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World BEYOND War is planning three days of online activities, May 28-30, to talk about nonviolence strategies, to hear from organizers who have successfully shut down weapons expos in their communities, and to learn about viable pathways to convert from a war to peace economy.
Day 1: Thursday, May 28, 12noon-2pm Eastern Time (GMT-4): Mary-Wynne Ashford will kick off #NoWar2020 with a virtual workshop on “Nonviolence Strategies: 101 Solutions to Violence, Terror, and War.” Mary-Wynne is a retired Family Physician, former Co-President of the International Physicians for Prevention of Nuclear War, and former President of Physicians for Global Survival (Canada). Her workshop will address ways that we can use nonviolence principles at the personal, community, and international level. Register here!
Day 2: Friday, May 29, 3-6pm Eastern Time (GMT-4): We’ll hear two back-to-back panel presentations. The first presentation, 3-4:30pm, will feature organizers from Canada, New Zealand, and the UK who have successfully shut down weapons expos in their communities. Te Ao Pritchard of Auckland Peace Action, Siana Bangura of Campaign Against Arms Trade, Richard Sanders of Coalition to Oppose the Arms Trade, and Colin Stuart of NoCANSEC Ottawa will share practical advice about how to run a campaign against arms fairs. Next, 4:30-6pm, we’ll hear from Tamara Lorincz of Canadian Voice of Women for Peace, Simon Black of Labour Against the Arms Trade, and Brent Patterson of Peace Brigades International Canada about economic conversion. We know we oppose war, but what’s the alternative? We’ll talk about how to promote a just transition for arms industry workers, and why the path towards a green economy must include demilitarization. Register here for Day 2!
Day 3: Saturday, May 30, 3-5pm Eastern Time (GMT-4): We’re mixing it up on Day 3 with a virtual anti-war activists “open mic” session. This free-form session will be a time for participants like you to share music, poetry, stories of activism, and more. We’ll also hear reports from World BEYOND War chapter coordinators from around the world, along with music from Sandy Greenberg and the Ottawa Raging Grannies. Sandy is both a talented musician and a dedicated peace activist with both Canadian and Nova Scotia Voice of Women for Peace. The Ottawa Raging Grannies write satirical lyrics to familiar tunes; they rage in song to get out their message about peace, justice, equality, and politics to the widest audience. RSVP here for the open mic!
All events are free and open to the public.
#NoWar2020 had originally been planned as a week-long series of events in Ottawa, Canada, but due to the coronavirus pandemic, has been shifted to an online event. The virtual #NoWar2020 events are a preview of the full week of education and nonviolent action planned for June 2021 in Ottawa, to coincide with CANSEC, North America’s largest weapons expo. Save the date to join us in person in June 2021!
Sponsored by World BEYOND War.
