Canadian Peace Congress


Canadian Peace Congress
The Canadian Peace Congress hosted the 2nd Tri-Lateral Conference with our fraternal intenational organizations in the US and Mexico which was held in Toronto ON October 2-4, 2009.

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Member of World Peace Council


Executive Committee Meeting of the World Peace Council, Damascus, Syria 23-25 October 2009, Final Communiqué

11/11/2009 6:42:22 PM - WPC Executive Committee

Executive Committee Meeting of the World Peace Council, Damascus, Syria 23-25 October 2009

Final Communiqué
After the successful holding of the Assembly in Caracas in 2008, the World Peace Council held its first Executive Committee Meeting from October 23-25, 2009 in Damascus, Syria, which was attended by the highest number of Peace Movements compared to the last 20 years. Our thanks go to the Syrian National Peace Council which hosted the meeting in excellent conditions of hospitality and friendship.
The 34 Organizations and movements agreed after a fruitful and rich discussion of reports and suggestions to the following conclusions, which will be accompanied by a plan of action:
The impetus given us by the Assembly has already appeared in the increased activity, we have seen in the period of time that followed it, as reported to the meeting. New expectations and perspectives have been created and the Executive Committee is called on collectively to respond to the fresh demands that derive from the crucial international situation.
The assessments that we set out in the final declaration of the Assembly regarding the intensity of imperialist aggressiveness and the exacerbation of rivalries has acquired particular importance with the ongoing economic capitalist crisis. The consequences of the crisis make the rivalries yet more acute and create dangerous situations. The concerted effort made by the imperialists to overcome it is creating explosive problems, such as dismissals, unemployment and a drop in the peoples’ living standard. According to UN data, one billion people are scourged by hunger. At the same time, according to SIPRI data, in 2008 military spending marked a new record, reaching the astronomical sum of 1, 46 trillion dollars, almost half of it spent by the USA.
Humanity is facing the calamities of global warming in their daily life but also for the course of its future. While demanding policies confronting climate change, we underline the need to confront the causes for the unequal social, economic development, which constitute obstacles for the environmental protection. The WPC supports the use of renewable energy, which should not be another source for profits of the Multinational corporations and the monopolies.
The new US administration, despite its efforts to present itself with a different profile, maintains the aggressive imperialist policy in various parts of the world. The necessary readjustments are aiming in the manipulation and dilution of public opinion, while new aggressions and threats, new Military Bases and Naval fleets are on their way. The Nobel Peace Price given to the US President in this context is just one more proof of the ambiguous and hypocritical criteria and the political motivation behind in order to create a dangerous complacency, constituting at the same time a provocation for the millions of peace fighters in the world. The well-designed propaganda to the effect that supposedly the strategy of imperialism has changed has to and will be challenged by the peoples who know the truth.
Despite the retreat of the USA as regards the National Missile Defense program thanks to the peoples’ mobilizations, the new modification of the program made by the USA is in the same direction and very dangerous. The new National Missile Defense is being shifted to the south, deployed on moving ships. The WPC will keep on being vigilant against these new plans.
The EU is intensifying its imperialist strategy and despite the competition of forces within, it is moving forward with the reactionary Lisbon strategy in all sectors, including its growing militarization, closely linked with NATO objectives. It is increasing its military presence through its member States in the occupation war in Afghanistan, trying to reinforce its role as well in the competition towards the USA. The recent referendum in Ireland shows how the leading circles in the EU understand democracy: Political terror and blackmail until the people will “approve” the “Euro-treaty”.
We are aware that the EU army has been established to protect the interests of imperialist forces inside and outside Europe. Presently steps are being taken in the Scandinavian countries-Norway, Denmark, and Sweden- to establish an armed force to protect their gas and oil reserves in the arctic area from the Russian interests there. We can foresee new conflicts in this context through military threats by the USA and NATO.
NATO is preparing its new and even more aggressive long-term strategic concept for 2010. The WPC reaffirms its demand for dismantling of this imperialist war organism.
The WPC in its first constitutional meeting held after long time again in the area of the Middle East, salutes the Syrian peace loving people and all the peoples of the region which are victims of occupation, imperialist aggressions and threats. Our mind goes first of all to the Palestinian People which is facing for more than 60 years the expulsion, aggression, humiliation and slowly genocide by the Israeli occupation troops, supported by the Imperialist forces in the USA and the E.U. We salute and express our full hearted solidarity with the people of Palestine in their struggle for the only just and viable solution with the establishment of the independent State of Palestine in the borders of 1967 and with East Jerusalem as its capital. We express our solidarity with the Palestinian People, its resistance and struggle against occupation and against the political and territorial division of the Palestinians.
We demand the unconditional withdrawal of the Israeli occupation forces from all the Arab Lands, including the Palestinian Territories, the Syrian Golan Heights and the Lebanese Shebaa farms.
We salute the Lebanese people who are resisting the Israeli daily threats to the sovereignty of Lebanon, demand the end of Israeli aggressions and denounce the double standard silence of the UNIFIL forces.
Holding our meeting in a Middle Eastern country reflects the importance which the WPC is placing on a region where the situation has become yet more burning, complex and complicated. All the contradictions and characteristics of the new imperialist order have become concentrated in the most telling way in the broader region. This region is highly important strategically because of the huge energy reserves of oil and natural gas.
The Plan for the “New Middle East” jointly elaborated by the USA, EU and NATO aims at the creation of willing allies and regimes for the new imperialist crimes in the region and the political, economical and military control of the broader area.
The WPC reiterates its clear position for the end of the war and occupation in Iraq and Afghanistan and for the right of the people to resist the occupation. We reject the threats and foreign intervention against Iran under any pretext, stating clearly the right of each people to determine free, democratically and sovereign its fortunes.
The Executive Committee of the WPC is uniting its voice with the peoples of Latin America in their firm rejection of the coup d’ etat in Honduras and demands the restoration of the constitutional order without conditions. We denounce the subversive plans of destabilization of a serious of progressive governments with foreign interventions and local conspiracies of the oligarchy. The WPC salutes the decision of the people and government of Ecuador to “throw out” the US military base of Manta and rejects any plans to deploy new US bases on the Colombian territory, as well as in Panama and Peru, as part of the plan to threaten neighbor peoples and nations.
We underline the support and solidarity with the people of Cuba and join the campaign for the end of the injustice against the Five Cuban political prisoners in the USA, for more than 11 years unjustly kept, with the demand for their immediate release. We demand the end of the criminal US-blockade against Cuba. The Cuban Revolution in its 50th year from its triumph is inspiring not only the heroic people of Cuba, but likewise allover the world.
The WPC strongly condemns the creation of the African Command of the USA (AFRICOM) and the recent visit of the US President to the continent in order to build the ground to shift it from Germany to Africa itself. Africa, while remaining the poorest continent as a whole, is attracting imperialist forces and Multinational corporations as a target for the further exploitation of its natural resources and as a new market. We declare our solidarity to the people of Western Sahara, the only African country which is still under occupation and support the right of the Saharawi people for self determination in a free referendum. The WPC shall take initiatives for strengthening its work on the continent in the coming period.
The WPC underlines that Nuclear disarmament and the destruction of all nuclear weaponry remains nonnegotiable position of the WPC. The WPC stands firm in its position regarding nuclear disarmament and within this framework and this direction supports the amendment of the NPT and will participate in the activities around the NPT Review Conference which is to take place in New York in May 2010, putting forth its positions and principles.
We reject the double standard policies of the imperialists towards the DPR of Korea with the ban on nuclear arms production, while not taking any substantial step towards nuclear disarmament, maintaining the First nuclear strike doctrine. The WPC supports the bilateral and multilateral talks for the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and the efforts for the peaceful reunification of Korea based on the joint declarations of June 15 and October 4 of the two sides.
The WPC will strengthen efforts to designate the Arctic as zone of peace, free of Nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction.
We express our solidarity with the people of China for the defense of its territorial integrity against all subversive efforts under the pretext of religious, cultural or other minority rights and denounce the provocations and interference of imperialist forces on the issues of Tibet and Taiwan. The WPC supports the one-China policy of the PR China.
We express our solidarity with the people of Cyprus and its desire to end the occupation of 37% of the island with a solution based on a bi-zonal, bi-communal Federation, with one sovereignty, one citizenship and one international entity.
 We condemn the ongoing occupation of the Serbian province of Kosovo by NATO and the EU and the creation of a protectorate violating even the UN resolutions and the international law.
We salute all peace loving forces in the world and call upon them to unite their voices and forces with the WPC, in the common struggle for a peaceful and just world, free from imperialist domination, occupation and exploitation.
From Damascus, in the heart of the Middle East, 60 years after the foundation of the WPC, we send out a message of peace and friendship to the peoples of the world to continue their struggle for their just causes with the WPC always in the front line of this struggle.
The Executive Committee of the WPC 25th October 2009  
About the Plan of action for the coming period
The EC agreed to set up the main guidelines of action for the coming period calling upon the members and friends of WPC to act and coordinate efforts on National, Regional and International level. The EC stressed the need to increase the capacity for WPC’s propaganda (printed and electronical), the improvement and better use of the website (www.wpc-in.org) by its members as well as better coordination of WPC activities in the five regions. The EC underlines the need to highlight the history of 60 years of struggle with events in all parts of the world.
Main political points of focus
A.      The occupation of lands and the solidarity with the peoples under occupation. The imperialist threats to the sovereignty and independence of countries and nations.
B.      The fight for the abolition of Nuclear Weapons worldwide
C.      The strategic concept of NATO and the demand for its dismantling
D.     The Foreign Military Bases, as mechanism of imperialist aggressions and threats
Based on the above mentioned the EC set up a draft list of events and initiatives which we endorse and support. Many more shall be included day by day.
  • International gathering for solidarity with Western Sahara and peoples under occupation and imperialist threats- Seville, Spain November 27-28,2009 hosted by CEDESPAZ
  • Assembly of the Caribbean Movement for Peace and Integration, to be held in Bridgetown, Barbados on 28-29 November 2009,hosted by the CMPI
  • II NO BASES conference in Buenos Aires, Argentine 28-29 November 2009
  • Asian Peace Conference, against Imperialism, for Peace and peoples’ unity- Katmandu, Nepal February 16-17,2010, co-organized by the WPC and Nepal Peace and Solidarity Council, hosted by the NPSC
  • International-regional conference in solidarity with Cuba in Vientiane, Laos 19-20 March 2010, hosted by the Lao Peace & Solidarity Committee
  • International conference about the NPT New York City May 1-2, 2010 “ Disarm Now! Meet Human Needs!”
  • European conference against the Lisbon strategy and the militarization of the EU- in Madrid, Spain June 2010 hosted by CEDESPAZ
  • World Conference against A&H bombs, in Hiroshima-Nagasaki, Japan 2-9 August 2010
  • International Day of action against Occupations and in solidarity with people resisting occupation, ( date to be determined by the Secretariat)
A serious of regional meetings of the WPC in all regions is to be set up in the coming weeks, along with the venue and dates for the next Secretariat meeting.
The EC adopted unanimously six (6) solidarity resolutions with the peoples of Syria, Palestine, Cyprus, Pakistan, Vietnam and Korea. They are considered parts of the outcome of the EC meeting and are attached to the communiqué and the plan of action.

End.