Canadian Department of Peace Initiative

Summer 2011

Inspiring News and Views

www.departmentofpeace.ca

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Canadian-Department-of-Peace-Initiative/116559845067605

“The real differences around the world today are not between Jews and Arabs; Protestants and Catholics; Muslims, Croats, and Serbs. The real differences are between those who embrace peace and those who would destroy it; between those who look to the future and those who cling to the past; between those who open their arms and those who are determined to clench their fists.”

– William Jefferson Clinton (42nd President of The United States)

Canada’s 41st Parliament and the CDPI

We now have a majority Conservative government forming Canada’s 41st Parliament and the political landscape is greatly changed. Although we have lost several Members who were key endorsers of the Canadian Department of Peace Initiative there is much room for optimism. We have two party leaders in the House, Jack Layton and Elizabeth May, who have stood up in support of the Department of Peace proposal. We also have a significantly increased number of young MPs in the House to engage in our discussions. As this new Parliament begins there is a much higher level of awareness among politicians of the CDPI than ever before.

Additionally, events around the world are forcing governments to rethink their approaches to conflict. This is creating opportunities for us speak to Conservative MPs about our campaign and provide an alternative vision to them. It remains to be seen if they will consider our proposal for a Department of Peace but they do have compelling reasons to hear us out.

Our assets continue to include our two pioneering champion supporters, the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize nominee Douglas Roche and former Foreign Minister Lloyd Axworthy, twenty additional prominent supporting individuals, thirty national endorsing organizations and the CDPI organization with its twelve chapters across Canada. Our base is growing and we have accumulated considerable experience in reaching out to both politicians and the public. We are at a very good place in our campaign for this new Parliament.

As well, we have four years to reach out to the 60% of Canadians who voted other than Conservative in this election. There must be a convergence of environmental, social justice and peace initiatives among these voters so that collectively our voices are stronger and clearer and cannot be ignored.

While enjoying the wonder of summer remember that it will take all of us working together to preserve and protect what we have in our beautiful country.

Atamanenko Introduces Peace Motions in House of Commons

Already in this new Parliament a Member of Parliament has stepped up on behalf of the Canadian Department of Peace Initiative.

BC Southern Interior MP Alex Atamanenko has introduced two motions in the House of Commons:

M-247 calling for a Civilian Peace Service

M-248 calling for a Department of Peace

M-247 — June 21, 2011 —

Mr. Atamanenko (British Columbia Southern Interior) — That, in the opinion of the House, the government should adopt the recommendations of the Civilian Peace Service Canada (CPSC) Development Committee and should: (a) accept the constructive role civilians with peace building expertise can play in advising government on alternatives to military approaches to resolution of conflict; (b) enter into discussions with the CPSC Development Committee to further develop the concept of a CPSC; (c) develop and refine an assessment, training and accreditation program for peace professionals; (d) deliver two pilot training programs to test the concept and the training; (e) determine how Canada, through the CPSC and in consideration of a federal Department of Peace, can best contribute to sustainable peace in Canada and abroad; and (f) report back to the House on progress towards implementing these recommendations within six months of the passage of this motion.

M-247 — 21 juin 2011 —

M. Atamanenko (British-Columbia-Southern Interior) — Que, de l’avis de la Chambre, le gouvernement se conforme aux recommandations du Comité de développement du Service civil de la paix du Canada (SCPC) et : a) accepte le rôle constructif que peuvent jouer les civils ayant des connaissances en consolidation de la paix en conseillant le gouvernement sur des solutions de rechange aux interventions militaires pour résoudre les conflits; b) entame des discussions avec le Comité de développement du SCPC en vue d’approfondir l’idée d’un SCPC; c) élabore et améliore un programme d’évaluation, de formation et d’accréditation de professionnels de la paix; d) propose deux programmes pilotes de formation pour tester la notion et la formation; e) détermine comment le Canada, par l’intermédiaire du SCPC et si l’on considère la création possible d’un ministère fédéral de la Paix, peut le mieux contribuer à une paix durable tant au Canada qu’à l’étranger; f) fasse part à la Chambre des progrès accomplis vers la mise en œuvre de ces recommandations dans les six mois de l’adoption de la présente motion.

M-248 — June 21, 2011 —

Mr. Atamanenko (British Columbia Southern Interior) — That, in the opinion of the House, the government should establish a Department of Peace as part of the structure of the federal government and cabinet with a mandate to advocate for the non-violent resolution of conflict at home and abroad, the professionalization of peace work by Canadians, and the development of a culture of peace in Canada and internationally.

M-248 — 21 juin 2011 —

M. Atamanenko (British-Columbia-Southern Interior) — Que, de l’avis de la Chambre, le gouvernement devrait créer un ministère de la Paix qui ferait partie de la structure du gouvernement et du Cabinet et qui aurait pour mandat de promouvoir la résolution non violente des conflits au Canada et à l’étranger, la professionnalisation du travail de paix accompli par les Canadiens, et le développement d’une culture de la paix au Canada et à l’échelle internationale.

Please contact your MP to make them aware of these motions and ask that they add their name as a co-seconder. The more MPs that sign on to the motions the more attention they will receive by the government.

Jean Béliveau – World Wide Walk For Peace And Children

On August 18th, 2000, at 9:00 am, Jean Béliveau left Montreal on foot. His goal: to walk around the world. For eleven years he has travelled alone with a three-wheeled stroller that holds a bit of food, his clothing, a first aid kit, a small tent and a sleeping bag.

Jean has walked over 78,000km through sixty-four countries. When he left he was 45 years old. He is now 56. He has walked through the US, Central America, South America, Africa, Europe, the Middle East, South and Eastern Asia, Australia, New Zealand and is now walking across Canada.

His walk is dedicated to peace and nonviolence for the children of the world. The United Nations General Assembly had proclaimed the year 2000 as the International Year for the Culture of Peace and 2001-2010 was designated as the International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-violence for the Children of the World. Unfortunately, the past decade has brought us anything but peace. Hundreds of thousands of children have been killed or injured by war over the past ten years. Undaunted, Jean has continued to walk, keeping alive the dream, the hope, and the promise of peace for the children of the world.

Along the way Jean has met with presidents and Noble Prize winners, including President Oscar Arias of Costa Rica and Nelson Mandela of South Africa, but predominantly he has engaged with ordinary people; chatted as they strolled beside him, stayed in their homes when he was invited. He has been an ambassador for peace but also an unofficial emissary for Canada, touching thousands of lives and inspiring hundreds of newspaper articles in dozens of countries along the way. It has been a remarkable journey and a great story.

Be sure to visit the website maintained by Jean’s wife, Luce. Check out the map of this remarkable journey and watch the trailer from a movie about Jean. You will be amazed and inspired.

In Canada, Jean has also been raising awareness of the Canadian Department of Peace Initiative wherever he has opportunity and CDPI Chapters are supporting the WWWalk from Victoria to Montréal. Keep an eye out for Jean as he comes your way. He is now south of Thunder Bay heading for Toronto. His daily schedule is listed on the website. He would love to have you walk with him a while or share a meal.

We look forward to his jubilant arrival home to Montreal on October 16th. Well done Jean!

CDPI National Annual General Meeting & Conference

This year our dynamic Edmonton Chapter is hosting the CDPI AGM & Conference at the Providence Renewal Centre in Edmonton, Alberta from September 16th to 18th, 2011.

National Co-chairs Theresa Dunn of Ottawa and Dr. Saul Arbess of Victoria, along with Chapter Chairs from across Canada, will join Edmonton Co-chairs Teresa Engler and Irene Hunter and the CDPI Edmonton Chapter supporters at Providence Renewal Centre. There is a great program planned and it will be an inspiring three days.

Save the date Saturday afternoon, September 17th for a public event to be held on at Providence Centre.

Visit Edmonton’s new website, www.cdpiedmonton.ca, for updates and contact information.

Global Alliance Summit for Ministeries and Departments of Peace

The 5th Global Alliance Summit for Ministries and Departments of Peace will be held in Cape Town, South Africa from October 2nd-7th, 2011.

The Summit Theme is Ubuntu in Action. Ubuntu is an African philosophy which can be explained as a belief that a person is a person through other people. Ubuntu is characterized by an awareness of the interconnectedness that we share as human beings.

The Programme is set to be an exciting one, with speaker invitations being sent to His Grace, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Dr Mamphela Ramphele, former South African President Thabo Mbeki, Graca Machel, Ela Gandhi, Wangari Mathai, Kofi Anan, Professor Geoff Harris, Professor Marion Keim-Lees, Professor Uma Mesthrie Dephelia, the Premier of the Western Cape, Ms Helen Zille, Minister of Justice, Minister Jeff Radebe, Pregs Govender and Dr Charles Villa Vincencio of the Institute of Justice and Reconciliation.

Visit the Global Alliance website for updates and contact information.

World Peace Festival 2011

The World Peace Festival 2011 is a groundbreaking weeklong event staged in Berlin from August 20 to 27. It features an influential and provoking programme of conferences, seminars, exhibitions and workshops attended or led by Nobel Peace Prize laureates, world leaders from the business and political arenas, military and government chiefs and luminaries from the spiritual, arts, music and film worlds. All discussions will focus attention on the prevention and resolution of conflict in the world today.

At its heart, the festival will stage live music concerts featuring inspirational and globally renowned artists all rallying for the challenge of a real and sustainable peace in conflict zones all over the world. Just to read the list of speakers and the topics to be addressed is inspiring. For more information on the programme click here.

Recommended Reading:

Captivity: 118 Days in Iraq and the Struggle for a World Without War

In November 2005, Jim Loney and three other men — Canadian Harmeet Singh Sooden, British citizen Norman Kember and American Tom Fox — were taken hostage at gunpoint. The men were with Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT), an organization that places teams trained in non-violent intervention into lethal conflict zones. The then unknown Swords of Righteousness Brigade released videos of the men, resulting in what is likely the most publicized kidnapping of the Iraq War. Tom Fox was murdered and dumped on a Baghdad street. The surviving men were held for 118 days before being rescued by Task Force Black, an elite counter-kidnap unit led by the British SAS.

Captivity is the story of what Jim described upon his return to Toronto and reunion with his partner Dan Hunt as “a terrifying, profound, transformative and excruciatingly boring experience.”

It presents an affecting portrait of how Jim came to be a pacifist and chronicles his work in Iraq before the kidnapping. It brings the reader immediately into the terror and banality, the frictions, the moral dilemmas of their captivity, their search to find their captors’ humanity, and the imperative need to conceal Jim’s sexual identity. It examines the paradoxes we face when our most cherished principles are tested in extraordinary circumstances and explores the universal truths contained in every captivity experience. At its heart, the book is a hope-filled plea for peace, human solidarity and forgiveness.

Jim says, ‘It is a paradox. I went to Iraq as a pacifist on a mission of peace and was kidnapped, threatened with death and held hostage with three other men until we were rescued in a military operation. It is an extraordinary privilege to be able to tell the story of this paradox, to explain why I remain committed to the principles of nonviolence despite the fact a member of our group was murdered and our freedom was secured by armed force. The crucible of captivity was a kind of school in which I was able to see the innermost workings of the universe, how we are all connected, how our liberation is inextricably tied together. I want to share this story in the hope of contributing to the emergence of a world without war, the single greatest challenge of the 21st century. Everything depends on this, for without peace nothing else is possible.’

(Jim Loney is a good friend and supporter of the Canadian Department of Peace Toronto Chapter)

You can check out the reviews and purchase the book here or visit your favorite bookstore.