Peace Alliance Winnipeg will be holding a rally, march and public forum on Oct. 18, 2008 in Winnipeg. These events are part of a Canada-wide series of actions to demonstrate Canadian opposition to the war in Afghanistan and Canada’s combat role in it.
Winnipeg Events
Rally: 2:15 p.m. at Vimy Ridge Park (bounded by Portage Avenue, Home Street, Preston Avenue and Canora Street)
March: 2:30 p.m. from Vimy Ridge Park to University of Winnipeg (515 Portage Avenue)
Forum: 3:30 p.m. – “Canada after Bush: What is at stake?” with Steven Staples, President, Rideau Institute, at the Bullman Centre in Centennial Hall, University of Winnipeg
“October marks the seventh year of a war that has claimed the lives of thousands of Afghans and almost a thousand NATO troops, including 97 Canadian soldiers,” says Peace Alliance Winnipeg spokesperson Glenn Michalchuk. “Most Canadians are opposed to this war and were dismayed when Parliament voted to extend Canada’s combat role to the end of 2011.”
Anti-war actions are planned for several communities in Canada, including Fredericton, Grand Forks, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Vancouver and Winnipeg.
Public Forum
Peace Alliance Winnipeg and the Canadian Federation of Students will host a public forum entitled “Canada after Bush: What is at stake?” at the Bullman Centre in Centennial Hall, University of Winnipeg, following the march, at 3:30 p.m.
The featured speaker is Steven Staples, who is the president of the Rideau Institute. In the past 15 years, Mr. Staples has acted as the Director of Security Programs for the Polaris Institute, the Issue Campaigns Coordinator for the Council of Canadians and the Coordinator for End the Arms Race.
He is well known for his work on international defence, disarmament and trade issues. In 2006 he published his first book, Missile Defence: Round One (Lorimer), which chronicled the citizen-based campaign that succeeded in persuading the Paul Martin government to announce that it would not join the U.S. ballistic missile defence program in February 2005.
Steven Staples is a member of the Canadian Pugwash Group and the Group of 78, and also acts as the General Secretary of the international network of anti-nuclear groups, Abolition 2000.
Paul S. Graham 