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Wednesdsay June 28, 2000 Booming economy leaves poor out in cold-United Church Moderator THE OAKVILLE BEAVER A5 Rev. Bill P hipps calls fo r m ore com passion B y M a r y -L o u is e L a n g lo is SPECIAL TO T H E BEAVER Econom ists keep telling us the Canadian economy is booming. T hat's not how everyone sees it. Speaking at the Annual General M eeting o f the Halton Social Planning Council M onday night, the Right Reverend Bill Phipps, M oderator of the United Church of Canada, spoke passionately about his belief that som ething is very wrong with an economy that contributes to the growing gap between rich and poor. "In our society -- in O ntario, C anada and indeed globally, we are experiencing a moral and a spiritual crisis of the first order... The `w inner take all atti tude' is dividing the com m unity." An audience o f well over 300 listened as Phipps gave the keynote address at O akville's St. Volodymyr Cultural Centre. Social and econom ic ju stice is not new to Phipps who, in addition to being a United C hurch m inister, has worked as a poverty law yer and com m unity orga nizer. Phipps spoke to the issue o f the consultative process he initiated as M oderator two years ago. "I've always been concerned about econom ic ju s tice, the common good, politics, believing that eco nomic justice is central to biblical faith. So I thought `le t's initiate a conversation among Canadians about their value system. Basically, what our value system has to say about the current economic realities.' We started this conversation and it went way beyond what I expected it w ould." Subsequently, Phipps wrote the introduction to God and the Market: Steps Towards a Moral Economy -- a book published by the United Church, which sum m arizes the results of his Consultation on Faith and the Economy. Phipps believes that m ost C anadians want a humane and moral economy that values human digni ty, respect, com passion and generosity. He defines a moral economy as one in which everyone is included in society's well-being, and in which we care for the Earth and all its creatures. He says Canada was built on the principle of seek ing the common good while supporting the well being of the individual. "Just im agine if all the faith-based organizations rose together in outrage (at the injustices of our econ omy). There is no question in my mind that they (the government) would take notice." Phipps ends his three-year term as M oderator in August. The evening was sponsored in part by the Halton Social Justice C oalition, the Inter-Church Council of B urlington, and IDEA, the Interfaith Development Education Association. Photo by Ron Kuzyk Rev. Bill Phipps in Oakville Monday night: healing process must begin over issue of abuse of children at native residential schools R ift b e tw e e n F irs t N a tio n s a n d U n ite d C h u rc h w ill ta k e c e n tu ry to re s o lv e One of the most troubling issues the United Church of Canada has had to deal with is the admission that native chil dren under the church's schools, were abused. The church's Moderator, Rev. Bill Phipps told the Beaver that the issue must be faced head-on and dealt with appro priately. "My hope is that the whole process has got the attention of Canadians and that we'll start to examine our history and seriously engage in the long process of healing and reconcil iation," said Phipps. " That's a major concern of mine and of our church. If the lawsuits were all settled tomorrow morn ing and we had all the money to pay out the damages, the issue would not go away, because the fundamental rift in Canadian society is between First Nations and the rest of us. That's one that is going to take a century to resolve." Phipps was in Oakville Monday night on a speaking engagement. B lood donor clinics today Two blood donor clinics are being held today, in hopes of avoiding a blood shortage over the Canada Day weekend. The first clinic is taking place at the Halton Regional Police headquarters at 1151 Bronte Rd., north of QEW,, from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. The second clinic is at the Croatian Parish Hall, 2110 Trafalgar Rd., north of Upper Middle Road, from 1 to 7:30 p.m. A third clinic will be held on Monday, July 3rd, from 3 to 7:30 p.m., at Calvary Baptist Church on Lakeshore Road West across from Wolfdale Avenue. Healthy individuals aged 17 to 71, with blood donor cards or photos and signature ID, are urged to attend. Teen robbed outside Glen Abbey Rec. Centre Halton Regional Police in Oakville are investigating a robbery that occurred at the Glen Abbey Recreation Centre on Third Line on May 20th. The 16 year old victim was at the recreation centre with a group of friends. He went by himself to a pay telephone near the swimming pool doors. He passed a group of five males and one of these males called out to him and asked the victim for money. One Call 8 2 5 -T IP S of the males stood in front of the or 1-800-668-5151 victim and backed him into a wall. One of the suspects lifted up his coat and showed the victim a pocket knife and asked for money. The victim handed over cash and returned to his friends. The suspects were last seen walking away on Merchant's Gate. The suspects are described as male, white 19 years old. One of the suspects was 6 feet tall with a slim build, goatee, blue baseball hat and a grey puffy coat with a hood. He held out the red handled pocket knife. The other had red hair, goatee, fair complexion and an orange coat. The third was possibly Hispanic, and had a dark blue coat. If you think you know who did this robbery call Crime Stoppers. If you have any information that leads to an arrest in this or any other matter, you may be eligible for a cash reward. You need not give your name when you tell us your infor mation and you will remain anonymous. Crime Stoppers does not subscribe to the telephone call display feature. PLEASE CALL 1-800-222-TIPS OR 825-TIPS (825-8477) Don't kid yourself. There is a much faster way to surf than over your phone line. Switch to COGECO@Home and download at speeds up to 100 times faster than a 28.8 dial-up modem. Take the plunge and dive in w ith the big boys! C R IM E STOPPERS " FREE installation % - n . ,, , h F R H ((()))COO I:CO 0 H om e. Available at @ RadioShack. 1-877-8-ATHOME www. cogeco. ca/home High speed In te rn e t over cable *O ffer ends July 31,2000. Cable m odem rental $10/m onth credited for COGECO Cable customers. Regular price o f $49.95/m onth fo r non-basic cable customers ($39.95/m onth and $10/m onth cable m odem rental). 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