22 June 2007

Announcements

The Presbyterian Church in Canada launches internship program
with Project Ploughshares

The Presbyterian Church in Canada has established a Peace and
Human Security Internship Program with Project Ploughshares for
Presbyterian university graduates. The program will fund one 8 month
internship annually for three years. This year's application deadline
is 29 June 2007 - click here for details.

Ernie Regehr honoured

At its 133rd General Assembly in early June 2007, The Presbyterian
Church in Canada presented Senior Policy Advisor Ernie Regehr with
its E. H. Johnson award which honours those working "on the cutting
edge of mission." Read Ernie's acceptance speech by clicking here.

Pictured at the award luncheon, left to right, The Rev. Peter D. Ruddell, Convener of the Dr. E. H. Johnson Memorial Fund Committee; Ernie Regehr; and The Rev. Dr. Hans Kouwenberg, Moderator of the 133rd General Assembly.

Words Worth Books donates proceeds of reading by Ishmael Beah
to Project Ploughshares

On 19 April 2007, Ishmael Beah, a former child soldier of Sierra Leone,
recounted his descent into violence and inhumanity and read from his
book, A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier at a Words Worth
Books reading held in Waterloo. Words Worth Books generously
donated all proceeds from the reading to Project Ploughshares and we
thank them for their support.

Chuck Erion, Words Worth Books, presents Nancy Regehr, Project Ploughshares, with a cheque for $2,500. At left are John Siebert, Project Ploughshares; and Bronwyn Addico, Words Worth Books.

Staff updates

Space security and nuclear non-proliferation

During the first Preparatory Committee meeting for the 2010 Nuclear
Non-proliferation Treaty Review Conference, held in Vienna 30 April-
11 May 2007, Program Associate Jessica West made a presentation on
space security issues at a side-event entitled “Space Security and
Nuclear Non-proliferation.”

Youth event

On 1 May 2007, Program Associate Grant Birks led a student workshop
on the underdevelopment and war cycle at a conference organized at
York University by the Canadian Institute of International Affairs and
Father Bressani Catholic High School.

Local group visits

On 25 April 2007 Executive Director John Siebert made a presentation,
titled "Building Peace, Piece by Piece, in the Horn of Africa," at the
monthly meeting of Ploughshares Ottawa.

At Ploughshares Calgary’s annual spring workshop on 4-5 May 2007,
Grant Birks discussed Project Ploughshares’ programs in the Horn of
Africa. On 6 May 2007, at a meeting organized by Ploughshares
Edmonton, he discussed the links between underdevelopment and
armed conflict.

Implementing the Comprehensive Peace Agreement:
A roundtable in Juba

Program Associate Emily Schroeder participated in a 9-10 May 2007
roundtable organized jointly by Ploughshares and the Africa Peace
Forum in Juba, southern Sudan. As part of a CIDA-funded project to
build support for the implementation of Sudan's Comprehensive
Peace Agreement (CPA), representatives from civil society and
government discussed three research papers dealing with the security
concerns related to the CPA. The papers will soon be available on the
Ploughshares website where previous papers are also posted.

Beside the Nile River in Juba, left to right, Emily Schroeder, Project Ploughshares; Khalid Ahmed, project researcher; and Dr. Adams Oloo, University of Nairobi.

Provincial Reconstruction Teams in Afghanistan

On 14-15 May 2007 Ernie Regehr participated in a conference of
academics, military personnel, and practitioners to examine the
operations of the Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) projects in
Afghanistan. The Laurier Centre for Military Strategic and
Disarmament Studies at Wilfrid Laurier University sponsored the
event. Participants were from Kabul, the Netherlands, the United
States, Australia, New Zealand, the United Nations and NATO.

Canada's military exports and the Arms Trade Treaty

On 17 May 2007, Senior Program Associate Ken Epps gave a
presentation on “Canada’s Military Exports and the Arms Trade
Treaty” at the Oakville Community Centre for Peace, Ecology and
Human Rights.

Canadian Council for International Cooperation's 10-point
policy agenda

At the 25 May 2007 session of the annual general meeting of the
Canadian Council for International Cooperation (CCIC), Ernie Regehr
served as a resource person during the review of the “promoting
peace” section of the CCIC’s 10-point policy agenda.

House of Commons Standing Committee on Foreign
Affairs and International Development

On 31 May 2007, Ernie Regehr addressed the House of Commons
Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International
Development (FAAE) on behalf of Project Ploughshares and Veterans
Against Nuclear Arms on a nuclear disarmament agenda for Canada.
Testifying with Ernie was Douglas Roche of the Middle Powers Initiative.
Also appearing before the Committee was Ambassador Paul Meyer,
Canada’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations and the
Conference on Disarmament in Geneva. Ernie's brief and speaking notes
are available on our website and the recorded Committee testimony,
with questions, is available here.

Impact of armed violence on human development

Ken Epps participated in the “Experts Workshop on Measuring and
Costing Armed Violence,” hosted by the Small Arms Survey in Geneva,
4-5 June 2007. The workshop made important progress in
developing methodologies that measure the widespread impact of
armed violence on human, social, political and economic development.

Geneva Workshop participants

Publications now online

The physics and politics of missile defence in Europe
Ernie Regehr, 8 June 2007

Towards Safe and Sustainable Communities: Addressing Armed
Violence as a Development Priority
Ken Epps
Ploughshares Working Paper 07-2

A Dialogue in Ottawa: Linking Development Programming and
Armed Violence Reduction
Report of a 27 February 2007 roundtable held by the Small Arms
Working Group of the Canadian Peacebuilding Coordinating Committee.

Nuclear Disarmament Imperatives after the NPT Prepcom
(English) (Speaking Notes) (French)
Ernie Regehr
Presentation to The House of Commons Standing Committee on
Foreign Affairs and International Development (FAAE), 31 May 2007.

Nuclear Disarmament: An Action Agenda for Canada
Ernie Regehr
Ploughshares Working Paper 07-1

Canadian submission on the Arms Trade Treaty
A letter to the Minister of Foreign Affairs from Project Ploughshares
and partners, 16 May 2007.

Canada, India, and changing the nonproliferation rules
Ernie Regehr
Ploughshares Briefing 07/1

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