Present: Emily, Dwyer, Colin, Glen, Mary
- Quaker Youth and Militarism Conference
- Still accepting participants, and is now open to all ages
- Please spread the word!
- April 24th-26th in Peterborough, ON
- There are travel bursaries available to non-Quakers
- Should spread the word to Stirling youth, Matthew Bailey Dick (he was coordinator for MCC against militarism)
- http://quaker.ca/youth/youth-militarism/
- Walk Against Male Violence is next Thursday, the 23rd
- Walk for students to show support in ending male violence
- Walk is in Victoria Park at 10:30- tehre isa 45 min rally before walking through downtown kitchener from 11:15-12:30, then there’s a second rally at Victoria Park.
- Students are asked to pay $20 for the Native Women’s Association of Canada for their Sisters in Spirit campaign to investigate the death and disappearance of Native women and girls
- All are welcome!
- Update on Emily’s Visit to PeaceQuest Kingston
- One of the ideas they’re talking about is cumulating PeaceQuest efforts into a conference at the end of 2018. So all these current efforts are to generate momentum and awareness to get people together at a conference so that new ideas and initiatives can be formed to move forward
- A question that was asked- how do we reach the “common people” who don’t care about or are familiar with peace issues? How do you get this message to them and make them question the current government/policies?
- Community survey results
- 7 respondents out of 14 it was sent to
- Definitely a perceived lack of collaboration between Peace groups, and all respondents said either “yes” or “maybe” when asked if they’d be interested in attending a symposium event
- A sense that we need practical accessible events for community members to get involved with
- Panel event
- Need money for honourarium, refreshments, and printing
- Educators for Justice can pitch in $100 for speakers
- CPA can provide funding for refreshments
- Can talk to Kingston for money for printing, Colin has also offered to personally help cover some costs
- Speakers
- 3 confirmed speakers: Marlene Epp, History and Peace and Conflict Studies Prof at Uwaterloo; John Siebert, Executive Director of Project Ploughshares; Andrew Thompson, Director, Amnesty International Canada Board
- CPA will provide a moderator
- Focus
- Tie it into WWI
- How war is often pointless on many levels; there are no real winners or losers and doesn’t often solve anything
- Wars often escalate and cause more violence
- Harper’s currently supporting efforts in Syria
- Also what are some alternatives?
- Advertising
- Advertise to high school students
- Mary and Glen will advertise to Unity Kitchener
- Colin and Dwyer will spread the word to schools they have connections with
- Write and send a press release to the record, student newspapers
- Get it into church bulletins ASAP
- Maybe advertise at kitchener market, put a poster in Queen Street Commons
- Emily will have a final poster version done early this week and will send around
- Advertise to high school students
- Logistics
- Will collect more emails, on the slip should ask for name, email, and if they’re a part of a peace group in the area
- Also will have a table with PeaceQuest information/materials
- Future events
- Still interested in having a movie night, even if it’s a few short films put together
- Testament of Youth, Oh What a Lovely War two ideas mentioned
- The World Remembers
- Projecting the names of all people who died on all sides during 1915 in WWI on a public building- theworldremembers.org
- We could advocate to have it in Kitchener and/or Waterloo
- Symposium event
- Definitely doable, results of survey indicate that there is a perceived lack of collaboration and there are groups interested in being involved
- Still interested in having a movie night, even if it’s a few short films put together
- Need money for honourarium, refreshments, and printing
Next Meeting: May 11th, 7pm, CPA at Conrad Grebel