Subject: All Parties Lessons Learned
Moved By: Ms. Cynthia Haines-Turner
Seconded By: The Very Rev. Peter Wall
Be it resolved that this General Synod:
Acknowledge receipt of the report “One Step on a Journey: The Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement and the Anglican Church of Canada – Lessons Learned” and its Executive Summary, and encourage the Anglican Church of Canada at all levels to read them and take action on their recommendations for ongoing reconciliation work both within the Anglican Church and more broadly.
Source: Ms. Melanie Delva, Reconciliation Animator, Office of the Primate
Submitted By: Council of General Synod
Does this motion contain within it any financial implications? Yes No
If yes, has the General Synod Expenditures Committee considered the implications? Yes No
EXPLANATORY NOTE/BACKGROUND
In 2018, Parties who were signatories to the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement (IRSSA) agreed to collaborate on a formal lessons learned exercise with the objective of reflecting on the IRSSA to inform ongoing resolution and reconciliation activities. Each Party (Churches, Government, Indigenous Organizations, Survivors) was asked to conduct its own “internal” exercise in order to bring party-specific reports to the full table. In the Anglican Church of Canada, the IRSSA Lessons Learned Exercise was undertaken by the Reconciliation Animator, and included 32 online survey respondents, 11 participants in a Survivors’ Circle, and 10 on-on-one interviews, resulting in over 120 pages of notes and responses. These responses were compiled into a 21 page report titled “One Step on a Journey: The Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement and the Anglican Church of Canada – Lessons Learned”, which was submitted to the Parties in January of 2019. In order to make the detailed report more accessible to a wider range of Anglican Church leadership and laity, an Executive Summary was also prepared. The Executive Summary with a link to the full report has been submitted to the Anglican Council of Indigenous Peoples, the Vision Keepers Council, the Primate’s Commission on Discovery, Reconciliation and Justice, the Anglican Church of Canada Leadership Team and will also be submitted to the House of Bishops.
PROCEDURE FOR ADOPTION (G)
In the normal course, an ordinary motion must be passed by a majority of the members of General Synod present and voting together. Six members of General Synod may, prior to the question being put, require a vote by Orders, with a majority of each Order being necessary to pass.
If a question passes on a Vote by Orders, any six members (two from each of three different dioceses) may immediately before the next item of business require a vote to be taken by dioceses. A motion passes if a majority (or a tie) of dioceses vote in favour.
Source: Sections 4 and 5 of the Declaration of Principles and sections 18, 19 and 20 of the Rules of Order and Procedure.
