October E-News

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Published on Thursday, 01 October 2015 08:30

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October E-News r1 ... r33 October 2015 Syrian refugee children at a half-built apartment block near Reyfoun, Lebanon. CC-BY Trocaire Friends express deep concern over growing refugee crisis
Continuing a history of calling for generous support of refugees, CFSC wrote an open letter in September noting,

We feel called to follow what 18th century Friend John Woolman said was the business of our lives, “to turn all the treasures we possess into the channel of universal love.” We recognize the need for Canada, with so many treasures to offer, to act compassionately and to welcome and foster the successful integration of refugees.

The letter highlights the refugee rights and refugee services work CFSC supports, that Canada can do more for refugees, and that Canada directly contributes to the creation of the crises faced by many of the world's refugees through delivering arms to conflict zones and supporting military actions. Read the open letter, including links to alternative foreign policy options based on Friends' understanding of peacebuilding: http://quakerservice.ca/RefugeeCrisis

If your Meeting or Friends within the Meeting plan to sponsor refugees we'd love to hear about your experience. The open letter ends with a few sources of information about refugee sponsorship. New guidelines for mothers in prisons
Incarcerated women with children deserve and require special considerations that respect the rights of both the mothers and their children. CFSC has endorsed new national Guidelines for the Implementation of Mother-Child Units in Canadian Correctional Facilities. Sarah Chandler, clerk of CFSC's Quakers Fostering Justice program, with support from Rachel Brett, Human Rights Expert with the Quaker UN Office – Geneva, was a member of the working group that developed the 15 recommendations. Read them at: http://quakerservice.ca/news/guidelines/

KAIROS forum on fracking
Friends are among those helping to organize a National Fracking Forum, being hosted by KAIROS (of which Canadian Yearly Meeting is a member) on October 30th & 31st, simultaneously in Moncton, NB and Vancouver, BC.

The forum will also be live-streamed between the two locations, allowing you to watch and submit questions to the panelists from anywhere. Visit: http://www.kairoscanada.org/public-forum-fracking/

World Quaker Day Oct 4th!
Friends World Committee for Consultation (FWCC) is encouraging Quakers everywhere to celebrate World Quaker Day (WQD) on Sunday, October 4th. WQD is a time to remember our shared history and traditions and unite in prayer and thanksgiving for the wider Society of Friends.

Meetings may plan activities with the 2016 FWCC World Plenary Meeting's theme in mind: Living the transformation: Creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God (Romans 8:19). For creative ideas on incorporating this theme into your celebration, as well as for additional resources on WQD visit http://www.worldquakerday.org.

FWCC also encourages Friends to email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with brief descriptions of what they did for WQD, share poems, photos, videos, and use #wqd on social media.

Statement for World Peace Day
CFSC joined with Quaker agencies and others from around the world to issue a statement on World Peace Day (Sep. 21) highlighting the positive potential of the new Sustainable Development Goals and the urgent need to increase efforts to support peacebuilding if the goals are to be achievable. http://quakerservice.ca/news/joint-statement-on-world-peace-day/

Sisters in Spirit Candlelight Vigils
To honour missing and murdered aboriginal women and girls Vigils will be happening across the country on Sunday, October 4. Information on events can be found through the Native Women's Association of Canada - http://nwac.ca/

Enbridge Northern Gateway Hearings
From October 1 - 3 several British Columbia First Nations and environmental organizations are taking Canada to Court. The Federal Court of Appeal will be hearing arguments that challenge the federal cabinet's acceptance of the Joint Review Panel's approval of the Enbridge Northern Gateway project. Arguments include the infringement on aboriginal title and rights, breaches of the duty to consult and accommodate, effects on wildlife, inadequate evaluation of the public interest, and inadequate evaluation and response to risks and impacts. Friends are invited to join a solidarity rally on October 1 at 12:30 in Vancouver, in front of the Federal Court Building. A paper summarizing the arguments presented in this case is available here: http://bit.ly/1O8w7IF

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