Our February newsletter is being brought to you by our National Coordinator Alley McDonald.

This February we want to highlight to VOW's Peace Award Nominations are Open; 1.5 Degrees of Peace wins PACEY Award; Black History Month; and so much more happening this month!

Be sure to scroll all the way down for upcoming events, calls to action, and recommended resources!

VOW's work of peace, anti-war and demilitarization merits your support! Make a donation. Even better, join our growing number of Monthly Peace Partners. Consider $5 or $50 or any amount in between. Become a Peace Partner today!

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres reminds us:

“In today’s troubled world, building peace is a conscious, bold, and even radical act. It is humanity’s greatest responsibility that belongs to us all – individually and collectively.”

Troubled world indeed. Reflections on the year past, bring very little cheer.  Resolutions seem futile, bright lights appear to have lost their splendor, bringing glad tidings with the ringing of ‘holly jolly’, all the while the bells of peace are silent in many countries. Looking ahead at a globalized world which remains clouded with more of the same as witnessed in 2024. Instability of global affairs unresolved from year to year, hampering hope for a world without war.   

Meanwhile, the military-industrial complex continues to expand, weaponizing armed conflicts and wars, creating humanitarian disasters along with the destruction of the planet. Wars are among the worst threats to earth’s climate, causing floods, droughts, deeper poverty and the deterioration of social conditions. Multinational corporations continue looting high-value resources, stashing the stolen proceeds into private banks, leaving developing countries trapped with crippling debt.

A celebration showcasing local vendors, mesmerizing performances, and captivating storytelling - all from Black Canadian women.

Join us at the Great Hall inside the University of Toronto's Hart House for a vibrant celebration honouring Black Canadian women's achievements in arts, culture, and entrepreneurship. Expect live musical performances, market vendors, and more!

A free event for all ages to enjoy.

Toronto Palestine Film Festival (TPFF) is pleased to present LYD, an award-winning sci-fi animated documentary by Rami Younis & Sarah Ema Friedland, produced by Roger Waters. Before the screening, TPFF will host a storytelling session with acclaimed storyteller Sarah Abusharar who will regale attendees with traditional Palestinian tales that connect to the wisdom of ancestors.

Despite a fragile ceasefire, more than ever before, our collective presence is needed on the walk on Saturday, we may have 40 days to stop the arms shipments and support of Israel's genocide by the Canadian government. Let the time be well used by us all.

See you on Saturday at 11am Kitchener Market!

We'll be at Gaza square once again this Sunday morning with hot chocolate and coffee, buttons and posters, lawn signs and colourful chalk! Come say hi and meet your fellow neighbours/organizers as we make our presence known and continue to build safety in our community!

TKARONTO: LET’S KEEP THE PRESSURE ON EVERY MONDAY! 📱🍉

Week after week, we’re keeping the momentum going with our Monday lunchtime zaps.

Our collective action is making waves, but we need to ensure our elected officials continue to feel the pressure until real change happens.

Gather with neighbours in an online space to phone, email, and fax representatives together! Guidance, script, and contacts provided. Invite your friends!

☎️Whether you’ve zapped before, or are just getting started, all are welcome in this weekly action! And if you’re interested in organizing in your neighborhood - these zaps are a great way to meet your people. Bring a friend or two! Facilitators from GTA ridings are present to offer support, demo live phone calls, and answer questions.

“The history of Black communities in Canada is an integral part of Canadian history. This year’s theme is about reflecting and celebrating the contributions of Black Canadians in shaping our country while paving the way for a more equitable and inclusive future. In Canada, diversity is a fact, but inclusion is a choice; for far too long Black communities in Canada have been faced with anti-Black and systemic racism...Black History Month offers us all a valuable opportunity to learn more about the diversity of Black communities across the country, and to listen to and be open with one another on what we can do to build a better, more inclusive Canada.”

— The Honourable Kamal Khera, Minister of Diversity, Inclusion and Persons with Disabilities

The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists has reset the second hand on the Doomsday Clock to 89 seconds to midnight, citing the lack of sufficient action to reverse major crises such as climate change and the nuclear threat. This is the closest the clock has ever been to midnight. In presenting the new time, former Colombian President Santos also highlighted the importance of the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) as a path out of this current situation.

“To those countries that want to see an end to the madness of nuclear proliferation which has seen a 34% increase in spending in the last five years on nuclear weapons, with trillions more planned that could be  spent on saving our planet or reducing poverty, I urge you to sign the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. Half of all the countries have signed it so, it has momentum.”

The Peace Clock campaign was developed after witnessing years of the Doomsday Clock’s dire warnings fall on deaf ears. Recognizing that people are not motivated to make changes when they feel hopelessness and despair, the Peace Clock aims to make clear that by implementing antiwar proposals and climate justice initiatives, we can significantly reverse course.

We continue to watch the second hand on the Doomsday Clock move closer to doom! This is not engaging, or educational and it is not inspiring the masses to throw themselves in front of the creation of more nuclear weapons. We need to move the second hand to peace, to the abolition of nuclear weapons. It takes millions of small acts of resistance and building. Join us as we move the hand on the peace clock towards peace and a nuclear free future together!  

This brief highlights the critical need to embrace Queering Peace and Security (QPS) principles within the YPS framework, advocating for meaningful inclusion of LGBTQI+ youth in global peacebuilding efforts. It addresses the challenges of tokenism, the paradox of visibility, and the need for intersectional, inclusive, and actionable approaches to peace and security.

Inside the brief, you'll find:

• Key insights into the gaps in existing YPS frameworks.
• Actionable recommendations for Member States, UN agencies, and civil society organizations.
• A vision for inclusive peace that values every identity, protects every voice, and includes every youth.

Leaders with the Saugeen Ojibway Nation (SON) say they are no longer willing to have their territory “exploited” for the production of nuclear energy and storage of radioactive waste.

“The nuclear issue has the biggest footprint in the Saugeen Ojibway Territory. It’s the biggest footprint bearing on the environmental imprint, so we need to start getting some of that stuff resolved,” said Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation Coun. Paul Jones.

As 2025 marks the 25th anniversary of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 (UNSCR 1325), the global Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda stands at a crossroads. Adopted in 2000, the resolution was a landmark moment, highlighting the importance of women’s inclusion in peace processes and recognizing the gendered impacts of conflict. Yet, in 2025, as the world grows increasingly violent and militarized, the agenda faces profound challenges. From the genocide in Gaza to the ongoing conflicts in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Haiti, Myanmar, Sudan, Ukraine, and beyond, the WPS agenda must navigate a rapidly shifting and deeply fractured global landscape.

This award-winning documentary reveals that U.S. officials suppressed--for decades--the most important footage shot in Hiroshima and Nagasaki (including by the U.S. Army) after the atomic bombings. Why? What was the result and how does it haunt us today?

Join author Yves Engler on Mondays for a weekly news roundup and interactive discussion about Canada’s role abroad. This weekly session will delve into the latest developments on subjects ranging from military affairs and Canada’s role in Ukraine to its contribution to Palestinian dispossession and exploitation of African resources. Join Yves for a critical take on Canada’s foreign policy. Questions, comments and criticisms are all welcome.

Mondays 6PM EST

Ottawa’s new Arctic Foreign Policy is a plan for greater militarization of the northern territories. NATO + NORAD mentioned 33 times and most of the funding is for their modernization $38.6 billion, but only $20 million for sustainable development research! Climate change mentioned 39 times roughly the same amount as NATO-NORAD. But this Arctic Strategy is about moving fossil fuel powered F-35 fighter jets, destroyers, submarines, attack helicopters up the north that will exacerbate the climate crisis and further warm this vulnerable oceanic ecosystem.

Canada’s new Arctic Foreign Policy does not represent women, peace & security at all. The word “women” is NOT even mentioned once! 

Be sure to renew your membership and donate to support our important work building a culture of peace in Canada and so that we can continue to hire youth throughout the year. Make a donation today!