Editing an entire species?

Editing an entire species? r1 ... r33 July, 2016 Photo cc-by Drew March/Flickr Editing an entire species?
What if an entire species could be altered quickly, bypassing evolution? What if data was stored in DNA rather than the cloud? What if a synthetic human genome gave rise to the hypothetical possibilities of new cures for diseases or new programs to create soldiers without parents?

What are the spiritual, ecological, and social issues raised by these kinds of developments – driven by synthetic biology? These and more issues are highlighted in the first Update on Synthetic Biology for 2016.

These updates aim to bring the synthetic biology issues making the news into focus in a way that is accessible to all. We encourage you to read and share the update, and get in touch with us with your reactions, queries, and ideas: http://www.quakerservice.ca/SBUpdate2016 CFSC financially supported the creation of the film about Canada’s prison farms
Til The Cows Come Home

We have a chance to restore prison farms
CFSC believes in prison farms. They provide much needed rehabilitation programs and have been proven to reduce re-offending and increase employment opportunities for formerly incarcerated persons. Despite public protests, six federally funded prison farms were shut down between 2009 and 2011, two of which were closely embedded in the Kingston community. The new government, under Public Safety Canada, has launched a "feasibility study" on the two Kingston farms. This is our chance to restore these prison farms!

We encourage individuals and Meetings to write to the Minister of Public Safety, Ralph Goodale, House of Commons, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0A6 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., on the importance of re-instating prison farms in Kingston. Please also share your letters with CFSC by emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Letters need to be sent before August 2nd when the public consultation ends. More in-depth information can be found at http://quakerservice.ca/PrisonFarms



Congratulations Rachel!
We will miss Rachel Singleton-Polster’s energy and dedication here at CFSC but are happy to share that she has an exciting new position working in the National Chief’s office at the Assembly of First Nations. We thank Rachel for her service and wish her well in her important new endeavours.



Video from the youth of Attawapiskat
There has been much in the media about the Cree community of Attawapiskat, located in northern Ontario. On National Aboriginal day, youth in the community released a music video to show that they are not one-dimensional, as the media sometimes portrays them. Called Walking for Peace the youth seek to use the video to inspire:



Healing and rebuilding communities
A presentation explaining the trauma healing and community building work of CFSC partner the Africa Great Lakes Initiative (AGLI) was recently filmed and edited by Friends in Victoria. Watch the presentation at: http://pasifik.ca/2016/06/07/friends-peace-teams/

Learn more about AGLI at: http://quakerservice.ca/our-work/peace/africa-great-lakes/



Major news about Grassy Narrows
News recently broke that a retired labourer has admitted, due to his guilty conscience, that he was part of a crew that buried drums of mercury and salt in a pit near Grassy Narrows First Nation in the 1970s. This shallow burial of mercury could well be contributing to the on-going mercury poisoning of the people of Grassy Narrows.

Yet upon learning about it, no one within the government of Ontario followed up to look into the site of this buried mercury until journalists started asking questions seven months later. Ontario has yet to commit to cleaning up the mercury poisoning Grassy Narrows, which a recent study has shown can be cleaned up. Learn more https://www.thestar.com/news/investigations/2016/06/20/province-ignores-information-about-possible-mercury-dumping-ground-star-investigation.html and http://freegrassy.net



Draft minute on reconciliation
Our Indigenous Rights program committee has been hard at work drafting a minute to be considered at Canadian Yearly Meeting in session in Camrose, Alberta, August 5th to 13th.

We will host a Special Interest Group to further work with Friends on this Minute before it is presented on the floor of the business meeting. Please share this minute with your Meeting or Worship Group: http://quakerservice.ca/DraftMinute

Any questions or suggestions can be sent to the clerk Rob Hughes (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) or staff Jennifer Preston (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)
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Stand up for justice and peace

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