Usually at this time of year, CFSC’s Indigenous Rights Committee writes about our ongoing work with partners advocating for Indigenous peoples’ human rights at the United Nations. We had planned to be in New York in April for the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (PFII) and Geneva in June for the UN Expert Mechanism…
Defund the police! It’s a demand that is all over the streets, the news, and in our minds right now. It’s a demand brought on by centuries of inequality and injustice. Although public attention was reignited in May following the killing of George Floyd by a police officer in the United States, Canada is certainly…
The recent and historical deaths at the hands of, or in the presence of, the police in Canada and the US are profoundly troubling. First and foremost, the racism that pervades our society is laid bare and we are challenged to deal with it. We might also ask ourselves how this relates to increasing militarization…
Usually we share our recent travels, but due to COVID-19, here are recent virtual events instead! CFSC is now hosting film nights on Zoom. Our first screening was Conviction, followed by a discussion with former Ontario Advocate for Children and Youth Irwin Elman. Then we screened Cottagers and Indians with a rich Q&A with its…
Quakers condemn systemic racism, commit to act In response to horrific acts of police violence against Black people and Indigenous people in the US and Canada, CFSC was part of two statements condemning systemic racism and calling for major changes: https://quakerservice.ca/racism and https://quakerservice.ca/policeviolence Webinars on right relationship with Indigenous peoples We have been part of…
As many of us continue to struggle with the impacts of increased loneliness, an economic downturn, and other effects of the pandemic, there is much that we can still do together. Indeed, our support for each other toward a world that promotes justice and health for all may be more important now than ever. We…
After dinner one night, a friend of my mother’s shared a story that has stayed with me. She had been shopping at the local mall with her kids when police officers stopped her and took her in for questioning. She matched the description of a shoplifter they’d been looking for. As it happened, she had…
What does reconciliation mean to you? What suggestions do you have for non-Indigenous people to respectfully engage in reconciliation? Have you seen a change in how people are engaging in reconciliation in recent years? If you had to choose one thing that you wish every person knew about reconciliation, what would that be? What are…
Those are Palestinian olives, he said as I cleared out the last of the ovoid green gems he had on display. I was shopping for Christmas treats to share with friends. “I know,” I replied. “I was just there.” He looked at me seriously and asked what I was there for. Cautiously, I explained that…
CFSC expresses solidarity with Wet’suwet’en people Coastal GasLink is in the process of creating a pipeline, which crosses territories of many Indigenous Nations, including the Wet’suwet’en. Intimidation and arrests have been used against nonviolent Indigenous land defenders. CFSC has shared our deep concerns; called for respectful, good faith dialogue; and expressed our solidarity with the…