A Report from the “Jobs, Justice, and the Climate” March in Toronto

Posted July 7, 2015 

A Guest Post by Diane Marshall

Diane Marshall at the March for Jobs, Justice, and the Climate
Diane Marshall at the March for Jobs, Justice, and the Climate

Thousands of people met Sunday, July 5, 2015, in Toronto at Queen’s Park (the location of the Ontario provincial legislative buildings) and walked to beautiful and historic Allen Gardens to advocate for “Jobs, Justice, and the Climate.”

Led by First Nation drumming, and praying to the Four Directions, people of all ages and diverse backgrounds came together to demonstrate their belief that “Canada is ready for an economy that creates good jobs for all, protects the air, land and water, and tackles climate change.”

The marchers represented organizations including Greenpeace, labour unions, university students, Stop Line 9 (pipeline carrying bitumen from the tar sands in Alberta), faith communities, and many others.  I walked with the organization Just Earth.

Jane Fonda, Naomi Klein, and Bill McGibbon (of 350.org) spoke, as did labour and First Nations leaders.  Themes of justice for Indigenous peoples – integrally related to environmental justice – were clear.

For me, honoring First Nation people and ensuring environmental justice is essential, especially if we claim to truly love this “blue dot” (what astronauts have called the earth from space, depicted in my poster above) we all call home.

 

 

Diane Marshall has served as long-time director of the Institute of Family Living in Toronto, practicing in the field of family therapy and training therapists in the multicultural communities of refugees and immigrants that people Toronto. She also serves on various boards working on public justice issues, urban ministries, and with people with physical and intellectual disabilities, in addition to her work within the Anglican Church of Canada in eco-justice committees. Her book, Healing Families: Courage and Faith in Callenging Times, was published in 2005 by Path Books. She is the mother of three adult children and grandmother of four. Diane served as Canadian representative on EEWC’s first elected council after our incorporation as a nonprofit organization in 1978.

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