#AidWorks Letter Builder
Use these advocacy tools to help keep international aid on the election agenda
Alongside Hope invites you to reach out to your Member of Parliament to state your support for international aid and ask for their position on it. You can also write or copy your MP letter to Secretary of State for International Development, Randeep Sarai (Surrey Centre). To make it easier, we’ve provided bullet points for your letter, as well as a draft.
Who’s your MP? Find out here.
Bullet points for your letter
- Salutation and introduction
- Why I believe in international aid
- What is your position on international aid?
- How Alongside Hope makes an impact in people’s lives
- Why my faith motivates me to support Alongside Hope
- Invitation to respond
Or, customize the letter below by changing the words in bold, and if necessary, by rewording to fit your particular context. Then copy and paste into an email or a document for printing.
Dear [MP name],
I live/work/am part of the community of [name] in [riding name). I am writing to let you know that I care deeply about Canada’s engagement in the world. I would like to know where you stand on the issue.
I support Alongside Hope, the official development and relief agency of the Anglican Church of Canada. Through my donations and time to this organization, I have seen the difference that Canadian international assistance makes in the world. For example, Alongside Hope and its partners are, strengthening access to safe childbirth, working to reduce and prevent child marriage, supporting farmers in adopting climate-smart agricultural techniques that enhance income, restoring ecosystems, and responding to humanitarian crises. These initiatives are transforming lives. With the support of Canadian international assistance, communities are gaining the tools they need to build healthier, more sustainable futures.
Along with defense, diplomacy and trade, I believe international assistance is a strategic investment in Canada’s place in the world. Caring for others and supporting development and opportunities in communities in need aligns with Canadian values. But it is also vital to our own security, our own economy and our global standing. It helps prevent crises such as pandemics before they reach our borders. It creates economic opportunities for communities across the world, while creating new markets for Canadian businesses. It supports peace and stability, and a safer world for us all. It diversifies our global relationships at a time when we need friends and allies across the globe.
Most important, as a Christian, I believe international development and humanitarian assistance is a living out of the promises made at my baptism “to seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving my neighbour as myself” and “to strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being.” My support for the work of Alongside Hope, carried out in partnership and solidarity with Christian and secular organizations in Canada and around the world, is a fundamental expression of my Christian faith and engagement in the political life of Canada.
My experience is that this work is making a huge difference – for the people that it supports, and for Canada’s standing in the world. With the United States and other countries retreating from foreign aid and taking a combative approach to foreign relations, there is a unique opportunity for Canada to play an influential role – one that is good for the world, strategic for Canada, and simply the right thing to do.
As Canadians, we want our government to spend responsibly and effectively on international assistance, while offering compassion to the world’s most desperate and vulnerable. We want our government to leverage all tools at its disposal to support stability and prosperity in an unstable and unpredictable world.
Thank you for taking the time to consider this letter. I would be happy to discuss this with you at your convenience.
Yours sincerely,
[Your name]
Questions to ask in an in-person meeting
We encourage you, as a supporter of Alongside Hope, to ask about international development and humanitarian assistance. Here are a few questions to ask:
- What is your vision for Canada’s role in international development and humanitarian assistance over the next decade?
- In your previous experience have you ever had a chance to meet with Alongside Hope or any other Canadian faith-based or secular international development organizations, to learn more about the great work they are doing? What did you learn?
- The Canadian international development assistance budget currently stands at 0.35% of GNI (Gross National Income), half of the internationally agreed standard of 0.7% of GNI. Do you support increasing Canada’s international development budget, and if so, by how much?
- How will you demonstrate your support for Canada’s proud tradition of investment in international development around the world?
- Alongside Hope works in partnership with faith-based and secular organizations to respond to natural and human-made disasters. How will your party ensure that Canada’s humanitarian assistance reaches the most vulnerable communities in times of crisis?
- What steps would you take to maintain Canada’s commitment to international aid especially given recent changes to the international aid landscape?
- How will you engage Canadians — including faith communities engaged in international development — in shaping Canada’s international development policies?
