Canadian Peace Museum publishes open letter calling on Prime Minister to do more to promote peace, support launch of Peace Museum

 

The Canadian Peace Museum has published an open letter (below) to the Prime Minister calling for more efforts to promote peace and support the launch of the Canadian Peace Museum. 

Signatories include two recipients of the Order of Canada, including author and humanitarian Dr. Samantha Nutt and Professor James Orbinski, the Principal Elect of Massey College, University of Toronto. 

The letter to the Prime Minister is below. 

December 23, 2024 

The Right Honourable Justin Trudeau, P.C., M.P. Prime Minister of Canada; The Hon. Pascale St-Onge, P.C., M.P. Minister of Canadian Heritage; The Hon. Mélanie Joly, P.C., M.P. Minister of Foreign Affairs

Dear Prime Minister Trudeau, Minister St-Onge, and Minister Joly:

Promoting peace has never been more necessary. The number of wars and their deadliness is rising. Polarization is rising globally and in Canada along with hatred. Climate change, record-breaking number of extreme weather events, and ecological degradation drive forcible displacement, tension and conflicts. Violent extremism and threats to democracy are exacerbated by mis- and disinformation. Amidst these converging crises, the normality of peace and conversations about peace are neglected. 

Canada has a proud history of promoting peace. Examples include Lester B. Pearson’s efforts to resolve the Suez crisis, the Pugwash Conferences, the Ottawa Treaty on Landmines, the Montreal Protocol on Greenhouse gases, John Peters Humphrey’s advancement of Human Rights, Lloyd Axworthy’s work on Responsibility to Protect, and Canada’s Women, Peace, and Security Agenda. 

Our public polling indicates high enthusiasm to learn about Canada’s positive influence and mistakes, including the need to learn truthful history as a necessary step towards reconciliation. 

While trust in institutions and media is low, trust in museums remains high. While there are peace museums in the UK, U.S., Japan, Australia, Germany, and India, Canada lacks an equivalent museum. 

The closures of multiple institutions has reduced peace-promotion in Canada. The Montreal Institute for Genocide and Human Rights Studies closed last month, the International Centre for Human Rights and Democratic Development did so in 2012, the Pearson Peacekeeping Centre in 2013, and the North-South Institute in 2014. 

In contrast to non-governmental organizations and universities, museums generate private income and are financially self-sustaining, once operational. 

We call on the Government of Canada to support peace-promotion and the establishment of the Canadian Peace Museum. We request a meeting to present our plans. 

In peace,

Chris Houston, President, Canadian Peace Museum; Dr Anita Schug, Director, Canadian Peace Museum; Sara Wolfe, Treasurer, Canadian Peace Museum; Danika Bouchard, Advisor, Canadian Peace Museum; Professor James Orbinski, CM, Principal Elect, Massey College, University of Toronto; Dr Samantha Nutt,  CM; Ben Rowswell, Convenor, Circle for Democratic Solidarity

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