Canadian Unitarian Council Policies

Established in 1961, the Canadian Unitarian Council is a federation of Unitarian and Universalist church congregations across Canada, the earliest of which dates back to 1811. The Council supports individual congregations by providing services such as a lay chaplaincy, professional leadership training material, as well as music for worship and meditation.

Policy on Gender and Sexuality

• The Canadian Unitarian Council is a vocal proponent of gay rights and same-sex marriage. The Council includes a special monitoring group, which promotes sexual diversity, as well as gender equality, both in the Unitarian Church and in society at large.

Social Justice Policy

• Social justice and equitable economic solutions serve as core Council policies. The Council sends its social justice resolutions to the Canadian prime minister and premiers of each province, while closely monitoring government-initiated changes to unemployment insurance and public health care. The Council's affirmative action plan is referred to as the "preferential option" and aims to assist those living in poverty.

Peacekeeping Policies

• The Unitarian Council is a strong supporter of peace and international cooperation. As part of its peace initiative, the Council adopted a resolution calling for the reduction of nuclear weapons and in 2010 encouraged the Government of Canada to press the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to reduce the arsenal of member states.