Regional News

B.C.

Premier Mike Harcourt declared BC a Nuclear Weapons Free Zone during the annual End the Arms Race peace walk in April 23.

On the same day, by the same 51 to 1 margin of support, the B.C. legislature passed a supporting resolution demanding a full public environmental review of nuclear-powered and nuclear capable warships in BC ports and waters, including Dixon Entrance.

Two Vancouver Islanders, Jean McLaren and Howard Breen-Needham, joined an international Walk for A Peaceful Future in the Middle East, June 5-10. The occasion was the 25th anniversary of the "six-day war" June 5-10, 1967). Hundreds of people from twenty different countries, including Canada, joined the six-day walk. Both Palestinians and Israelis joined in the Walk, which travelled through the Occupied Territories to Jerusalem. A vigil in solidarity with Israeli soldiers imprisoned because they refuse to serve in the Occupied Territories took place outside the Atlit prison. The Walk is an independent initiative, supported by more than 100 local and international organizations committed to the cause of peace and justice in the Middle East.

Canadian contacts are Muriel Sibley in Victoria, 604/652-5434 and Frank Showler in Toronto, 416/466-0566.

Alberta

Calgary Project Ploughshares just wound up a highly successful series of conflict resolution sessions, and expects to be doing more. "Conflict resolution attracts a lot of different people who simply would not attend a regular peace meeting" says Dave Plummer of Project Ploughshares. At the final, all-day session of the series, local anti-poverty group representatives and chamber of commerce businessmen tried out the conflict resolution process. Call 403/270-7366.

Manitoba

The Winnipeg Coordinating Committee for Disarmament is getting very involved with the G.E. Boycott. "People don't realize that everything from lightbulbs to David Letterman is brought to us by General Electric," says Rick Freeman of WCCD.

Point of clarification: NBC, which airs Letterman, is owned by G.E.) The Winnipeg campaign is using stickers, fact sheets, and promotion of the award-winning video Deadly Deception to heighten popular awareness of G.E. evils.

Ontario

ACT for Disarmament held its tenth annual spring demonstration for peace in May Many characters involved n ACT over the last ten years spoke. Reports were also heard from various campaigns-the Innu, the GE boycott, East Timor, East/West.

On the same day in May, the Toronto Disarmament Network held its annual general meeting. It decided to call for a national campaign linking environmental destruction and militarism. It will present a motion to this effect at the Canadian Peace Alliance convention in late June in Vancouver. The TDN will coordinate the Toronto portion of this campaign. The TDN also decided to hold its AGM next year in February, so as to avoid conflicts with other events in May.

Inspired by workshops on women, violence and militarization at the International Peace Bureau conference last year, a group of women are organizing a conference on women 5 issues in the peace context (and vice versa). It will be called the Women's Peace Agenda Project, and will be held in Peterborough October 30 to November 2. Call ACT, 416/531-6154.

Don't forget the upcoming Ontario Peace Conference, Sept. 11 to 13 in Oakville. Registration of $20 (by July 31) includes food and billeting. Cost is $3 after that date.

The theme is Building Peace Culture in Ontario: Working Together for Change. Call Nancy Pocock, a founding member of Voice ofWomen, was invested with the Order of Ontario at a ceremony at Queen's Park on April 28.

The group claims that the Board of the ISU is "dominated by representatives of the largest defence contractors in the United States, including several Star Wars contractors." Contact SOS, phone 416/599-0152, fax 340-2429.

The Planet in Every Classroom project has moved in with the World Federalists in Ottawa, who are assisting with the project. Call 613/232-0617.

Newfoundland

St. John's Ploughshares have taken over the local peace centre and have been getting it reactivated. Peggy Kratchen has been hired as part-time administrator, with the goal of making the peace centre more visible in the community. The peace centre is liaising with the environmental movement, and working with a group protesting the building of an incinerator which would bum garbage trucked up from the U.S.

Peace Magazine Jul-Aug 1992

Peace Magazine Jul-Aug 1992, page 30. Some rights reserved.

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