KWPeace Potluck Meeting for December 2019

Date

Saturday, 14 December 2019 from 6:00pm to 8:00pm

Location

Civic Hub Waterloo Region, 23 Water Street North, Kitchener, Ontario Map

The potluck spread was wonderful! We set up the spread, filled our plates, and sat 'round the table to introduces ourselves. Then each person gave updates about their organizations:

Bob Jonkman

Fair Vote Waterloo, WR Nonviolence, WR Greens (but not active recently)

Fair Vote Waterloo

• Fair Vote Canada is advocating for a Citizens' Assembly to determine the best voting system for Canada.
  • Fair Vote Waterloo is sending delegations to local MPs to get support for a Citizens' Assembly.
  • There were plans for a door-knocking campaign to get people's support for a Citizens' Assembly.

WR Nonviolence

• Upcoming plans: Viewpoints: Life In The Margins forums.
• The Viewpoints forums invite up to four panelists: A policy maker, an academic, a person working in the field, and someone with lived experience.
  • Viewpoints on Incarceration, possibly Tuesday 11 February 2020 at Queen Street Commons Cafe.
    • Hope to invite Senator Kim Pate as the "policy maker" panelist; WRN has been asked about reimbursing travel and accomodation costs.
    • If expected attendance exceeds the capacity of QSC then it is possible CIGI may partner and offer their auditorium.
  • Viewpoints on Refugees planned for April 2020.

• Day In The Park will likely be Saturday, 18 July 2020; registrations for exhibitors and vendors will open in the spring.
  • Bob spoke about the difficulty in navigating the City of Kitchener's event registration process, applying for the City's grant (to defer rental costs), and the possibility that WR Nonviolence may not have the use of the City's tables and canopies (the only fundraiser for WR Nonviolence).
  • Social Development Centre WR has some canopies that might be available!
  • City of Kitchener does not have "Nonviolence" as one of their mandates, which determines which groups will receive support.

• Usury-Free Day is the second week in November; WR Nonviolence will hold a Financial Forum.

CKMS-FM 102.7 Radio Waterloo

• Not a KWPeace group, but Bob is hosting a radio show CKMS Community Connections and invites members of local social justice and environmental groups to come in for an interview.
• The radio station is community owned and operated, and funded by members and programmers.
  • Yearly membership is $25 for individuals: https://radiowaterloo.ca/join
  • Members can host their own radio show at $30/month for a one hour/week: https://radiowaterloo.ca/how-to/start-a-new-show/
  • Some groups were interested in hosting their own show.
  • Shows can be recorded and made into podcasts.

Tamara Lorincz

Canadian Voices of Women for Peace

• Canada's military spending has increased since 2018 from $28 billion/year to $32 billion/year
  • (the Military is one of the largest emitters of Green House Gases, but those emissions are exempt from reductions under the Paris Accord)
• A sole (non-competitive) contract was awarded to General Dynamics in London, Ontario, for $2 billion.
  • This is equivalent to all the subsidies given to the fossil fuel industry.
  • Contract to build "light" armoured vehicles, to be sold to Saudi Arabia, which uses them in the war in Yemen, the worst humanitarian crisis in the world today.
• The Speech from the Throne highlighted the Liberals' promise to act on Climate Change, but the government's actions show the opposite:
  • Government officials attended the NATO meeting in London, UK, snubbing the climate delegation at COP25.
• This year marks the 70th anniversary of NATO. Tamara has been protesting regularly at the offices of the NATO Association of Canada in Toronto.
• Protesting arms sales by Lockheed-Martin and General Dynamics to Saudi Arabia.

Balsillie School of International Affairs

• Monday, 20 January 2020 is Martin Luther King Day: Tamara will be showing "Call to Conscience"
• Tuesday, 21 January 2010: Cinema Series: "Anthropocene: The Human Epoch"

Peace Conference in Ottawa

• 27 - 28 May 2020: Protests to shut down the CANSEC Arms Conference
• 29 - 30 May 2020: Peace Conference

• Several people were interested in attending (Conscience Canada will have an info booth), car pooling can be arranged.

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In 2018 Tamara Lorincz was the guest speaker at the KWPeace conference Perspectives On Peace:Where's the Peace and Justice?, available on YouTube:

Morgan Mastrovich and Simon Daley

Climate Justice WR, Climate Strike WR, Our Time KW, WR Greens

Climate Justice WR

• MP Peter Julian (NDP, New Westminster—Burnaby) has launched motion "M-1, Green New Deal".
• Climate Justice WR is gathering signatures to present to local MPs to support M-1.
• Climate Justice has delivered mandate letters to MPs to publicly accept the Green New Deal, and co-operate across party lines.
• MP Raj Saini (Liberal, Kitchener Centre) was not receptive.
• The Hon. Bardish Chagger (Liberal, Waterloo) will be approached soon.
• There was much discussion on the Liberal governments rhetoric on pipelines: capacity, safety, good for the environment (largely untrue, not science-based).

Climate Strike WR

• A Climate Strike was held in Waterloo on Friday, 13 December 2020. Estimates were up to 100 people. Video and photos have been uploaded to Archive.org, will be posted on Climate Strike WR website.
  • ClimateStrikeWR, Friday 13 December 2019
  • Occupy COP25 Waterloo

Our Time KW

• Working on M-1 engagement letter.
• Contacting other groups related to Climate Justice.

Mo Markham

Extinction Rebellion, KW Climate Save, KW Animal Save, KW Vegfest, WR Greens, Fair Vote Waterloo

• Asking school boards to declare a Climate Emergency

• Vegfest will be on Saturday, July 4th from 11am to 5pm, on King Street from City Hall to Queen Street.

Sue Klassen

Sterling Avenue Mennonite Church Peace and Justice Working Group, [Alternative to Violence Project]

(Bob found this online: https://www.alternativesjournal.ca/extinction-rebellion-waterloo-strike )