Celebration! Church took part in the inaugural Freedom Walk. Photo by Andrew Lau
Celebration! Church has involved itself in social justice causes for many years, engaging in service projects, conferences and awareness campaigns, from the streets all the way to Parliament Hill.
One of the reasons justice is so important for church members is because it is important to God. Advancing the cause of justice allows them to exhibit God’s character.
One of the most pressing issues of our time is modern-day slavery. C!C has focused much of its social justice efforts in raising awareness and resources to combat this widespread problem.
Today, there are more than 27 million people enslaved around the globe and even here in Ottawa. Men, women and children work as labourers in fields, restaurants and factories or as sex slaves in prostitution.
Over the past couple of years, Ottawa has seen a number of young women rescued from prostitution.
As part of the commitment to fighting slavery and injustice, C!C took part in Ottawa’s inaugural Freedom Walk on Sept. 27. The morning began with the opportunity to browse a slave-free marketplace featuring products offered by local businesses. This was followed by a ceremony and speeches by local and national anti-slavery leaders, including Ottawa Police detectives Carolyn Botting and Kelly Lyle.
Following the ceremony, the streets were awash with purple, the official colour of the anti-slavery cause, as adults and children walked four kilometres to Parliament Hill.
There are many other ways to fight modern slavery throughout the year.
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Change your shopping habits. Visit freethemwalkottawa.ca to see a list of businesses that sell slave-free products.
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Join and support PACT-Ottawa, a local anti-slavery organization seeking to end slavery here in Ottawa (pact-ottawa.org).
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Attend C!C’s Freedom Sunday service in February, a service dedicated to raising awareness about modern slavery.
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Visit freethem.ca for other initiatives.
Join C!C in fighting slavery and injustice one step at a time.
