Mercy's Reach Rabbit Refuge is a non-profit society acting on behalf of abandoned and unwanted pet rabbits, not only in Langley, but across Canada. They have reduced the number of feral rabbits by literally thousands over the past 2 years, which significantly reduces the threat to local farmers and their land.

Objectives

• Empower Upper North Island youth as leaders and peacemakers through creativity, education, peer support and hands on community involvement.

• Supply youth with the skills needed to navigate a rapidly changing world and the confidence to achieve their dreams.

• Create opportunities for conservation and cooperation in the North Island region.

• Provide rural youth with access to fine and performing arts, learning, mentorship, and skill building opportunities with the creation of an annual full summer leadership program and year round workshops, a youth centre and events. 

• Participate in building inclusive youth friendly communities that celebrate diversity.

• Engage youth in preserving and valuing local and traditional knowledge.

•  Invest in youth as leaders and problem solvers.

• Organize, support and encourage youth driven initiatives and events.

• Unite youth across boundaries to find solutions to common problems.  

One of the problems with establishing dignity as a fundamental value is that everyone's idea of dignity is different. My friend Bob Fuller has been attempting to define it in the breach as the removal of rankism. Recently, I've been trying to supplement this abstract approach by enumerating specifics. As I jotted down images and ideas, a common theme emerged. I realized that the one thing I needed most to be able to maintain my sense of dignity in life was the ability to preserve my integrity. The idea that I put integrity first explains a lot in my life, and the constant pressure to sacrifice my integrity explains why I never feel like I'm living in dignity. I often feel like I've been asked to choose between integrity and survival: choosing the former threatens my survival, while choosing the latter guarantees my indignity.