PICK UP YOUR PEN AND PARTICIPATE FOR PEACE

Action for peace in Wolfville

Many reading this have been helping to pass the word (Thank you!) about Saturday’s gathering at the Wolfville Post Office (March 18, 11 am). 

Many across the world will be gathering too and we hope for a good turnout, locally and globally.

But not everyone can attend and for some, well, public events just don’t suit.

Nature's way

Mother Nature instructs and we listen and learn. Because peace is both a public and private matter, we believe it is important to offer diversity for participants. 

A main issue for Canadians

The global demonstrations taking place next weekend are timed to coincide with the third anniversary of the invasion of Iraq. Canadians who wanted us to stay out of the  ‘coalition of the willing’ (which invaded Iraq) have a new issue on their minds this time. We are troubled with a brand-new prime minister (elected by far less than a majority of Canadian citizens) who is in Afghanistan right now declaring that “the people of Canada” support our military’s new mission to Afghanistan. 

This is blatantly untrue. All recent polls (until last evening's!) show exactly the opposite. And even with this newest, 70% of those polled either supported peacekeeping or thought that's what we 're doing. There is a great deal of confusion about just what is going on.

The new Afghan mission

Let’s get something very clear right now. People like me, and many of those reflected in the polls, are not against our Canadian troops. That’s not what this is about. What is unacceptable is our military’s new mission in Afghanistan. (This is a mission which the former Martin government set up). It may have a new name with the word ‘Peace’ in it, but what our troops are really doing is taking over the U.S.’s ‘Operation Enduring Freedom’  in southern Afghanistan, which has given our troops a new, major ‘kill and capture’ component to their role in the country. 

A cycle of violence begins

Canadians want a peacekeeping role for our military. This new role undermines any humanitarian work our troops and others may be trying to do. It offers a no end / no win situation. In the ’War on Terrorism’ there is no end, no way to win especially using  a mission like ‘Operation Enduring Freedom.’ And as Canada actively participates in the ‘War on Terrorism’ (as we have just begun to do), we are putting not only our troops, humanitarian aid workers and diplomatic teams in harms way, but also every single Canadian. 

Because violence begets violence and once begun, the cycle is very difficult to break.

Because if continued, this mission will make Canada and its foreign policy inseparable from the US. . . in the eyes of the world.

But what about the troops

Day in and day out our government representatives and military personnel tell us through the media (e.g. the p.m.’s current pr junket) that if we do not support Canada’s role in Afghanistan we will be undermining our troops. Well, I for one refuse to be bullied and emotionally blackmailed into accepting a military strategy that is ill-founded has never been approved by parliament or the Canadian people.

Besides, two wrongs (the mission, supporting it) do not. . .a right .  . . make.

Use your voice

Please speak up if you, in any way, question Canada’s new role in Afghanistan. 

Please participate in your own personal way and pick up your pen. 

Help us with the WRITE A LETTER to MPs project.

Click http://www.greatisland.ca/peace.pdf to download a handout for tips / info.

Thanks for listening.

P.S. Did you know that :

• Wolville Town Council passed a resolution making Wolfville a ‘nuclear weapons free zone’ in the 80s?

•peace vigils have been taking place at the post office  (Wolfville’s federal building) for decades? Currently, the peace vigil has been going every Saturday since October 14, 2001, the first Saturday after the invasion of Afghanistan.

• Wolfville has a mediation group (Peace Makers) established in the 90s which helps resolve conflicts of all kinds around the Maritimes?

• Wolville Town Council adopted a resolution making Wolfville an official ‘Peaceful Community’ (2003)?

• Mayor Robert Stead is an official member of the global Mayor’s for Peace initiative (2005)?