Scrawled on a white board, the words B次元官网网址淜airos is not going awayB次元官网网址� greet members as they file into the room.

B次元官网网址淢aybe Miss Oda is going away,B次元官网网址� jokes one man, already seated at the large table inside First Metropolitan United Church.

Coal is on todayB次元官网网址檚 Kairos agenda.

Tria Donaldson of the Wilderness Committee arrives to make a presentation about four new coal mine applications from Fanny Bay to Campbell River. She distributes a map marking the proposals.

B次元官网网址淚 want to make sure we can focus on some of the awesome opportunities to take action on coal mining, here on Vancouver Island,B次元官网网址� she says.

Kairos is a national, ecumenical non-profit organization, working to improve human rights, justice and peace around the world.

Once a month, people from various churches in Victoria come together for these information sessions, on themes related to social justice. The goal is for membersB次元官网网址� to take the message back to their home congregations, which can spawn movie nights or other forms of activism and awareness raising.

So far, the funding-cut scandal abuzz in the national news has not affected the local group.

This month, International Co-operation Minister Bev Oda admitted to tampering with a document to support a $7-million budget cut to KairosB次元官网网址� national operations.

The details have been well publicized: In 2009, Oda had the word B次元官网网址渘otB次元官网网址� inserted into a CIDA document, thereby reversing a recommendation to approve funding for Kairos.

On Nov. 30 of that year, Kairos learned its four-year program proposal had been rejected, with the explanation that it did not meet CIDAB次元官网网址檚 priorities.

B次元官网网址淭he brunt of this cut is being borne by KairosB次元官网网址� overseas partners,B次元官网网址� wrote Sara Stratton, the organizationB次元官网网址檚 national sustainability team manager. B次元官网网址淲hile we do have fewer funds for that work, we continue to provide limited overseas grants.B次元官网网址�

Also affected on a smaller scale is KairosB次元官网网址� limited budget for public engagement within Canada, including education on international development issues.

Local leader Janet Gray suspects this might affect the groupB次元官网网址檚 ability to send a member to the national meetings. Otherwise, thereB次元官网网址檚 been no effect, she said.

B次元官网网址淲e work on the basis of small donations to help with printing or sign making or various things, but church space for meetings is always donated,B次元官网网址� she says. B次元官网网址淎s individuals, we donate a lot in terms of just our energy and our various interests.B次元官网网址�

The group participates in rallies, hosts lectures, and launches letter-writing campaigns on issues of special interest, particularly, mining, water and indigenous rights.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 a great way to work ecumenically with other churches,B次元官网网址� said Gray. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 nice to know that in Kairos there are Anglicans and Catholics and Unitarians and Lutherans that are all given the same information from national (head office), and yet we all work on it slightly differently locally, depending on what needs we feel are the most pressing.B次元官网网址�

editor@goldstreamgazette.com