In Toronto, from February 10 to 14, one hundred and twenty-five medical students from Canada, Germany, Kenya, Latvia, Mexico, and the USA gathered to participate in a conference entitled "Local Action for Global Change in the 90's: Development, Environment, and Disarmament." February 11 was reserved for environmental concerns with guest speakers Dr. Victor Sidel, a co-founder of Physicians for Social Responsibility, and Dr. Robert Chase, a member of the Harvard Study Team that conducted field research on the health in Iraq in 1991. Development was the principal topic on February 12 with speakers Dr. Antonio Jarquin, former Nicaraguan ambassador to the USA, and, Dr. Elizabeth Bowen, president-elect of Physicians for Social Responsibility
By Marion Dove
On Thursday, April 1st, members of the Student Christian Movement at the University of Toronto ended a six month series of peace initiatives with a leafleting in front of the military recruiting booth at the Accis Job fair held at Varsity Arena. With the consent of the Careers Centre of the U of T-consent gained after a long campaign supported by groups such as OPIRG, LGBOUT and the U of T Women's Centre-SCM members stood in front of the military to hand out information on the military, its impact on the economy, and the misleading efforts to portray the military as "peace-keepers." SCM also provided information on alternative employment opportunities with development agencies. For more information, contact the SCM at 416-979-8468.
By Brian Burch
On Saturday, April 24th supporters of Conscience Canada gathered in front of the St. Lawrence Market in Toronto to conduct a loonie poll. People were given a loonie and asked to put it into a ballot container for peace or one for war. Some 287 supported peace, while only 8 chose military spending. The Raging Grannies helped to draw attention to Conscience Canada's efforts to change tax laws to allow those who would rather pay for peace than war divert the portion of taxes that go to military spending to peaceful purposes. For more information contact Frank ShowIer at 416-466-0566.
By Brian Burch
Peace Magazine Jun-Jul 1993, page 31. Some rights reserved.
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