International Day of Action sees results
Thousands of people protested in cities across Canada, including more than 100 people here in London, as part of an International Day of Protest against the ‘war on terror' last month. Although the hundreds of thousands who demonstrated in the U.S. and Europe were more aimed at ending the Iraq war and avoiding an attack on Iran, Canadians were focused specifically on withdrawing our military from Afghanistan, where more than 70 Canadian soldiers have died.
The Canadian mission, which is currently scheduled to end in 2009, is drawing heavy criticism from all opposition parties who either want the troops home immediately or for it not to continue past Canada's current commitment.
According to a Decima Research Poll, Canadians are divided on whether or not to pull the troops out immediately, with only a slight majority opposing the current mission. The 2006 poll found 59 per cent of Canadians believe that our soldiers are “dying for a cause we cannot win.”
Many organizations, especially labour movements, are taking official anti-war stands, as other other NGO's and citizens groups.
The Council of Canadians, a corporate and government watchdog group, and Canada's largest citizen-run grass roots organization (75,000 members nation-wide), helped promote the International Day of Action, and also helped organized the peace rally at their annual general meeting in Kelowna, B.C.
Although the Council had already taken a clear stand that Canadian Forces should only be used for peacekeeping, and therefore not deployed in Afghanistan, their stand got a lot tougher last weekend. Canada's role in this conflict was a major concern for many of the hundreds of members present, and this was reflected by the resolutions that were proposed and passed in an open and democratic environment.
One resolution that passed with overwhelming support was that the Council would lobby for Canada to withdraw from NATO and officially call for the disbanding of the military treaty altogether. The motion passed after arguments were put forth that the treaty is outdated, does not serve Canadian interests, and that the mission in Afghanistan is under NATO control.
An emergency resolution presented by the London chapter representatives was also passed with unanimous support. The Council of Canadians will take an official stand against military recruitment in educational facilities, and will lobby all levels of government in order to ban all military recruitment in High Schools, Colleges, and Universities.
The Canadian mission, which is currently scheduled to end in 2009, is drawing heavy criticism from all opposition parties who either want the troops home immediately or for it not to continue past Canada's current commitment.
According to a Decima Research Poll, Canadians are divided on whether or not to pull the troops out immediately, with only a slight majority opposing the current mission. The 2006 poll found 59 per cent of Canadians believe that our soldiers are “dying for a cause we cannot win.”
Many organizations, especially labour movements, are taking official anti-war stands, as other other NGO's and citizens groups.
The Council of Canadians, a corporate and government watchdog group, and Canada's largest citizen-run grass roots organization (75,000 members nation-wide), helped promote the International Day of Action, and also helped organized the peace rally at their annual general meeting in Kelowna, B.C.
Although the Council had already taken a clear stand that Canadian Forces should only be used for peacekeeping, and therefore not deployed in Afghanistan, their stand got a lot tougher last weekend. Canada's role in this conflict was a major concern for many of the hundreds of members present, and this was reflected by the resolutions that were proposed and passed in an open and democratic environment.
One resolution that passed with overwhelming support was that the Council would lobby for Canada to withdraw from NATO and officially call for the disbanding of the military treaty altogether. The motion passed after arguments were put forth that the treaty is outdated, does not serve Canadian interests, and that the mission in Afghanistan is under NATO control.
An emergency resolution presented by the London chapter representatives was also passed with unanimous support. The Council of Canadians will take an official stand against military recruitment in educational facilities, and will lobby all levels of government in order to ban all military recruitment in High Schools, Colleges, and Universities.
