Dear friends, 50,000 casualties. Millions of refugees. Democracy in retreat. That’s what experts fear could be the deadly cost of Putin’s senseless invasion of Ukraine. Efforts to prevent war have failed, but efforts to end it must succeed. Fast. Civilians are being killed right now because Putin believes the world is too divided to hold him to account. Let's show him he's wrong, with a massive, urgent open letter from people everywhere calling on governments to impose far-reaching … [Read more...]
Remembrance Day 2016
Remembrance Day (sometimes known informally as Poppy Day) is a memorial day observed in Commonwealth of Nations member states since the end of the First World War to remember the members of their armed forces who have died in the line of duty. Following a tradition inaugurated by King George V in 1919, the day is also marked by war remembrances in many non-Commonwealth countries. Remembrance Day is observed on 11 November in most countries to recall the end of hostilities of World War I on that … [Read more...]
Humanism or Eudaimonia, that is the question
Humanism is a philosophical and ethical stance that emphasizes the value and agency of human beings, individually and collectively, and generally prefers critical thinking and evidence (rationalism, empiricism) over established doctrine or faith (fideism). The meaning of the term humanism has fluctuated, according to the successive intellectual movements which have identified with it. Generally, however, humanism refers to a perspective that affirms some notion of a "human nature" (sometimes … [Read more...]
Women Stop War, Conference in Hague, April 27/29
100 years after over 1300 of WILPF’s founding women first came together in The Hague in protest of World War I, we still live in a world where women’s voices and experiences are excluded, bringing continued violence and war. We know now what we knew then, that only when we analyse conflict from a gender perspective, integrating disarmament, human rights, the environment, social justice, and the women, peace and security agenda holistically will we be able to eradicate the root causes of … [Read more...]
L’est We Forget, in honor of Remembrance Day 2014
In 2014 Remembrance Day is on Tuesday, November 11. On remembrance day members of the armed forces (soldiers, sailors and airmen) are commemorated. The other common name for this day is Armistice Day which marks the date and time when armies stopped fighting World War I. on November 11th at 11am in 1918 (the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month). Some 100,000 Canadian soldiers died in the First and Second World Wars. In Canada, Remembrance Day is a federal statutory … [Read more...]
Revolution, Terrorism or Civil Disobedience gone Global?
In these modern times, our world seems to be walking backwards, repeating history over and over again, now including peaceful Canada. Not only has it been tested, but it has forever altered how we see ourselves as "peacekeeping" Canadians. No longer can we say that terrorism is something that happens "over there": in Syria, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Kenya, the United Kingdom, the United States. We are now a part of that unfortunate list. Is this a statement of truth or a reactionary opinion … [Read more...]
SYRIA: A DISASTER FOR WOMEN
PETER BIRO/INTERNATIONAL RESCUE COMMITTEE Syria: It's a problem, a political conundrum—and a disaster for women and children, who make up the bulk of the 2 million people who have fled the country. Even when they arrive in camps in neighboring countries, female refugees find little security; instead they're often subjected to rape and sexual harassment. Shelter, water, medical care—all are in short supply in the camps. Fortunately, many international nonprofits are helping bridge that gap. … [Read more...]
Samantha Joan Nutt, CM, OOnt, FRCPC, CCFP – WOMAN of ACTION™
A Celebration of Women™ is elated to Celebrate the Life of this passionate activist, one woman that has devoted her life to humanitarian efforts in wars zones. She is a leading authority on the impact of war on civilians. Her reach has been global bettering the lives of children and their families at the front line of many of the world's major crises including Iraq, Afghanistan, The Democratic Republic of Congo, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Darfur, South Sudan, Burundi, northern … [Read more...]
Stefanie Graf – WOMAN of ACTION™
A Celebration of Women™ is elated to Celebrate the Life of this woman, a sensitive visionary that is Taking Action to better the lives of children! Her foundation and mission in life today is to heal and renew hope and strength inside the hearts of children that have been abused or traumatized in conflict. She works diligently caring for those little souls that suffer from night terrors, through her focus on what she refers to as 'psychological … [Read more...]
“Building on Progress in Afghanistan: 2014 and Beyond”
Washington, D.C. – A discussion on "Building on Progress in Afghanistan: 2014 and Beyond” was held in Washington today at an event organized in partnership between the Center for Strategic and International Studies and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), offering a big picture of the country’s current situation and development challenges. A similar briefing with Afghanistan partners was organized on 9 May in New York, co-hosted by the Afghan Mission to the United Nations and the … [Read more...]
Taking Action for Syria – ENOUGH – ENOUGH !!!
APPEAL BY HEADS OF LEADING UN HUMANITARIAN AGENCIES FOR THE PEOPLE OF SYRIA … [Read more...]
Goma wounded – Heal Africa, in North Kivu
For years, Heal Africa, in North Kivu's provincial capital of Goma, has helped victims of sexual violence and children with HIV/AIDS. But when fresh conflict erupted, the non-profit opened its doors to the wounded as well. WFP is helping them recover through food assistance. GOMA, Democratic Republic of Congo - Elie Kakoulaje sits on the edge of his cot at Heal Africa’s hospital, the stump of his left arm wrapped in a thick bandage. A few weeks ago, he was an ordinary 12-year-old in … [Read more...]