Across Canada on Saturday, March 19, on the anniversary of the invasion and subsequent occupation of Iraq in 2003, actions are happening to bring attention to Canada’s complicity in the current wars that flaunt International Law.
The battle in Syria is just the latest quest for regime change following Mali, Sudan, Chad, Afghanistan, Iraq, Serbia, Granada, Chile, Nicaragua, Libya, the Ukraine and the list goes on. The resulting destabilizing chaos creates enemies (rebels/subversives/militants) labelled as such a threat to the West that we’re convinced and compelled to build up military might to combat this supposed danger.
Canada is borrowing millions for a new navy to fight an enemy we never had—until joining NATO. You and I, the people, pay—especially our children, from a lack of funds for good health care, education, and other social programs.
The current NATO and U.S.A. missions are not United Nation sanctioned. Even then, look what happened in Libya: it was only to be a mission to maintain a no-fly zone but NATO, with Canada in the lead, went for regime change and is complicit in the illegal assassination of Gaddafi which resulted in a nation at war with itself.
NATO continues to play a major role in the West’s interference in other countries’ governments, elected or not, that result in millions of internally displaced people, financial migrants and a growing number of refugees fleeing imminent death.
Canada, as a member of NATO, must and does share the blame for the millions of deaths, refugees and the destruction. Sadly the carnage is not yet over.
This exercise in Syria is another horrendous attempt at regime change, which results in the blood of children soaking the land. We hope it isn’t a prelude to the invasion and destabilization of Iran and other Middle Eastern nations. But, the UN, despite its many shortcomings, remains humanity’s best chance to stop the scourge of war, inequality, poverty, imperialism, etc. It does need reform so all have an equal voice so that peacekeeping at the end of a gun becomes peacemaking without violence, force, abuse and fear.
Canada, through you and I, must demand our government withdraw all troops, police and their trainers from the Middle East. We must insist that all parties involved continue to uphold the ceasefire. And, we must demand that the negotiations continue.
At some point all humanity must wake up to the fact that military campaigns lead only to death, destruction, displacement of people, suffering, global inequality and contribute exponentially to climate change.
Military aggression has failed all people, even the one per cent whether they realize it or not. Only programs and lifestyles offering understanding, respect, honor and equality through non-violent diplomacy can and will bring peace to our very troubled world.
– Jack Blower and Laura Savinkoff
on behalf of the Boundary Peace Initiative, Grand Forks
