Pilgrims Respond to G7 Summit with People’s Forum

Scheduled from June 12 to 15 at Ambrose University, the People’s Forum invites pilgrims and activists from across Canada and beyond to engage in community-building, learning, prayer, and action. Organized by KAIROS Canada and Development and Peace, the event aims to amplify grassroots voices during the G7 period.

The Forum’s agenda includes an interfaith worship service hosted by the Calgary Interfaith Council, a visit to an outdoor medicine wheel on Stoney Nakoda land, and training sessions for the Jubilee 2025 Turn Debt into Hope campaign.

The Turn Debt Into Hope campaign, launched by Caritas International and supported by the Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns, is a central initiative of the 2025 Jubilee Year proclaimed by Pope Francis. In the wake of COVID and unsuccessful frameworks for managing sovereign debt, countries across the Global South are stuck in a debt trap, forced to spend more on debt repayments than on climate, health and education priorities. In the spirit of the jubilee, in which the Old Testament tradition calls for the forgiveness of debts, restoration of land, and liberation of the oppressed, the campaign seeks to:

Organizers emphasize the People’s Forum as a space to “build, from the ground up, a Jubilee world–where slaves and the indentured are freed, debts are cancelled, and the land is returned and allowed to rest.” The gathering seeks to foster economic and ecological justice, decolonization, and solidarity among diverse communities.

With 200 spots available, individuals and groups are encouraged to participate and contribute their expertise, ideas, and resources to the movement.

As world leaders convene at the G7 Summit, the People’s Forum speaks to the power of collective action and the pursuit of a just world.

Faith in action: Sign the Turn Debt into Hope Petition https://turndebtintohope.caritas.org/