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By Frank Stirk
JUST two weeks before the opening of the 2010 Olympics, First United Mission
Church in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside plans to launch a campaign to remind people of a simple
truth: that for all the talk about how an event like this fosters global unity,
the fact remains that the gulf between the world’s haves and have-nots is growing ever wider.
Tentative plans are to kick off the Two Worlds Campaign on January 31, with ‘Share the Gold Day.’
First United minister Ric Matthews admits it is “going to be hard to get the attention of the media” by launching so close to the opening of the Games – and that they run the “obvious risk” of being seen as opposed to the Olympics coming to Vancouver.
On the contrary, Matthews says their basic challenge is that if Vancouver can
afford to invest so heavily in such a major event that mostly benefits its
wealthier citizens, then there is nothing to stop the same degree of commitment
being made to end homelessness.
And while organizers have yet to line up the financial backers necessary to fund
such a campaign, Matthews says everyone he has spoken to believes it has merit.
“It’s kind of a no-brainer. Why would you oppose something that says ‘Let’s build off what we’re capable of doing, and do more of it?’” he says. “All we’re saying is, let’s talk about that.”
But First United is also looking beyond the Olympics to the World Cup of Soccer
in June, in Johannesburg, South Africa. It plans to present a similar challenge
there as well, in partnership with the Johannesburg Methodist Mission.
Both churches open their doors to the poor in their respective cities. Each day
and night, First United welcomes upwards of 500 people to sleep in its
building, while the Methodist Mission provides refuge to up to 3,500
Zimbabweans.
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The campaign’s goal is to create a worldwide movement.
“After the Olympic Games and prior to the World Cup,” Matthews says, “we hope to host a fairly large conference that would explore lessons learned
around addressing the interface between the two worlds in cities where these
kinds of big events happen, and look at some of the implications
economically: how we can partner better during the big events, and certainly
how we can leverage the events for ongoing legacies.”
Matthews hopes the conference will include representatives from the cities and
countries where the next three Olympic Games will be held.
January 2010
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