About Us
One of the original anti-war movements in Canada, the Canadian Peace Congress was established in 1949 to advocate for world peace and disarmament, and to counter the rising post-WW2 dangers of militarism and nuclear weapons.
As a member organization of the World Peace Council, the Congress supported the international Stockholm Appeal, which called to
“ban the bomb” and declare the use of nuclear weapons as a crime against humanity. At a time when the “Cold War” made it difficult to speak openly against war preparations by the US and its NATO allies (including Canada), the Peace Congress and its local chapters collected hundreds of thousands of signatures on this Appeal.
During the following decades, the Peace Congress consistently protested against US wars and invasions in Korea, Vietnam, and other countries. We gave moral, political and practical support for national liberation struggles against colonialism. When the
USA demanded testing of the Cruise missile and other weapons systems over Canadian airspace, the Peace Congress united with other groups to lead the biggest anti-war actions in the country’s history.
Since the 1990s, Canada’s foreign policy has increasingly shifted towards integration into the US imperialist drive to maintain global domination – but the Peace Congress spoke out against the wars in Yugoslavia, Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere. We stand in full solidarity with the struggle of the Palestinian people against Israeli apartheid and occupation.
Today, as the Peace Congress marks its 75th anniversary, our historic anti-war organization remains true to its anti-imperialist and anti-colonial principles, and to our vision of a world based on peaceful cooperation and international solidarity
Our Principles
Peaceful Co-existence Among States
- Prohibition of all weapons of mass destruction including nuclear, biological and conventional weapons.
- Ending of arms races and militarization of economies.
- Prohibition of weapons in outer space. Total and universal disarmament under effective international control.
- Abolition of foreign military bases.
- Respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states, and oppose unjust unilateral economic warfare waged against any state.
- Negotiations and non-use of force in the settlement of disputes.
- Trade and cultural relations based upon respect, mutual benefit and friendship.
Freedom of People
- End all forms of colonialism, neocolonialism, and imperialist domination; elimination of racism, sexism and other forms of discrimination.
- Right of states to choose their path of development.
- Respect for the full rights and self-determination of all nations and peoples.
- Right of the people to the benefits of economic and social development.
- Preservation of the environment and ecological integrity.
- Solidarity, cooperation and unity among those supporting peace, social justice and environmental/ecological preservation.
Constitution of the Canadian Peace Congress
