This book, which I urge Friends to read, chronicles this extraordinary period in the life of the Canadian Churches,a period during which close and trusting relationships were formed among social activists from both Roman Catholic and Protestant Churches, working together on the common task of keeping Justice and Human Rights a priority for decisionmakers at home and abroad. In their introduction to the book, the editors already in 1994 recognized how global market economy is changing the power balance away from national governments towards transnational corporations, and warn of the implications for the churches' mission for Justice. Similarly, assumptions about the dominance of church voices in Canadian society need to be rethought. Indeed all Coalitions have been wrestling with these implications ever since. The eighty-five page report documents the inconsistencies, both at home and abroad, between the Canadian Governments' solemn International commitments to Human Rights and Social Justice and its' continuing support of companies and organizations whose activities are shown to be detrimental to Human Rights and Social Justice.
Times are darker now and turbulent.
The present reality is such that the conditions prevalent in the third world which the Coalitions fought against, are now appearing in our own Country. Structural Adjustment and compliance with International financial regulations are imposed on our Citizens, as they have been on our overseas partners. The future effectiveness of the Coalitions will much depend on the clarity of their vision, the strength of their solidarity developed over the last two decades and the depth of faith of their communities.