CFSC member Dick Cotterill (Halifax Meeting) travelled to St. Mary’s University in Halifax to attend a conference on Harm and Harm Reduction in the Criminal Justice System. This was a good learning and networking opportunity for Dick, who serves on CFSC’s criminal justice program committee.
 
CFSC communications coordinator Matt Legge was at Western Half Yearly Meeting in Sorrento, British Columbia, to present about the history, structure, and current work of CFSC. Many former and current members in attendance spoke about their experiences serving on CFSC. Matt and Fred Bass (Vancouver Meeting) also coordinated a discussion on the topic of synthetic biology (find out more about synthetic biology in CFSC’s 2018 update https://quakerservice.ca/sb2018).
 
CFSC staff Jennifer Preston (Hamilton Meeting), in addition to her week at the UN, was very busy supporting Bill C-262. In April she was a witness at the Parliamentary committee studying the Bill, and in May she was very pleased to be in the House of Commons Gallery when the Bill passed Third Reading. She also presented on C-262 at an Assembly of First Nations’ Special Chiefs Assembly. Jennifer was honoured to be the featured speaker at the inaugural event of Ottawa KAIROS, speaking on reconciliation. She also recorded a personal first – she delivered the sermon (also on the topic of reconciliation) at a Presbyterian Church. Jennifer was back in Ottawa as the Coalition for the Human Rights of Indigenous Peoples hosted several federal government representatives to discuss upcoming international meetings.