Canadian Friends Service Committee (Quakers)

10/28/2026

Hey , time to get on the Peace Train! We're a big part of this week's events.

Tomorrow (Thursday, 1-4 pm) at St Andrew's Presbyterian our Peace Program Coordinator Mel Burns will be speaking in a session about increasing peace education in schools.

And on Friday (30th, 7-9 pm) our Government Relations Representative Sandra Wiens will be speaking about the real cost of Canada's military spending spree.

Then on Saturday Oct 31 there will be a rally for peace walking from the Peacekeeping Monument.

10/27/2026

We joined with 29 other faith orgs to call for Canada to shift from the massive increases in military spending to investments in peacebuilding. See the open letter on our website.

10/26/2026

We're part of the National Associations Active in Criminal Justice. Sandra recently represented CFSC at three days of round table meetings including with the Governor General. The focus was on the justice system and strengthening human rights.

10/20/2026

The United Nations held its first ever Peacebuilding Week from June 22 to 26, bringing together diplomats, civil society, and governments from around the world to reflect on peace work undertaken from local to global levels. We were privileged to attend on behalf of MCC Canada and the Canadian Friends Service Committee (CFSC) respectively, but also as co-chairs of the Canadian Peace Partners Network (CPPN). CPPN works to foster conversations around policy and create space among civil society to exchange knowledge, encourage collaboration, engage in advocacy, and enhance Canada’s efforts to prevent conflict and promote peace. CPPN is navigating the government’s quickly shifting priorities, which include renewed focus on military spending and investments, and reduced support for diplomacy and peacekeeping.

The United Nations held its first ever Peacebuilding Week from June 22 to 26, bringing together diplomats, civil society, and governments from around the world to reflect on peace work undertaken from local to global levels.

10/19/2026

We're hiring a part-time Admin Assistant! If you're in and are looking for an entry level job take a look at the posting on our website https://QuakerService.ca/Jobs

Application deadline is Nov 10

10/15/2026

Lisa discovered empathy through a restorative justice university course while serving her second sentence. Hearing victims' perspectives and understanding the broader effects of addiction transformed her mindset about accountability and the real costs of crime. This is just one of the reasons why prison education programs are so vital.

This is the last in our year-long series of videos with Lisa explaining her experiences in prison and in an Indigenous Healing Lodge. Thank you all for joining us over this past year and special thanks to:

Lisa Dawn Bowden
Aria Klassen (filming and editing)
Christine Fellows (intro and outro)
Daryl Neustaedter Barg and the Canadian Mennonite University Department of Marketing and Communications

Take action at https://QuakerService.ca/Unshackled

Canadian Friends Service Committee is the national peace and social justice agency of Quakers in Canada. Since 1981 Quakers have argued for a complete overhaul of the carceral system, recognizing that currently practices are “as destructive to the cagers as to the caged.”

10/11/2026

One of our volunteers found this video Spirit-led and in harmony with Friends' approaches to activism. What do you think? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=voNRxRwzlhk

Learn about the connections between Quaker faith and activism in our free pamphlet: https://QuakerService.ca/BeingAQuakerBeingAnActivist (PDF)

Kinfolk is a 19 minute documentary film which brings together two w...

10/09/2026

Did you see the news? After seven years of tireless struggles a major case about the devastating impacts of climate chaos and Canada's responsibilities to future generations of young people is finally going to trial.

Front and center in this case is our friend and partner Haana. Thank you for your perseverance and congratulations on getting the case this far!!!

Haana is featured in CFSC’s Indigenous Voices on Reconciliation series (we met for the filming while she was sleeping on the steps of the BC legislature!), spoke at our 95th anniversary event earlier this year, and CFSC was also able to support her at the United Nations where she raised up Indigenous languages revitalization as well as the climate crisis.

Find out more about the court case: https://www.ourchildrenstrust.org/canada

Hear from Haana in our Indigenous Voices on Reconciliation series: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_fSzdPUpLfk

Watch Haana at the UN: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qdck3Kuh80

YOUTH IN CANADA ARE HEADING TO TRIAL IN 2026! MEET THE YOUTH PLAINTIFFS TRIAL HEADQUARTERS TRIAL AMPLIFICATION TOOLKIT DOWNLOAD THE CURRICULUM Sign up for updates LA ROSE V. HIS MAJESTY THE KING Our Children’s Trust has supported youth plaintiffs in Canada since 2019, most recently in the youth-le...

10/08/2026

Have you ever gone from denial about something to understanding its broader impacts? What was that process like for you?

Lisa's "aha moment" didn't come from being told off by a judge or prison guard. It was a journey to realize that she'd harmed people through dealing drugs. She went from denial to empathy thanks to restorative justice.

This video powerfully shares the process of understanding and feeling the broader ripple effects of a crime.

Take action at https://QuakerService.ca/Unshackled

Thanks to:
Lisa Dawn Bowden
Aria Klassen (filming and editing)
Christine Fellows (intro and outro)
Daryl Neustaedter Barg and the Canadian Mennonite University Department of Marketing and Communications

Canadian Friends Service Committee is the national peace and social justice agency of Quakers in Canada. Since 1981 Quakers have argued for a complete overhaul of the carceral system, recognizing that currently practices are “as destructive to the cagers as to the caged.”

10/07/2026

Did you see this coverage our peace advocacy got in the Winnipeg Free Press? A link to the full article is on our website.

Sandra Wiens is in charge of government relations for the Canadian Friends Service Committee, also known as Quakers. She believes “there are far better ways to spend money than on the military” when it comes to global security.

Quakers are especially concerned about how military spending might take money away from social programs and foreign aid, she said, and about the lack of funding for peacekeeping. That historic approach to international conflict “has been systematically dismantled over time,” Wiens stated.

Wiens also believes there is a need for a national conversation about what security means to Canadians. For her, that conversation would include questions such as: “What are the threats? What are the best ways to address them? What are we cutting to fund the military? What is the role of foreign aid? What will lessen conflict, or create more of it?”

Right now, there is no space for those questions, Wiens said.

“Let’s start a conversation. Let’s listen to other voices … let’s not only talk about military necessity.”