Canadian Peace Congress The Canadian Peace Congress hosted the 2nd Tri-Lateral Conference with our fraternal intenational organizations in the US and Mexico which was held in Toronto ON October 2-4, 2009.
Fighter Jet Program Also Used For Nuclear Weapons Development
Opposition to the Harper government's proposal to purchase 65 F-35 fighter jets has been consistent and growing. Most of it is focused on the related issues of costs and corruption that are associated with the procurement. This is critically important – military spending should always be conducted in an open and transparent manner, and it must be justified in the context of broader public spending. In an era of high unemployment, deep cuts to social programs and harsh austerity programs that target working people, Harper's intention of spending billions of dollars on fighter jets is thoroughly offensive, and it needs to be confronted and opposed by the largest possible mobilization of people.
The F-35 program is driven by the United States military and its NATO allies. In 1997, Canada signed onto the Joint Strike Fighter program, which was developed as a vehicle for the United States to capture international funding for a replacement jet fighter. Canada's initial investment in 1997 was $10 million. In 2001 the JSF contract was awarded to Lockheed Martin, who developed what is now known as the F-35. By 2010, the international procurement process was underway and Stephen Harper announced that Canada would purchase 65 fighter jets, through an untendered purchase.
Prior to this announcement by the Harper government, the issue of the F-35 had been discussed at NATO's Parliamentary Assembly (PA), a body that provides an ongoing political exchange between NATO and legislators from its member states. The PA is explicitly oriented toward government policy, working to ensure that legislation and programs of member states are consistent with, and facilitate the implementation of, NATO's priorities. The reports from PA meetings in 2010 suggest some concern that international orders for the F-35 and, by extension, funding for the project, were below expectation. This is significant, as the United States has been trying, since the economic crisis of 2008, to reduce its financial support to NATO and to offset that by increasing financial support from other members. Harper's purchase announcement is yet another obedient response to NATO and US prodding, this time guaranteed through an undemocratic process.
There is, however, another aspect to the F-35 program that has not received much public attention, and this is its link with renewed nuclear weapons development. This connection emerged around the same time as Harper's announcement of the Canadian purchase. In early 2010 the US government, as part of its Nuclear Posture Review, announced that the F-35 program would involve redesigning the B61 bomb. The B61 is a nuclear bomb. While the F-35 was not initially intended to be nuclear capable, the US announcement clearly indicates that F-35 jet will carry and deliver this nuclear weapon. The rollout of the F-35 is planned to coincide with the rollout of the redesigned B61 nuclear bomb.
There has been no statement from the Canadian government opposing the use of the F-35 program to develop the B61 nuclear bomb. Nor has there been any indication that F-35's coveted by Harper and Canada's military will be exempt from carrying nuclear weaponry.
Most people in Canada understand that this country is a non-nuclear weapons state. Public opinion overwhelmingly (almost 90%) favours nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation. However, the current reality is that through a non-tendered process, meaning in secret, the Canadian government has committed to purchase 65 military aircraft , and in the process, also fund the upgrade and proliferation of nuclear weaponry.
This one more reason to scrap the proposed purchase of the F-35, and it points to the urgent need to re-orient Canada's foreign policy to one that is based on peace, sovereignty and international solidarity.
Remarks by Canadian Peace Congress President Dave McKee
To the World Peace Council European Region and Secretariat Meeting
Brussels, October 17-18, 2011
Posted December 19, 2010 Stop The Drive to War in Korea!
Peace Congress Calls for Diplomacy, Peace Negotiations
Canadian Peace Congress Statement on Korea
Statement of Solidarity with Manuel Olate Cespedes Read...
Statement of WPC in solidarity with WFDY and the Saharawi People Read...
Posted October 27, 2010 WPC Speech of the President Socorro Gomes, Brussels October 2010 World Peace Council Read...
WPC Report of Thanassis Pafilis General Secretary, Brussels October 2010 World Peace Council Read...
WPC Final Outcome, Brussels October 2010 World Peace Council Read...
Posted July 01, 2010 Press Release: Toronto Association for Peace & Solidarity Condemns G20 Police Violence
Group Demands that Charges Against Protestors be Dropped, Calls for Open Public Enquiry Toronto Association for Peace & Solidarity Read...
Posted June 25, 2010 Campaign for the defence of peace and against the NATO Summit in Portugal
YES TO PEACE! NO TO NATO! Portuguese Council for Peace and Cooperation Read...
Posted June 02, 2010 Vengeful and Lethal Arrogance Malta Peace Council Read...
Posted May 31, 2010 Statement of World Peace Council (WPC) on the condemnation of the brutal Israeli attack on solidarity mission to Palestine Read...
Posted May 6, 2010 Speech by Socorro Gomes, President of the World Peace Council, to the Disarm Now Conference Read...
Posted April 4, 2010 Remarks of Al Marder, President, US Peace Council, to the World Peace Council Secretariat meeting at Katmandu, Nepal, Kathmandu, 20-21 February 2010 United States Peace Council Read...
Posted March 26, 2010 The Review of the Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty Cebrapaz Read...
Posted March 24, 2010 INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM” AGAINST WAR- 60 YEARS OF STRUGGLE FOR PEACE”
CELEBRATION OF THE WPC’S 60TH ANNIVERSARY
IRAKLIS TSAVDARIDIS, EXECUTIVE SECRETARY OF THE WPC
CASA DO ALENTEJO – LISBON, JANUARY 31, 2010 World Peace Council Read...
Posted March 23, 2010 WPC Statement about European Parliament Resolution on Cuba World Peace Council Read...
Posted March 14, 2010 NATO and Canada's Peace Movement Regina Peace Council Read...
Posted March 12, 2010 World Peace Council -The Kathmandu Declaration
Nepal February 20-21, 2010 Read...
Posted February 26, 2010 Speech by Socorro Gomes President of the World Peace Council at the International Unity Conference for Peace and Progress Against Imperialism, Kathmandu, Nepal February 20, 2010 Read...
Speech by Socorro Gomes President of the World Peace Council at the Secretariat Meeting in Kathmandu, Nepal February 18, 2010 Read...
Posted January 22, 2010 Statement Canadian Peace Congress: Put Parliament Back to Work: Throw Out the Harper War Criminals! Read...
Posted January 19, 2010 Final Declaration of the 2nd World Peace Council Tri-Lateral Conference, Canada-Mexico-USA Read...
Posted January 4, 2010 Manuel Terrazas Guerrero Read...
Posted November 11, 2009
Executive Committee Meeting of the World Peace Council, Damascus, Syria 23-25 October 2009, Final Communiqué WPC Executive Committee, DAMASCUS, SYRIA OCTOBER 24, 2009 Read...
Resolution on the Solidarity with Korea WPC Executive Committee, DAMASCUS, SYRIA OCTOBER 24, 2009 Read...
RESOLUTION ON THE CYPRUS PROBLEM WPC Executive Committee, DAMASCUS, SYRIA OCTOBER 24, 2009 Read...
Solidarity Resolution with Syria WPC Executive Committee, DAMASCUS, SYRIA OCTOBER 24, 2009 Read...
Resolution of Solidarity with the Palestinian People WPC Executive Committee, DAMASCUS, SYRIA OCTOBER 24, 2009 Read...
Resolution on Peace-disturbing role of USA in Pakistan WPC Executive Committee, DAMASCUS, SYRIA OCTOBER 24, 2009 Read...
Resolution about the solidarity with the victims of “Agent Orange” in Vietnam WPC Executive Committee, DAMASCUS, SYRIA OCTOBER 24, 2009 Read...
Final List of Participants DAMASCUS, SYRIA OCTOBER 24, 2009 Read...
Posted October 29, 2009 Speech of Socorro Gomes, President of World Peace Council at WPC Executive Meeting
Damascus October 23-25, 2009 World Peace Council Read...
Speech of Thanassis Pafilis, General Secretary of World Peace Council at WPC Executive Meeting Damascus October 23-25, 2009 World Peace Council Read...
Posted September 20, 2009 Statement of World Peace Council on International Day of Peace September 21, 2009 World Peace Council Read...
Posted September 8, 2009 Statement of World Peace Council on Columbia Military Bases World Peace Council Read...
Posted August 9, 2009 Statement of CEBRAPAZ on US miltary presence in Latin America CEBRAPAZ Read...
Posted July 1, 2009
On the 60th Anneversary of NATO the Canadian Peace Congress Calls for CANADA OUT OF NATO NOW!
Canadian Peace Congress Read...
Posted April 4, 2009 Statement of MOVPAZ on the Situation in Honduras
MOVPAZ Read...
Statement of the World Peace Council on the Situation in Honduras
Secretariat of the World Peace Council Read...
Korean Crisis Demands Disarmament and Anti-Imperialist Solidarity Statement of the Canadian Peace Congress Read...
Posted March 23, 2009 NATO Celebrates 60 Years Cathy Fischer - Regina Peace Council Read...
Posted February 24, 2009 For Unity in Action of the Peoples of Mexico, Canada and the USA, for Peace, Sovereignty, Anti-Imperialist Solidarity and the Rights of the Working People Invitation to Participants from Mexico, Canada and the USA to Attend the Second Tri-Lateral Conference of the World Peace Council, October 2-4, 2009 Toronto Ontario, Canada Read...
Posted January 7, 2009 Statement of the World Peace Council WPC Statement of Urgency, No to the Israeli invasion to Gaza-Stop the massacre of the Palestinian people! Read...
An Extraordinary Convention of the Canadian Peace Congress has been called for October 25-26, 2008 in Winnipeg Manitoba. Delegates representing the Regina Peace Council, Edmonton Peace Council, Fraser Valley Peace Council, Manitoba Peace Council, the Interim Executive and member-supporters from other provinces will meet at the Workers Organizing Resource Centre, 280 Smith St., mezzanine level (Between Portage & Graham)
Convention delegates will discuss and adopt a Main Resolution, a new Constitution, elect an executive and begin work to organize a Tri-Lateral Conference in Canada in fall 2009 of Mompade, Movimiento Mexicano Por La Paz, US Peace Council and the Canadian Peace Congress.
Below are Convention draft documents the will be discussed, amended and adopted at the Convention.
Inside reports from the WPC meetings in Caracas and Analysis on Kosvo and Columbia. Great Issue! Read...
Posted May 13, 2008
President of World Peace Council condemns reestablishment of the U.S. Fourth Fleet
“The reestablishment of the U.S. Fourth Fleet, designed to engage in aggressive naval mission in the Caribbean, Central and South America, poses a severe threat to peace, security and sovereignty to all peoples and nations of Latin America. Read...
Posted May 11, 2008
Canadian Peace Congress Youth Report on WPC World Peace Conference in Caracas
Caracas, Venezuela, the newly decreed world capital of peace and anti-imperialist struggle, played host to the World Peace Council (WPC) April 8-13, 2008. The week began with a meeting of the WPC Executive Committee, of which Canada is one of 40 seats, followed by two days of the Assembly of the WPC, two days of WPC Conferences and concluding with a day of action in solidarity with the people of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, falling on the sixth anniversary of the attempted 2002 coup d’etat. Read...
Posted April 20, 2008
Statement on SPP Meeting in New Orleans April 21-22 2008
Canadian Prime Minister Steven Harper will meet with US President George Bush and Mexican President Felipe Calderon in New Orleans April 21-22 2008 to discuss the Security and Prosperity Partnership (SPP). The discussions are a continuation of a process which began in 2005 and, at the latest meeting in Montebello Quebec in August 2007, lays out a broad framework for the integration of the three countries to strengthen economic, security and trade relations. Read...
Posted April. 15, 2008
DECLARATION of the Assembly of the WPC - Caracas, April 9-10, 2008
The Assembly of the World Peace Council was successfully held on April 9-10, 2008 in Caracas, Venezuela, with the participation of 265 delegates and 285 participants from 124 Organisations from 76 countries. After a rich and very fruitful discussion the participants of the Assembly concluded with the following declaration to the peoples of the world: Read...
Canadian Peace Congress Report Back From the World Peace Council World Peace Conference in Caracas
The six member Canadian Peace Congress (CPCon) delegation to the 17th World Assembly of the World Peace Council (WPC) convened in the World Capital of Peace and Anti-imperialist Struggle Caracas Venezuela April 9-10th 2008 has returned to Canada. The event was hosted by the Venezuelan affiliate of WPC, Comite de Solidaridad Internacional (COSI) with the full endorsement and support of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. Read...
For a Latin America free from colonialism – The Falkland Islands are Argentinean
