Cardus

Research suggests a "Quiet Revival" of Christian faith is underway among young people in the UK and the US. A Cardus survey, conducted in partnership with the Angus Reid Institute and the @CanadianBible, set out to answer the question: is that Quiet Revival happening here in Canada too? Cardus's @rpennings explains what the data tell us in this clip. Read our full report here ➡️ cardus.ca/research/spiri…

In Canada's refugee resettlement system, there are government-assisted refugees and privately sponsored refugees, with significant differences in outcomes between the two. Cardus Work & Economics program director @renzenauta explains more in this clip. Read his latest report on how Canada's refugee resettlement system exemplifies the principle of subsidiarity in action, and how this principle can transform our approach to public policy ➡️ cardus.ca/research/work-…

This coming Tuesday, March 24, you're invited to join us at the Cardus offices in Ottawa for an in-depth briefing on Christian persecution in Nigeria. Register here ➡️ cardus.ca/news/events/a-… Nigeria is facing significant challenges to freedom of religion or belief (FoRB), particularly affecting Christian communities in the northern regions and the Middle Belt. These communities have faced serious threats, including violent attacks, abductions, and assaults on places of worship and clergy by various armed groups, including insurgents and bandits. Governance challenges at the state level, such as delayed security responses and a culture of impunity, compound these issues, undermining the protection of religious freedoms and posing risks to religious minorities. While the situation encompasses a range of complexities—impacting both Christians and Muslims—certain areas experience heightened targeting based on identity. Presented in partnership with Voice of the Martyrs, the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada, Open Doors, and Cardus, this briefing offers space to deepen understanding of global persecution and to unite in prayer for believers facing hardship around the world.

Governments should rely more on civil society to deliver important social objectives, such as the resettlement of refugees. A new Cardus report, “Bonds of Solidarity: How Subsidiarity Helps Canadians Care for Refugees,” outlines several decades’ worth of data that point to this fact. For decades, Canada has had two main programs for refugee resettlement: privately sponsored refugees (those who are sponsored by faith groups, community organizations, and groups of citizens, and government-assisted refugees (those who are assisted by government and settlement agencies). The evidence consistently shows that privately sponsored refugees have better economic outcomes overall than government-assisted refugees, as you can see in this infographic. “These statistics tell an important story,” said @renzenauta, an author of the report, and director of the Work & Economics Program at Cardus. “They tell us that there are unique advantages to a refugee who is integrated by a community of people who choose to help them out of charity.” The report highlights many previous studies that have demonstrated a link between whether a refugee was integrated by government or by a private sponsor and their economic outcomes, such as income and employment status. It also highlights surveys done by Statistics Canada that show that privately sponsored refugees generally report receiving more assistance than government-assisted refugees. “The data point to an underlying principle that governments should use to make better policy. Subsidiarity—the idea that decisions and action should be taken by those closest to an issue—is a principle that emphasizes civil society and the institutions between the individual and the state. It promotes genuine relationships of care among people and supports solidarity.” The report concludes that governments should use a subsidiarity lens in other areas of public policy. This would ensure that decision-makers consider the important social bonds that are essential in forming communities of Canadians that can support each other. Read the full report here ➡️ cardus.ca/research/work-…

Un grand merci au @LeRegardLibre, premier mensuel suisse de débat, pour sa couverture du mois de mars! 🗞️ Une publication de grande qualité que je vous invite à suivre! 👇

Cardus Family program director Peter Jon Mitchell writes about the failures of $10-a-day daycare in British Columbia, in the @financialpost today: "British Columbia’s $10-a-day ChildCareBC program is in trouble. The provincial budget delivered Feb. 17 introduced a three-year pause on the program’s expansion. Although advocates argue the freeze will allow for adjustments, the program is simply unsustainable. The provincial government should admit that and change course... "Child care is labour-intensive and therefore expensive. And because technology offers few efficiencies, the cost of care will only rise. 'Ten dollars a day' was a slogan that became a policy. Although it is a nice round number, $10 does not reflect the increasing cost of care. British Columbia is stuck with a slogan that makes delivery more expensive with every passing year." Read more ➡️ financialpost.com/opinion/opinio…

There is a powerful connection between the mental wellness of Christian school educators and their students, suggests a Cardus survey of Christian school leaders conducted in partnership with the Association of Christian Schools International (@ACSIUSA) and the School Counselling Mental Health Initiative at @denverseminary. Where educators rated their own mental health as strong, they also tended to perceive their students' mental health as strong. What's going on here? Cardus President, U.S., Dr. @LynnSwaner1 digs into the data in this clip. Read the full report, "Mental Health and Well-Being in Christian Schools," here ➡️ cardus.ca/research/educa…

When the Globe & Mail opens its own editorial with, “There is no right to die in Canada,” something has clearly shifted. The cultural winds around euthanasia and assisted suicide are no longer blowing in just one direction. Read more on Substack: raypennings.substack.com/p/globe-and-ma…

In a time when isolation and loneliness are a serious public health crisis, Canadian churches play a powerful role in promoting connection and community—through worship, seniors programs, youth groups, and more. Cardus Health Program Director @RebeccaGVachon explains. Read her full analysis of our recent survey of Canadian pastoral leaders on social isolation among their congregants, and what their churches are doing to help ➡️ cardus.ca/research/healt…

What are young people looking for when they come to church? Truth, mysticism, and an answer to the loneliness of modern life, says Cardus's executive vice-president and co-founder, @rpennings. He is the co-author of our new report with the @angusreidorg and @CanadianBible, examining survey data to determine whether we are seeing a religious revival among young people in Canada. The answer is deeper than a simple yes or no. Learn more by reading the full report here ➡️ cardus.ca/research/spiri…

Social isolation and loneliness have profound consequences for those affected, including higher rates of illness and death. Various research studies suggest that religion or spirituality can help protect against isolation and loneliness—as well as alleviate it when it does occur. Yet the role that faith communities play in this respect has been little studied. In this clip, Dr. @RebeccaGVachon—author of a new report released this week surveying church leaders on how they respond to isolation among their congregants—explains why Cardus is exploring this issue. Read our full report on how Canadian church leaders are building community in their congregations ➡️ cardus.ca/research/healt…

For years, we’ve heard the same story: Religion is dying in Canada, especially among young people. Churches are emptying. Faith is becoming irrelevant. The secular age has won. But recent data suggests Canada’s religious reality isn’t quite so simple. Given reports from the United Kingdom and the United States suggesting increased religious practice among young adults in those countries, Cardus partnered with the @CanadianBible Society to find out if something similar was happening here in Canada. The short answer in our new report is: not quite yet. But the full picture is more interesting than a simple yes or no. Click here to read the full report ➡️ cardus.ca/research/spiri…

Staggering: “average monthly calls increased by 161% among boys & men 15-24. Calls increased 99% in men 25-44 (from 27 per million to 54 over the same time period).” @cardusca warned the government about this years ago. It’s time to act to protect Ontarians, and especially its young men. @RichardvReeves

Cardus is hiring a Director of Media and Public Relations—could this be the right opportunity for you? We are looking for a university graduate who thrives in an atmosphere of ideas and discussion about important issues affecting society. The successful candidate will be someone who knows the Canadian landscape of media organizations, both legacy and new media, and how to cultivate relationships with media and to pitch Cardus’s research, policy offerings, and experts (program directors and senior fellows) with a high degree of initiative. If you enjoy writing and are able to use the written word effectively to communicate, you might be the leader we are looking for. Click here to learn more and apply today ➡️ cardus.ca/wp-content/upl…

Hey #Calgary! You're invited to join us on March 10 for "Breaking the Myths About Educational Choice", a conversation with independent school leaders from across the city. You'll hear some of the amazing stories of how educational choices are changing the game for students in Alberta. Our panel discussion features five individuals from unique school communities who are eager to share their experiences about the difference they are making in the lives of students: ➡️Ashley Barber, Principal, Foothills Academy ➡️Jenni Fontaine, Parent, @northpointsfb ➡️Casey Kennedy, Co-Founder, Acton Academy Calgary Central ➡️Liam Hertzsprung, Associate Principal, Calgary Classical Academy ➡️Toby Lauren Burgess, COO, The Gilbertine Institute Register for this free event today to secure your seat ➡️ cardus.ca/news/events/br…

Thank you to everyone who joined us at our Renewing Faith in Healthcare Symposium in Ottawa this week! We were honoured to gather key leaders, thinkers and practitioners to discuss and share creative responses to renew and reinvigorate the role of faith-based healthcare in Canada. We came together to: ➡️Strengthen relationships between faith-based healthcare institutions across Canada. ➡️Convene discussions on common challenges facing faith-based healthcare and how best to protect the vital contributions of faith-based healthcare. ➡️Imagine creative responses to meet the needs of Canadians from a faith-based care perspective. It was clear to all participants that, despite many challenges, the future of faith-based healthcare in Canada is bright, and the sector will continue to be a critical core of our healthcare system for the common good of all. We want to especially thank our sponsors for making this unique gathering possible: Elim Village, Covenant, and the Saint Elizabeth Health Foundation. Special thanks as well to Marten Van Huizen and Field & Martin Associates, for sponsoring our dinner and our keynote address by Dr. Matthew T. Lee. We look forward to sharing a recording of Dr. Lee's talk in the days to come.

A recent Cardus survey found that fifty percent of Canadians living with severe disabilities, and 38 percent of those without disabilities, agree that patients may feel pressured to choose MAiD if this subject is raised by their doctor. Meanwhile, Canadians living with severe disabilities are twice as likely as Canadians without severe disabilities to “strongly agree” that some healthcare facilities should be MAiD-free spaces. MAiD-free spaces and other safeguards like preventing doctors from suggesting MAiD unsolicited as a "treatment" option are crucial ways Canada can ensure that people living with disabilities have safe spaces in our healthcare system, where they won't be pressured to choose euthanasia. Report author and Cardus health program director @RebeccaGVachon explains more in this clip. Read our full analysis of this survey, which looked at Canadians' trust in our healthcare system, and the experiences of Canadians with disabilities in the system ➡️ cardus.ca/research/healt…

In partnership with think tank Cardus, the Association of Christian Schools International (@ACSIUSA) and the School Counseling Mental Health Initiative at @denverseminary surveyed Christian educators in late 2024 for their perceptions of mental well-being in their schools. One of the most important findings of our survey was this: "almost all respondents as good or excellent said their school had some kind of cellphone policy in place... out of all those policies, the one that's most strongly associated with a positive rating were schools that collected phones at the start of the day and returned them at the end of the day," says report co-author Dr. @LynnSwaner1. Watch as Dr. Swaner explains the implications in this clip. Read the full analysis here ➡️ cardus.ca/research/educa…

Two-thirds of Alberta parents believe the province should fund whatever type of education best suits each student’s individual needs, according to a new survey from the Angus Reid Institute in partnership with Cardus. Support for provincial funding of independent school students sits at 32 percent among Alberta parents. However, that figure jumps dramatically when parents are asked about specific circumstances. Two-thirds of parents support provincial funding for children with special needs who attend independent schools. Meanwhile, 42 percent agree that low-income families should receive funding if their children attend independent schools. Catharine Kavanagh, Western Stakeholder Director at Cardus, explains more about the findings in this clip. Read the full survey findings by clicking here ➡️ angusreid.org/alberta-school…