It’s exciting to learn that journalist, UofT faculty member, consultant, peace museum advocate Chris Houston produces a weekly peace-themed column for an independently owned paper, the Bancroft Times. The 28/01/25 article focuses on the harms caused to wellbeing, including peace, of US govt. policies and the clamour to increase military spending. https://chrishouston.ca/stories-of-peace/f/the-audacity-of-america
Author Archives: Conscience Canada
Virtual Conference: Compassion, Justice, in Polarizing Times
Anima Leadership was founded in 2007 to nurture inclusive, productive workplaces & communities. It’s a professional consulting firm which offers some free events, including the Conference, Jan. 21 – 23: https://animaleadership.com/anima-conference-2025/
Let Peace Be Their Memorial
Dr. Linda Thyer (Conscience Canada treasurer) spoke at the 2024 Let Peace Be Their Memorial Remembrance Day ceremony in Vancouver. To watch this moving, inspiring event, go to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDHsDn0FyrQ You can read Linda’s speech on ecological impacts of war below.
Nov. 6 (post-election) reflection
With the sobering reality of Trump set to become president, I [Jan] 
felt a need to connect with others. What follows might serve as an opening for “being together” in this time.
I remember, decades ago, facing this tension: on the one hand, aware of how completely frigged up the way our world works, wishing for this way of life to come to an end, but meanwhile, wishing also for it to last a big longer, the racing to save what could be saved while hurtling towards catastrophe.
White Poppies Sept. 21 – Dec. 10
We invite you to join us in wearing white poppies, blue scarves and other symbols of our commitment to work for peace with justice.
You can order wallet cards (as above) & sample poppies by contacting Bruna b.nota@icloud.com .
And maybe your group would like to sign on to this statement -> “Join us to support the White Poppy Campaign”. Continue reading
World Beyond War (WBW) conf. Sept. 20 -22
This conference is a great opportunity to “meet” people all around the world who are working for peace with justice.
Sign the WBW peace declaration here: https://worldbeyondwar.org/individual/
& register for the conference here: https://worldbeyondwar.org/wbw-news-action-nowar2024-sept-20-22/
NATO (& other) targets
If you find the brouhaha about meeting NATO spending targets (while we more or less ignore overseas development aid or climate targets) upsetting, you’ll surely find this article by Yves Engler helpful! https://canadiandimension.com/articles/view/yves-engler-the-insanity-of-spending-two-percent-of-gdp-on-the-military
Hiroshima Day events
What US Gen. Omar Bradley said (10 Nov. 1948) is relevant, in remembering Hiroshima & Nagaski: “We have grasped the mystery of the atom and rejected the Sermon on the Mount. Man is stumbling blindly through a spiritual darkness while toying with the precarious secrets of life and death. The world has achieved brilliance without wisdom, power without conscience. Ours is a world of nuclear giants and ethical infants. We know more about war than we know about peace, more about killing than we know about living.” Here are some events happening in Canada: Victoria: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/hiroshima-nagasaki-day-august-6-2024-tickets-943962415997, Nanaimo, starting 8:45 pm Swy-A-Lana Lagoon, Winnipeg- South Side of Manitoba Legislature. Lantern making 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Official ceremony 8:30 p.m. Launch of lanterns 9:15 p.m., Ottawa, starting 7 pm at the pond near Queen Elizabeth & 5th, Hamilton: Aug. 9 12 – 2 pm at Dundas Town Hall, Toronto (Peace Garden near City Hall) , 4 – 8:30 pm, Aug. 6, Dartmouth: Aug. 6 11 – noon, 88 Alderney Dr.. If you know of other Hiroshima -Nagasaki Day events in Canada, please let us know. (You can write to janslakov @ proton.me or info @ consciencecanada.ca .)
Infuriating, Ludicrous (& Indigenous Wisdom)
So, species are disappearing at an unprecedented rate (the 6th Mass Extinction) and we face the virtual certainty of the end of civilization as we know it (the end of things like pensions, Medicare, garbage services, etc.) and the Canadian government is under intense pressure to “deliver a concrete plan next month to raise defence spending to meet NATO’s benchmark”. https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/nato-spending-trudeau-joly-business-council-canada-1.7231776?__vfz=medium%3Dsharebar (I [Jan S] could expound on the hypocrisy of the Business Council of Canada’s stance…!)
Neurosurgeon Dr. David Hasan’s testimony, vision
An article originally published in Haaretz by award-wining journalist Netta Ahituv, resonates deeply with members of the board of Conscience Canada & friends. A couple of us even subscribed to Haaretz; we want to support this kind of journalism!
“When everyone who was able to flee from Gaza was doing so, Dr. David Hasan made the reverse journey. His story is a must-read for every Israeli.” The article continues, describing conditions in Gaza, and transforming statistics into people, loving and loved, people we can learn to love too. Dr. Hasan, a Palestinian born in Kuwait, has a deep connection to the place, the people. When he moved to the US, he “connected mainly with Jews and Israelis” who helped him acclimate. He changed his name from Emad to David.
He went to Gaza to help not just Palestinians, but Israelis as well. Continue reading