The crisis in Ukraine has captured the attention of people across Canada and around the world, raising serious questions about peace, self-determination, and the role of the Canadian government, particularly regarding Canada’s involvement in NATO and in the international arms trade.
This month on Friday, May 27th, my virtual gathering will feature discussion about the current Ukraine crisis with author Greg Godels, a Pittsburgh based writer who comments on current events, political economy, and left politics from a Marxist-Leninist perspective.
Following Greg’s presentation, we will have a panel discussion with commenters, including Charlotte Kates, international coordinator of Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network.
The Zoom session will open at 6:30 pm and the presentation will start at 7:00 pm. To learn more and to register, click here.
Greg Godels has written extensively on the Ukraine war, including an analysis of Will There Be a Winner, and most recently saying No to the Imperialist War. He consistently questions the role of propaganda in much of the reporting about all participants in the current conflict and provides needed historical perspective on current developments.
His voice is one of many around the world calling for an end to this conflict and to militarism in general.
On May 13th 2022, a group of progressive leaders took the bold and positive step of launching the Athens Declaration — calling for the immediate withdrawal of the Russian military from the Ukraine and for democrats around the world to collaborate in establishing a global security framework committed to de-escalating international tensions.
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- The Athens Declaration states:
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- We stand with the people of Ukraine, as we stand with every people suffering invasion, displacement and occupation.
- We demand an immediate ceasefire, the withdrawal of Russian forces and a comprehensive Peace Treaty guaranteed by the European Union, the United States and Russia in the context of the United Nations.
- We urge respect for International Law and all refugees, who must have their rights protected and offered a place of safety regardless of ethnicity, religion etc.
- We oppose the division of the world in competing blocs that invest in rampant militarism, hyper-modern weapons of mass destruction and a New Cold War.
- We believe that lasting peace can be achieved only by replacing all military blocs with an inclusive international security framework that de-escalates tensions, expands freedoms, fights poverty, limits exploitation, pursues social and environmental justice and terminates the domination of one country by another.
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- With these thoughts in mind, we call upon democrats across the world to join forces in a New Non-Aligned Movement. In this context, we view non-aligned, democratic, and sovereign nations working together as the route to lasting peace and a world that can avert climate catastrophe and bequeath to the next generation a decent chance at creating the conditions for globally shared prosperity.
- The Athens Declaration states:
I hope you will be able to join me on Friday, May 27th at 7:00 pm for a most interesting evening.
You can register here.
Daily atmospheric CO2 [Courtesy of CO2.Earth]
Latest daily total (May 24, 2022): 421.27ppm
One year ago (May 24, 2021): 417.82 pm
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