Winnipeg conference explores need for fostering hope

Winnipeg Free Press

4 days ago

How can we tackle the challenges facing the world today and work towards a more positive future? How do we find hope to promote and sustain collective action? What role can diverse faith traditions play in helping Canada face the most pressing demands of our time?
Those were topics addressed at the June 15-17 Our Whole Society Conference at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights here in Winnipeg.
The theme of the conference, which was sponsored by the Canadian Interfaith Conversation, was Fostering Hope in a Divided World.
For Héctor A. Acero Ferrer, one of the conference organizers, the event was an opportunity 'to build robust dialogue between religious traditions about their role in society' and a way to 'build connections across divides in the world.'
Rocky Baronins is the community relations committee chair for the Manitoba Multifaith Council and one of the supporters of the conference. For him, the conference was a way to bring thought leaders from across Canada together for 'deep conversations about the challenges facing the world today.'
One of those thought leaders was Payam Akhavan, a Canadian human rights lawyer.
Speaking at the opening plenary, Akhavan said the world is facing an onslaught of rage that is imperiling a 'vision for a shared humanity.'
Despite this, Akhavan said he sees hope as people work together to defuse anger and resist efforts to dehumanize others.
These 'actions on the ground,' where people actively reach out to others, can counter fear about the future — despite how challenging the situation seems to be.
'We discover resilience when we confront despair,' he said, noting people must resist messages that dehumanize others like refugees and immigrants, or those who have different political opinions.
This dehumanization 'needs to be confronted more than ever,' Akhavan said.
A member of the Baha'i faith, Akhavan added that spirituality is an important part of that confrontation — through service. 'We must show compassion and concern for others,' he said, adding that by serving others we can 'save our own souls.'
Lloyd Axworthy, long-time federal politician and the Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1996-2000, spoke the following day about finding hope in a fractious world.
For him, hope is a 'moral summons, an imperative' that grows out of core beliefs such as his Christian faith as a member of the United Church of Canada.
One of those core beliefs for Axworthy is the requirement to serve others and seek the best for them — something that helped guide him when making difficult decisions on the international stage.
When it comes to bringing faith into politics, Axworthy said he was not 'naïve' about how challenging that can be. But, he said, 'we need courageous people' who are willing to go into politics and 'make choices based on their faith or spirituality.'
Despite the challenges facing the world today, 'we still have to commit to building a better future,' he stated, adding it is an unsettling time for many since the old world order is disappearing, partly due to the actions of Donald Trump, 'while the new one is not yet born.'
It won't be easy to see this new order be born, Axworthy said, but he believes it can be done as people 'exercise their faith and hope in a risky way.'
The final keynote speaker was Elin Kelsey, author of the book Hope Matters: Why Changing the Way We Think Is Critical to Solving the Environmental Crisis. She spoke about finding hope despite the current environmental crisis.
Citing a survey that showed nearly half of people 16 to 25 reported feeling distressed or anxious about climate change in a way that was affecting their daily lives and functioning, Kelsey placed fault at the feet of the media for mainly reporting on the detrimental effects of climate change while ignoring the many ways people around the world are addressing it and finding solutions.
'Less than three per cent of media stories about climate change even include a mention of a solution,' she said, adding this kind of reporting can lead to anxiety, cynicism and apathy.
For her, the climate crisis is as much a 'crisis of hope' as it is about the actual challenges posed by a changing climate for the planet. And, she added, when people feel hopeless they then feel disempowered.
But, Kelsey said, when people are offered stories about positive ways climate change is being addressed, they feel hopeful about the possibility of change.
This doesn't mean ignoring what she called 'pain stories' about the negative impact of climate change. 'We can tell those stories, but we don't need to stop there,' Kelsey said. 'We should also look for stories about where things are moving in a positive direction.'
At the same time, Kelsey didn't minimize the nature of the climate crisis. But she chooses to be hopeful. 'It's a choice,' she said, that can translate into action. 'Hope is not complacent. It is a powerful political act.'
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John LonghurstFaith reporter
John Longhurst has been writing for Winnipeg's faith pages since 2003. He also writes for Religion News Service in the U.S., and blogs about the media, marketing and communications at Making the News.
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