MILLION CANADIAN SUPPORTERS GOAL IN DISARMAMENT CAMPAIGN By JAMES LEECH WINNIPEG — The Canadian Peace Congress’ biennial confer- ence, held March 20-21, in what its general statement described as ‘‘a new international climate of hope and- optimism among hun- dréds of millions of people around the world,’ demonstrated its own optimism — and its capacity to work for peace. The conference, made up of about 100 delegates and 28 ob- servers from some 40 organiza- tions across Canada, including a number of peace councils, voted unanimously to make the pro- posals of the Second Stockholm Appeal its central campaign issue’ between now and October — the month of World Disarmament Week. The main task the delegates set themselves was to win support for disarmament, a new international economic order (to ensure the right of the resources to the people in whose countries they exist), and to urge an early con- vening of the United Nations World Disarmament Conference. Welcomed to Manitoba The delegates were welcomed to the Province of Manitoba (meeting there for the first time) by the New Democratic Member of the Legislative Assembly, Kenneth Dillon of Thompson, Manitoba, who is legislative assis- tant to Premier Schreyer. Dillon’ said that ‘“‘the con- sciousness of people’ the world over must be raised so that they - will understand the nature of the forces that cause wars.” He said: ‘It is impossible to have peace in a-world where people are exploited for the bene- fit of multi-national corporations. ) s Ray Stevenson of the Peace Congress e Jarbeau, Regina Peace Council secretary, is End the arms race! Sign the Stockholm Appeal, decked the hall. “It is impossible,” he added, ‘*to have peace in a world where the same multi-national corpora- tions plunder scarce resources for their own profit. “It is impossible to have peace in a world where these same cor- porations are protected by the armies of imperialist nations.” Dillon noted that “‘reason and logic will not support the idea that the CIA should establish a neo- fascist regime in Chile . . . will not support the imprisonment of Namibia by South Africa . . . will not justify the rule of five-and-a- half million black people in Rhodesia by 275,000 whites.” Canadians Would Support His remarks, the MLA pointed out, had been prepared to wel- come Romesh | Chandra, secretary-general of the World Peace Council, who was to have been the honored guest at the con- ference. (Chandra had received word in Geneva, just the day be- fore, that his mother was not ex- pected to live; and he left at once for India.) People in our country would fully support the ‘‘noble efforts’’ of the World Peace Council and its leader Romesh Chandra,”’ Ken Dillon said, ‘‘if they fully under- _ stood them.”’ Calling it the joint task of Cana- dian and world peace forces to WINNIPEG — Included in the business of the biennial con- ference of the Canadian Peace Congress, held here March 20- 21, was the sending of a support telegram to the huge labor de- monstration in Ottawa, March 22. Canadian Labor Congress pres- ident, the message read: “Delegates in session at Bien- nial Conference, Canadian Peace Congress in Winnipeg, extend warmest greetings to tremendous demonstration of Canadian workers in opposition to Trudeau’s wage control legis- lation. ‘‘Rampant inflation and growing unemployment will not ’ Peace Congress greets CLC’s march to Ottawa Addressed to Joe Morris, © ~ be halted by denying economic needs of workers who produce our nation’s wealth. “The profit-making of multi-national corporations and the burden of the arms race has created massive distortions in our economic life. “These distortions must be ended through peaceful and constructive production for human needs as proposed in the 10-point economic program of the Canadian Labor Congress. “We express whole hearted support for labor’s demand to end wage controls. Repeal Bill C-73.” The message went on its way endorsed unanimously by the 100 delegates representing up- wards of 35 organizations. PACIFIC TRIBUNE—APRIL 2, 1976—Page 8 mobilize people “‘behind the goals of the World Peace Council,” Dillon offered his support, and said: ““Welcome to Manitoba; and may we find renewed strength here to continue our efforts for peace.”’ On behalf of Mayor Stephen Juba, the deleagtes were greeted by Councillor Joseph Zukin, who mentioned efforts of the City of - Winnipeg to build peace bridges through its twinning program with the Ukrainian City of Lviv. Let’s Try Peace Praising the- petition on dis- armament, Zukin recalled a meet- ing with the Mayor of Leningrad. A toast proposed by that per- sonage, said Zukin, went like this: ‘“‘Tet us have peace for a hun- dred years. And then we will again consider the question.”’ Guest speaker at the Saturday night banquet was Kay Moon- same, secretary of the fund- raising committee, African Na- tional Congress of South Africa. He works out of Lusaka, Zambia. ““We know,”’ he said, “‘that as long as imperialism and col- onialism exist, these are soils of war. So we, in the colonized countries, such as South Africa, Rhodesia (which is Zimbabwe), Namibia (which is Southwest Af- rica) are suffering not only for peace in our own part of the world, but for peace throughout the world. But above all, our task is to gain freedom and indepen- dence.” Moonsame appealed for sol- idarity with the African countries in their struggle. Rejecting the propaganda which paints the Soviet Union as a threzt, the speaker, declared that not only are the USSR and the socialist countries bastions of peace in the present, but that the Soviet Union and its allies “‘saved mankind from catastrophe in the last world war.” ““Can you imagine,” he said, “the Soviet Union, which lost something like 20. million lives, today being posed as a threat to peace? We reject that with the contempt that it deserves.” He called the socialist community a tremendous help to peoples still struggling under colonialism. $75-billion Down Drain On the banquet evening Doreen Plowman, Canadian Peace Con- gress vice-president for Mani- Peace meet urges UN conference xecutive presents the main reports to the conference. Norah chairperson. Banners reading: Peace will triumph over war, and toba, who carried a major load in preparing the conference, pro- posed a toast to peace, and pre- _sented each one at the speakers’ table with a native Indian neck- lace symbolizing peace. The conference was opened by President John Hanly Morgan, who told the assemblage that since World War II, Canada has spent an estimated $75-billion on military expenses for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the North American Air Defence agreement (NORAD), and sundry other ““de- fence’. arrangements. (The con- ference later resolved to call upon Ottawa to withdraw from these military pacts.) Morgan said that not only was Canada dominated by foreign multi-national corporations, but that Canadian multi-nationals ex- ploited people elsewhere, as in Namibia, where, under Falcon- bridge, -‘‘conditions are horrible.”’ : Citing the 18 million un- employed in non-socialist coun- tries, as reported by the Inter- national Labor Organization (ILO), he said that considering “the productive capacity being lost .. . when you think of the vast gap of human need that will go Quest speaker Kay Moonsame, secretary, fund-raising commit- tee, African National Congress of South Africa, labelled colonialism and imperialism as constant dangers to world peace. ’ of work for peace supporters W? ‘circling the globe, ‘‘frat unclosed, we realize that we livé in a world with a terribly worsel ing situation in certain specifi? parts of it.” Arms Versus Jobs He reported that the ILO called the unemployment situation thé worst ‘‘known in the last years.” The connection of joblessnes and militarization was pointed ol! in the Executive Report, read ® the conference by Ray Steve! son, an executive member. said, in part: ‘