The National Action Com-
mittee on the Status of Women,
(NAC) comprising 250 affiliate
groups totalling three million
women, adopted a clear stand for
peace and disarmament at its an-
nual meeting in Ottawa, March
25-28.

In its ‘Resolution for Sur-
vival’’, NAC put itself squarely
behind major international de-
mands by women’s organizations
which have declared the struggle
for peace and disarmament a
major task.

NAC’s resolution, which up-
dates its 1982 resolution, now
urges:

“That NAC and its member
groups and individual members
make suffocation of the arms race
a priority issue for action by:

“Al. Lobbying against Cana-
da’s involvement in the produc-
tion, distribution, testing and
Storage of weapons of mass
destruction, in particular the
Cruise missile testing in Canada.

“‘A2. Calling vigorously on the
Canadian Government to:

a) Declare Canada a nuclear

weapons-free zone and re-

move all weapons from Cana-
dian soil;

b) Urge the U.S. to initiate

and agree to realistic disarma-

ment negotiations at Geneva
and the United Nations includ-
ing:

—no first use of nuclear

weapons

— non-aggression pacts:

c) Withdraw Canada from

NATO and NORAD, and the

Defence Production Sharing

Agreements which force

Canada to increase its military

expenditures at the expense of

-essential services and jobs;

d) Cut Canada’s military
budget by 50% and reallocate
the freed resources for social
services and economic growth
and development and
strengthen Canada’s indepen-
dence, while making Canada a
voice for peace in the world.

“*B. Initiate individual and
group efforts for education and
research, action on special days,
etc., referenda, letter and tele-
phone campaigns, lobbying and
election strategy and all means
designed to achieve a nuclear
free, disarmed and peaceful
world.

“C. Condemn the Canadian-
U.S. umbrella agreement to test
arms in Canada as contributing to
the continuing arms race. We
particularly abhor the provision
that any request to test arms in
Canada will be agreed upon in
secret.”’

The annual meeting also
adopted a resolution to ‘‘call upon
the federal government to refuse
the Cruise, annul the U.S. weap-
ons testing agreement and declare
Canada a nuclear weapons-free
zone,’ and ‘‘call upon the federal
government to urge the govern-
ments of NATO countries to re-
spond favorably to the recent in-
itiatives of the Soviet Union and
Warsaw Treaty countries ...”’

When polled in March, 1983,
only 93 MPs declared them-
selves for or against Cruise test-

| ing (56 for, 37 against). The rest
|. (189), didn’t know or wouldn’t
| say. Cruise testing is clearly not |

| popular. Talk to your MP, urge |

| ‘Refuse the Cruise!’’

PACIFIC TRIBUNE—APRIL 22, 1983—Page 6

People everywhere are|
uniting to prevent war

People everywhere, of the most diverse ideas,
are uniting to prevent nuclear war. Facing a
sharply increased danger of sucha disaster, mil-
lions are drawing more closely together,
through actions, resolutions, delegations, and
work among their peers to achieve the single
most universal need today — prevention of nuc-
lear war — and its guarantee, nuclear disarma-
ment.

In Canada and on an international scale the
central issues are crystal clear. Progress must be
made in the Geneva nuclear disarmament talks,
because the deployment of the 572 U.S. Persh-
ing II and Cruise missiles in western Europe
would upset parity and set off a new round of
arms escalation. In Canada, the absolute refusal
to allow testing of the U.S. Cruise nuclear mis-
sile on our territory would be a contribution to
the world-wide struggle to smother nuclear arms
development. In that way Canada has an op-
portunity to serve all mankind. ,

The campaign here to insist that the govern-
ment prohibit U.S. missile testing at Cold Lake
is one of the most unifying campaigns in the
history of Canada’s peace movement.

Refuse the Cruise has become the slogan of
peace groups of the churches, of doctors, scien-
tists, artists, on an increasing scale among trade
unionists, in peace organizations themselves, in
women’s and youth organizations, as well as
Teaching into the associations of farmers and
Native people. It is carried forward by the
Communist Party, the New Democrats and by
a few exemplary Members of Parliament of the
Liberal and Conservative parties.

Delegations of church representatives and
women, letters and calls to MPs are making
inroads despite the hard core reactionary re-
sponse from Liberal and Tory officialdom.

Nuclear War Danger

Emphasizing the cohesion of the massive
peace tide around preventing nuclear war by all
means, does not exclude the raising of other
important questions which sooner or later have
to be faced.

There is the assertion, widely endorsed now,
that U.S. imperialism is the source of the nuc-
lear war danger. The behavior of the USA, its
Central Intelligence destabilizers and its mili-
tary in Central and South America and the
Caribbean can be cited — El Salvador, Hon-
duras, Guatemala, the invasion of Nicaragua,
threats against Grenada and Cuba, with fascist
Chile as a frightful landmark. The attempt to
control all that economically and military
creates a war stance against those lands and the
Soviet Union, it can be argued.

Those who so argue, can also add U.S. poli-
cies and actions in the Middle East, the Indian
Ocean, Indo-China, in the U.S.-Japan-South
Korea axis, the arming of bandits to attack Af-
ghanistan, and the hint:of supplying apartheid
South Africa with Cruise missiles.

That goes on top of the deployment plan for
western Europe and the concomtant U.S.
interference in the economic and political affairs
of its allies.

Election Role for Peace

At home, Canadians are told by Prime Minis-
ter Trudeau that this country has to test the
Cruise missile as a part of Canada’s NATO
commitment. But the truth is, the agreement to
test this U.S. weapon is not with NATO; it is an
agreement with the USA.

Many believe that Canada should withdraw
from NATO, including the Canadian Labor
Congress, New Democratic Party, the Commu-
nist Party, among others. Obviously they do not
make their participation in the mass nuclear dis-
armament movement conditional upon general
acceptance of this proposition, but many of
Canada’s military commitments are imposed by
NATO.

Demands are coming from ever more sections
of society demanding that these and other rele-
vant challenges be taken up, and they should be.
But not at the expense of the united strength of
peace movement, it is argued, at a time
when the power of that movement cannot only
sway governments, but may well play a role in
the election of governments. — J.L..

3,000 TO MEET IN PRAGUE, JUNE 21-26

World Assembly for Peace

Holding a major international peace meeting in
1983 has special force and meaning.

The frightening escalation in the arms race ac-
companying President Reagan’s open threats
places the issue of war or peace squarely before
humanity as the world’s number one concern.

It is to address this basic issue and help mobilize
massive actions to defend peace that the World
Assembly for Peace and Life, Against Nuclear
War has met with wide acceptance and interest.

The Assembly, to take place in Prague, Czecho-
slovakia, June 21-26, will gather 3,000 participants
from around the globe, from all major national and
international organizations and non-governmental
organizations.

Open and frank discussions will be the hallmark
of the Assembly which will address several major
themes:

e Problems of the struggle against the nuclear
arms race and the danger of nuclear war;

e General problems of disarmament;

e European security and disarmament;

e Peaceful settlement of conflicts;

e Economic, social and psychological con-
sequences of the arms race;

e Regional aspects of war danger in the Middle |
East, Asia, Africa and Latin America;
e Education in the spirit of peace;
e Role of the United Nations for peace and dis- |
armament.

Foremat proposals include suggestions that the |
problem of nuclear arms might be discussed in the |
form of a public inquiry calling on experts — scien-
tists, military leaders, etc., and for panel debates
bringing into focus differing viewpoints on such |
subjects as European security.

Conference organizers, as well as calling on ex-
perts, are aiming for the fullest participation in
panels, workshops and in the plenary sessions.

Four Canadian municipalities have now of- | |

ficially declared themselves Nuclear Weapons 1 |

| Free Zones — Toronto, Ont., Regina, Sask., | |

| Drummondville and Jonquiere, Quebec.

Canadians in 131 municipalities voted 77% last
year in favor of global disarmament.

Po RARER NER