Category: Peace

Canadian Government increasing support for Addicts

Health Minister Ujjal Dosanjh announced yesturday that $851,000 in federal funding will be spent to help curb the crystal meth abuse by first nations across Canada. More than 340 aboriginal addictions counsellors and health workers will be trained in how to counsel addicts of methamphetamine. Measures to help prevent the use of crystal meth will also be part of the 30 hour certification program that the counsellors will learn at the Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technologies.

“By training these skilled and experienced community workers in the prevention of crystal meth abuse, we are strengthening our response to this very serious health threat.” Dosanjh says.

Dosanjh has also reaffirmed Health Canada’s plan to spend, over the next three years, more than $6 million of its $29-million Drug Strategy Community Initiatives Fund on anti-drug programs geared to the West, considered to be one of the worst areas for meth and heroin addiction. Raising awareness and creating better support for users of meth and other debilitating drugs is a much needed step towards minimizing serious chemical dependancy in our communities.

Brazil Disarms, Fewer Deaths

The government of Brazil launched a disarmament campaign in 2004 that pays compensation to those who turn in their weapons. No questions were asked where/how they got their weapons. At one point someone handed in a high-calibre machine gun that could shoot down planes.

As a result of this campaign there have been fewer deaths as a result of gun violence. Gun deaths have fallen by more than 8% in 2004, the first time the death rate has fallen in 13 years. 443, 700 guns have been collected.

Pentagon releases pictures

A Pentagon General told BBC “If we lose America, we lose the war, ” and this seems to be happening already. Ralph Begleiter is a professor at the University of Delaware. Some time this year he brought the US Defence Department to court in order to force it to publish pictures of coffins coming home from Iraq.
The Pentagon then published 700 pictures, and this – together with the increasing number of deaths and a lot of resistance from victims’ families – had a big impact in American public opinion about the Iraq war. As American soldiers’ casualties have reached 1850, American public support for the war has dropped to about 40%.

Thanks again to BBC news for the information and picture.

India Providing Aid to Afghanistan

The Prime Minister of India, Manmohan Singh, sees that stability is needed in Asia, and one way that India can help keep things stable is by helping Afghanistan more. Already New Delhi ranks in the top six contributors to Kabul.

On a recent visit to Kabul, Singh noted that more reconstruction is needed and has said publicly that India will continue to help Afghanistan as well as further their economic and political ties.