Author Archives: Conscience Canada

This year three conscientious objector organizations are sharing the prestigious Seán MacBride Peace Prize awarded by the International Peace Bureau (IPB).

Our House is a Belarusian civil society organization that helps Belarusian conscientious objectors, prevents children from being taken from their families for economic and political reasons, and responds to Belarusian army service issues.

In Russia, the Movement of Conscientious Objectors (MCO) or Движение Сознательных Отказчиков is a non-profit organization established in 2014 that aids young individuals in legally avoiding conscription into the military.

The Ukrainian Pacifist Movement was established in 2019 by activists involved in peaceful protests against conscription in Kyiv. The organization supports the right to refuse participation in war, ending the conflict in Ukraine, and striving for global peace.

In announcing the award the IPB said “In honoring these remarkable recipients, the 2023 Seán MacBride Peace Prize acknowledges the enduring importance of the right to conscientious objection and individual efforts to promote peace in the times that peace is being challenged. Their collective work reminds us that peace is not merely the absence of war, but a deliberate and courageous choice that can shape a better future for us all.”

We know there are children in Gaza who wish they had died along with the rest of their family. Being aware of the horrors of war, the genocide, can make it hard for us to feel joy and gratitude, yet we know these are needed for a better world.

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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.”

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.

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/

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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