In 2001 CFSC established a Quaker International Affairs Program in Ottawa, building on earlier work in facilitating dialogue in international affairs, such as the diplomats’ conferences held on Grindstone Island in the 1960s. The work of the Quaker International Affairs Program happened in collaboration with the Quaker United Nations Offices based in Geneva and New York. It brought together diplomats, government officials, and international non-governmental organizations. The program was closed a decade later, but many of its publications on intellectual property rights, food security, and traditional knowledge remain in use, trusted for their expertise and balance. This work and expertise helped when Canadian Friends, through CFSC, later studied and worked on ethical and spiritual issues related to synthetic biology for some years.