Keeping up with Friends
CFSC welcomes new program coordinator Nancy Russell!
We’re pleased to announce that Nancy Russell has joined our team as the part-time Criminal Justice Program Coordinator. Nancy is also currently a part-time faculty member at Humber College and until recently held the position of Advocate at the Office of the Ontario Child Advocate for ten years. Throughout Nancy’s 30-plus-year career she has worked both front line and management positions in many settings: children’s mental health centres, youth justice facilities, group homes, outreach, and hospitals in both urban and rural environments. Nancy takes over from Verena Tan, who moved back home to Australia. We thank Verena for her service and wish her all the best.
Answering questions about Indigenous rights
Jennifer Preston spoke with Shannon Perez of the Christian Reformed Church to answer a number of questions about the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Scroll to the end of the article for several short and informative videos from their conversation: https://bit.ly/2so2dxr
Jennifer also presented alongside CFSC associate Paul Joffe at a roundtable on Human Rights Day organized by one member of each of Canada’s political parties. The roundtable was to create non-partisan understanding about the key human rights issues that Canada’s 43rd Parliament should prioritize. Read the presentation Jennifer and Paul gave about the human rights of Indigenous peoples: https://quakerservice.ca/HumanRightsDay
Israel/Palestine updates
As Quakers, we seek to live out the testimonies of peace, integrity, equality, simplicity, community, and unity with creation. For many years we have used investment screens that align our funds as closely as possible with these testimonies. We are pleased to say that our investment practices have proven sound and we do not hold investments in companies profiting from the illegal and immoral occupation of Palestinian territory. In keeping with our long history of ethical investments, this summer Quakers formally decided that this remain the case as long as the occupation continues.
CFSC Clerk Lana Robinson had the chance to join a church leaders’ delegation to Israel/Palestine recently. Read her blog post on KAIROS’ website: https://kairoscanada.org/lost-harvest-seeds-of-hope
Are We Done Fighting?
Since CFSC’s book Are We Done Fighting? was published in May, Matt Legge has been doing a number of interviews about it. Find links to radio, print, and TV interviews as well as his Psychology Today blog at: https://quakerservice.ca/AreWeDoneFighting
Friends call for diplomacy with Iran
A letter sent to the Canadian government from CFSC expresses deep concerns about the prospect of war and reminds that in times of increased tension more communication is needed, not less. We call for Canada to tirelessly engage in diplomacy with Iran. The letter notes, “Opposition to war is not advocating doing nothing, it is advocating actively investing in and pursuing the many viable and effective alternatives, rather than imagining that alternatives must be impossible although they haven’t yet been fully tried.” Read the open letter: https://quakerservice.ca/Iran