Keeping up with Friends
No fighter jets
Canada is attempting to procure new fighter jets that could turn out to cost $77 billion dollars. These jets are not needed for security and could produce tremendous harms to humans and to the environments where they are used. Polls suggest that the purchase is unpopular. Politicians need to hear from us. On the website https://NoFighterJets.ca you can learn more and write a letter to your Member of Parliament if so led.
Joint statement on Mi’kmaw fishing rights
The members of the Coalition for the Human Rights of Indigenous Peoples has spoken out against acts of violence and intimidation directed at Mi’kmaw fishers exercising their Constitutionally protected, legally affirmed, inherent, and Treaty rights. Read the full joint statement at: https://quakerservice.ca/MikmawFishingRights
2019-2020 Annual Accountability Report
Our Annual Accountability Report hits the highlights of what was a year full of unexpected challenges as well as many successes in our work for justice and peace. You can also read our audited financial statements at: https://quakerservice.ca/2019-2020Audit
Debunking myths about Indigenous peoples’ human rights
A newly updated resource is here to explain why so much of what is circulating in the media and on social media about the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples is simply wrong.
All sorts of misinformation is out there, like false claims that the Declaration creates new rights for Indigenous peoples, a failure to recognize that it does not create absolute veto powers, and the inaccurate idea that the Declaration could somehow undermine existing rights of Indigenous peoples, including Treaty rights. This handout (PDF) is here to help set the record straight about what the Declaration is and is not: https://quakerservice.ca/myths
Peace education
CFSC is pleased to join organizations from all over the planet in endorsing the Global Campaign for Peace Education. The campaign is helping to spread both formal and informal peace education through increasing the political and cultural support for this type of education and through sharing resources to help to improve the capacities of teachers to deliver peace education. You can find out more and endorse the campaign too:
https://www.peace-ed-campaign.org/endorse
At CFSC we continue to do our small part toward practical and informal peace education. We’ve shared tips and insights on our ongoing blog for Psychology Today (https://psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/are-we-done-fighting), spoken at events and classes at York, Waterloo, and Furman universities for groups that are studying CFSC’s book Are We Done Fighting?, and appeared on the radio and popular podcast: https://www.unlatchedmind.com/podcast/ (Episode 30: “Let’s Fight Right”).
If you haven’t read the book yet, CFSC is now offering Are We Done Fighting? for $20, shipping included within Canada and the US (you can even get it signed if you like). Contact us to order. It is also available in e-book and audiobook, for links see: https://AreWeDoneFighting.com