Thank you to the Center on Conscience and War for assisting people who can no longer serve in the military, for reasons of conscience. Let’s also honour whistleblowers, such as Daniel Hale, who exposed wrongs of the US’ drone program, in which he had participated.

The Center on Conscience & War highlights this day: “War happens all over the world. But the United States is at the center of global military power. With the biggest and most expansive military in the history of the planet, peace in the world rests so much on the Pentagon.

Within that reality, something is changing. From lower enlisted to field grade officers; infantry to fighter pilots; new recruits to long careers; our CO clients span all branches of the military in all parts of the country. 

Conscience Canada’s AGM is coming up! -> April 18, 3 pm Eastern. To vote, please ensure you’re a member. Assurez-vous d’être membre afin de voter. (Click on “Become a member” ou cliquez sur “Devenez membre de Conscience Canada” à la droite de notre page d’accueil/ on the right of our home page.)

After brief AGM formalities, we’ll host a discussion on Nonviolent Defence (NVD)/ la défense non-violente. What do you see as valuable benefits of NVD?  & What are one or two unanswered questions to which you would like answers?

If you’re interested but won’t be able to join, the Canadian Coalition for Nonviolent Defence /Coalition canadienne pour la défense non-violente (CCND-CCDN) is organizing for further developing our capacity for NVD.

Reach out to info@consciencecanada to get the link for our AGM &/or for more info on the CCND-CCDN

It’s heartening to hear that unprecedented numbers of people in the US military are contacting the Center on Conscience & War. Apparently many are horrified by what the Israeli government has been doing in Palestine and don’t want to commit similar crimes.

Watch this video interview with Mike Prysner of the Center on Consience and War to learn more.

The National War Tax Resistance Coordinating Committee has plenty of great resources, including this recent blog posting, “Working on a World” by Ruth Benn.

Au Québec, les Artistes pour la Paix et Échec à la guerre, inspirés par les déclarations de Yakov Rabkin, Samir Saul et Michel Seymour, ainsi que de l’ancien ministre de l’Industrie et du Commerce de René Lévesque, Rodrigue Tremblay, dénoncent cette guerre impérialiste, comme l’a fait l’organisme plus que centenaire, la WILPF (La Ligue internationale des femmes pour la paix et la liberté)

Facing despair at what is happening in our world, a long time Conscience Canada member shared a 2004 Inquiring Minds interview with Marshall Rosenberg. “I hope you will find it as inspiring & healing as I have.”

Une vidéo où Marshall Rosenberg partage sa vision est disponible in English (version originale) et en français.

With yet another illegal war underway, we need to envision a better way.. Basir Bita describes what a Nonviolence Institute could bring to our world.

Ruth Benn’s “BeingUngovernable” blog is important reading!

So many examples of beautiful resistance! How about when a man tried to get an anti-Muslim rally going and was rescued by people he would never have expected to help? And people in Minneapolis remind us of the power of song, beautifully!

Chroniqueur du Devoir, Jean-François Lisée explique, sous couvert satirique, comment la non-violence peut remplacer les armes. Il est, entre autres, l’ancien chef du Parti québecois et directeur-fondateur du CÉRIUM.

Heureusement, Conscience Canada et d’autres groupes mettent sur pied une Coalition canadienne pour la défense non-violente – Canadian Coalition for Nonviolent Defence.

Lire l’article de Jean-François Lisée ici

Global Women for Peace United Against NATO is hosting a webinar on Neutrality & Peace, Sat. Jan. 24, at 1:30pm Eastern time.

Speakers include:

Elke Zwinge- History of Non-Alignment. Member of the German Peace Council and World Peace Council delgate to China, Vietnam, Venezuela.

Biljana Vankovska – Non-Alignment and Peace. Professor of international relations and peace studies from Macedonia, board member of the Transnational Foundation for Peace and Future Research (Lund), member of the No Cold War collective.

Moji Agha – Neither East nor West. A Sufi monk with 40 years of professional, clinical, and academic studies in behavioral, cultural and ecological studies highlighting conflict understanding and healing.  

Ariet Güttimger – Active Neutrality. Historian and psychologist, member of the board of the Swiss Movement for Neutrality bene.swiss

Q and A – 30 minutes. Action points and roundup 5 minutes

Hosted on behalf of GWUAN by UNAC – The United National Antiwar Coalition 

Conscience Canada Supports FOR-USA’s statement regarding the war on Venezuelans. Canadian intelligence, equipment and personnel have also been involved in these illegal actions. This more in depth article also documents how Canadian diplomacy has undermined Venezuelan sovereignty and due process.

Of course Conscience Canada supports efforts by World Beyond War to stop and prevent war crimes against Venezuelans.

To find out more about the lies associated with the violence, and about how you can work to say no, please go to their site. We may want to ask members of our government how they/we can be in close military cooperation with governments which commit war crimes and blatantly violate international law. … There is, undoubtedly, so much we need to question and rethink. And then, align our actions with what is needed for life and basic ethical decision-making.