Murray Thomson of Ottawa,
Ontario is one of Canada's leading peace activists who has
always put his Quaker ideas into practice, over the years
inspiring us to find alternative solutions to the issues of
war and peace.
In August 16th, 2006 [8 pm], Murray delivered this year's
Gardner Lecture to the Yearly Meeting of the Society of Friends
held in Winnipeg, Manitoba, entitled 'Toward a Culture of
Peace: Can We Afford to Pay the Price?'
In considering steps that Friends (Quakers) can help, one of
the ways is to actively reach out to other communities of
peace, starting with the Mennonites and the Doukhobors, then going
to the major churches, seeking common or parallel positions
with them on as many of the these proposals as possible
In a personal note to
friends, Murray states:
'The attached
statements [Archived] reflect the considered views
of 140 participants in the annual meeting of the Religious
Society of Friends, held at the Canadian Mennonite
University in Winnipeg, 12th-19th August/06.
'It is now obvious to very many
Canadians that military solutions do not work. An obvious
conclusion, then, is to work towards reducing the DND
budget, (not increasing it), and greatly increasing
funding for sustainable development (including the
environment), disarmament and for nonviolent alternatives
to armed conflict.
'This, of course, is what most of
those who receive this email are doing!
— Murray Thomson (1922-2019)
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Murray Thomson. Photo by Koozma J.
Tarasoff on July 29, 2006, at the home of peace
activists Roy and Sylvia Sanders who were celebrating
their 60th wedding anniversary in Ottawa.
Murray S. Thomson
is a member of the Ottawa Monthly Meeting. Mr. Thomson
has spent much of his life in service to peace. He was
one of the founders of Project
Ploughshares in 1976, and then Peace
Brigades International in 1981.
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FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
30
August 2006
TOWARD A CULTURE OF
PEACE
Press Release
from the Religious Society of Friends:
The Canadian Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society
of Friends (Quakers) has issued a statement,
“Toward a Culture of Peace” (attached)
calling on the Canadian government to change
its policy and funding priorities.
The Quaker statement asks Canada to
- redirect its vision and resources into an
ecologically sustainable planet Earth;
- actively participate in global efforts to
“make poverty history” by increasing support for
the Millennium Development Goals;
- increase contributions to global health
objectives for eliminating AIDS, malaria and the
threats of new pandemics;
- reverse the erosion of civil liberties and
rebuild trust;
- withdraw Canada’s support of NATO’s nuclear
weapons policies,
- end financial support to industries that
produce the instruments of war.
“Military solutions simply do not work”, the
Statement said, pointing specifically to the current
theatres of war in Iraq and Israel- Palestine-
Lebanon, and to the projected multi-billion dollar
increase in Canada’s military budget. “It is time to
turn away from a culture of war toward a culture of
peace.”
For further information contact:
Murray Thomson, O.C.
mothom@cyberus.ca
613.224.8155
Canadian Yearly Meeting office
91A Fourth Ave
Ottawa ON K1S 2L1
CANADA
quaker.ca/contact
Phone: 613-235-8553
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VERS UNE CULTURE DE LA PAIX
Communiqué de
presse de la Société Religieuse des Amis (Quakers):
30 aout 2006
Devant le projet d'une augmentation du budget
militaire canadien de l'ordre de plusieurs milliards
de dollars, l'Assemblée annuelle canadienne de la
Société religieuse des Amis (Quakers) en appelle au
gouvernement canadien à délaisser la culture de la
guerre et à réorienter ses politiques et ses
priorités budgétaires afin de
- rediriger vision et ressources en faveur d'une
planète écologiquement durable
- participer activement aux efforts mondiaux
pour éliminer la pauvreté en augmentant son
appui aux Objectifs de développement du
Millénaire
- appuyer réellement les objectifs mondiaux pour
éliminer le sida, la malaria et autres pandémies
- enrayer l'érosion des libertés civiles et
reconstruire la confiance
- retirer le soutien du Canada aux politiques
d'armement nucléaire de l'OTAN
- mettre un terme à l'appui financier aux
industries qui fabriquent des instruments de
guerre
Selon la déclaration de l'Assemblée des Quakers, les
solutions militaires sont vouées à l'échec, comme en
font foi les guerres en Iraq et en Israël- Liban-
Palestine. Il faut délaisser la culture de la guerre
en faveur d'une culture de la paix. C'est ainsi que
nous respecterons les efforts des Nations-Unies pour
la Décennie de la non-violence au profit des enfants
du monde.
Pour renseignements, contactez:
Gianne Broughton
QPASC@quaker.ca
613.798.8182 |
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