Landmine abolition treaty
On December 3, 1997, representatives of more than 100 countries will gather in Ottawa to sign Landmine Abolition Treaty, formally the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction. The entire week of December 1 to 7 will be devoted to a Landmine Treaty Conference, with discussions and celebrations. Colin Stuart, the Ottawa staff person for Canadian Friends Service Committee, will be the official representative of Canadian Friends Service Committee at the conference.
Events open to the public include:
- Nov 27-Jan. 28: Exhibit by photographer Robert Semeniuk on landmines at the Canadian Museum of Contemporary Photography on Wellington Street next to the Chateau Laurier
- Nov. 29: Talk by Chris Giannou, war surgeon with ICRC on "The Minds behind the Mines - Lessons learned from the International Campaign to Ban APM�s" at Ottawa University�s Montpetit Hall, room 202 5:00 to 6:00.
- Dec 1: ICBL Ban Bus arrives in Ottawa with Jody Williams at the Conference Centre, 2 Rideau Street
- Dec. 2 -7: Photography, Art work, Slides, and Humanitarian Demining Work at the Conference Centre, 2 Rideau Street
- Dec. 3-4: Sign the People's Treaty at the Conference Centre, 2 Rideau Street - while national delegations sign the official treaty, pick up a copy of the Treaty and sign a copy of it yourself to increase pressure on countries that have not signed
- Dec. 3: Bruce Cockburn, Jackson Browne and Chude Mondlane give a benefit concert for the work of Mines Action Canada and Operation Landmine (USA) at 8:15 p.m. at the Conference Centre. Tickets from Ticketmaster.
- Dec. 4: Interfaith Service, 7:30 p.m. with spiritual leaders from around the world, Cathedral Basilica Notre Dame, Sussex Avenue (across from the National Gallery).
- Dec. 5: David Atwood, staff of Quaker United Nations Office Geneva, speaks at Friends House, 91A Fourth Avenue in the Glebe at 7:00 p.m.
- Dec. 6-7: NGO Landmine Conference (sold out)
Preparations for the Canadian Quaker International Affairs Seminar
In 1998, there will be a special Quaker International Affairs Seminar to consider the possibility of a permanent program in Ottawa to work on international affairs. Such a program could be similar to that of the Quaker United Nations Offices in New York and Geneva. An ad hoc committee with representatives from Ottawa Meeting, Thousand Islands Meeting (Kingston, Ont.) and Canadian Friends Service Committee has been meeting since June to plan this event. Colin Stuart will be writing the discussion paper for the seminar. Carl Stieren has written a pamphlet called "Crossing Borders: Canadian Friends and International Affairs, 1931-1997" for the Canadian Quaker Pamphlet series (distributed with the Jan/Feb 1998 issue of The Canadian Friend).
Send items of interest for this page to: Carl Stieren [email protected]
Peace and Social Concerns Committee, Ottawa Monthly Meeting, Religious Society of Friends,
91A Fourth Avenue, Ottawa, Ontario Canada K1S 2L1