Dear RN,
While both sign-ons below are directed at Canadians, endorsements from
elsewhere will not hurt.
Also, if we can get new acronyms such as "WTO = World Tyranny Organization"
& "NATO = Naked Aggression Taking Over" into common use, that would be great!
all the best, Jan
*********************************************************
Date: Wed, 23 Feb 2000 14:56:59 -0800
From: David Morgan <•••@••.•••>
Subject: VANA asks for your endorsation
David Morgan, National President,
Veterans Against Nuclear Arms (VANA)
Vancouver, BC.
Topic: VANA Appeal to the Government of Canada to return
its Foreign and Defence policies to a full respect for
and full compliance with International Law and the UN Charter.
23 February 1999
Dear Fellow Peace Activist:
VANA asks for your personal endorsation and also the endorsation
of any group or organization to which you belong, for our Appeal
to the Government of Canada, which appears below.
The issues that it deals with are of the greatest importance to
the future of Canada.
If you or your organization can give this endorsation, please
e-mail me at this address: •••@••.•••
Please help circulate this appeal widely.
Thanks and best wishes,
David Morgan, National Presidnet
Veteerans Against Nuclear Arms (VANA)
*****
An Appeal by Veterans Against Nuclear Arms (VANA)
to the Government of Canada
to return its Foreign and Defence policies
to a full respect for and full compliance with
International Law and the UN Charter.
14 February 2000
1. Whereas the Government of Canada has uncritically offered support for US
bombing of Afghanistan and Khartoum, as well as for the on-going bombing of
Iraq; and furthermore caused our military forces to actively participate in
the bombing of Yugoslavia, all in violation of International Law and the UN
Charter; and
2.Whereas Defence Minister Eggleton stated that "Canada is ready to go to
war again for humanitarian reasons even if the action defies International
Law and the UN Charter."(G&M 2 Oct'99); and
3. Whereas Canada's Defence Department's "Defence Strategy 2020"of January
2000 which mentions the UN only once and "International Law" not at all, is
in very strong contrast with the "1994 Defence White Paper," which mentions
the UN thirty-three times, and also asserts: "Canadians believe that the
rule of law must govern relations between states."( p.12): and
4. Whereas Foreign Affairs Minister Axworthy's has voiced defence of
Kosovo-style
"Humanitarian Interventions" outside International Law, most recently on 10
February 2000; and
5. Whereas it was this kind of contempt for International Law that led to
international anarchy and the two terrible world wars of the 20th century; and
6. Whereas it was precisely to avoid international lawlessness and anarchy
and its devastating effects that the United Nations was founded in 1945 at
the end of World War II, the most terrible war in history.
7. Now therefore, the undersigned Canadian individuals and organizations
insist that the Government of Canada return its foreign and defence policies
to full respect for, and full compliance with International Law and the UN
Charter. ///
*******************************************
* David Morgan, National President, *
* Veterans Against Nuclear Armes (VANA) *
* 240 Holyrood Road, North Vancouver, BC *
* V7N 2R5, Canada Tel:(604)985-7147 *
* Fax: (604)985-1260 <dmorgan@web.,net> *
*******************************************
***************************************************************
NATO = Naked Agression Taking Over
A CALL TO STOP THE VIOLENCE
We, the undersigned individuals and representatives of various groups, call
upon all Canadians to work to get Canada to withdraw from NATO for the
following reasons:
1) Canada needs to develop its capacity to promote peace and nonviolent
conflict resolution. Our membership in NATO prevents us from developing an
independent and truly constructive peace-building policy.
2) By virtue of our membership in NATO, we have been implicated in
undermining international law and in war crimes. For example, the bombing of
Kosovo violated Articles 39 and 2 (4) of the UN Charter. NATO even went back
on an Act on Mutual
Relations it had signed with Russia in May of 1990. It also violated terms
of its own founding document (which states that NATO will follow UN
declarations regarding the use of force). International lawyers have accused
NATO leaders of war crimes such as "violations of international criminal law
in causing civilian death, injury and destruction" and "employment of
poisonous weapons" (eg. depleted uranium). (G&M June 10, '99)
3) We host NATO countries in using native territory as a low-level flight
training ground, with terrible implications for the Innu who live in that
territory (Nitassinan) and for the environment.
4) As a member of NATO, we are party to a nuclear weapons policy which
includes a "first-strike" option. "In the summer of 1996...the World Court
said nuclear weapons are so destructive...that their use would inevitably
kill and injure many innocent civilians, thus violating humanitarian norms
and international conventions for the conduct of war.... It said nations are
obliged to negotiate and conclude negotiations 'leading to nuclear
disarmament in all its aspects'." (G&M Jan. 31, '98)
5) NATO, in its "Partnership for Peace" expansion program, is increasing the
waste of scarce resources on militarism and pushing the world closer to war.
In an article published in the Guardian (Jan. 14, 2000) Ian Traynor informs
us of
"A new [Russian] national security strategy....[which] ushers in a policy
of "expanded nuclear containment" while pledging to resist western attempts
to dominate the globe.
...The Putin strategy takes a much more confrontational position towards the
west, a policy overhaul sparked by Nato's expansion into former Warsaw Pact
countries and by the US-led war against the former Yugoslavia last year."
6) Nonviolent or unarmed defence and security-building measures have been
effective in many times and places throughout history. It is more important
now than ever, that we develop our ability to build security directly,
through nonviolent means. Investing in NATO and military solutions in
general does not make sense in today's world. This year (2000) is the first
in the UN Decade for a Culture of Peace and Nonviolence. In our homes,
workplaces, everywhere, we wish to bring our energies and resources to the
task of transforming a culture which is, in many ways, a culture of
violence, into a culture of nonviolence.
To add your name (or your group's name) to the list of supporters or for
more information, please contact:
Jan Slakov, Box 35, Weymouth, NS B0W 3T0 (902) 837-4980
<•••@••.•••>
