Latest news with #KatherineMarshall
IOL News
5 days ago
- Politics
- IOL News
G20 Interfaith Forum: Why interfaith groups must collaborate with outside voices
The panel discussion on 'Crossing Bridges Among Sectors and Institutions' examined how integrated thinking is needed in the current socio-political climate. Image: Theolin Tembo Vice President of G20 Interfaith Forum Association, Katherine Marshall, had not been keeping attendees clued in with her morning recap of the G20 Interfaith Forum's activities of the prior day, but on Wednesday, she moderated a panel discussion on 'Crossing Bridges Among Sectors and Institutions'. The IF20 forum convenes religious leaders, civil society organisations, government officials, multilateral institutions, and scholars to explore collaborative solutions to pressing global challenges. The IF20 event is intended to reflect and reinforce South Africa's G20 Presidency theme: 'Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability'. The Cape Town event is intended as a catalyst for action, fostering partnerships that transcend borders, beliefs, and sectors. The discussion examined how integrated thinking and cooperative action characterise many religious communities, while the current socio-political climate requires innovative cross-boundary work. The discussion also emphasised how interfaith groups work together to put Ubuntu in action, and not just talk about change. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. 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Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ Left to right: Emeritus Professor of Sociology, Theology and Religious Studies at Georgetown University, Prof Jose Casanova, Head of the AGA-APSA Secretariat at the African Union Commission, Amb. Salah Hammad, Research Fellow at Berkley Center, Georgetown, Rev. Susan Hayward, and Vice President of G20 Interfaith Forum Association, Katherine Marshall. Image: Theolin Tembo Marshall started the conversation by addressing the United States, which she called 'the elephant in the room'. Her fellow panellists included Research Fellow at Berkley Center, Georgetown Rev. Susan Hayward, Emeritus Professor of Sociology, Theology and Religious Studies at Georgetown University Prof Jose Casanova, Principal Representative of the Baha'i International Community Bani Dugal, Head of the AGA-APSA Secretariat at the African Union Commission Ambassador Salah Hammad, one of the founders of G20 Interfaith Forum Dr Brian Adams, and Executive Vice-Chair of Future World Foundation Sean Cleary. Hayward said many of their efforts have been crippled under the second Trump administration, but the shuttering of this particular work 'at a time when there is a turn away from human rights in the US and elsewhere' creates an opportunity for rebuilding and reimagining how to integrate the work they've done in the future. 'We talk about efforts being siloed; well, all the silos are gone at the moment. Maybe it is the Christian pastor in me, but I am leaning into the hope of this being an opportunity for us… to think anew how to do development, how to do diplomacy moving forward that can be far more systems base, and more flexible, and open to approaching things in a way that isn't fixed,' Hayward said. Casanova said he is often viewed as a sociologist among theologians and as a theologian among sociologists, and that there is a need to bridge the divide. 'Secular politics at every nation in the world is broken, global governance is broken, and we have a voice. We have to use our moral voice to set the table. We cannot simply reform what we have.' Dugal said that the Ubuntu philosophy, reiterated throughout IF20, is interconnected at its core, and highlighted how grassroots levels have not seen the same connections made that are happening higher up in religious and political structures. Hammad said that while at the African Union Commission, they have come to understand that it is important to reach out to various entities regardless of their school of thought, to enrich the process, and help connect the continent. 'We have a number of Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with various institutions, but lately we realised that there is another bridge that we are yet to cross. Those are the organisations that we have partnered with; they don't fully take into consideration the participation of women and youth.
Globe and Mail
17-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Globe and Mail
Engineer Larry Blake never truly retired but embraced his silly side for his granddaughter
Lawrence Charles Michael Blake: Father. Grandfather. Husband. Engineer. Born July 2, 1961, in Montreal; died Jan. 17, 2025, in Toronto, from metastatic melanoma; aged 63. Larry Blake was always a nerd. Born to Alma and Lawrence Blake, he was the first of two children to grace what was at the time an 'old' couple in their early 30s. He was a lover of Star Trek, collected and painted figurines in his young adulthood and subscribed to Soldier of Fortune magazine (for whatever reason). Growing up, Larry was a picky-eater; bananas could never be mixed with peanut butter, as a childhood friend proved incapable of chewing with his mouth closed during play-dates. Larry grew up in Montreal, learning French but being self-conscious of his Anglo-lilt – a gift of his Scottish father. This dual identity, Québécois but also terribly Scottish, informed future epithets spoken when frustrated throughout his life: 'Christ on a crutch,' 'that man is a rat-fink' and the prodigious use of 'bloody' were commonly heard during the assembly of IKEA furniture, when cut-off in traffic or after a couple glasses of wine. He attended Queen's University for his bachelor's (1983) and then master's (1985) of mechanical engineering. Here he developed an intense interest in how the universe worked. Larry was inspired by his father – who was an early employee helping to support the nascent CANDU reactor project. In Kingston he met Katherine Marshall, who challenged him to stop forming meals based around jelly beans and beer, explore a world outside of those created by Dungeons and Dragons, and don a collared shirt. They met when she visited Queen's, staying up late one night to watch the sun rise together. He married Katherine in 1988, and wasted no time in having two children: Lawrence David (conceived after the consumption of oysters at an engagement party) and Kipling (conceived, more sensibly, a year later). His engineering career began with Ontario Power Generation, working at Pickering, where he also helped to raise his young family. As a father, he was welcoming and playful. His unassuming confidence supported his sons and it is how his oldest measures himself as a man and navigates every challenge. Larry transitioned to AMEC Foster Wheeler, as the manager of reactor physics projects in the Americas, and later worked a consultant on projects that created medical isotopes and advanced cancer treatments. Larry lived a quiet life. He wore old sweaters and corporate golf shirts. When his granddaughter, Kingsley, was born he loved her as a child should be loved. He embraced everything that is silly for her: Once he picked her up from school dressed as a squirrel; only because she was fascinated by them. He never truly retired, and continued to work in some fashion until quite late in his illness. When it was suggested that a scholarship fund be set up in Larry's name he agreed with his wife's suggestion that it fund a young women to access STEM programming. Larry strongly believed in the ideal that all persons are responsible for creating social justice within community and so The Ajidamoo (Squirrel) Queen's Fund will support an Indigenous female student to study Engineering or Science at Queen's. Larry was diagnosed in early 2024, and informed his son of the diagnosis while Lawrence was serving in Iraq. Larry approached his diagnosis with a stoic outlook, attended treatments with his wife, and upon his son's return regularly sat with him – catching up after almost a year apart. On Larry's last day, Katherine and Lawrence spent time with him. Eventually, she kissed her husband goodnight and left to go brush her teeth, not knowing it would be her final goodbye. Larry died when Katherine left the room briefly. Perhaps, in his quietness, he understood that was best. In those moments, Lawrence held his hand and told him he was loved. Lawrence David Blake is Lawrence's Blake's son. To submit a Lives Lived: lives@ Lives Lived celebrates the everyday, extraordinary, unheralded lives of Canadians who have recently passed. To learn how to share the story of a family member or friend, go online to You can find obituaries from The Globe and Mail here. To submit a memory about someone we have recently profiled on the Obituaries page, e-mail us at obit@
