Announcement - Second Annual Canadian Peace Award Recipients and Canadian Peace Hall of Fame Inductee

November 11, 2001

 

Introduction

This year, Awards will be presented in 10 major categories for Canadian achievements in building a Culture of Peace and Non-violence, at home and abroad.  The presentations also culminated in the second induction into the Canadian Peace Hall of Fame housed at the Canadian Centres for Teaching Peace and on its web site at http://www.peace.ca/peaceawards.htm .  The Award categories include peace achievements in government, business, the media, education, peacekeepers, peacebuilders in civil society, peace philanthropy, and youth, to name a few.

The Award will be in the form of an engraved, soapstone 'Inukshuk'.  For millennia, massive stone figures built in the image of a human have stood silhouetted on the treeless Arctic horizons.  Created by Inuit people, these Inukshuks serve as guides to point out a journey or a safe passage.  The Canadian Centres for Teaching Peace believes this is a fitting Canadian symbol of the journey to safe and caring communities and world.

* A world at peace would be very different from the one we know today. It will be one in which: Material resources are equitably shared; Beliefs and practices of militarism are no longer dominant; Terms such as "enemy" and "alien" are discarded as obsolete; and Local initiatives as well as global institutions are committed to enhancing social and economic justice and the peaceful resolution of international conflicts.  A world without war dignifies its own citizens, thereby creating a climate more conducive to ensuring basic rights and freedoms for all people in all countries.  Peacefund Canada has observer status as a nongovernmental organization at the United Nations and is a recipient of its Peace Messenger awards.  Peacefund Canada relies on the support of hundreds of donors across Canada to continue its work to support grass-roots peace and social justice initiatives.  Contact information: Peacefund Canada 206-145 Spruce Street, Ottawa, K1R 6P1; Phone: (613) 230-0860; Fax: (613) 563-0017; email pfcan@web.net ; web site http://www.web.net/~pfcan/

Mr. Strong is a leading Canadian industrialist and business leader who has maintained an overriding involvement in development and environmental concerns. Before most of the rest of the world recognized the clear environmental warning signs he was immersed in the issues- first as the Secretary-General of the 1972 UN Conference on the Environment in Stockholm and then as the first Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme. He was deeply involved in preparations leading to the 1992 Conference on the Environment and Development.  Mr. Strong was promoting the establishment of a global security and risk management programme under the auspices of the World Federation of UNA’s of which he was then the President. The aim was to define the minimum or boundary conditions necessary to ensure the survival of this planet and civilization as we know it. He challenged Canada and other industrialized countries to play an important role in this crucial pursuit.  As the guest of honour at a UN day dinner later that evening, Mr. Strong made an important statement on "Global Security and the Perils of Peace". He was particularly concerned that the dramatic changes in American-Soviet relations, welcomed as they were, have led many people to mistakenly assume that the risk of nuclear war and other global catastrophe had all but ended. "Rather we are in a dangerous and risky transition period with its own turbulence, uncertainty and peril. Although the present state of international affairs holds out the hope of a secure and lasting peace, it also presents great challenges. We need to convert this period of relaxation of rivalry between the great powers to one long-term, positive cooperation."  Mr. Strong paid particular attention to the global threats represented by debt, drugs and a deteriorating environment. He predicted that multilateral institutions -and particularly the United Nations- will be the effective forum through which these issues can be addressed. "We have seen much evidence of what many are calling the renaissance of the United Nations and its specialized agencies. this new relevance is built on nearly half a century of solid painstaking work. Canada is well positioned to see that the United Nations is given the scope and support necessary to its making a still larger contribution to global security." 

The United Nations University for Peace http://www.upeace.org/ , which is chaired by Canadian Maurice Strong, was established in December 1980 by Assembly resolution 35/55 to provide humanity with an international institution of higher education for peace and with the aim of promoting, among all human beings, the spirit of understanding, tolerance and peaceful coexistence. It also aims to stimulate cooperation among people and to help lessen obstacles and threats to world peace and progress. The University's headquarters are in San Jose, Costa Rica.   The United Nations Declaration and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace adopted by the General Assembly last September (resolution 53/243) could provide useful guidance and substantive input in the elaboration of the future programme and course contents of the University. That document should be included in the existing Master's degree course in human rights and education for peace. He also expressed concern about the University's financial situation and the fact that resource constraints had curtailed its activities. The UNESCO Culture of Peace Program articles approved by the United Nations states that education at all levels is one of the principal means to build a culture of peace.

Other related articles for reference:

- United Nations Association of Canada tribute of the Pearson Medal to Maurice Strong http://www.unac.org/events/pearson_medal/strong.html
- The Earth as we know it has less than 30 years to survive if we continue our destructive course
- The United Nations - better performance will help build confidence and political support by Maurice Strong http://www.cgg.ch/strong.htm .  The Commission on Global Governance http://www.cgg.ch/ , an independent group of 28 public figures, was inspired by the belief that the end of the cold war offered opportunities to build a more co-operative, safer and fairer world.  It presented proposals for improving the world's governance and better managing its affairs in a report published in 1995 - the year the United Nations marked its fiftieth anniversary.  The message of the report was encapsulated in its title: Our Global Neighbourhood http://www.cgg.ch/contents.htm . The book-length report was commended by such world figures as Nelson Mandela, Gro Harlem Brundtland and Vaclav Havel.  The Commission's recommendations centre principally on the United Nations, the only forum in which governments come together regularly to tackle world problems. Our Global Neighbourhood suggests how the UN should be revitalised so it can better respond to the needs of the modern world - a world that has changed in many ways since the UN was formed in 1945.
- Transcript: Maurice Strong on a People's Earth Charter  
- International Man of Mystery: Who Is Maurice Strong?  
- Dossier - Maurice Strong  
- Maurice Strong - the true King of the World?  

This year's recipient also qualifies as most innovative, and the peace program with the most potential to make a positive difference in Canada and around the world.  Nonviolent Peaceforce Canada was founded in May, 2000 to teach the techniques of nonviolence and peaceful conflict resolution to Canadians, and to help the international effort to create a global nonviolent peace force to send to conflict areas worldwide.  Just Recently: 1. Teaching nonviolence in Canadian classrooms and playgrounds is becoming mainstream;  2. Alternative Dispute Resolution is increasingly replacing lawsuits in Canada;  3. Approaches to peacemaking for Quakers, Unitarians, Mennonites, Catholics, and First Nations peoples are coming together;  4. Peace Brigades International (PBI) celebrated 20 years of nonviolent accompaniment and violence prevention in conflict areas without a single death of a volunteer; 5. Project Accompaniment sent hundreds of Canadian volunteers to Central America to be unarmed bodyguards for returning refugees.  Nonviolent Peaceforce Canada in its first year, has: 1. participated in the Winnipeg International Conference on War Affected Children;  2. hosted the International Steering Committee of Nonviolent Peaceforce and its own retreat;  3. held its first training series in introductory conflict resolution techniques;  4. opened an office in The Bronson Centre, 211 Bronson Ave., Suite 100A, Ottawa ON.  The legacy of Martin Luther King and Mohandas Gandhi are still alive today. Nonviolence may be an idea whose time has come.   For more information, contact: Carl Stieren (Chair) - Ottawa, Ontario - Email: carls@cyberus.ca , Nonviolent Peace Force Canada, Suite 100A, The Bronson Centre, 211 Bronson Avenue, Ottawa, ON K1R 6H5; Phone: (613) 564-0999; Fax: (613) 564-0068; Email: pax@magma.ca ; web site http://www.magma.ca/~pax/ 

The Globe and Mail, touted as Canada's National Newspaper, offers over a million readers across the country daily, national, international and business reporting, analysis and commentary. The Globe and Mail's website, http://www.globeandmail.com, offers up-to-the-minute news and information.  Canadians can be grateful during the past year that the Globe and Mail has been very good at reporting articles that raise awareness on peacebuilding issues.  This is particularly important during the period since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.  Since then, more people have learned about the issues around war and peace than in any previous period.  The Globe and Mail's reporting on issues of peace can be seen from the following list of articles:

• Canada's Apartheid - a special 14 part investigation of aboriginal/non-aboriginal relations in Canada, John Stackhouse, November 2001
• America's Ups and Downs, Ray Conlogue, November 14, 2001
• War of Words: Rick Salutin and Marcus Gee cross swords... Is the Afghan campaign justified?, October 13, 2001
• The Battle of Ideas: Monroe, Truman and Bush (on U.S. foreign policy), John Ibbitson, October 20, 2001
• Both sides use stark rhetoric of evil, Michael Valpy, October 20, 2001
• We're not evil, we just have accidents, Ray Conlogue, October 17, 2001
• Annan, UN win Nobel Peace Prize, October 13, 2001
• Absorbing the lessons of September 11, Rick Salutin, October 12, 2001
• Canadians are ready to fight, but want some answers, Lloyd Axworthy, October 8, 2001
• One thing everyone can agree on: 'We are right, you are wrong', Heather Mallick, October 6, 2001
• The Public Good: Thobani is not alone, Michael Valpy, October 6, 2001
• The War on Dissent, Simon Houpt, October 6, 2001
• Rumours, conspiracies and hatred, Marcus Gee, October 6, 2001
• Energy Independence: The best defence against terrorism, David Sanborn Scott, October 6, 2001
• Canada Calls U.S. unilateralism dangerous trend, Mike Trickey, July 26, 2001
• Not so fast, Mr. Bush (on ballistic missile defence), Lloyd Axworthy, May 2, 2001
• Quiet Diplomacy: A shame and a farce (on 'constructive engagement' in Sudan), Dave Toycen, February 15, 2001
• William Epstein: Canada's man of peace, Stephanie Nolen, February 14, 2001
• National Missile Defence: The final frontier, John Valleau, January 15, 2001

Other related articles for reference:

- During 2001, The Globe and Mail became part of Bell Globemedia http://www.bce.ca/en/about/content/globemedia/ , a Canadian multimedia company in which the Thomson Corporation http://www.thomson.com/ holds a 20% ownership position.

- Covering Violence: How Should Media Handle Conflict by Danny Schechter

Business - Canadian Business For Social Responsibility

The globalization of trade and the expanding interconnectedness of markets and citizens in the last decade has drawn attention to the power of business in terms of its social, environmental, and economic impact. Micro-entrepreneurs to multinationals are paying – or are being forced to pay – greater attention to the ways they operate, to the direct and indirect impact they are having on communities, to the size of ecological imprint they are leaving behind.  The impetus for change is arising on a number of fronts: shifting social values, increasing consumer and shareholder activism , strengthening local and international citizen action, depleting natural resources, and a growing recognition that the costs and benefits of a globalized economy are inequitably shared and dangerously out of balance. Pressures are rapidly increasing for business to responsibly and transparently share leadership with government and civil society to create a more just and sustainable world.  Two major polls of citizens emphasise the shift of consumer attitudes and their expectations of business.  The Environics 1 New Millennium Poll surveyed 25,000 people in 23 countries and a Market and Opinion Research International poll 2 surveyed 12,000 people in 12 European countries. From the survey results both organizations concluded that approximately two thirds of people believe a company’s commitment to goals other than profit is important when buying a product or service 3 . Clearly, consumers care about responsible business practices. This growing consumer concern is creating a market demand for responsible practices, products, and services as well as a social demand of government support and business action.

1. Networking opportunities with similar organizations looking at, and implementing CSR/ Best practice sharing. 
2. Monthly e-newsletter designed to highlight best practice and news from the field of Corporate Social Responsibility.
3. Regular events where practitioners of Corporate Social Responsibility outline their programs and share their experiences.
4. Speakers for international, national and local events with presentations focussed on particular areas (ie. Workshops or presentations on Corporate Environmental Social Responsibility).
5. Co-sponsoring of Ethics in Action in Toronto and Vancouver. The Ontario awards are sponsored by Citizens Bank of Canada and Mountain Equipment Co-op. The BC awards sponsors are VanCity Savings Credit Union, Mountain Equipment Co-op, The Workplace Centre for Spiritual and Ethical Development, Better Business Bureaus of Vancouver Island and Mainland BC, and CBSR. Digital media sponsorship for both Ontario and BC by Communicopia.Net.
6. Web-site links to member companies.

Government - Hon. Douglas Roche

Author, parliamentarian and diplomat, Douglas Roche was appointed to the Senate of Canada on September 17, 1998. Senator Roche was Canada's Ambassador for Disarmament from 1984 to 1989. He was elected Chairman of the United Nations Disarmament Committee, the main U.N. body dealing with political and security issues, at the 43rd General Assembly in 1988.  Senator Roche was elected to the Canadian Parliament four times, serving from 1972 to 1984 and specializing in the subjects of development and disarmament.  In 1989, he was appointed Visiting Professor at the University of Alberta, where he teaches "War or Peace in the 21st Century?" In 1997, he was chosen by the Students' Union to receive a SALUTE Award for "outstanding contributions to students."  Senator Roche is an Officer of the Order of Canada, Chairman of Canadian Pugwash and Chairman, Middle Powers Initiative, a network of seven international non-governmental organizations specializing in nuclear disarmament.  He is the author of fifteen books, and has contributed chapters to eight more. His latest is "Bread Not Bombs: A Political Agenda for Social Justice".  Senator Roche has served as President of the United Nations Association in Canada and was elected in 1985 as Honorary President of the World Federation of United Nations Associations, the first Canadian to receive this honour. He was named Chairman of the Canadian Committee for the Fiftieth Anniversary of the United Nations in 1995. He was the founding President of Parliamentarians for Global Action, an international network of 1,300 parliamentarians in 99 countries; founding editor of the Western Catholic Reporter (1965-72); and International Chairman (1990-96) of Global Education Associates, New York.  An Honorary Doctor of Divinity was awarded to him by St. Stephen's College, Edmonton, in 1977. He has also received Honorary Doctor of Laws degrees from Simon Fraser University (1985) and the University of Alberta (1986), and an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from St. Peter's College, Jersey City, N.J., for his work at the United Nations. In 1992, he was given the Thakore Foundation Award "in recognition of his prolonged and distinguished work towards disarmament, global peace and peace education." In 1995, he received the United Nations Association's Medal of Honour. The N.G.O. Committee on Disarmament at the United Nations presented him with The 2000 Josephine Pomerance Award for Meritorious Service in the cause of Disarmament in a U.N. context.  In 1995, Pope John Paul II presented him with the Papal Medal for his service as Special Adviser on disarmament and security matters. In 1998, the Holy See named him a Knight Commander of the Order of St. Gregory the Great.

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Canadian Peace Hall of Fame

The Canadian Peace Hall of Fame (CPHF) honours people and institutions who represent the best in the peacebuilding profession. The Hall of Fame exists to recognize the prominent and the unsung heroes of our country - the people who influence our most worthwhile cause, Peace.  Initially, as a virtual Hall of Fame, the web site will provide you with information about the Canadian Peace Hall of Fame's members.  The goal of recognizing exemplary peacebuilding is to be accomplished through honour, recognition and building awareness. 

Peace Hall of Fame - John Peters Humphrey 1905 - 1995

 

The principal author of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was a native of New Brunswick, John Peters Humphrey. He wrote the first draft of what eventually became perhaps the most important human rights document in history.  The Declaration was unanimously passed by the United Nations' General Assembly on December 10, 1948. To mark this milestone, December 10 is recognized worldwide as Human Rights Day. In 1998, special events were held throughout the world to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Universal Declaration. John Humphrey was born in Hampton, NB and went to school in Rothesay, NB. John did not have an easy childhood. His father died before John was one year old and his mother when he was eleven. His left arm was amputated when he was six because of a severe burn. Undeterred by these handicaps, John Humphrey pursued his studies at Mount Allison University in Sackville, NB and then at McGill University in Montreal. He earned four degrees at McGill and later became a professor and dean of law. In 1946, Humphrey was asked to set up the UN's Division for Human Rights, of which he became the Director. In this capacity, he prepared a 400 page background paper for the proposed Universal Declaration and wrote its first draft in 1947. After further drafts and revisions by various UN officials and committees, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted by the UN in 1948. Humphrey was Director of the Human Rights Division until 1966. Humphrey then returned to McGill, where he devoted himself to human rights teaching and advocacy. He was the founding president of the Canadian Section of the International Commission of Jurists and he helped establish Amnesty International Canada and the Canadian Human Rights Foundation. Humphrey authored numerous articles and several books. He received 13 honorary degrees and, in 1974, was named an Officer of the Order of Canada. In his honour, the International Centre for Human Rights and Democratic Development established the $25,000 John Humphrey Freedom Award, which is presented each year. Humphrey died in 1995 in Montreal. Canada Post issued a stamp in his honour in October 1998. References - http://www.udhr.org/history/Biographies/biograph.htm http://www.gov.nb.ca/hrc-cdp/e/humphre2.htm#Humphrey http://www.sfu.ca/mediapr/Releases/News/1999/October1999/Author.html http://www.markings.bc.ca/mind/peace/humanrights.html http://www.pch.gc.ca/ddp-hrd/humphrey/index_e.shtml http://www.radio.cbc.ca/programs/thismorning/archives/1998/humphrey.html Videos: By His Hand, an excellent documentary produced on John Humphrey's contribution to the Universal Declaration in 1991 by Through the Lens Inc.  Current distributor: Omega Films Limited omega@baloo.com  John Humphrey: Address to the U.N.G.A. on 35th Anniversary of Universal Declaration John Humphrey: Education-The Ultimate Sanction of Human Rights (ref. http://ace.acadiau.ca/polisci/aa/digagora/courses/pols4883/videos.htm  ) The following is a partial list of his publications: - Humphrey, John Peters. On the Edge of Greatness: The Diaries of John Humphrey, First Director of the United Nations Human Rights Division, Vol I 1948-1949 by A.J. Hobbins (Editor) (Montreal and Kingston: McGill-Queen's University Press, 1994). ISBN: 0773513833 - Humphrey, John Peters. On the Edge of Greatness: The Diaries of John Humphrey, First Director of the United Nations Division of Human Rights 1950-1951, Volume 2. (Fontanus Monographs by A.J. Hobbins (Editor) (Montreal and Kingston: McGill Queen’s University Press, 1996). ISBN: 0773514546 - Humphrey, John Peters. On the Edge of Greatness: The Diaries of John Humphrey, First Director of the United Nations Human Rights Division, Volume III, 1952-1957 by A.J. Hobbins (Editor) (Montreal and Kingston: McGill-Queen’s University Press, 1997). ISBN: 0773514562 - Humphrey, John P. No Distant Millennium: The International Law of Human Rights. (Paris: UNESCO, 1989). - Humphrey, John P. and Nash, Alan E., Institute for Research on Public Policy and Canadian Human Rights Foundation. Human Rights and the Protection of Refugees Under International Law. Proceedings of a Conference held in Montreal, November 29-December 2, 1987. (Montreal, Quebec and Halifax N.S: Canadian Human Rights Foundation and Institute for Research on Public Policy, c1988) - Humphrey, John P. Human Rights & the United Nations: A Great Adventure. (Dobbs Ferry, N.Y: Transnational Publishers, c1984) - Humphrey. John P. and Macdonald, R. St. J. The Practice of Freedom: Canadian Essays on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. (Toronto: Butterworths, c1979). - Humphrey, John P. Florence Bird, and Jacques Henripin, Report of the Royal Commission on the Status of Women in Canada. (Canada. Royal Commission on the Status of Women in Canada, 1970). - Humphrey, John Peters. The United Nations and Human Rights. Series: Behind the Headlines, V.23, No.1. (Toronto: Published for the Canadian Institute of International Affairs by the Baxter Pub. Co., 1963). - Humphrey, John P. The Inter-American System: A Canadian View. (Toronto: Macmillan Company of Canada, 1942). A Partial Bibliographical listing may be found in: Wiktor, Christian L. Canadian Bibliography of International Law 714 (Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1984). Biographical Statements on this great Canadian are in: - Macdonald, R. St. J. "Leadership in Law: John P. Humphrey and the Development of the International Law of Human Rights," The Canadian Yearbook of International Law, XXIX (1991), 3-91. - Humphrey, John Peters. On the Edge of Greatness: The Diaries of John Humphrey, First Director of the United Nations Human Rights Division, Vol. 1. 1948-1949. A.J. Hobbins (Editor) (Montreal and Kingston: McGill-Queen's University Press, 1994), 11-22.