From February 1–7, 2026, we will share stories from work with Mission and Service and Canadian Foodgrains Bank partners
Join us in marking International Development Week 2026 (February 1–7), alongside communities across Canada and around the world.
This year, International Development Week also coincides with the International Year of Volunteers for Sustainable Development. It’s a time to honour the countless volunteers and leaders whose time, care, and commitment to working together with communities make justice and hope possible. For The United Church of Canada and global partners, volunteer community leaders are an essential piece of the work.
A World in Need of Hope
We are living through a time of deep uncertainty. Many countries are becoming more insular and nationalistic, retreating from shared commitments to address climate change, hunger, human rights abuses, and inequality. Progress toward the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is not only being slowed by climate disruption, conflict, and economic shocks—it is sometimes being intentionally undermined by a handful of people with power who benefit from unjust systems.
Likewise, international cooperation is shrinking at the very moment it is needed most. People in many places are being harmed by major disruptions to global aid, including significant cuts and pauses connected to USAID funding for health and humanitarian programs. Canada is also implicated in this trend. Despite long-standing commitments, Canada has not met its international assistance obligations and has made cuts even as global needs and inequities grow.
This is precisely where the church is called to show up.
The world is not divided into “ours” and “theirs.”
We are all God’s creation. We are one global family, all equally deserving of dignity and hope.
"So that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it."
(1 Corinthians 12:25-26)
Resisting Either/Or
Many are struggling in Canada. Food banks are stretched, housing insecurity is rising, and some communities are under real pressure. But the gospel does not ask us to choose who is worthy of care. God’s economy points us toward abundance shared, not compassion rationed.
Our challenges are also deeply interconnected. Climate change, hunger, conflict, and displacement do not stop at national borders. International development is not charity; it is a commitment to our shared future. “Aid” is an investment in our planet-wide financial, environmental, cultural, and human security—even as we are called to give altruistically from a good heart.
When we give, we accompany partner-led work that protects dignity and builds long-term resilience.
When we advocate, we help shape just policies so that Canada contributes fairly to a world facing multiple crises.
When we pray, we refuse numbness and keep our hearts aligned with the God of justice and mercy.
What to Expect This Week
Throughout International Development Week 2026, we will share stories from work with Mission and Service and Canadian Foodgrains Bank partners. The United Church of Canada works with over 74 partners around the world, striving to aid in God's work of real change towards a more just world.
There are countless stories of impact, but this week you’ll hear those touching upon these themes:
- Climate justice and adaptation
- Global hunger and food sovereignty
- Women’s leadership and gender justice
- Human rights and peacebuilding
- Youth leadership and education
- Clean water and community resilience
These stories invite us into Mutual Radical Accompaniment, where through relationship grounded in faith, humility, and hope, both the United Church and global partners experience mutual transformation.
This week, we also give thanks for volunteers: community leaders, farmers, theologians, youth mentors, COP animators, pilgrims, and United Church members whose faithful service—often unseen—sparks connection and hope.
How Will Your Community of Faith Participate?
How is your community responding—locally and globally—to hunger, climate change, displacement, and the erosion of human dignity?
Share photos and stories with us at justice@united-church.ca, and we will amplify them alongside partner stories.
Join the Conversation
Follow United Action for Justice on Facebook and Instagram, and United Church News and the Round the Table blog for information on how your community of faith can learn more, participate, and accompany global partners as we meet the Sustainable Development