FORUM: SOCIAL JUSTICE Ms Claire Bolduc, president of Rural Solidarity of Quebec, launched the debate on Friday evening at the UQAR with the question: Who is the good weather for? Confident after listening to the territorial voices, Ms Bolduc opened the work of the forum by accepting the challenge of intertwining the ideal of social justice with the exploitation of Natural Resources in a spirit of equity, equality and durability. The next day, at the CEGEP of Rimouski, after placing in context the two elements of the theme, Ms Nikole Dubois, of the Community Development of Témiscouata, on social justice, and Ms Luce Balthazar of CRE-BSL, on natural resources, two workshops are organized The first workshop aims at seeing and determining to whom the natural resources belong and how we can take advantage of the exploitation of resources in order to reach a greater social justice. The second workshop had two cases to study: the wind power industry and the petroleum of Gaspé. In the two examples, we had to recognize the true value of the project and identify the conditions to make their realization more just. The sharing was done in an atmosphere of joy, freedom of speech, respect of the persons and of their ideas. More than 170 persons participated: adults and young people, men and women, among whom 26 Sisters of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary. A synthesis of the workshops wrapped up the day. The afternoon opens with a panel with Marie-Josée Fortin and Nathalie Lewis, professors in regional development at the UQAR and Julien Rebotier of the University of Pau, France, French researcher and specialist on the vulnerability of the territories. This forum allowed each one to identify the aspects on which the population must be vigilant as regards the development of natural resources in the territory he/she dwells in, such as: the common good of the present generation and of future generations, the quality of life of persons, the landscape and the protection of nature today and tomorrow. The last speaker, Dominic Champagne, an author, artist, moviemaker, great champion of the earth, talks to us with conviction of the great need to protect our planet. He communicates his enthusiasm for the protection of nature. To conclude, M. Irvin Pelletier, deputy, took the floor to speak, and we gave him the mission to inform the government of our convictions about all the exploitation projects. We want to very sincerely thank all our partners of the Cégep, the UQAR, the Union of the Cégep, the regional Council of the Environment (CRE-BSL), the Conference of the groups of Women of the Lower Saint Lawrence and the Diocesan Services of pastoral work of Rimouski and the unconditional support of our sisters. The follow-up to the Forum will be determined soon, we hope. Marthe Malenfant, R.S.R.
2013-05-04
On the initiative of the Congregation's Social Justice Committee and after nearly a year's progress with the committed partners in regional development, on April 19 and 20 was held the Forum Social Justice and Natural Resources.
