December 10th is Human Rights Day, acknowledged each year on the anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.This year, CFSC staff Jennifer Preston and associate member Paul Joffe spoke at a roundtable event organized by one member of each of Canada’s political parties. The roundtable was meant to create non-partisan understanding … read more
Our nations and organizations welcome the tabling of Bill 41, the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act, to provide a framework for implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in British Columbia. The Coalition for the Human Rights of Indigenous Peoples is urging all members of the provincial legislature … read more
What would a world without prisons look like? This provocative question is addressed in a new double-sided handout from Canadian Friends Service Committee—the peace and social justice agency of Quakers in Canada. The handout, Alternatives to Prison, highlights community-based sentences, Restorative Justice, education, employment, and training, addiction and mental health services, Healing Lodges, and what … read more
It has been a busy year with CFSC’s work growing in many exciting ways. Our 2018-2019 Annual Accountability Report hits the highlights in an easily readable format. Get a snapshot look at all of the incredible work that volunteers and staff helped to realize over the past year, thanks to the support of generous individual … read more
For a long time Canadian Quakers have held a concern for the wellbeing of all in Israel/Palestine. Many Friends have visited Palestine/Israel, have spent time learning from people in the region through engaging with Jewish Israelis and Palestinians with many different perspectives, and have documented the deplorable situation they witnessed first-hand. We are in agreement … read more
International Day of Peace, 21 September 2019 The United Nations (UN) was founded to “save succeeding generations from the scourge of war.” Now, 75 years later, will we reaffirm our commitment to collective action, centered on a vision of a peaceful and prosperous world for all? The global economic cost of violence now exceeds 14 … read more
Canadians will go to the polls to vote in a federal election on October 21. Canadian Quakers care about many peace and social issues. This Election Resource Kit has been created to help you ask informed questions of all candidates seeking election to know where they stand on several key issues that CFSC works on. … read more
OPEN LETTER TO ALL CANDIDATES IN THE FEDERAL ELECTION The Truth and Reconciliation Commission, the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, and numerous reports by international human rights bodies have all documented the profound and tragic harms that have resulted from Canada’s colonial laws and policies. Ongoing adverse impacts include denial … read more
At our annual gathering in 2016, Canadian Quakers (CYM) approved a minute (https://quakerservice.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/CYM-2016-Minute-on-Reconciliation.pdf) that listed six action points for Quaker Monthly Meetings and Worship Groups to take forward into the coming year. One of the action points asked local Quaker groups to report back to Canadian Friends Service Committee (CFSC) on their annual reconciliation work, … read more
Candidates in many recent elections worldwide have played on racism and xenophobia (a fear of foreigners). This rhetoric is deeply harmful as it begins to make racism and hatred of migrants seem increasingly normal, even acceptable. We are joining with many organizations in an open letter calling on all candidates to be respectful of migrants … read more