Every year CFSC participates in the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (PFII), as the lead for Friends globally. The theme this year was the critical topic of Indigenous Peoples’ collective rights to lands, territories, and resources. People often ask, “What do you do at the UN?” In answer, we offer a few daily…
by Canadian Friends Service Committee
From Summer 2018
Friends on the Move
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…
Conscientious Objection to Military Service
The Religious Society of Friends has always believed that anyone can discover the deep spiritual certainty that we each have the Light or ‘that of God’ within. Experiencing this, even seasoned soldiers might suddenly find it impossible to kill another person. Of course there are other reasons one might object to military service – such…
When the System Sets You Up to Fail, the Little Things Can Make a Big Difference
Imagine being put on the street in the winter wearing a t-shirt and shorts or wearing a jumpsuit, with flip flops on your feet. People are watching you. You don’t have your ID and you have no family or friends to pick you up. Your valuables are back at the jail, and it’s now late…
Keeping up with Friends
Separating children from parents Many of us have seen chilling images from the US of child refugees who are terrified and extremely distressed after being forcefully separated from their parents. A new blog post by CFSC says this highlights the importance of Article 9 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Every child…