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Pastor defies Abbotsford’s harm reduction ban

October 4th, 2012 | Posted by pfmarchive in uncategorized - (Comments Off on Pastor defies Abbotsford’s harm reduction ban)

Pastor Ward Draper is “bringing the church back to where it should be”—and that includes providing clean needles and pipes

Pastor Ward Draper is ministering to addicts in Abbotsford, in defiance of the municipality’s ban on harm reduction activities. Pastor Draper is the founder and executive director of The 5 and 2 ministries, the only Canadian church outside of Toronto that does needle exchange work. And it happens in a city that, according to The Province newspaper, is the only community in the country that bans needle exchange work. (more…)

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Prostitution case can proceed, Supreme Court decides

September 27th, 2012 | Posted by pfmarchive in uncategorized - (0 Comments)

The federal government had argued that the individuals and non-profit groups involved had no right to bring the case to court

A court case was launched in British Columbia in 2008 by an organization of sex workers and one former sex worker challenging the constitutionality of Criminal Code provisions dealing with adult prostitution. That case was dismissed by the B.C. Supreme Court in part because the trial judge found that the group did not have “public interest standing” to bring the case to court. The decision was overturned, but the federal government then appealed to the Supreme Court of Canada. (more…)

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Can empathy be taught?

September 20th, 2012 | Posted by pfmarchive in uncategorized - (Comments Off on Can empathy be taught?)

Empathy, compassion, understanding, awareness—what happens when we try to put ourselves into others’ shoes?

Empathy is a relatively common word, but it’s also a concept that is poorly understood. It’s sometimes confused with sympathy, pity, or feeling sorry for someone. According to Edith Stein, a German phenomenologist, empathy can be facilitated. It also can be interrupted and blocked, but it cannot be forced to occur. When empathy occurs, we find ourselves experiencing it, rather than directly causing it to happen. [Reference here in PDF] (more…)

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From global imperatives to local realities

September 13th, 2012 | Posted by pfmarchive in uncategorized - (Comments Off on From global imperatives to local realities)

The work of community-based organizations in HIV prevention can be linked with the development of democracy

The 19th International AIDS Conference was held in Washington D.C. in July 2012, with a focus on how global and decisive commitment [opens to PDF] is crucial to changing the course of the epidemic. The biennial conference is the premier gathering for people working in the field of HIV, as well as policy makers, persons living with HIV and other individuals committed to ending the pandemic. (more…)

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Criminalization and rights of people with HIV

September 13th, 2012 | Posted by pfmarchive in uncategorized - (0 Comments)

Canada may have gone farther than most countries in harsh treatment of HIV non-disclosure. What will the Supreme Court say?

Under Canadian law, a person living with HIV may be guilty of a crime [opens to PDF] for not disclosing his or her HIV-positive status before engaging in certain activities. Charges have been laid against people living with HIV in numerous cases, particularly cases involving sexual contact.

But a group called the Global Commission on HIV and the Law has taken the position that nondisclosure of HIV status, as well as sex work and possession of drugs for personal use, should all be decriminalized [Download the report in PDF]. (more…)

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Nanaimo shelter changes raise concerns

September 6th, 2012 | Posted by pfmarchive in uncategorized - (Comments Off on Nanaimo shelter changes raise concerns)

Homeless shelter was overwhelmed by demand last winter, so now it will only be open during extreme weather conditions

The First Unitarian Fellowship of Nanaimo has decided to scale back its shelter operations this year, after being overwhelmed by demand last year. The organization’s extreme weather shelter for homeless people had been made available every night between November 1st and April 1st last winter, from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. But despite increased funding for the increased availability, volunteers were taxed beyond their limit, with up to 25 homeless people seeking shelter at the 24-bed facility each night. (more…)

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