A Canadian Citizens’ Assembly on Nuclear Disarmament: Concept Paper
On September 21, 2022 – UN International Day of Peace – Peace Quest Cape Breton will be officially launching its call for the Parliament of Canada to convene a Citizens’ Assembly on Nuclear Disarmament, empowered to make recommendations on policies related to Canada’s commitment to achieving a Nuclear-Weapon-Free World.
Although recent years have seen a surge of interest in Citizens’ Assemblies and related exercises in participatory or deliberative democracy, a Canadian Citizens’ Assembly on Nuclear Disarmament would be the first endeavour of its kind, anywhere in the world. At a time of fast-rising nuclear dangers, we believe it is high time for such a bold experiment. We also believe that Canada, as a member of a nuclear-armed alliance and with a complex and chequered nuclear history, is a good place to start.
In advance of the launch, on August 6 – the 77th anniversary of the atomic destruction of Hiroshima – we are releasing a ‘Concept Paper,’ prepared by our Campaign Coordinator, Sean Howard, exploring the merits and examining the options for such an Assembly, and inviting comment and endorsements. So far, we have received support from groups including the Hiroshima and Nagasaki Day Coalition, Nova Scotia Voice of Women, Conscience Canada, and the Canadian chapter of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF).
We have also received endorsements from individuals including Setsuko Thurlow, a Hiroshima-survivor, Canadian citizen, and prominent member of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN). “Such an Assembly,” Thurlow recently argued, “would hear from all sides of the issue – including from my side, as a survivor. I believe it is an idea worth carefully exploring, not just in Canada but every country that claims the ‘right’ to possess or rely on these heinous weapons of genocidal destruction.”
Please read the Concept Paper by clicking the link below, and consider lending your support!
