Your chance to sign the Peace Train Canada petition to Parliament calling for a national centre for peacemaking













In October, the Peace Train will be in Ottawa again to promote the idea of the creation of a national peace centre. 

As part of that trip, it once again wants to present a petition to Parliament about that idea. 

You can help by signing the petition, and by getting others to sign it, too. (You can read the petition below.) 

How it Works 

The 2026 petition is a three-page document. It can be found here. 

All three pages should be printed and stapled together. The first page has the “whereas” clauses on it and must be on top when stapling. 

A person must sign, not print their name. 

Although only 25 are required to complete a petition, gather at least 5 or 10 more as several signatures may be disqualified (for example when someone prints instead of signing their name). 

If you want to keep collecting signatures after the first 3 pages are full, print another 3-page set and continue. 

When you have finished collecting signatures, bring the petition to your MP and request that they present it in the house using these specific questions: 

Will you present this petition in the house: yes or no? (If not, MP Gord Johns will.) If yes, WHEN will you present it? 

Make sure your MP knows this is an URGENT matter as Canada divests of its peacemaking and peacekeeping infrastructure. The petition needs to be presented in September or October. 

Note: If you can’t see your MP in person, email the blank petition PDF and ask if the MP will support it. If yes, then you can mail the completed petition to the MP. Alternatively, mail your completed petition to Gord Johns, who is the official sponsor of this petition: 

Gord Johns, House of Commons, Ottawa, ON, K1A OA6 (this is postage free) 

Let us know where your completed petition(s) went. Email: info@peacetraincanada.com 

Petition to the House of Commons in Parliament 

Whereas: 

• Peace is central to personal, national, and environmental well-being and is the only condition that allows non-violent coexistence for this and future generations;

• A national peace centre would help balance the two requirements for durable security: a sound defense, and a sophisticated, peace making, building, and keeping capacity;

• A national peace centre would help create coherent, intelligent peace strategies that are needed to alleviate the immense scale of death and suffering caused by a reliance on war to achieve political aims;

• A national peace centre would help support a culture of peace and a government committed to an integrated, whole-of-society approach to peace making;

• A national peace centre would help Canada uphold its commitments to the basics of justice, equality, freedom, and well-being for all, which are essential for national security and for preventing international conflict and war;

• A national peace centre would help stimulate the diverse peace industrial complex that is the foundation of Canada’s economy, from which defense investments are extracted;

• A national peace centre would contribute to conflict resolution by helping to identify and address the causes of conflict; and

• A national peace centre would be a vital asset for coordinating peace and security related intelligence, training, operations, education, and analysis while enhancing institutional transparency and accountability. 

Therefore: 

We, the undersigned citizens and residents of Canada, call upon the House of Commons in Parliament assembled 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, police, military personnel, and the international community, as a fundamental part of Canada’s increased commitment to defence and security.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

All-aboard the 2026 Peace Train!

Image
  Peace Train Canada 2026 will be departing the station this fall—and you are invited to be onboard.   Travelling on VIA Rail’s The Canadian once again, it will leave Vancouver for Ottawa on October 23.     It arrives in Toronto on Tuesday, October 27 and Peace Trainers will depart for Ottawa the next morning, on Wednesday, October 28.   A parliamentary reception with MPs is on October 28, from 5 to 7 PM.   “This will be a journey across our great land to support peace,” says organizer Keith Wyton.   “With wars wreaking havoc, now is the time to tell our government that we must strengthen our diplomatic efforts to prevent conflict . . . if we want peace, we must train for peace.”   Along the way, Peace Trainers will meet supporters at train stations before ending up in Ottawa for a week of meetings and events with government representatives and officials.   The goal of the meetings is to call for the establishment of a Canadia...
Read more

Elizabeth May brings up Canada's diminished role in peacekeeping, the need to discuss threat of nuclear weapons, in House of Parliament

Image
On Nov. 20 in the House of Commons, MP Elizabeth May (Green Party, Saanich-Gulf Islands) raised concerns in about Canada’s declining role in international peacekeeping and nuclear disarmament.   She noted that Canada once led in these areas—especially through Lester B. Pearson’s historic work—but now ranks very low in peacekeeping contributions and has closed the Pearson Peacekeeping Centre.   May went on to criticize the Canadian government for refusing to participate in or observe meetings of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, arguing this contradicts the government’s stated belief in a world free of nuclear weapons.   She noted that there are grassroots efforts across Canada promoting peace, including the Peace Train.   In response, Robert Oliphant of the Liberal Party (Don Valley West), who is also the Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs, responded that Canada remains committed to nuclear non-proliferation through the long-standing ...
Read more

Peace Train Canada meets with Parliamentarians in Ottawa: building on momentum from 2024

Image
  “It’s good to see you here, building on the momentum from last year.” With those words, Gord Johns, NDP Member of Parliament for Courtenay—Alberni, B.C., welcomed a dozen members of Peace Train Canada to a breakfast with parliamentarians at the Senate of Canada building in Ottawa on Oct. 22.   The meeting, which found 10 Members of Parliament and one Senator, or their representatives, at the event, was a follow up to the 2024 Peace Train Canada reception with Parliamentarians, also in Ottawa.   “We are honoured to join you in building peace and understanding,” Johns said, adding the efforts of the Peace Train “is inspiring."   The need for peacekeeping around the world is more necessary than ever, Johns said, noting that over 120 million people have been forced from their homes by conflict.   “These are not just stats, these are people and families,” he said.   “Peace begins with action,” he went on to say, adding he supported the Peace Train’...
Read more