Canadian Peace Congress to hold its convention

Thursday, October 25, 2018

We are very pleased to inform you that the Canadian Peace Congress will convene its 2018 Convention on November 24-25, 2018 in Toronto, and we extend an open invitation to all our friends and supporters, and all those concerned war, peace, and the fate of our planet to join us!

Our Convention comes at a critical, dangerous moment. The world, as we all know, is becoming an increasingly scary place. While aggression and war are nothing new, the rapid deterioration in international relations, increasing tensions, and the announced intentions of the Trump Administration to launch a whole new round of the arms race are alarming developments indeed.

Imperialist wars of aggression on Syria and Yemen continue to rage. Despite international condemnation, Israel is tightening its siege of Gaza and its advancing its annexationist plans for the whole of the Occupied Palestinian Territories. 'Regime change' operations against Venezuela, Nicaragua and other progressive governments are intensifying.

The hopeful signs of a peaceful resolution to the conflict on the Korean peninsula are being threatened by ultra-right hawks in Washington and the forces of the military-industrial complex.

At the international level, the active cultivation of Russo-phobia and Sino-phobia is creating a chilling 'cold war' atmosphere which the world has not experienced for decades. Add to this the U.S. decision to cancel the Iran nuclear deal (JCPOA), the INF Treaty, and its threat to cancel new START treaty talks to reduce nuclear arsenals.

The organized advance of racist, national chauvinist, and neo-fascist movements in many countries; the deepening economic crisis of capitalism on a system-wide level (reflected in increasing rivalries, trade/tariff wars, and predictions of another global meltdown); and the ever-more intense impact of the crisis of climate change -- all these dangerous and inter-related phenomena are like destructive 'weather systems' that are swirling and converging into a 'super storm' which threatens the very future of humanity!

And what role is the Trudeau Government in Ottawa playing in all of this? Is it an active force for peace and disarmament? Hardly! In fact, Ottawa has become one of the most bellicose voices promoting the drive to militarism, aggression and war.

Unfortunately, the peace forces across Canada are too few, too divided, and in some cases too disoriented by imperialist propaganda and fear-mongering to respond to the growing danger, and to turn Canadian foreign policy in the direction of peace and disarmament. Rebuilding, re-focusing, and uniting the peace movement across Canada for all those devoting to stopping and reversing this perilous drift to calamity.

It is our hope that the Canadian Peace Congress can and will play a much more enhanced role in building up and uniting the voices for peace. For us, this is our most urgent and compelling task.

We take this opportunity to invite you to join with us in constructive discussion on how best to rebuild and strengthen our peace movement, and advance our common struggle against imperialist aggression and war!

Executive,
Canadian Peace Congress

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For more information about our Convention, write us at [email protected].