CANADA'S FIRST UNIVERSITY BASED CENTRE FOR PEACE AND DISARMAMENT STUDIES TO LAUNCH IN JANUARY 2002

<?flushright>The Simons Centre for Peace and Disarmament Studies to Join Dynamic Roster
at The Liu Centre for the Study of Global Issues

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Monday, November 19, 2001


(Vancouver, BC) A research centre dedicated to the pursuit of innovative solutions to strategic disarmament and arms control challenges - a first for a Canadian university - will be launched at the University of British Columbia in January 2002.

The Simons Centre for Peace and Disarmament Studies will be housed at the Liu Centre for the Study of Global Issues at UBC and will continue to build the university's growing presence as a leader in human security -- a new generation of global issues ranging from the threats posed to civilian populations by small arms and nuclear weapons to the impacts of rapid environmental change. The Simons Centre will pursue a distinctive focus on security issues from a disarmament perspective, rather than through the lens of military security.

"The Liu Centre, and Vancouver by extension, is rapidly gaining a reputation as a dynamic forum for issues of concern to Canadians and the world. We are delighted to be part of this growth and hopeful that this center will help move the human security agenda forward," said Dr. Jennifer Allen Simons, co-director of the new centre with Dr. Lloyd Axworthy, currently Director and CEO of The Liu Centre. According to Dr. Simons, the new centre will pioneer innovative approaches to these pressing global concerns.

"The centre will pursue a unique focus that differs from a more traditional political science department or a think tank," she said. "The Simons Centre will generate and deliver policy-relevant knowledge with a range of audiences - NGOs (non-governmental organizations), political leaders and the general public- in mind. An emerging global community, these groups need the best research in order to engage fully and to make informed decisions during these critical times."

Whether studying global bio-terrorism, developing treaties and international legal solutions for disarmament or holding public consultations on the weaponization of space, The Simons Centre will respond to peace and security issues as they emerge taking research solutions to the international stage.

According to Dr. Axworthy, " The Liu Centre is one of the few places in the world where scholars and practitioners work together in a collaborative manner to generate fresh, coherent, policy directed towards global issues and their relevance to global governance. We are very pleased that Dr. Simons will be joining our team."

Dr. Simons, Director of The Simons Foundation of Canada, reports that The Simons Centre for Peace and Disarmament Studies at UBC will undertake the educational initiatives on policy issues previously handled by the Foundation. The Simons Foundation will be moving to UBC and will continue to provide grants to non-profit organizations working in the field of peace and disarmament in Canada.

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For more information please contact:
Amanda Gibbs, IMPACS; 604-682-1953 email: amandag@impacs.org