Category: Peace

Pinball Clemons vs. A History of Violence

With the rapidly mounting history of gun violence in Toronto, there has been a lot of talk of law-and-order solutions to the problem, but that doesn’t come even close to addressing the real issue.

So it’s nice to see that the government of Ontario, along with erstwhile football star “Pinball” Clemons, is launching an initiative to invest $15 million into programs for at-risk youth in marginalized communities throughout the Greater Toronto Area.

“The Youth Challenge Fund — is it a solution? Absolutely not,” Clemons said. “This is a program that builds into tomorrow. This is not something that is going to today eradicate violence.” We’re inclined to agree.

Sri-Lanka and Rebels Agree to Peace Talks

The Tamil Tigers, a group of rebels fighting the Sri Lankan government, have agreed to meet in Switzerland with the Sri Lankan government to negotiate peace. Recently ceasefire agreements have been breached, both sides don’t want more war, but agree nothing will happen until a more comprehensive ceasefire agreement is reached. Both sides also acknowledge that the recent fighting has done more bad than good for all people.

Norwegian peace envoy Erik Solheim helped broker a brief peace between the Tigers and Sri Lanka in 2002, and thanks to him the peace talks are now being held in Switzerland.

UN Gets New Bigger & Better Body

The UN has created a new peace-building commission to help countries not renew the violence from previous conflicts. A lot of conflicts around the world tend to re-ignite after the peace-keeping mission departs, the new commission aims to ensure that this doesn’t happen.

Now, the UN would not only train security forces, but also ensure that the infrastructure is in place so the security force can be effective. It would also look into other ways to ensure that violence will not start through, what can be considered, traditional ways. A proactive approach rather than a continually reactive one.

White Ribbon Campaign

White Ribbon Campaign

December 6th marks the end of White Ribbon Days. Not coincidentally, the day is also the anniversary of the Montreal Massacre, a tragedy that occurred in 1989 when 14 women were murdered at the city’s L’Ecole Polytechnique. Vigils were held across Canada today to mark this sombre anniversary.

White Ribbon Days are sponsored by the White Ribbon Campaign. The WRC is the largest movement of its kind in the world, and is organized by men in an effort to eradicate male violence against women. However, the WRC does not make any public statements on December 6 because it believes that men should “step back and listen to the voices of women.”

While certainly not good news, these statistics are worth repeating: Girls are four times more likely than boys to be victims of sexual assault by family members. 12 per cent of girls in grade nine are pressured to have sex. Adolescent wives are three times more likely to be murdered. (Stats courtesy of The Toronto Star)

P.S. (9:55 pm) Just came across this great website created by the National Film Board and the Global Women’s Memorial Society. “The Global Women’s Memorial Website project is dedicated to remembering women who have been murdered & promoting women’s memorials as an act of resistance to violence against women.” It’s worth checking out.

Write for Rights!

On December 10th, 1948 the United Nations presented the “Universal Declaration of Human Rights” which describes the basic rights of all people everywhere. Now known as Human Rights Day, December 10th is the perfect day for those who care about human rights issues to take part in making a difference. Amnesty International has put together an event called ‘Write for Rights’ and it is an awesome way for people to contribute a little kindness and generosity of spirit as we near the holiday season. You can write with your family or even put together an event with friends to raise awareness, money and take action against human rights abuses worldwide.

For more info you can visit http://www.amnesty.ca/writeathon/index.php