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29 Christian leaders send letter to Prime Minister calling on Canada to define national security wider than just expanding the military, to also include peacebuilding

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The leaders of 29 Canadian Christian denominations and civil society organizations have sent a letter to the Prime Minister expressing “deep concern” over the government’s approach to securing Canada’s economic and national security.   “While we are also concerned about our own national security, our hearts break considering all of those impacted by global conflict, and those who will continue to be impacted as conflicts increase,” the leaders say.   The letter, which was initiated by Mennonite Central Committee Canada, was sent Oct. 26 at the start of International Disarmament Week , an annual week created by the United Nations to promote awareness about disarmament issues.   War, the letter says, “diminishes the human dignity inherent in each person, both those who experience violence and those who are asked to carry it out. We write to remind you of the core principle from the moral foundation of our Christian faith: that we are called to love our neighbours, a...
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"Never giving up in the face of resistance from power and money." John Kidder reflects on his time on the Peace Train

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By John Kidder   VIA Train 2 departed Vancouver for Toronto on Oct. 23. We—my partner Elizabeth (MP Elizabeth May) and me—are on board with 40 others on the Peace Train, headed for Ottawa. For us, the train is far and away our preferred way to travel. Also, it's my birthday tomorrow, so this is also a bit of a present.   And there’s a bit of irony. I rode this train from Vancouver to Montréal in 1964, 62 years ago when I was 16, with six other guys from B.C., on our way to Collège Militaire Royal (CMR) in St. Jean, Québec.   In those days, one could get a very good degree at the Canadian military colleges, and one had only to serve three years in the services in return. So, many young guys (only males in those unenlightened days) applied, 1,200 or so in B.C.   Only seven of us made the cut.   And so we went on across the country, picking up young men at every stop, going off for training as officers and gentlemen, so that we would be able properly to kil...
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"Time once again for Canadians to raise our voices for peace." Kathleen Wallace-Deering on why she supports the Peace Train

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Kathleen Wallace-Deering of Coquitlam, B.C. is on the Peace Train for the second time. From 1980-85 she was a staff person with Project  Ploughshares (a project of the Canadian Council of Churches), and from 1997 to 2000 she was the first Diocesan staff person for peace, social justice and environmental concerns. In 2024 she wrote the following for her Anglican diocesan newsletter.   “Now is the time, this is the place, and we are the people”. This stirring call to social action by Herbert O’Driscoll, in a sermon he gave around 1980 when he was Dean of Vancouver’s Christ Church Cathedral, has shaped my spirituality and life-long ministry as an Anglican layperson working for peace, social justice and environmental stewardship.   Forty years ago, at the height of the Cold War when the threat of nuclear seemed imminent, many Anglicans and other Christians were visible and vocal, carrying banners and singing among the multitude of 115,000 people walking over the Burrard Stree...
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"We live in a time when most people want to live peacefully." More Peace Trainers talk about why they are going on the Peace Train

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  From Oct. 28-31, over 40 people from B.C., Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario and Nova Scotia will be in Ottawa with Peace Train Canada to call on the federal government to give more attention to peace and peacekeeping.   Why are they going? Find their thoughts below.   Walter Dorn of Toronto is a Professor of Defence Studies at Royal Military College & Canadian Forces College. A big supporter of peacekeeping, he is going on the Peace Train to “support peace and Canada's role in creating it.   His message for the Prime Minister about the need for a centre to promote peace and peacekeeping? “Canada needs a centre where military, police and civilians can train together. The centre can also do research and coordination to support Canada's role in peace and peacekeeping.”   Lori Matties is from Winnipeg. This is her third trip to Ottawa with Peace Train Canada. She is going on the train because “we live in a time when most people want to live peacefully, yet...
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"I want to help raise up another generation of peace activists.” Peace Trainers on why they are taking the Peace Train

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From Oct. 28-31, over 40 people from B.C., Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario and Nova Scotia will be in Ottawa with Peace Train Canada to call on the federal government to give more attention to peace and peacekeeping.   Why are they going? Find some thoughts below.   Margaret Neuhaus of Penticton, B.C. is going on the Peace Train for the first time. For her, “it’s important that the whole of Canada, through our Parliament, emphasize that war and negativity never solves our differences. We have to listen to both sides, negotiate and mediate a peaceful life for everyone.”   Rev. Jeff Rock is the Coordinating Minister at Canadian Memorial United Church and Centre for Peace. He is also going on the Peace Train for the first time.   “I grew up in the 80s when the blue berets of the peacekeepers were a source of deep pride and the legacy of Pearson and peace was fresh,” he says. “Canada is at a crossroads, and I want to help raise up another generation of peace activis...
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Send a postcard to the Prime Minister about peace

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  Want to send a postcard to the Prime Minister about the need for Canada to do more about peace and peacekeeping? Want to invite your friends to do it, too?   Now you can! The Peace Train has a postcard you can download and print to do just that.   The message on the postcard:   Dear Prime Minister Carney,   We call on the Canadian government to establish and fund an independent, integrated Canadian Centre for Peace and Justice focused on research, policy, diplomacy, peace education, and training for Canadian civilians, military personnel, and the international community, as a fundamental part of Canada’s increased commitment to defence and security.   You can find the postcard, and instructions for how to print it, here.
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A chance to "walk the talk:" Peace Trainers reflect on why they are riding the Peace Train

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For Lynn Malinsky of Kelowna, B.C., this is her first on the Peace Train. She will be boarding it in Kamloops.   She’s making the trip because “I want to join a group that believes promoting peace is a worthy cause, given the political disruption in Alberta, the current American politics, and the state of the world in general. I want to walk the talk and increase awareness of the necessity to promote peace,” she says.   Her message to the Prime Minister is that the creation of a peace centre  “will demonstrate the government’s commitment to promoting peace and provide the opportunity for engaging Canadian citizens in increasing awareness across the country.”   Michael Elliott of Vancouver is a member of Canadian Memorial Church United Church and a member of the Vancouver Buddhist Temple. As he prepares to go on the Peace Train, he recalls a story shared by a priest at the Temple.   The priest had visited a temple that had a sign in front a sign which r...
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