[sust-mar] Upcoming events: "Military Sexual Violence in Canada, We Should be Outraged" June 8, "Holding Canadian Mining Companies Accountable" June 12, "Canada Needs an Agenda for Disarmament" June 21 & more

Mon May 31 22:00:05 EDT 2021

Hello Sust-Mar,

Please find below 8 upcoming events on military sexual violence in Canada, disarmament, holding Canadian mining accountable & more. Please also sign our petitions below. Please feel free to share.

Note, Cindy Blackstock, executive director at the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society, was on CBC today talking about the tragedy of the remains of the 215 children found on the grounds of the Kamloops residential school and how the Trudeau government is still not providing adequate services to Indigenous children across the country. She said Canada has only implemented 5 of the 94 recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. The Trudeau government is also in court fighting her organization against an order to compensate Indigenous children for the lack of social services and for its refusal to honour Jordan's Principle:
Listen: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/thecurrent/the-current-for-may-31-2021-1.6046642
Read: https://www.thestar.com/politics/2021/02/23/jordans-principle-order-may-cost-feds-15-billion-in-compensation-pbo-says.html

* Jordan's Principle may cost government $15 billion: https://www.guelphtoday.com/around-ontario/canada-jordans-principle-order-may-cost-feds-15-billion-in-compensation-pbo-says-3451364 (Note this amount is almost equivalent to the fighter jet procurement of $19 billion! Let's invest in First Nations kids not new fighter jets!)

UPCOMING EVENTS
(1)
WEBINAR: COLOMBIAN HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS
Thursday June 3 at 3:30 ET
PBI-Canada is convening a panel of three Colombian human rights defenders to discuss the implications of this political moment. More on this at:
Website: https://pbicanada.org/2021/05/30/colombian-president-deploys-military-national-strike-continues/
Register: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_-jkbsXnJRGe_7k2AHD8kOg

(2)
"MILITARY SEXUAL VIOLENCE IN CANADA: WE SHOULD BE OUTRAGED"
Tuesday, June 8, 2021
4:00-5:30 p.m. ET
Register in advance for this meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAqc-yqpzopG9JyVJk4RpVVne1FXB_bz0CG

  *   Almost 600 sexual assaults reported in 5 years
  *   Chief of Defence Staff Jonathan Vance accused of sexual misconduct
  *   Admiral Art McDonald & Maj.-Gen. Dany Fortin under investigation for sexual misconduct
  *   Commanding officers interfered in sexual assault investigations
  *   Claims that Brig.-Gen. Al Meinzinger & Brig.-Gen. Sean Friday downplayed sexual violence at Royal Military College
  *   Low prosecution and conviction of sexual harassment and assault
  *   Most military cadets have seen unwanted sexualized behaviour at college
  *   Operation 'Honour' has been a failure
  *   There are serious concerns about the new external review conducted by Arbour
  *   The problem of military sexual violence is still pervasive and persistent

Military sexual violence in the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces should outrage us and move us to action. Join a conversation with feminist peace activists about how to respond and resist the ongoing problem of military sexual violence in the Canadian Armed Forces, a patriarchal state institution premised on coercion and force. We will plan a response and actions. All welcome. Organized by the Canadian Voice of Women for Peace. More info: vowpeace.org

(3)
"FROM WEAPONS FAIRS TO WAR ZONES: UNRAVELING THE WAR MACHINE"
#NOWAR2021 Virtual Conference: JUNE 4-6, 2021.
Register now! https://nowar2021.worldbeyondwar.org/

(4)
FILM SCREENING & DISCUSSION: SOLDIERS WITHOUT GUNS
Start: Saturday, June 12, 2021, 8 PM New York Time
Join us on Sat, June 12 at 8am Perth / 12pm Auckland (Fri, 6/11 at 8pm New York) for a screening of Soldiers Without Guns, an extraordinary film that tells the story of how the bloody Civil War on the island of Bougainville was halted by a contingent of the New Zealand Defense Force that landed on the island, carrying no weapons, armed only with guitars, the haka, and other instruments of peace. After the 90-minute film screening, we'll have time for Q&A and discussion with the film director Will Watson, veteran and cultural advisor Des Ratima, and webinar participants.
https://actionnetwork.org/events/soldiers-without-guns-film-screening-discussion

(5)
WEBINAR: MAKING CANADIAN MINING COMPANIES ACCOUNTABLE
Date: June 12, 2021
Time: 12:00 Noon to 1:30 PM CDT
Admission: Free
Location: Online, via Zoom. Register at Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/making-canadian-mining-companies-accountable-tickets-157263343895
Presenter: Catherine Coumans, MiningWatch Canada
Sponsor: Peace Alliance Winnipeg

(6)
PAN-CANADIAN NATO COUNTER-SUMMIT: BUILDING A NATIONAL RESISTANCE TO THE ALLIANCE
Monday, June 14, 2021
7:00-8:30 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Register in advance for this meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIqcOGoqj4pGdDaZjtXvH-VZD5kbzrYRfyT
This event is timed to oppose NATO's annual summit in Brussels.
This webinar is to hear brief presentations about why Canada should withdraw from this US-dominated, nuclear-armed alliance and why NATO should be abolish for genuine peace and security in the world.
We will share ideas and plan next steps to delegimitize NATO and build support for Canada to withdraw.
It is because of Canada's membership in NATO that Canada is planning to spend 2% of GDP on the military, planning to buy new fighter jets and build new warships, why Canada is not joining the new treaty to ban nuclear weapons and why the Canadian Armed Forces are participating in a massive war exercise now in Europe (Steadfast Defender 2021).
Confirmed speakers so far include: Radhika Desai, Yves Engler, Margaret Villamizar, David Gehl, Tamara Lorincz & more to come. There will be time for a discussion and strategy session.
Organized by the Canadian Voice of Women for Peace
Moderated by: Canadian Foreign Policy Institute
Endorsed by the Canadian Foreign Policy Institute, Mobilization Against War and Occupation, Winnipeg Peace Alliance, Regina Peace Council, CPC(M-L), Ottawa Peace Council, Canadian Peace Congress and the Anti-imperialist Alliance. More info: vowpeace.org

(7)
NO TO WAR, NO TO NATO COUNTER-SUMMIT (European time)
Sunday, June 13 and Monday, June 14
Speakers include: Ann Wright, Ludo de Brabander, Lindsey German, Kate Hudson, Quique Sanchez among many others.
(European time, so very early in the morning in Canada), see the schedule here:
Sunday, 13 June 2021: 3am-6:30am PST | 9am-12:30pm EDT | 1pm-4:30pm UTC | 2pm-5:30pm UK | 3pm-6:30pm CEST
& Monday, 14 June 2021: 1am-2:30am PST | 7am-8:30am EDT | 11am-12:30pm UTC | 12pm-1:30pm UK | 1pm-2:30pm CEST
https://www.no-to-nato.org/actions-around-nato-summits/actions-and-articles-nato-summit-14-june-2021-brussels/

(8)
WEBINAR MEETING: "WHY CANADA NEEDS AN AGENDA FOR DISARMAMENT"
Civil Society Meeting
*Rescheduled
Monday, June 21, 2021
4:00 - 5:30 PM PT/ 7:00 - 8:30 PM ET /8:00 - 9:30 PM AT
Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUqdu2vqzksGdDFg8qySI6sZJP2bgZG3gAQ

The Canadian Voice of Women for Peace (VOW) is hosting a civil society meeting to build a grassroots national campaign to get the federal government to create an Agenda for Disarmament for Canada and to get all the political parties to make disarmament a priority. Help us stop the procurement of new weapons systems and the growing militarization of Canadian foreign policy and put disarmament and diplomacy at the centre of our international affairs.

Please join our discussion and share your ideas about how we can make disarmament a political priority in Canada. This event will be hosted by the VOW and supported by Science for Peace. All are welcome to attend.

Please read our 2-page handout "Why Canada Needs an Agenda for Disarmament" and find out more here: https://vowpeace.org/disarmament/

PETITIONS:
(1)
PARLIAMENTARY PETITION: NO NEW FIGHTER JETS
Please sign and share this parliamentary petition to stop Canada from buying new fighter jets for $19 billion. We could instead spend $19 billion on affordable housing, public transit, health care, education, diplomacy and development. The parliamentary petition e-3433 is sponsored by Green Party MP Paul Manly. The deadline is June 18. We are trying to get to 1000 signatures by then, please sign now:

English: https://petitions.ourcommons.ca/en/Petition/Details?Petition=e-3433&fbclid=IwAR32RF18t8cVJ6vXx1vQb1pHEJjsNj1Tnrqt77S7EuRIt08MOO590VQIVpU

French: https://petitions.noscommunes.ca/fr/Petition/Search?View=D&type=&keyword=39447,106365&sponsor=&Text=3433&RPP=20&order=Recent&Page=1&category=Open
This petition is created by the Canadian Voice of Women for Peace, Science for Peace and the Canadian Foreign Policy Institute.

(2)
PETITION AGAINST U.S. ECONOMIC BLOCKADE OF CUBA AND ON CANADA-CUBA RELATIONS
The petition (e-3456) to the Government of Canada Against the U.S. Economic Blockade of Cuba and on Canada-Cuba Relations is now open for signatures. To sign the petition, you have to be a Canadian citizen or a resident of Canada. To sign the petition go to:
English: https://petitions.ourcommons.ca/en/Petition/Details?Petition=e-3456&fbclid=IwAR2MYRXVbsqMi3oYDcvSx1s-gou7uqgL-dOWF_DOZMsQAdkYHBaI8V-n9nw

French: https://petitions.noscommunes.ca/fr/Petition/Details?Petition=e-3456&fbclid=IwAR2mETt9-wKd_RoSXnC15OJi7xBKrsaop1kUcsmVGEprGUzFDOGPiSZplYQ
The petition is sponsored by Niki Ashton, member of Canada's parliament for the federal constituency of Churchill-Keewatinook Aski in the province of Manitoba.

(3)
PETITION: TELL MINISTER ALGHABRA: CANADA MUST CANCEL $36M CONTRACT FOR ISRAELI DRONE!
Tell Canada's Transportation Ministry to cancel the $36.16 million dollar contract for drone technology from Elbit Systems, Israel's largest weapons company. The money will purchase a "civilian" version of Elbit's lethal military drone, the same one which was used to kill civilians during Israel's assault on Gaza. Sign here: https://www.cjpme.org/stop_elbit_drone

(4)
PETITION CUT MILITARY SPENDING FOR COVID VACCINATIONS
Please sign this petition by Peace Quest Canada: Ask your MP to shift 10% of military spending to support international vaccination efforts.
https://www.peacequest.ca/take-action-use-war-dollars-to-fight-covid-19-instead/#newmode-embed-26065-36800

(5)
PETITION: STOP FOSSIL FUEL POLLUTION: CLEAN AIR, WATER, AND SOIL ARE BASIC HUMAN RIGHTS
The SAFE Cities movement is uniting people from all walks of life and helping them push back against the expansion of fossil fuels and fast-track the just transition to a clean energy future. Time for a Just Transition. Organized by Stand Earth.
https://act.stand.earth/page/29777/petition/1?ea.tracking.id=email-ea&utm_campaign=safe_cities_&utm_content=button&utm_medium=email&utm_source=email-ea&ea.url.id=872167

(6)
PLEASE SIGN OPEN LETTER TO POPE - NO WAR PLANES FOR CANADA (Deadline May 31)
please sign open letter to Pope Francis to pray that Canada doesn't buy fighter jets (DEADLINE May 31)
We invite you to add your name to our open letter Pope Francis to pray with us that the Government of Canada led by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau who is Catholic will not buy new fighter jets and instead will invest in the "care for our common home". You don't have to be Catholic to sign on, everyone is welcome. Sign the Open Letter here:  https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdwl1Cflxldx993tbjCqMR1hIY-LSDcDqEy3nfMuHawITzTMw/viewform

* Check out all the great events at World Beyond War here: https://worldbeyondwar.org/events/

ICYMI: "Banning the Bomb, Smashing the Patriarchy" book launch with Ray Acheson is available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rUbA8GoS1k

ICYMI: "Why is Canada Arming Saudi Arabia's War in Yemen?" webinar is available here: https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?v=488673452340360&ref=watch_permalink

 In solidarity for peace, earth and justice,

Tamara Lorincz

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