| Posted: April 21 2005,13:09 |
If you wrote this report, you will find a button here that you may click
in order to make changes in the report. 
|
PROGRESS: Has your organization seen
progress toward a culture of peace and nonviolence in your domain of
action and in your constituency during the first half of the Decade? |
YES!
In Canada one of the most significant civil society initiative to
foster effectively a culture of peace and non-violence in a concerted
manner has been the launching last November 2004 of the Canadian
Culture of Peace Program (CCOPP)
www.peace.ca/canadiancultureofpeaceprogram.htm. This happened at
McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, concluding nine days of peace
conferencing. The well-reputed author, (The Human Right to
Peace), parliamentarian and diplomat, retired senator Douglas Roche,
O.C. (www.douglasroche.ca) leads CCOPP as its Honorary Chairman. Mr.
Roche was once Canada's Ambassador for Disarmament and elected Chairman
of the United Nations Disarmament Committee. The CCOPP interim
executive director is Robert Stewart, an active Rotarian as well as a
leading peace advocate in Canada. Robert is the founder and director of
the Canadian Centres for Teaching Peace (CCTP), which operates
primarily as a virtual centre at www.peace.ca. It is no doubt a very
important online civil society focal point for peace as well as being,
in Canada, the principal instigator and organizer of national and
provincial peace education conferences. CCTP has also initiated
several e-mail list-servers and online forums to provide tools for
communication, networking, dialogue and information dissemination
promoting a culture of peace and non-violence. This pro-active result
oriented dynamic has been the catalyst for the formation of the, rather
more grounded, Canadian Culture of Peace Program, CCOPP. The freshly
released CCOPP Stakeholder Network Design states: “The CCOPP intends to
translate the UN’s conceptual framework into an active organization
that realizes the goals of the UN initiative. This program will
be multileveled, involving national, provincial, and local bodies, and
develop international links in aid of its mission. The program
will operate through a variety of different organizational types
(educational institutions, businesses, youth groups, churches, etc.).
The CCOPP may operate through new, self-organizing bodies or
within existing organizations.” www.peace.ca/StakeholderWebDesign.doc
Peace
is as much a process as a goal or concept. The visit-counter of the
website reports over 1,000,000 visitors since its inception in 1998,
and is currently averaging over 50,000 visitors per month, from around
the world. These numbers, including visits from other countries, lead
us to believe in progress, if only in terms of interest for (or of
desire to be informed about) the culture of peace in Canada. As CCOPP
gears up we are noticing, from provinces across the country, an
increase in active engagement of individuals of different backgrounds
and cultural origins, from the stay-at-home mother to the university
academic, from activists to scholastics, as well as the religiously
inspired. Gradually the CCOPP structure is taking form. The
organisation will develop or adopt more reliable indicators of progress
of the culture of peace, such as systematic collection and collation of
relevant data from stakeholders or through public opinion polls, which
should enable, in the second half of the International Decade, better
gauging of effective progress in the advancement of a culture of peace
and non-violence in Canada. In the context of this current mid-decade
report CCOPP has taken on the task of national coordinator for Canadian
civil society feedback (Contact: Ms Renée Vaugeois rjvarney@telus.net);
the collation of this data will be invaluable for the eventual
elaboration of a realistic, hopefully none-the-less ambitious and
visionary, plan of action, coordinated at a national level while also
empowering at community and provincial levels, to foster more
effectively a culture peace in Canada during the second half
(2006-2010) of the International Decade.
|
OBSTACLES: What are the most important obstacles that have prevented progress?
|
The
newly-formed CCOPP is hopeful that its stakeholders can synergistically
become empowered to make a concerted meaningful difference in the
relatively, rather frustratingly, little progress perceived so far as
elaborated in the quotation below from the CCTP report of March 14,
2005 submitted separately by its director:
“…The vast
majority of politicians and officials in the Canadian Government have
little or no knowledge of the Culture of Peace and Non-violence
Program. Little, if any, new resources (financial, informational
or human) have been provided to build a Culture of Peace and
Non-violence. This is ample evidence that the Government of
Canada has not rushed in to participate. Furthermore, the
Canadian Commission for UNESCO does not see its role as one of
leadership. … In short, despite what some may say, we are
underachieving our potential to build a Culture of Peace and
Non-violence in Canada, and in the world. …”
The CCOPP is a
very ambitious project aspiring to foster the culture of peace across
the provincial, linguistic, and multi-cultural divides throughout the
geographic expanse of Canada. It is the result of the relentless
pursuit for a peaceful human society, nationally and globally, by a
relatively few courageous and visionary individuals operating so far
with little material resources and having to juggle their CCOPP
engagement with other occupations. The challenge is to maintain
momentum on ‘volunteer’ time. Many in the culture of peace community
are speaking of resource fatigue having to continually do more with
less.
Unfortunately it is relatively easier to justify and
raise funds to repair and rebuild after destruction from violent
conflicts, and even to spend on violent methods of conflict resolution,
than to have resources committed to build peace and prevent violence.
It
is imperative that the Canadian Culture of Peace Program mobilizes
soonest the required operational resources from government, corporate
and private sectors to facilitate effective implementation of the
program. Peoples, nations, must in effect truly give the culture of
peace a chance, recognising that it is vital for a sustainable future
for all, and governments must take the lead by committing the necessary
resources for fostering peace; national peace commissions must formed
and ministers of peace appointed as per our Proposals 1 and 2 made
below at section 6) ADVICE.
|
ACTIONS: What actions have been
undertaken by your organization to promote a culture of peace and
nonviolence during the first half of the Decade?
|
The
CCOPP has been in existence for barely five months to date. However, it
has been capitalizing on the network of contacts developed by the CCTP,
as well as new expressions of interest, linking people all over the
country to generate a fresh impetus for the culture of peace, as more
and more stakeholders take stock of the relative lack of progress
midway through this International Decade for the Culture of Peace and
Non-violence for the children of the world 2001-2010.
Since
last November 2004, meetings with participants from various provinces
have been held as well as with potential institutional collaborators,
like the University of Alberta in Edmonton, the University of Calgary,
McMaster University in Hamilton and Mount Saint Vincent University in
Halifax.
The CCOPP Stakeholder Network Design has been
elaborated, as mentioned above, through a collaborative, mostly online,
effort of a CCOPP Working Group from across the country. As far as we
can ascertain this particular stakeholder network design is a unique
and innovative method of linking those involved in activities related
to a culture of peace, in Canada and abroad, to provide the support
structure for effective cooperation. Needless to say we all have
lessons to learn from one another and too often local or small groups
operate in relative isolation and may be more prone to discouragement
from the frustration of slow progress. CCOPP therefore intends to be
instrumental in ensuring that both the resources and moral support are
available to those active in the advancement of the culture of peace.
CCOPP
is actively coordinating Canadian civil society input into the Decade’s
World Report and will be collating the data to elaborate its own plan
of action for the second half of the Decade.
Also various online
groups and e-mail lists have been set up, as well as online polls
conducted thus providing tools for communication, networking, dialogue
and information dissemination promoting a culture of peace and
non-violence. Several issues are attended to in this way linking people
from all over the country, thus facilitating synergies to address
creatively various topics of interest or concern, for example the CCOPP
Stakeholder Network Design, celebration of peace week, bullying and
youth violence, resource raising, media and free flow of information to
promote a culture of peace, interreligious dialogue, and even the
drafting of this report.
Apart from meetings of standard format,
CCOPP actively applies to the extent possible “Open Space Technology”
(OST) protocol, basically seeking to encourage synergistic, even
visionary, dynamic by allowing those interested to participate freely
while creating optimal conditions and opportunities for all to make
their contribution. CCOPP practices a council-type of governance, with
definable/pro-active leadership, valuing highly the following qualities:
· Inclusive, collaborative and cooperative.
· Non-hierarchical, as much as possible; non-imposing.
· Transparency
· Optimistic
· Inspirational
· Peaceful conflict transformation
Pictures from the 2004 CCOPP Conference.
|
ADVICE: What advice would you like to
give to the Secretary-General and the General Assembly to promote a
culture of peace and nonviolence during the second half of the Decade? |
The Canadian Culture of Peace Program (CCOPP) proposes that the UN Secretary General recommends to the General Assembly:
1
- To call on all the member states to renew their commitment to the
Culture of Peace and Non-violence Declaration and Program of Action and
to encourage them strongly, as a sure sign of that engagement, to
appoint in their respective government a Minister of Peace to work
collaboratively to advance effectively the culture of peace with a
National Peace Commission, a non-governmental organisation composed of
representatives of all significant stakeholders to be set up by and
answering to national parliament to coordinate the national culture of
peace program in liaison with UNESCO and other pertinent UN agencies
for the International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-violence
for the Children of the World, 2001-2010.
2 – To request the
UNESCO Director General to take all appropriate measures to initiate
and coordinate meetings as required of the government ministers of
peace and national peace commission executives in order to advance
effectively a concerted international culture of peace program of
action.
3 - To decide that the World Peace Forum 2006, to be
hosted by the City of Vancouver, B.C., Canada from 23rd to 28th June
2006 will be the major international event to generate new impetus for
effective application of the Culture of Peace Program in the second
half (2006-2010) of the Decade and that subsequently regional peace
forums will be organized leading to a second World Peace Forum in 2010,
all to be coordinated by UNESCO and the respective host countries.
4
– To ask the member states to encourage and facilitate participation of
representatives of all stakeholders, actively fostering a culture of
peace, in the national, regional and global events promoting the
culture of peace.
|
PARTNERSHIPS: What partnerships and
networks does your organization participate in, thus strengthening the
global movement for a culture of peace? |
National
Canadian network of stakeholders, fostering a culture of peace, being
developed by the Canadian Culture of Peace Program and other such
networks with compatible mission in the country, e.g. UNESCO National
Commission, Council of Canadians, service clubs such as Rotary and
Lions, religious and lay organisations such as Inter-community service
for Franciscan Animation and the Secular Franciscan Order, the World
Peace Forum Society, parents associations, YW and YMCA’s, as well as
educational institutions such as universities, colleges and schools.
CCOPP
core group members have been closely involved to assist the University
of Alberta in establishing an innovative comprehensive teaching,
research and learning program that will further facilitate the
advancement of a culture of peace, community outreach and civil society
implication being key aspects of the program.
A special
partnership that the CCOPP is privileged to have is with the inspiring
professional in persona presenter of Gandhi’s messages of peace and
non-violence, Dr Shall Sinha (www.ssinha.com). An active CCOPP Core
Group member residing in Edmonton, invited to make presentations in
several countries, Dr Sinha in effect, astoundingly, brings to life
Gandhi as CCOPP's own unique ‘Ambassador for Peace’!
Considering
that CCOPP will be celebrating its first anniversary only this year, at
this stage it has only few budding international collaboration efforts
such as with International Peace Research Association, The Nonviolent
Peaceforce (www.nonviolentpeaceforce.org), Franciscans International
(www.franciscansinternational.org), Global Partnership for Prevention
of Armed Conflict (www.gppac.net) and more significantly in the context
of this World Report, the ‘Culture of Peace Foundation’ Fundación
Cultura de Paz (www.decade-culture-of-peace.org). Also, in response to
requests for collaboration, contacts have been established in the
following countries: Haiti, Brazil and Uganda.
CCOPP is open
to collaboration within international networks either on a
multi-lateral or bilateral basis, globally or regionally. Of course any
assistance in this respect from UNESCO, the UN or other organisations
will be welcome and greatly appreciated.
|
PLANS: What new engagements are
planned by your organization to promote a culture of peace and
nonviolence in the second half of the Decade (2005-2010)? |
Develop
the CCOPP Stakeholder Network and further organize regular provincial,
national and other peace conferences as well as CCOPP stakeholder
network assemblies and peace leadership or other relevant training or
information sessions.
The following action areas are being
developed or have been initiated: CCOPP Marketing Strategy (how to
‘sell’ the Culture of Peace and Non-violence Program), Culture of Peace
News Network – Canada and Media Literacy/Culture of Peace campaign, the
CCOPP Interreligious Dialogue, the CCOPP and Government Relationship
Building Dialogue, the CCOPP and Business (Corporate) Relationship
Building Dialogue, the Canada and United States Culture of Peace and
Non-violence Relationship Building Dialogue, the Canada and United
Nations Relationship Building Dialogue. More online forums will
be set up for all of the remaining U.N. Culture of Peace and
Non-violence Action Areas (i.e. Equality Between Men and Women;
Understanding, Tolerance and Community; Democratic Participation;
Sustainable Economic and Social Development; Respect for All Human
Rights; International Peace and Security) as well as online forums for
the ten remaining Provincial/Territorial Culture of Peace Programs.
Work
also continues as per the CCOPP Initial Action Plan
http://www.peace.ca/CCOPPaction2004.htm, as well as efforts pursued to
fill in Peace Education gaps
http://www.peace.ca/CCOPPpeaceeducation.htm and raising of resources
http://www.peace.ca/foundation.htm. Also see
http://www.peace.ca/inventorytodo.htm
CCOPP Core Group members
are actively liasing with, or are involved in, major upcoming events
such as Global Conference on the Prevention of Armed Conflict, July
19-21, 2005, New York (www.gppac.net), Earth Charter + 5 , November
7-9, 2005 Amsterdam (www.earthcharter.org), World Peace Forum 2006, 23
–28 June, Vancouver B.C. (www.peaceandjustice.ca), and the
International Peace Research Association's 21st Biennial Conference,
University of Calgary, June 26-30, 2006.
|
Postal address of organization
|
Canadian Culture of Peace Program
Box 70, Okotoks, AB
CANADA T1S 1A4
Ph: (403) 938-5335
1-800-574-7126
Fax: (403) 938-4117
|
E-mail address of organization
|
info@peace.ca
Coordinator of this report: Tex Albert, sfo (tex@ekoviraz.com)
Special
thanks for contributions and feedback to: Robert Stewart, Renée
Vaugeois, Dr Shall Sinha, Dr Saul Arbess, Paul Nelson, Dr David
Adams
|
Website address of organization
|
www.cultureofpeace.ca
www.peace.ca
|
Highest priority action domain of a culture of peace
|
Education for a culture of peace
|
Second priority action domain of a culture of peace
|
Understanding, tolerance, solidarity & Free flow of information
|
Highest priority country of action (or international)
|
Canada
|
Second priority country of action (or international)
|
INTERNATIONAL
|
| Back to top |
|
|
