Remembrance Day will soon be here. It’s fascinating to learn that the author of the iconic poem, In Flanders Fields, John McCrae, was apparently urging us to resist the spirit of warfare. To learn more, check out our Remembrance Day Education Kit, available on our “Resources” page. Also: https://www.theregis.ca/politics-social/the-poppy-s-war-against-war/ & http://peacemagazine.org/archive/v29n4p27.htm .
“The Fund was established decades ago as part of our efforts to withold any support from war and militarism.” explains President Jan Slakov. “As we go through a period of transition, we want to make sure that people who have deposited money in the Fund know that it’s shutting down, so they can decide whether to ask us to return their deposits or allow the funds to be redirected to Conscience Canada’s operational costs.”
Conscience Canada intends to maintain its Peace Tax Return and letter-writing option, available on its website. Its board is exploring ways to help conscientious objectors to redirect resources from death and destruction towards life and health.
For more information, contact:
info@consciencecanada.ca
or contact Jan Slakov, president of CC at (604) 223-9328.
www.consciencecanada.ca
William Watson won this year’s War Abolisher of the Year award (selected by World Beyond War) for this wonderful film. Lots to learn, to rejoice in and to be inspired by! Here is the link to the film on vimeo: https://vimeo.com/490372154
The International Day of Peace (Sept. 21) & the International Day of Nonviolence (Oct. 2) are good opportunities to raise awareness for a healthier, more peaceful world – AND to get out our white poppies 🙂 More info here: https://www.un.org/en/observances/non-violence-day & https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Day_of_Peace .
We know the roots of war go much deeper than individual participation. They include our worldview, our values and the systems we are part of. With this in mind, we share Robin Wall Kimmerer’s article, The Serviceberry: an economy of abundance. Thank you to Emergence Magazine for permission to share, and to illustrator Christelle Enault!
Frank Dorrell, who maintains the AddictedToWar.com site and sells copies of Joel Andreas’ book by that title, has compiled a well-documented series of films about how our addiction to war plays out: It’s called “What I’ve Learned About US Foreign Policy” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gMGhrkoncA. The last 10 min. shares some of S. Brian Willson’s story. I [Jan] find it particularly inspiring because of how Brian learns through his life and shares that learning so powerfully. Knowing that “We are not worth more. They are not worth less.” has led him to exceptional commitment, joy & pain. More about Brian here: https://www.brianwillson.com/autobiography/ and here is the link for just that last section of Frank’s film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6ljl3q9nT0 .
Having been involved in Conscience Canada for over 40 years now, I [Jan Slakov] have seen our thinking evolve. The threat of nuclear war is still present, but is now in some ways eclipsed by other threats, notably ecological collapse.
We see the roots of these threats as inextricably related; we know that, in our efforts to defend the earth, there is a real need to defund war.
So it’s truly heartening to see that some young people share this view and are working for change. Let’s do our best to support Kasha Sequoia Slavner and her team with their film, “1.5 Degrees of Peace”.
Learn more here: https://www.1point5degreesofpeace.com/
What does it mean to say “no” to the war in Ukraine, or war in general?
The dominant narrative we’re generally exposed to assumes that stopping the war in Ukraine requires sending more guns, also mercenaries, to Ukraine, and the place for “nonviolence” is in humanitarian aid. To better understand how we could be using the tools of nonviolence to stop this war, and war in general, I highly recommend the Waging Nonviolence website.
A talk worth listening to is this one, featuring peace researcher, award-winning author, founder of the Program on Nonviolent Action at the US Institute of Peace, Maria Stephan, followed by a more philosophical perspective from Michael Nagler, but there are so many interesting pieces that need wider audiences on the Waging Nonviolence website!
