CEASEFIRES AND NEGOTIATIONS NOW!

DISARM NOW! BAN NUCLEAR WEAPONS!

On United Nations International Peace Day, 9.21.2022, the need for de-escalations, negotiations, disarmament and understanding could not be more urgent. Nuclear war is looming, especially as Russia may be motivated to retaliate against the US, Europe and Canada. Devastating military conflicts are dragging on and increasing in number while the arms trade and militarism are on the rise. We are faced with mass deaths, starvation and displacement and obliteration of biological and social ecologies. Economic sanctions are today being a great cause for deprivation and insecurity; we oppose such tools of war, too, just as we oppose war profiteering.

The Canada-Wide Peace and Justice Network, an association of numerous organizations from coast to coast in Canada working for peace, calls for all peace-loving and concerned people to stand up and speak up for genuine and lasting peace on September 21. It will take a united, worldwide effort to attain peaceful resolutions and set humanity on the path toward peaceful coexistence. Let us work toward saving life and the wise use of the planet. Peace will allow the people of the world to find solutions to problems such as economic instability, global warming, food insecurity, lack of housing and so on.

The Canadian BDS Coalition & a number of its member groups are pleased to be a member of the Canada-wide Justice and Peace Network.

The military gobbles up huge quantities of natural resources, destroying life and cultures. It is highly polluting. The US military, the world’s largest consumer of crude oil, is estimated to have a carbon footprint bigger than other countries. Extraction and force often go hand in hand, violating land and human rights.

The Peace and Justice Network holds the Canadian government and many big corporations responsible for their part in aggression. We object to the subordination of Canadian foreign policy to US foreign policy. We call for Canada to get out of NATO and distance itself from US / NATO policy. We want Canada to work towards ending wars in and military projects such as the Ukraine, Yemen and Syria, and terminating military exercises such as RIMPAC and those by the Korean Peninsula. Canada should condemn Israel’s illegal and wanton occupation of Palestine. We also demand that Canada’s military budget be decreased so as to release more funds for much needed social protection and development. Furthermore, we insist that Canada sign the Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.

The Network is against the proposed purchase of 88 F-35 fighter jets, whose purchase will cost Canadians around $39 billion. We stand against the purchase of armed drones, as well. What’s more, we oppose the sale of light armoured vehicles or other supplies for Saudi Arabia that would be implemented for further attacks on Yemen or others. The Saudi Arabia-led coalition against Yemen has caused an extreme humanitarian disaster and must be stopped.

Join the demonstrations and other activities to support the campaigns for ceasefires, disarmament and negotiations. Demand that Canada get out of NATO and disentangle itself from US foreign affairs. Let us work to replace the war economy with a new human project for genuine and lasting peace in a caring world.

CWPJN #PeaceDay Events & Resources check out:

Whatever action you decide to take, remember to reflect your action on social media with the hashtags #InternationalDayofPeace, #PeaceDay, #PeaceDay2022, and/or #InternationalPeaceDay so activists and organizations across Canada can amplify each others actions!

Letters you can write: