Working together for peace
While praising francophone distinctness, many activists place a
high value of their working relationship with anglophone groups.
And at meetings between peace activists and natives, French, English
and native languages are spoken.
"Meech Lake won't change our relationship to the English-speaking
peace movement," said Serge Provencher of COCON. "Overall,
we have worked well together, and will continue to."
"Peace and disarmament are more important than languages issues,"
he says. "This means working with everyone - not just people
beside you who speak the same language."
Judy Berlyn, from the anglophone group Westmount Initiative for
Peace, is also committed to collaboration, saying working side by
side becomes in itself a form of peace-making.
"When you work together, you build up personal trust. You have
common goals and very specific projects - and working together we
slowly break down the barriers and stereotypes that separate us."
Five important Quebec groups joined the Canadian Peace Alliance
in the last eight
months. And CPA-facilitated projects, such as the Citizens' Inquiry
into Peace and Security, have met with enormous enthusiasm from
the francophone movement, which has struck a committee to organize
the project in Quebec.
Many others see a bi-national model of working together, such as
the CPA has developed in its recent campaigns, as a healthy next
step. "Some of the new groups in the CPA are separatist,"
says Bourret. "They are there for solidarity - they would be
there even if Quebec was a separate country."
As Provencher says, "Peace on earth means we try to work together
despite our differences."
Canadian Peace Report, Fall 1990. Subscriptions are $12/year
from The Canadian Peace Alliance, 555 Bloor Street West, Toronto,
Ontario MSS IY6.
Published in the Connexions Digest #53 - January 1991.
(CX4164)
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