150+ Canadians Day 33: Douglas Roche

Douglas Roche contributed to peace by his articulate and consistent call for disarmament.#Canada150

Author, parliamentarian and diplomat, The Hon. Douglas Roche, O.C. was appointed to the Senate of Canada September 17, 1998. Senator Roche was Canada’s Ambassador for Disarmament from 1984 to 1989. He was elected Chairman of the United Nations Disarmament Committee in 1988.  Senator Roche is an Officer of the Order of Canada, Chairman of Canadian Pugwash and Chairman, Middle Powers Initiative, a network of nine international non-governmental organizations specializing in nuclear disarmament.

In 1992, he was given the Thakore Foundation Award “in recognition of his prolonged and distinguished work towards disarmament, global peace and peace education.”  He received in 1993 and again in 1997 the Mahatma Gandhi Foundation for World Peace Award.  In 1995, he received the United Nations Association’s Medal of Honour, and in 2000 the Pomerance Award for work at the United Nations on nuclear disarmament.

In 1995, Pope John Paul II presented him with the Papal Medal for his service as Special Adviser on disarmament and security matters.

His latest book, Peacemakers: How People Around the World Are Building a World Free of War, was released in 2014.

“Extending social and economic development throughout the world and eliminating nuclear weapons from military arsenals are two fundamental prerequisites to replacing the culture of war with a culture of peace, and building true security for all the world’s people.”

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