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w at er lo oc hr on ic le .c a W at er lo o C hr on ic le | T hu rs da y, M ar ch 29 ,2 01 8 | 10 EXTRA! EXTRA! READ ALL ABOUT IT! CONNECTED TO YOUR COMMUNITYWATERLOOCHRONICLE.CA local news local sports local happenings It wasn't a civic auditorium,community centre, universi-ty lecture hall or any of thetypical secular spaces where Canadians and politics usually meet. Instead it was the Centre for Public Ethics at Waterloo Luther- an Seminary that intentionally hosted "Faith and the Ontario Election" in a place of worship last week, to encourage religious communities to take an active role in the upcoming June 7 vote. More than 120 gathered in Mount Zion Lutheran Church in Waterloo to hear veteran Queen's Park reporter Robert Fisher share some critical insights gleaned from 11 previous elections that saw major political dynasties rise and fall. The evening was introduced by John Milloy, former MP and now the centre's director. He described the CPE mandate as promoting dialogue, research and education in a climate where many Canadi- ans are still reluctant to discuss faith and politics together. To break the ice, a short up- beat cartoon video created by Conestoga College students was premiered; it demonstrated how people of faith can contribute to better election outcomes for all Ontarians, whether religious or not. The cartoon's big take-aways were less familiar when experi- enced from a church pew: become informed beyond TV "sound bites"; attend and participate in candidates' meetings; challenge elected officials to develop long- term solutions to problems that affect everyone. Fisher's talk continued the theme of building community power through good information. In a world of vicious social media venting, sensationalized news "factoids" and campaigns de- signed primarily to tap voters' unfocussed anger at "elites" in power, the need for broad-based voter education has never been greater. He cautioned listeners about the "wasteful thinking" behind most election promises; they often add up to meagre long-term sup- port for deep-rooted problems such as child poverty, domestic abuse, mistreatment of seniors, drug addiction, or the neglect of basic infrastructure in First Na- tions communities. Fisher also shared concerns about the rise of populist candi- dates like newly-minted PC leader Doug Ford, who lure margin- alized voters with promises of immediate tax-cuts. While Ford ran a "surprisingly disciplined leadership campaign," that dis- cipline was not evident when he verbally bullied a female inter- viewer on a recent talk-show. Polls are another red flag, only "a snapshot in time," and quickly invalidated by the rapid unfolding of events, as happened with the dramatic downfall of PC leader- ship hopeful Patrick Brown. Polls can also be grossly misleading when based on poor public knowl- edge of an existing leader, as has happened to Premier Kathleen Wynne, whom Fisher regards as "greatly underestimated." Amid many anecdotes from his 50-plus years dealing with elected representatives, Fisher still believes "there is good and value in all people . in all parties." The key for clergy and laype- ople of all faith groups he stressed, is that their voices can insure "no one is left behind" on election day. "You can be involved, you can make change." Above all, "sitting on the sidelines is not an option." Fisher's observations provided ample material for designated respondents Andrew S. Thomp- son and Fauzia Mazhar. Thompson, head of Amnesty International Canada, senior fellow at the Centre for Interna- tional Governance Innovation, program officer with the Balsillie School of International Affairs and a Waterloo Lutheran Semi- nary board member, distilled his considerable expertise in in- ternational human rights and fragile states into the blunt as- sertion, "I don't like politics . I like democracy." Echoing the theme of positive participation, he suggested by- passing the predominant nasti- ness of typical election cam- paigns, which are little more than "an exercise in bribery," choosing as faith communities to seek collective good for all. Fauzia Mazhar, chair of the K-W Coalition of Muslim Women, noted that for some faiths, Islam in particular, political engage- ment is a religious duty. She re- minded listeners that most reli- gions began as grassroots social justice movements. Among her key recommenda- tions: voters should support polit- ical parties whose platforms align with their faith's teachings; civic responsibility lies beyond one's own personal interests; shift the public discourse toward issues that affect everyone; demand that governments commit to long- term, sustainable problem-solv- ing; and to not reject the idea of effective coalition governments. Questions and comments reflected the kind of audience engagement organizers hoped for. Topics included fears of tax retri- bution if churches become too politically active; elected women being undermined by pervasive sexism; and whether there is a future for proportional re- presentation. A followup workshop, "Faith Communities and the Ontario Election," is being held on April 9 at St. Stephen Lutheran Church, Kitchener. For more details and to register, contact semi- nary@wlu.ca. The WLU Centre for Public Ethics heled an evening called "Faith and the Ontario Election" where the guest speaker was recently retired CBC political reporter Robert Fisher last week at Mt. Zion church in Waterloo. Pauline Finch photo Talking about religion and politics PAULINE FINCH CITY LIFE Visit waterloochronicle.ca for more coverage