[E-News] Got a leading?

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Published on Wednesday, 03 December 2014 15:22

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r33 December, 2014 It's almost the end of 2014! This is a particularly busy but enriching time of year for us at CFSC. We are deeply thankful as we begin to receive the many year-end donations and expressions of support for our common vision of a world where peace and justice prevail.

If you have not done so yet, please take a moment now to read this letter from CFSC's Clerk, Lana Robinson, to get a sense of what we've been up to over the past year and just how critical your support is: http://quakerservice.ca/news/cfsc-annual-appeal-2014/


Toronto Friends join in a march in support of Conscientious Objectors. Photo: War Resisters Support Campaign
Conscientous Objectors to be removed from Canada
An alarming number of US Iraq War resisters in Canada are threatened with deportation now – and more are expected. Seven C.O.s have received negative decisions on various applications to stay in Canada this fall. While two have already received stays of removal (i.e. deportation) from the court, this may not last past January; other cases are in process, including three who will receive their removal dates in mid-January (with likely one week’s notice to leave Canada).
Now more than ever your support is needed! Please write to the government using our Urgent Action (and share our Action with others via Facebook, etc.):
http://quakerservice.ca/news/urgent-action-us-conscientious-objectors-facing-deportation/





What do you think about the future proposed by this bank ad?
Photo: Matt Legge 1st annual: What happened with synthetic biology this year?
Simple. Easily accessible. These are not things you might associate with synthetic biology (SB). But, responding to a request minuted by Friends at Canadian Yearly Meeting in August, CFSC has made a short update on SB headlines from 2014. It is both easy to understand and full of information well worth being aware of!

SB has massive ethical, ecological, spiritual and economic implications and you shouldn't need a PhD in biology to have a voice on these issues. We hope you will read and share this brief update and consider discussing it with a study group from your Meeting: http://quakerservice.ca/SBUpdate2014
CFSC announces newly revamped summer youth employment program! Friends ages 19-29 are eligible to apply to be CFSC's Program Assistant from May 1 to August 31, 2015. This is a paid position working full time hours throughout the summer. Interested in restorative justice, human rights, international cooperation or other areas of CFSC's work? Want to gain hands on experience working at a non-profit organization? Application deadline is February 15, 2015. Job description, application forms, and more: http://quakerservice.ca/ProgramAssistant

Got a leading? Did you know that CFSC supports individual Friends (who have the support of their Meetings), to do work for justice and peace? We provide grants of up to $2,000 to help you undertake a service project. More information and application forms at: http://quakerservice.ca/what-you-can-do/volunteer/

CFSC joins in submission on Canada's Land Claim policy
CFSC joined with our partners in the Coalition on the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in preparing a substantive submission for the federal review of Canada's Comprehensive Land Claim policy.

The current federal policy does not meet the standards affirmed in the UN Declaration or those elaborated by the Supreme Court in this year's historic Tsilhqot'in Nation decision. Canada's land claims process and policy must be reformed to respect Indigenous Peoples' human rights, including land title, the right to give or withhold consent and governance. Read the full submission: http://quakerservice.ca/LandClaimsPolicy
Update: Interfaith work to ban "killer robots"
In the May edition of the E-News we told you about CFSC's joining with other faith groups in support of a preemptive ban on the development of fully autonomous "killer robots" (http://quakerservice.ca/news/cfsc-supports-preemptive-ban-autonomous-killer-robots/).

Last week our joint Declaration was presented to the Convention on Conventional Weapons (CCW) at the UN in Geneva (video at http://youtu.be/YaLjhns77Ao) .The CCW exists to ban or restrict the use of weapons that are considered to cause "unnecessary" or "unjustifiable" suffering to combatants or to affect civilians indiscriminately. From 13 – 17th of April 2015,the CCW will convene for a five-day meeting of experts to further “discuss the questions related to emerging technologies in the area of lethal autonomous weapons systems”.
Free, Prior and Informed Consent A brief video, put together by the Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact, does a good job of explaining the basics of what "Free, Prior and Informed Consent" (FPIC) means:

CFSC and Amnesty International have produced a simple handout about FPIC. Print it double-sided and you have a nice resource to pass out at relevant rallies or informational events: http://quakerservice.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/FPIC-factsheet-Nov-2013.pdf

If you're interested in a much more detailed examination of FPIC in international law, our website has that too! http://quakerservice.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/UN-Decl-Provisions-Relevant-to-Consent.pdf

World War I school resources
Friends in the UK have released new educational materials Conscience (which is aimed at primary school aged children) and Conviction (aimed at secondary school). You can download both for free at: http://quaker.org.uk/conscience-and-conviction

Don't forget to let CFSC know if your Meeting is doing anything for the centennary of WWI so we can share information through the E-news and our webpage: http://quakerservice.ca/our-work/peace/commemoration-war/

Youth & Militarism
Youth in Canada, especially young people of faith, are increasingly concerned about militarism in our society, and in particular how this affects them. These concerns include (but are not limited to):
• the causes of war (including inequality),
• the militarization of entertainment,
• the intersection with gender,
• national identity,
• technological influences,
• infiltration into our educational institutions, and • a lack of support for youth who are called to build a culture of peace.

Quaker Youth, in conjunction with the Education and Outreach Committee of Canadian Quakers are organizing a conference for April 24th - 26th, 2015 to address some of these important issues. Ideas for workshops, speakers and other content are welcome!
The committee wants to invite widely, and hope that youth from many walks of life and different faith traditions will attend so we can share our wisdom and experiences together. Contact Matthew Webb at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Friends support social assistance for refugees
Canadian Friends Service Committee is among the 160 organizations which came together to remind the Government of Canada of the critical importance of social assistance to many refugee claimants, and the damaging effects which sections 172 and 173 of the omnibus Budget Bill C-43 are likely to have. See our joint open letter and sign a petition if so led at: http://quakerservice.ca/news/refugee-social-assistance/
Mary Russell Chesley
Over one hundred years ago, Mary Russell Chesley (1847-1923), pioneer suffragist in Nova Scotia and early advocate for peace and arbitration, gave passionate and articulate voice to her opposition of war and militarism. Her words are as relevant today as they were in the early 1900s and she deserves to be reclaimed as a meaningful contributor to the history of peace activism in Canada.

Listen to Sharon MacDonald (Halifax Monthly Meeting) discuss Mary Russell Chesley (scroll down to the very bottom of the page): http://quakerservice.ca/our-work/peace/commemoration-war/ Facebook Twitter CFSC website This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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