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Ploughshares E-Newsletter
November 16, 2009 Announcements
Ploughshares Media Page Ploughshares has recently added a media page to its website to provide contact information to media professionals as well as links to recent news releases and Ploughshares publications and media appearances. Program Updates Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) On October 2, Ken Epps participated in an Ottawa meeting between Foreign Affairs officials and “Control Arms” civil society groups on anticipated developments in the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) process at the UN. On October 6, Ken, along with Lina Holguin of Oxfam-Quebec and Mark Fried of Oxfam Canada, gave several briefings to Members of Parliament on the ATT. They met with Paul Dewar (NDP), Francine Lalonde and Johanne Deschamps (Bloc), and Bob Rae (Liberal), all members of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development (SCFAID). Ken also met with Liberal MP Rob Oliphant. The Conservative chair of SCFAID, Kevin Sorenson, declined a meeting. Later in the month a major step was taken towards an Arms Trade Treaty when the latest United Nations First Committee resolution on the ATT was overwhelmingly approved by UN member states including, for the first time, the United States. The resolution called for negotiations to begin in 2010 to prepare for a treaty conference in 2012. Representing Project Ploughshares in the ATT network of civil society groups at the UN, Ken Epps spent several days in New York in meetings with Canadian and other diplomats to press for an effective treaty negotiation process. Space Security On October 14, Program Associate Cesar Jaramillo attended an event entitled “Strengthening Space Security” at the United Nations in New York City. The event, co-sponsored by the Global Security Institute and the Government of Canada, was held in the context of the UN First Committee sessions. Two presentations were made at the event: Cesar presented Space Security 2009, the latest publication of the Space Security Index, and Nancy Gallagher and John D. Steinbruner from the University of Maryland presented their paper “Reconsidering the Rules for Space Security.” A common theme in the presentation was the growing need to formulate and implement an effective regulatory framework for space activities that helps minimize threats to and from space, and thus ensures the status of space as a peaceful common domain that is accessible by all humanity. Other Meetings and Speaking Engagements On November 13-14, Senior Policy Advisor Ernie Regehr participated in a Toronto Public Forum on “Zero Nuclear Weapons”. Ernie was a speaker on November 14 as part of a panel on "New Steps in Nuclear Disarmament: Surmounting the Obstacles.” In addition speaking at the Ploughshares/World Vision report launch noted above, on November 12, John Siebert also met with Ihab Moustafa, UN Peacebuilding Support Office as well as Claude Lemieux, Counsellor (Development) and Patrick Travers, Counsellor (Peacebuilding), both at the Canadian Mission to the UN. On November 11, Program Associate Grant Birks spoke about Project Ploughshares at an event organized by Mennonite Central Committee Ontario titled " To Remember and to Pray: A Public Prayer Walk for Peace". Ernie was the speaker and resource person at the November 7 Guelph Film Festival showing of “The Strangest Dream,” the NFB film on Nobel Laureate Joseph Rotblat, the Pugwash Movement, and nuclear disarmament. Grant Birks spoke on November 6 at St. Jude's Anglican Church, Oakville on NGO activities in advancing an Arms Trade Treaty. The evening was the last in series of sessions on issues of current public concern and was titled "Disarming the World". On October 27-28, John Siebert participated in a series of events in Thunder Bay, Ontario. In the evening of October 27, the Thunder Bay Coalition for Peace and International Justice and the local chapter of the Canadian International Council hosted a lecture at Lakehead University. John spoke on: Is Canada still in the peace business? On October 28, he was interviewed for the local CBC radio show, presented in a class at Lakehead University, and spoke at a lunch event at Wesley United Church on the Canadian churches response to Canadian Forces in Afghanistan On October 26-27 in Toronto, John participated in the third international Faith-based Organization Forum on Multi-religious Cooperation for Humanitarian Relief, Development and Peace. Locally co-hosted by Islamic Relief Canada, the forum was organized by Religions for Peace. On October 6, Ernie and John participated in an information session with church representatives of the Canadian Council of Churches to discuss issues related to the preparation of an ecumenical brief on Afghanistan. Ernie provided background on prospects for negotiations toward a political settlement of the conflict. Project Ploughshares in the News Ernie was interviewed on As It Happens on November 12 regarding issues related to a possible Canada-India nuclear cooperation agreement. John Siebert was interviewed on November 10 by CKNW radio in Vancouver on the topic: “Peace-keeping vs Peace-making”. Negotiation inevitable in Afghanistan Documents and Publications Now Online For recent statements on nuclear disarmament by the Conference of European Churches, the National Council of Churches USA, and the World Council of Churches, click here. Addressing Armed Violence in East Africa: A Report on World Vision Peacebuilding, Development and Humanitarian Assistance Programmes Disarming Conflict To subscribe or unsubscribe from this newsletter, please click here.
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