Until Feb. 19 individuals can sign this e-petition: https://www.ourcommons.ca/petitions/en/Petition/Sign/e-4745

Conscience Canada signed this open letter : https://www.oxfam.ca/news/open-letter-civil-society-coalition-urges-canada-to-stop-arms-transfers-to-israel/

ThankYou to members: one shared a vision of Palestinians in colourful dress, encircling Rafah, so we all would clearly see, as the Israeli army advances, who they(we) are killing & maiming.

Another wrote: “In the years to come, we will wonder why we did not make our objections to ALL wars more public.”

An airburst of artillery-fired white phosphorus over Gaza City. Photo by Mahmud Hams/Al-Haq.

This article, co-authored by CC board member Linda Thyer, challenges us to adopt a peaceful approach to conflict, if we want to respond adequately to the planetary health crisis we face. https://canadiandimension.com/articles/view/its-time-for-canadian-environmental-groups-to-talk-about-war-as-an-act-of-climate-denial

It quotes Nigerian winner of the Right Livelihood Award, Nnimmo Bassey: “The true environmental impact of war is impossible to quantify because it affects a staggering array of sectors and every aspect of human wellbeing. Wars kill people, extinguish biodiversity, and destroy the infrastructure that could otherwise provide safeguards in the face of extreme weather events. Warfare is an act of climate denial.”

 With authoritarianism on the rise & nature (including us) facing the unthinkable, it can be helpful to hear the insight & wisdom of Naomi Klein, such as in this recent interview, with George Stroumboulopoulos : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9oPh3qaEHE&t=137s

Her article: “Toxic Nostalgia, From Putin to Trump to theTrucker Convoys” is also great: https://theintercept.com/2022/03/01/war-climate-crisis-putin-trump-oil-gas/ .A quote:

“There is a brief and rapidly closing window to secure a liveable future on the planet,” said Hans-Otto Portner, co-chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change working group that organized the landmark report released this week. If there is a uniting political task of our time, it is to provide a comprehensive response to this conflagration of toxic nostalgia. And within a modern world birthed in genocide and dispossession, that requires laying out a vision for a future where we have never been before. “

With images of war so widely available, it’s important not to forget the people still working to build peace & understanding, to support their efforts. “Continue reading” to access a list of resources and opportunities to contribute to such work.

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From this site you can send letters calling for the kind of systemic action we need for a healthy future.  https://peaceandjusticenetwork.ca/peaceforclimate/

Jan S: Stevie Wonder’s “Higher Ground” speaks to me as I find myself reacting to information and opinions to justify whatever side people want to sympathize with.

Banksy graffiti in Bethlehem(Flickr/Gwen Fran)

Information, especially that which helps people see outside the bubbles they find themselves in, has its place. But Charles Eisenstein’s invitation to use COURAGE (the capacity of the heart) feels like “higher ground” to me. https://charleseisenstein.substack.com/p/whose-reality-is-it

Hence my invitation to learn about the ongoing work to build bridges, to find better ways. One great source is this: https://wagingnonviolence.org/ . Let’s “keep on tryin’ till [we] reach [our] highest ground.”

The board of Conscience Canada supports this call for an immediate ceasefire and allowing the necessities of life into Gaza: https://www.change.org/p/sign-and-share-this-urgent-petition-calling-for-a-ceasefirenow-in-gaza-and-israel

In this time of heightened tensions, open dialogue that allows people to speak honestly, to start to understand what leads to the strong emotions, and helps people heal from trauma is so necessary. See, for instance, these articles about dialogue on US campuses:

https://www.insidehighered.com/news/students/free-speech/2023/10/20/campus-leaders-promote-open-dialogue-israel-hamas-war

https://thirdnarrative.org/on-promoting-productive-campus-dialogue-about-israel-palestine/

CC board member Dr. Linda Thyer

by Linda Thyer

With just a hint of annoyance, I gently place the spider on a nearby white poppy after brushing the strands of her web from my face in the early morning. The sticky silk reminds me of my small place in the complex web of nature, and the white poppy reminds me of peace – two interwoven issues brought to mind on September 21st, the International Day of Peace.

Canadians of my generation may take peace for granted, most of us having never directly known militarized conflict. As a physician, I am deeply aware that war and militarization cause short and long-term harms and disabilities, both mental and physical, with each carrying significant costs to individuals, communities and society, with the harmful effects cascading through generations.

My parents grew up in Europe during World War II and I am left with a conscientious objection to war and militarism. Yet I am obliged, against my conscience, to support the federal government’s ongoing commitment to militarism, this year demonstrated through the purchase of 88 F-35 fighter jets in a multi-billion dollar deal. In Canada, we must all pay for such machines of war through our taxes.

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First, a petition worth signing: https://secure.avaaz.org/campaign/en/israel_palestine_save_the_kids_loc/.

For insight into how to end the bloodshed in Israel and Palestine, one article worth reading and sharing is this one, by Charles Eisenstein: https://charleseisenstein.substack.com/p/hamas-israel-and-the-devil-on-my

Thank you to Shakil Choudhury for permission to share this BEAUTIFUL story, in honour of the National Day of Truth & Reconciliation, from his useful book! This story is more fully recounted online at: http://francinelemayenglish.weebly.com/my-story.html

The First Step to Reconciliation

In the summer of 1990, a blockade was set up on a local road to Kanesatake, home to the mostly English-speaking Mohawk people in the French-speaking province of Quebec, about an hour’s drive from Montreal. Once again, Indigenous rights were being trampled. This time the scenario involved the local town, Oka, pushing for townhouse development and expansion plans for a golf course over the ancestral burial grounds without consent or permission from the Mohawks of the Kanesatake community.

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