There’s never a dull moment at Canadian Friends Service Committee! This year, for me, that’s meant lots of travel. Have you ever experienced the joys of travelling to a new place to learn from people you’ve just met? In anticipation, I’m often nervous and excited. Travel at CFSC provides amazing experiences and exciting opportunities to…
For many years Canadian Friends have had a concern for all people living in Palestine and Israel. In 2009, Quakers adopted a position that, among other things, calls for a nonviolent path that recognizes the dignity of all. In 2014, Canadian Friends approved an Addendum to the 2009 Israel/Palestine position. The Addendum notes that “Our…
As a practicum student, I was nervous about stepping into the work of Canadian Friends Service Committee (CFSC). I was afraid I wouldn’t fit in and unsure if my values would truly align with CFSC’s, since I’m not a Quaker. When I reviewed the testimonies and Canadian Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends’…
Joint statements supporting Indigenous peoples’ human rights The Coalition for the Human Rights of Indigenous Peoples issued a statement. The UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples is the most comprehensive international human rights instrument affirming the collective rights of Indigenous peoples and the individual rights of members of Indigenous Nations. Indigenous peoples worked…
This is a special moment because we’re taking your concerns directly to decision makers in a much bigger way. For the first time in our more than 90 year history, we’ve expanded to have a Government Relations Representative, based in Ottawa! Your voice, grounded in our Quaker faith, will reach decision makers more than ever…
How can people verify that key humans rights are actually respected? For many years Canadian Friends Service Committee has focused on making sure that the vitally important rights affirmed in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (Declaration or UNDRIP) are implemented. How is the Declaration—which the Truth and Reconciliation Commission called…
This took shape for me while I was sitting in silence in a weekly Meeting for Worship hosted by Canadian Friends Service Committee. In that receptive and giving space, I felt led to stand up. The coming together of a number of events and conversations in my mind and heart showed me that we often…
In the context of the recently escalating violence in the West Bank, I would like to highlight a particular concern for Palestinian children. According to a 2022 year-end report by Defense for Children International-Palestine (DCIP), evidence they have collected suggests that Israeli forces use intentional lethal force against Palestinian children in circumstances that may amount…
Katsi’tsakwas Ellen Gabriel winning film awards In the Winter 2022 edition of Quaker Concern we wrote about CFSC’s funding support for Katsi’tsakwas Ellen Gabriel’s documentary film work. Since then, Ellen’s Kanàtenhs: When the Pine Needles Fall, has achieved several major awards! The honours include being Selected at the American Indian Film Festival 2022, an Honourable…
CFSC’s Communications Coordinator Matt Legge gave a virtual presentation on the topics of violence and forgiveness to a conflict class organized by Mennonite Central Committee in Saskatchewan. He joined World Beyond War online to facilitate a month-long study of CFSC’s book Are We Done Fighting?. And he recently finished co-facilitating another installment of our popular…