Well, it sounds like a good idea. But be careful of choosing words that sound good. We have sent "our young men and women to make a difference." So does the other side. If you accept that idea, then you accept all wars and all violence. Even the mugger does his work to make a difference.

I don't think sending our young men and women to an illegal war which has killed civilians  by the thousand is making the sort of difference I would want to make.

Afghanistan has never, in its whole history,attacked either Canada or the US. The 9/11 bombing had not a single afghani involved in it. Nor was it planned in Afghanistan. Nor do you help a country by killing its people.

Watch out for loaded terms like "to make a difference."

graeme

Thank you for the invitation however I shall pass. Banff is simply too far away for me. I do thank you for mentioning the actual location being discussed in the opening post of your thread. An excellent way to start a conversation. Props to you.

Oh well - I'd love to go to Banff and join in the discussion but I geuss I've got the wrong style of plumbing!

Pretty expensive place to go to talk about Justice....

The registration fee for the sessions is only $100. Room rate at the Banff Center is just 429.62 (single). An airplane ticket from Toronto to Calgary is about $700 round trip. That'd be around $1200 for me, more for others. Yep, I can talk about justice with people at home. 

To seek justice - I think that when the Bible mentions justice (as in Micah) the word used is the same as 'righteousness'.  Change the creed just a little and say "Seek righteousness and resist evil".   

Perhaps the way to do this is not by force - not by 'sending our young men in uniform all over the world to make a difference' by war.  Perhaps we need to pay more attention to sending young men and women all over the world to help people - build schools and hospitals, build dams and bridges, dig wells, plant crops, develop co ops and small industries in their own country.

Perhaps the way to resist evil is not to support the mining or the oil industry - not to support whatever government is most apt to welcome our economic influence and exploit the people - but to encourage the people of these lands to develop their own resources for the benefit of the people living there - worrying more about raising their standard of living than providing luxuries for us.

It is ....now.

Decades ago when the Banff Men's Conference first started it was not so much.  Really the BMC aims at Alta, Bc and Sask. folk, and much carpooling happens.  As Banff has become more expensive they have tried to find ways to lower the cost.  (eg. it used to be the case that all attendees stayed at the Banff Centre and the registration included meals/lodging (it was a higher registration then)  and now they offer other options and a different registration fee plan--although that may have in part been due tothe Centre being busier and space being limited as well as cost factors).

HAving been to BMC a few times in the past I would say that it is well worth it.  I would be going this year but with a new baby and a move and all that I thought it wise to opt out

And for thiose with different plumbing (kaye)

There is a western women's conference being held at naramata.

 If you find justice in Banff, will you be taking it home with you?

Or were the previous conferences so successful you won't have to?