Canada Working Group for a Federal Department of Peace
Our Working Group began in Fall, 2003 and has made considerable progress toward our goal, with several powerful supporters, both in current or previous governments, as well as a growing number of peace organizations and the Council of Canadians.
Our strategy for achieving a Department of Peace is based upon 3 tracks:
- Fast track: working with the party in power and opposition parties, in particular, the New Democratic Party and influential Canadians, to bring forward a motion in the House of Commons or for the Prime Minister to proclaim a new Department and Minister of Peace.
- International track: working with the other nations to build an international coalition to further our mutual goal.
- National track: developing a movement by forming chapters across Canada, generating publicity, and building a groundswell of support that becomes irresistible to politicians.
Although there has been movement on tracks 1 and 2, this is the period when we have to build the movement. At this time, there are chapters in Victoria, Vancouver and Ottawa with an inaugural event planned for Winnipeg. Other incipient chapters are in Calgary, Toronto and Montreal.
Referring to the international track, we were a co-sponsor of the People’s Summit for Departments of Peace, London, UK, October 18, 19, 2005, and we are co-sponsors, with Royal Roads University, of a second Summit of interested parties, June 21, 22, 2006, in Victoria. We are members of the International People’s Initiative for Departments of Peace.
Regarding the World Peace Forum(WPF), June 23-28, 2006, in Vancouver, Saul Arbess is the Coordinator, Working Group for Governmental Initiatives, and will organize all events in this area. We have the agreement of the WPF to present an international panel of supportive parliamentarians and a series of workshops on DoPs/MfPs, occupying a full morning. We have also proposed that US Congressman Dennis Kucinich be a keynote speaker at a plenary session.
It is our intention to build a web-based campaign and, to that end, we hope to upgrade our website with increased links, an interactive capability, on-line letter writing, a newsletter and on-line petition. For those interested in working with us, contact: Saul Arbess sarbess@shaw.ca