Bill Siksay, MP (Burnaby-Douglas) will be the keynote speaker at Winnipeg’s annual Lanterns for Peace Ceremony. His topic: a private members Bill (C-447) which calles for the establishment of a federal Deaprtment of Peace.
This bill passed First Reading in the House of Commons, Sept. 30, 2009, moved by Bill Siksay (NDP, Burnaby-Douglas) and seconded by Jim Karygiannis (Liberal, Scarborough-Agincourt ).
You can read the full Bill in English and French, here: Bill C-447
The mandate envisioned for the Minister of Peace is to reinvigorate Canada’s role as a peacekeeper and peacebuilder as follows:
- Develop early detection and rapid response processes to deal with emerging conflicts and establish systemic responses to post-conflict demobilization, reconciliation and reconstruction
- Lead internationally to abolish nuclear, biological, chemical weapons, to reduce conventional weapon arsenals and to ban the weaponization of space
- Implement the UN Declaration and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace (1999) to safeguard human rights and enhance the security of persons and their communities
- Implement UN Resolution 1325 on the key role played by women in the wide spectrum of peacebuilding work
- Establish a Civilian Peace Service that, with other training organizations, will recruit, train and accredit peace professionals and volunteers to work at home and abroad, as an alternative to armed intervention.
- Address issues of violence in Canada by promoting nonviolent approaches that encourage community involvement and responsibility such as Restorative Justice, Nonviolent Communication (NVC) and Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR)
- Support the development of peace education at all levels including post-secondary peace and conflict studies
- Promote the transition from a war-based to a peace-based economy.
More information of Bill C-447: http://www.departmentofpeace.ca/