Laura Solberg is Executive Director of Kentro, which links dozens of organizations addressing issues of poverty and injustice.
The newly passed Canadian Budget axed $2.7 billion in international aid over the next four years and Kentro’s Executive Director, Laura Solberg is sounding the alarm for anyone who will listen.
Canada is joining the United States, the United Kingdom and the European Union in cutting back. Solberg, a Vancouver resident, is passionate about seeing people live into the fullness of who they were created to be.
She is also passionate about the truth that investing globally creates a more stable world that will help Canada and charity organizations benefit on the world stage.
“Canadian Christians need to guard against the feeling of scarcity and fear permeating our culture,” Solberg says:
There’s a lot of misinformation out there about how international relief works. We need to embrace God’s character of justice, compassion, generosity and love for our neighbour . . . and not let those realities be dictated by a border.
Canadian and Christian values align in the area of compassion and care for the marginalized, and followers of Jesus need to lean into this. We want to come alongside Canadians to keep them looking outward. We are a gifted, resilient and generous people.
Kentro Christian Network is the new name for the former Canadian Christian Relief and Development Association (CCRDA). It’s been around over 40 years and has built a track record of solid stewardship and donor care.
Kentro is Greek for ‘centre’ and portrays the group’s focus on growing a hub of collaboration for relief and development organizations to connect, share learnings, establish best practices and ultimately work together to create more measurable change.
Allison Alley, President and CEO of Compassion Canada, says “Kentro’s more inclusive name, centralized hub and new digital platform will help us work more effectively together across the international relief and development sector in Canada, ultimately empowering us to partner to affect positive change and reduce global poverty.”
$2.7 billion cut
But replacing $2.7 billion will not be easy. In 2021/22, Canada reached a peak of $7.6 billion in foreign aid. In the coming year there will be a cut of $470 million. Most of this is directed to multilateral organizations that distribute it globally, but significant bilateral aid also goes to countries like Ethiopia, Haiti, Tanzania and now Ukraine, which is the largest recipient with $22 billion in economic, military and humanitarian aid since 2022.
More than 70 member organizations in Canada, the United States and Europe now network through Kentro, with combined efforts of more than $800 million annually, to address poverty and injustice locally and globally.
With recent government cuts to international aid and development, Solberg calls on Canadian Christians to hold the government accountable for the use of their tax dollars. Yes, there are significant local needs to look at, but there are also international needs that can impact Canada’s reputation around the world.
It might be natural – when things get scary and tough – to look inward, but Kentro is trying to resist the temptation.
“MPs want to know what you believe and why,” Solberg says. “It’s wise to contact organizations you support to find out a script you can prepare ahead of a visit or a call to a government official at any level. The money you donate gives you a right to engage in conversations with those who steward our resources.”
Global complexity
A report by Wendy Fehr of Cause Canada on the Kentro site describes the ‘I am Not a Small (Young) Wife Anymore’ project in Sierra Leone, which focuses on ending early, child and forced marriage.
The situation in Ukraine has drawn the attention of Kentro members, along with challenges throughout Africa and now in Canada, with housing challenges.
The organization believes global development today is more complex than ever and requires greater collaboration for increased impact. There is strong solidarity between members in the work they do.
Solberg says:
Kentro’s new Member Connect platform helps people and organizations connect in real-time and work together to respond with a coordinated effort to urgent situations like the unfolding humanitarian crisis in Ukraine. . . .
The platform acts as a digital hub . . . to partner together, promoting excellence and accountability in the Canadian Christian relief and development sector, and creating greater impact as we move from disconnection to connection, acting in a united response, rather than as individual actors.
Canadian charities are strictly regulated by the Canada Revenue Agency, and Kentro members have strong monitoring and accountability systems built into their projects and programs. All of Canada’s aid is governed by the Aid Accountability Act and must contribute to poverty reduction.
Working with multilateral agencies helps increase effectiveness and impact by utilizing established systems in areas like storage and transportation. International aid is not charity, it’s strategic. Every $1 in prevention can save up to $60 in military intervention costs. Every $1 of overseas development aid yields $1.19 in Canadian exports and proactive aid helps tackle root causes of conflict and instability before those reach Canada’s borders.
Name change
When asked why the CCRDA had changed its moniker to Kentro, Solberg says that while the former name was descriptive, it became meaningless because people tripped over the name, not remembering it, forgetting the acronym and becoming disengaged. The new name and vision will give opportunity to build a new brand and a wider network of collaborators.
“We were virtual before Covid made everyone get online and we have the goodwill of our stakeholders as we broaden our base,” Solberg says.
See http://kentronetwork.ca to see how you can partner.
This article appeared first on the Light Magazine site and is re-posted here by permission of the author.