There are a number of important agenda items for this in-person meeting, including addressing climate change. There will also be discussion of how these nations will support the process of procuring and administering vaccines in countries other than their own, particularly those which are developing nations with limited financial resources. The United States took the lead in pledging 500 million doses of vaccine, Great Britain followed with 100 million, and today Canada also pledged 100 million. These are significant promises on the way to making a billion doses available, although that represents only a portion of those who will need to be vaccinated.
World Leaders Can't Count
There has been an ongoing discussion of the ethical role of wealthier countries providing or not providing vaccination support for other countries. Canada has not been a leader in this regard and actually been criticized for a "me first" outlook on vaccination roll-out. It's good that ethicists, including Francoise Baylis, a member of my congregation in Halifax, have been vocal in calling our government to provide the necessary leadership on the world stage.
Canada is now at the top of the class globally in terms of first doses for our own citizens. Many of us who had accepted that we might not get that first jab until this month are impatient to get a second. At the same time we can ask what it means to "love our neighbour as ourselves." When Jesus offered this as part of his response to a question about the greatest commandment he was asked a subsequent question: "who is my neighbour?" According to Luke's gospel he went on to tell the parable of the Good Samaritan.
We have the capability to be good neighbours and Good Samaritans in terms of vaccine equality on a global scale.
Let's hope and pray that the G7 countries will make promises that they are committed to keeping.
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