All our members are no doubt aware of Canada’s vote against the freeze proposal put before the United Nations, both at the political affairs committee, where it passed by a vote of 111 to 12 and subsequently in the General Assembly, where the vote was 129 for vs. 12 against. Between the two votes, Science for Peace co-signed a letter written in conjunction with several groups urging that Canada support the joint Mexican-Swedish Freeze proposal. Four members of NATO (Denmark, Iceland, Greece, and Norway) voted in favour of the Freeze; Canada did not. External Affairs Minister Joe Clark suggested in a recent interview that Canada can exert more influence “working through the alliance” than she can by trying to advise the superpowers.
Bob Melvin of the University of Western Ontario reports that about forty participants of last fall’s Peace Studies Programme have been meeting weekly ever since.
Geoffrey Pearson has been confirmed as executive director of the newly created Canadian Institute for International Peace and Security. The board organized in early fall (chairman William Barton, vice-chairman Margaret Fulton) has awaited confirmation of this appointment to begin the Institute’s work. Other S4P members on the board of directors are Norman Alcock and William Epstein.
External Affairs Minister Joe Clark will present a Green Paper on foreign policy to Parliament towards the end of January, 1985. This paper will form the basis for discussion within a parliamentary committee, which may recommend cross-Canada public hearings on such issues before it reports its recommendations next autumn for the official White Paper on foreign policy. This matter is of great importance and should bring forth a special effort from our own membership to contribute to the Brief which our preparatory group will draft. Members wishing to work on this should contact Metta Spencer at (416) 789-2294.
A collection of SIPRI books has found its way into the S4P library, thanks to Pat Alcock.
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