing list, contest, application form, or similar, use a free replaceable email account like Gmail or Hotmail reserved for just these actions that can be removed if infiltration occurs.
• Only use your primary email to communicate with people you know or trust.
• Do not share private or financial information through email.
• Turn your email account’s spam filters on to the strongest settings or use tools such as Gmail’s Priority Inbox.
• Avoid clicking suspicious links or downloading suspicious attachments.
• If anyone seeks your assistance, a favour, gift cards or money, verify this with them personally.
• Your best defense in your common sense and skepticism.
• Use a third-party secure email system.

Checking email headers 

The visible email address can be spoofed, but the metadata address (behind the scenes) cannot. Learn how to check to see if the header matches up with the sender’s name shown here: https://www.hostinger.com/tutorials/email-headers/ . You can also read your email account’s help files.

How to spot a Spoofing (Phishing) email

• Use of poor language, grammar, and punctuation.
• Use of language that conveys a sense of urgency.
• Mismatching or inaccurate information in the “from” field. (For example, does the sender’s name match their email address?)
• Ensure everyone in your organization is familiar with all of the above. If they are not, they could be the weak link in an otherwise carefully guarded system.

If you are already a victim:

While not all email spoofing involves a hacked account, it is a good idea to change the password, just in case.

• Check all your devices by running a virus / malware scan.
• It is a good idea to send a message to people on your email list / address book to notify them of this issue and what to look for.
• Change your email entirely if it is persistent.
• Notify your mail provider if you believe your email account has been spoofed so the provider can add blocks to the server. 
• Ensure you or your network administrator is watching your server bandwidth and web states for over-usage by bad bots trolling your pages. Block them or hire a firm to do so.

A helpful link

https://securityboulevard.com/2020/01/email-spoofing-101-how-to-avoid-becoming-a-victim/

Increasing security for Diocesan email users

It appears that some users to the Diocesan email accounts are not setting up their system’s security, spam levels, filters, white and blacklists correctly and are having send and receive issues.

The same situation exists for some who use Outlook. They must set their system with the correct co-ordinates for to-and-from flow.  Helpful suggestions can be found at the link below.

Please view the Webmail and Outlook

https://www.ottawa.anglican.ca/images/Security/WEBMAIL-OUTLOOK-SPAM-WHITELIST-BLACKLIST-filters.pdf

The post Email scam hits Ottawa parishioners appeared first on Perspective.

 Almost two years after the publication of the final report from the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, it is difficult to see change. 

The red dresses from artist Jaime Black’s REDress Project that appeared across the country and internationally are a visual reminder of the many women who are mourned. But the theme for International Women’s Day in 2021 is #ChooseToChallenge, and the #MeToo movement certainly showed the power and potential for change. 

As we pray, Glory to God, whose power working in us, can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine.

The post IWD 2021 theme “Choose to Challenge” reminds us of the REDress Project appeared first on Perspective.

 My translator spoke for me with a local woman who explained that no information would be available publicly — word would be spread directly, privately — mujere a mujere, woman to woman. Apparently, it’s just too risky to advertise such events. Sometimes rabble rousers are hired to attend public gatherings in order to wreck havoc (or worse), and then local organizers can be blamed and held to account for anything that goes wrong.

It turned out that there would be a gathering quite close to my hotel. I bundled up and headed out, no idea of what I might find. Nearby, Peace Square was about three quarters filled with people, mostly women, a few men and children. Most of the families appeared to be Indigenous people, their textiles and crafts neatly laid out on blankets,  around the perimeter of the Square. As they were every day, they were focused on the task at hand — selling their goods. 

I edged my way closer into the centre of things, a foreigner if anyone was to look closely at me, but no one seemed to care about that. I was a woman, I was welcome no matter my skin colour. There was a bonfire off to one side, with lots of chanting and yelling going on. A strong feeling of angst was tangible in the early evening air, blending in with the billows of dark smoke. I mingled in the crowd, feeling safe but troubled by the meaning of the nearby fire. I asked around a bit and eventually found someone who spoke English. She explained the bonfire was being used to burn an effigy of AMLO— Andrés Manuel López Obrador — President of Mexico. Elected democratically in 2018, this supposedly progressive president, commonly known as AMLO, had initially brought great hope for change to the people of Mexico. Mexicans had been jarred recently by several barbaric murders, including the slaying and skinning of 25-year-old Ingrid Escamilla, and the killing of Fátima Cecilia Aldrighett Antón, a 7-year-old who’d been abducted from her school. There’d been an initial belief that AMLO would take action to address the growing rate of femicide (women killed based on their gender) within Mexico.  But people’s hopes had been dashed yet again, amid increasing frustration with his lack of attention to the issue.  I chatted with a number of young female activists in the crowd as I moved about, encountering in them all a disturbing mix of anger and despair. Dressed in purple, the colour of International Women’s Day, many waved banners declaring “We are the voice of those who are no longer with us.” 

As darkness fell, women gathered around the huge wooden cross which stands permanently in the centre of Peace Square. It was draped with a banner proclaiming “Fight today so we don’t die tomorrow.” There were women who stood alone, lost in their own thoughts.  Others were crying on each other’s shoulders, while many simply huddled in small groups, standing together in the solidarity of their pain and loss.  Most held candles high in the night air, filling the sky with an eerie glow. 

It was all a very disturbing experience for me—unlike anything I’d ever participated in before. I wasn’t even sure I could honestly say that I’d even truly “participated.” 

But a year later, I am writing this story to share what I saw and learned from the women at the 2020 International Women’s Day in San Cristobal de Casas, Mexico. It’s a very small, almost invisible part – but for me, it’s yet another strong connection to the women of Mexico. Now I can hope that their message ripples outward from here.

The post International Women’s Day — Standing with the women of Chiapas, Mexico appeared first on Perspective.