MCM - Solutions Justes

Remembering Glynnis

Last Saturday, family, friends, and colleagues gathered at St. Columba-by-the-Lake Presbyterian Church for a memorial service in honour of Glynnis Williams. Glynnis passed away in Toronto last year.

At MCM, we knew and loved Glynnis as the founder of Action Réfugiés Montréal (ARM) - a passionate and tireless advocate for refugee rights. But her path to that work was rich and wide-ranging. She began her career as a palliative care nurse, later engaging in international cooperation work in Central America. She then became the first Presbyterian to be ordained to a community ministry rather than a congregation - a groundbreaking step that impacted her ministry at Tyndale St-Georges Community Centre. She also laboured diligently to open the path to ordination for a gay colleague - another “first” that reflected her quiet but determined commitment to inclusion.

Sensing the need to expand her work with refugees, she took a leap of faith and established a new non-profit organization - ARM. Her longtime friend and colleague Holly Radcliff recalled that on the evening they moved into their new offices in the TD Building at Guy and Ste-Catherine, Glynnis looked with dismay at all the boxes piled on top of one another, turned to Holly and said, “What have I done?!” They opened a bottle of champagne, and knew, somehow, that all would be well.

Glynnis will be remembered for her pioneering contributions across many fields, but above all as a kind, gentle, and deeply committed human being whose life’s work was rooted in care for others. Her spirit lives on in Action Réfugiés Montréal and in the many lives she touched. She remains an inspiration for us all.

ENRACINER - Lancement
Campaign Launch

Le 11 mars dernier, l’équipe de Solutions Justes a lancé la campagne de sensibilisation et de plaidoyer Enraciner à Sherbrooke.

Coorganisé avec le Carrefour de solidarité internationale, cet événement visait à sensibiliser le public aux obstacles à l’accès à la justice auxquels font face les femmes migrantes et les personnes migrantes 2SLGBTQIA+ en situation de statut précaire ou sans statut, particulièrement les personnes parrainées vivant de la violence conjugale.

Catherine Blais-Delisle, Project Manager at Just Solutions, moderated a panel disucssion.

Despite the freezing rain, which prevented two of our panelists from attending, we had the pleasure of hearing from lawyer and author Dania Suleman, Anne-Josée Péloquin, Assistant Director of the women’s shelter La Méridienne, as well as Anthony Rouget, Coordinator at Just Solutions, on the important topic of access to justice for 2SLGBtQIA+ migrants and sponsored migrants who are dealing with domestic violence.

Thank you to everyone who braved the weather to take part in this important conversation. Merci à toutes et à tous!

McGill Law Students at MCM
À la découverte de la justice en immigration humanitaire

Just Solutions Legal Caseworkers Peter Butler and Ryan Faulkner welcomed two groups of first-year McGill law students to the clinic on March 9 and 16 as part of their Integration Workshop course.

Peter and Ryan introduced them to the work we do with migrants with precarious status, and many of the students expressed keen interest in continuing to learn about and work in the field of humanitarian immigration law.

Par la suite, des échanges animés ont porté sur le resserrement des critères d’admissibilité aux demandes d’asile dans le cadre du projet de loi C-12, qui a depuis été adopté. Ces discussions ont mis en lumière, tant pour les étudiant·e·s que pour notre équipe, à quel point le travail d’accompagnement individuel en matière d’immigration est intimement lié à des enjeux plus larges de politiques publiques, de législation et d’action collective.

STANDING UP TO HATE:
Justice Work Across Faith Traditions

SE LEVER CONTRE LA HAINE
La justice au coeur des traditions de foi

Recently, I represented Montreal City Mission on an interfaith panel and Q&A alongside Jewish and Muslim colleagues at McGill University, organized by PLEDJ and MCM, with Social Work and History students. During my presentation, I addressed the long, and often painful, tension within institutional Christianity: an historical divide between those who have supported, and continue to support, imperial or power-over expressions of religion, and those who, following the witness of the early Christian community at great personal risk, have chosen instead to stand alongside people pushed to the margins, both in the past and in our present moment.

A compelling contemporary example comes from our neighbours south of the border, where Christian nationalists support ICE, while progressive faith leaders and community members are protesting the presence of that repressive force in American cities and offering accompaniment to migrants who are afraid to go to work, send their children to school, or even venture out for basic necessities. In New Hampshire, an Episcopal bishop recently urged clergy to update their wills, suggesting that the time has come for Christians to place their bodies between ICE agents and vulnerable migrants.

Les échanges à McGill ont été à la fois rigoureux et profondément personnels. Après la discussion, plusieurs étudiantes sont venues parler avec moi pour partager leurs propres questionnements face à leurs racines chrétiennes et pour discuter d'une nouvelle manière de vivre et de comprendre la foi chrétienne aujourd’hui — non pas comme domination, mais comme solidarité; non pas comme pouvoir, mais comme présence aux côtés des personnes les plus vulnérables. PK

- From the MCM Team 🥳
- De l'équipe du MCM 🎉

From Static « Word » to Living Exchange
Du Dialogue à l'action

In principio erat Verbum, et Verbum erat apud Deum, et Deus erat Verbum.

In the beginning was the conversation, and the conversation was with God, and the conversation was God. -John 1:1

When the monk and theologian Jerome began translating the Bible into Latin in the fourth century, he rendered the rich Greek term logos - word, speech, discourse, reason, meaning - as
verbum. Eco-theologian Victoria Loorz draws on both the Greek and Latin linguistic traditions in her evocative reimagining of the text as “conversation,” suggesting responsiveness, relationship,
movement, and co-creation.

Rev. Wendy Evans shared that insight during a thought-provoking panel discussion in early March, as 75 friends gathered for our annual Iftar and to celebrate the 10th anniversary of MCM’s Maa’n/Ensemble Interfaith program.

Nos quatre panélistes issus des traditions abrahamiques ont remis en question certaines idées reçues et ont parlé avec franchise et vulnérabilité des tensions présentes au sein même de leurs communautés de foi, nous invitant à réfléchir à la manière dont nous pourrions dépasser le dialogue comme simple échange de paroles pour aller vers un dialogue comme action partagée.

À la suite d’une période de questions animée dans le sanctuaire de St. James, la conversation s’est poursuivie autour d’un délicieux repas dans la salle paroissiale de l’église, préparé par notre collectif de traiteur: WWD-Vers un souffle nouveau, et soutenu par un groupe dévoué de jeunes bénévoles étudiants originaires du Yémen, du Pakistan et de l’Inde.

Ancienne participante du notre cercle de couture à la MCM et aujourd’hui doctorante, l’artiste Nagva Shaghluf a généreusement offert aux invités la possibilité de faire calligraphier leur nom en écriture arabe… ajoutant une beauté discrète et une dimension contemplative à la soirée.

Thank you, Wendy, Ronit Yaroksy, Muna Ahmed and Amal Elsana, for your wisdom, courage, and generous leadership - and Nagva for your quiet hospitality. If in the beginning, there was
conversation, then our shared table, graced by art, is holy ground.

Resources: Church of the Wild by Victoria Loorz

English version follows.

REJOIGNEZ-NOUS À SHERBROOKE POUR UNE SOIRÉE SUR L'ACCÈS À LA JUSTICE !

Et si, le temps d’un 5 à 7, on prenait un moment pour écouter, comprendre et agir ensemble ?

Le mercredi 11 mars, nous lançons notre campagne « Enraciner : Prise entre les lierres migratoires » 🌿 qui met en lumière des réalités souvent invisibles.

Certaines femmes im·migrantes et personnes im·migrantes 2ELGBTQIA+ rencontrent de nombreux obstacles pour accéder à la justice, notamment lorsque leur statut d’immigration dépend d’un·e partenaire violent·e. Derrière ces défis, il y a des histoires, des vies, des choix difficiles, et surtout, un besoin de soutien et de solidarité.

Organisée en collaboration avec le Carrefour de Solidarité Internationale, cette soirée comprendra la projection d'une vidéo animée, suivie d'un panel d'expert·e·s des milieux juridiques et communautaires : Dania Suleman, Julia Green, William Jammal et Anne-Josée Péloquin. Ce sera aussi un moment pour échanger dans une ambiance conviviale autour d’un apéro et créer des liens avec les personnes présentes.

Être présent·e, c’est déjà poser un geste. C’est montrer qu’ensemble, on veille les un·e·s sur les autres. On vous attend en grand nombre 💙

-----------------------------------------------------------
JOIN US FOR A 5 À 7 IN SHERBROOKE ON ACCESS TO JUSTICE !

What if we took a moment to listen, learn, and take action together?

On Wednesday, March 11, we are launching our campaign “Enraciner: Trapped in Migratory Vines” 🌿, which sheds light on realities that often go unseen.

Many im·migrant women and 2SLGBTQIA+ im·migrants face significant barriers to accessing justice, especially when their immigration status depends on a violent partner. Behind these challenges are stories, lives, difficult choices, and above all, a need for support and solidarity.

Organized in collaboration with the Carrefour de Solidarité Internationale, the evening will include the screening of an animated video, followed by a panel of legal and community experts: Dania Suleman, Julia Green, William Jammal, and Anne-Josée Péloquin. It will also be a chance to connect and have meaningful conversations about justice over an apéro.

It’s a good way to show that, as a community, we look out for each other. We hope to see you there 💙