“We invited the panellists to represent the organizations that they work for and it seemed that common thread came out of their discussions,” said Rosemary Keenan, a Toronto-based member of Pax Christi International who organized the event. “We are finding that more and more whenever we connect with other peace groups they are concerned citizens and it all comes back to how we treat the Earth. The more we get involved with different groups, whether it is poverty issues in our community, democracy issues or anything to do with justice, the we more we are finding that it does relate directly to the way we treat the Earth.”
A representative from Canadian Voice of Woman for Peace, Christian Peacemaker Teams and KAIROS made up the trio who spoke to about 20 people on Sept. 21.
Lyn Adamson, the co-chair of Voice of Woman for Peace, was the first up. While detailing exactly who Voice of Woman for Peace is, Adamson was the first to make the connection.
“I’ve become quite involved in climate action because I see that as a critical thing that we need to get commitments for,” said Adamson. “The reason why this is a peace issue is because ... you are not going to be able to build peace if our climate is in chaos. It is something we can change through our policies ... but we really have to act now.”
Established in 1960, Voice of Woman for Peace is a non-government organization that has addressed the United Nations annually for more than 50 years. Originally speaking out against nuclear weapons during the Cold War, the organization has since extended its areas of concern but has always done so with the intention of seeking peace and justice.
Adamson called on those present to pressure the Canadian government to establish a carbon tax, develop a renewable energy plan and retract the subsidies issued for fossil fuel production. Additionally, she noted that peace is not simply the absence of war, a stance familiar to all three organizations.
The representative from Christian Peacemaker Teams, a partnering organization that joins non-violent movements around the world, took to the podium next. While Adamson looked at the links found here in Canada, Peter Haresnape turned much of his attention to nations that struggle with water issues by noting a relationship between access to clean water and the level of peace in a country.
“Water and peace are essential for life,” said Haresnape. “We have this idea that whenever you turn on the tap there is water and it just comes from somewhere but our access to water is not as easy as that. The next major wars are going to be fought over access to war.”
Finally Jane Sagar, who represented KAIROS, spoke. Sagar turned her attention to one of the most precious metals known to man, gold, by linking a lack of peace in the the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the gold chips inside our cellphones.
Sagar estimated that seven to 11 per cent of the world’s gold is used in electronics due to its highly conductive nature, with the average cellphone containing about $1.25 worth of the metal.
She continued by noting that the mining practices in the Congo, where children make up about 40 per cent of miners, is done by hand and often involves the use of harmful chemicals which are rarely handled or disposed of safety.
“Extracting these minerals in the DRC is a deadly business,” not only for the miners but also the surrounding population due to the ecological damage caused by mining, said Sagar. She went on to note that a large percentage of the money flowing back into the Congo through the gold trade is used to fund the country’s “warlords.”
Although Sagar noted that technology companies are starting to seek alternatives to gold due its rising costs, the transition away from the metal could be excelerated by consumer pressure.