The tagline and Twitter hashtag for Peace Brigades International is #MakingSpaceForPeace. What does that mean? It may seem obvious, but it’s worthwhile to take a moment to try to reach a working and shared definition of the word peace. The Quaker peace activist Ursula Franklin has stated, “Peace is not Read more
Peace Brigades International-Canada is working with the Peace Brigades International-Colombia Project to host a series of virtual bilateral meetings with Members of Parliament, government and agency officials, civil society allies, two Colombian human rights defenders and a community leader from San Luis de Palenque. These meetings are being scheduled over Read more
On April 24, BN Americas reported, “Colombian oil and gas regulator ANH has published draft contract guidelines for fracking pilots.” That article highlights, “The proposed pilots – all located in northern Colombia – would be operated by ExxonMobil (Puerto Wilches, Santander department), Ecopetrol (Barrancabermeja, Santander), ConocoPhillips (San Martín, Cesar) and Read more
On April 29, Peace Brigades International released our 19-page Annual Review outlining our collective activities in 2019. It highlights that PBI accompanied 1,360 human rights defenders, produced 429 communications (including e-newsletters) and organized 21 advocacy tours last year. The Annual Review also includes a mention of the PBI advocacy tour Read more
Calgary-based TC Energy Corporation (formerly TransCanada Corp.) is well-known in Canada. It’s the company behind the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline, the Coastal GasLink fracked gas pipeline, and the Energy East tar sands pipeline. It’s also a company known in Mexico for its pipelines. The TC Energy website says, “A Read more
Peace Brigades International-Canada is deeply concerned by two recent attacks against Indigenous land defence camps opposed to megaprojects. Spirit of the Buffalo Camp on Treaty 1 territory (Manitoba) On April 27, CBC reported, “A torched traditional house and belongings at an anti-pipeline camp located near farmers fields in southern Manitoba Read more
This Saturday May 2nd marks the 1st anniversary of the passing of Murray Thomson, one of the founders of Peace Brigades International. His friend Dennis Gruending has noted, “Murray was a student at the University of Toronto when the Second World War began. He enlisted in the air force and Read more
The founding statement of Peace Brigades International from September 1981 says, “We appeal in particular to all those who seek to fulfill the high principles and purposes expressed in the Charter of the United Nations.” This April, Izumi Nakamitsu, the High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, commented, “The United Nations Charter Read more
On June 30, 2001, Daniel N. Clark, one of the founders of Peace Brigades International in 1981, wrote this essay and posted it to his website. That would have been just prior to the 20th anniversary of the organization. As the 40th anniversary approaches, we share Daniel’s words and the Read more
George Willoughby was one of the signatories of a letter dated January 12, 1981 that invited people to gather to form an organization that would become Peace Brigades International at its founding meeting in September 1981. He was the one who recommended that JoLeigh Commandant become the first director of Read more