Quaker Concern newsletter sharing peace and justice stories
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- Published on Thursday, 20 February 2020 11:52
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CFSC associate member Paul Joffe, Indigenous rights program coordinator Jennifer Preston, Kirby Muldoe of SkeenaWild Conservation Trust, and Hereditary Chief Na’Moks of the Wet’suwet’en at Friends House in New York City while attending the UN Permanent Forum on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, 2017
Update on the Wet’suwet’en land rights
Many CFSC supporters have reached out to us in recent days and weeks to ask questions about the Wet’suwet’en... land defense.
Some of what’s circulating in the media and online is not carefully written and can actually increase misunderstandings. Good quality information is critical. That’s why we’ve compiled links to some of the better researched pieces we’ve come across, ones that can help you to understand what’s going on. Find the list (which we will update as new information becomes available) at https://quakerservice.ca/Wetsuweten
CFSC on Nonviolence Radio and on cable TV
Don’t urgent problems require actions with immediate consequences? Is nonviolence a tool for the privileged, or at least, those outside the pain of violent conflict that’s happening right now?
To help answer these difficult questions, Nonviolence Radio spoke with Matthew Legge, the Peace Program coordinator for the Canadian Friends Service Committee and the author of “Are We Done Fighting? Building Understanding in a World of Hate and Division.”
The episode discusses how nonviolence operates at a deeper level than we might initially realize and, as such, has a kind of success that is not always immediately visible. Find a transcript of the show and streaming/download links for the podcast: https://wagingnonviolence.org/metta/2020/02/the-work-for-peace-begins-when-we-are-ready-to-try-another-way-of-resolving-our-problems
Matt was also interviewed for The Citizen’s Forum, a program broadcast on cable TV in Victoria, BC:
Scene near the Israel-Gaza border December 29, 2008 – credit Amir Farshad Ebrahimi CC-BY.
CFSC calls for Canada to reject “peace” plan
On January 28 the United States unveiled it's Middle East “peace” plan. This plan makes a mockery of the word “peace.” Due to our grave concerns about this dangerous plan, we have called on the government of Canada to reject it.
As Friend and lifelong peace advocate Ursula Franklin put it, “You don’t have peace and justice to yourself.” These two, justice and peace, are indivisible. They can only be obtained when there is peace and justice for all. Any plan toward peace must involve all parties in the negotiation process. It must reflect the needs of all affected parties, not just the needs of the party in the more powerful position.
Find our full open letter at: https://quakerservice.ca/USMiddleEastPlan
Michael Gil CC-BY.
Reforms needed to Canada’s Criminal Records Act
In 2010-11 new laws came forward to raise fees for applying for a criminal record suspension by over 320%. A 2018 report from Canada’s Department of Justice recognized that the fees had become out of reach for many people. It stated that “a [criminal] record can even tip the balance in a person’s life towards ongoing criminal behaviour.”
This issue is simple to address and could make a major positive impact on many lives. CFSC has joined with 10 other organizations active on criminal justice issues to write an open letter. It calls on the government of Canada to support new legislation that would help improve Canada’s Criminal Records Act. Bill S-214 would automatically expire certain criminal records, making it more likely for some Canadians to get jobs and remain law-abiding.
“We can and must do more to positively impact many of the 3.5 million Canadians who have a criminal record today,” notes the letter. Read it at: https://quakerservice.ca/criminalrecords
Say hello to our new program icons
You may have noticed something different about this edition of our E-News: we're launching three new icons for our three program areas (criminal justice, Indigenous peoples’ human rights, and peace)!
The icons are part of our overall strategy of sharing communications that are simple, honest, and easy to understand. Find out how we chose these icons and what they represent at: https://quakerservice.ca/icons
Upcoming Events
Our next event is a screening of the film Conviction tonight at Friends House in Toronto. Find a full listing of all of our upcoming events atr0 | Manage email preferences
