Sustainability and Agriculture: Preserving Canada's Natural Resources, Exercises of Technology

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I _/'l \c- e P,(.vC\\/ Y" l C o i \r e l e9 w k \ (...xL) ., w ` , : a.ee ak (( 4.-q- JD, 44, . \ . ° 3 ß o....9_ 1. ÿy . z:. . 2 ,. c: ,p toe,,,...., ,,, b .e- ,,,,,,S.L., , . E BeRoh. Rs_c. IC, INTRODUCTION WHY SOIL PRESERVATION Those who have visited the lands in the Middle East described in the Bible as a "Garden of Eden" with rich crop land and shady forests now find only deserts. The Greek Islands that provided the timbers for the ships in the wars around Troy are just barren rock piles now. Dr. David Suzuki says our technology assault on nature has aged our continent faster than any in history. We have to mo v a fast in a completely different direction if we wish to avoid producing huge new areas of desert and barren mountains here in North America. We have absolutely no choice. WHY WRITE ABOUT SO MANY THINGS We are one people living on one world and most of our main problems are interconnected. They can only be understood as part of the whole and they can only be solved when treated as part of the whole. For years I have specialized in being a generalist. ARE THERE SOLUTIONS? IS THERE GOOD NEWS? Many do not believe it but peace is really better than war and we need to say so. Get to know some of the environmentalists, alternative technologists, meet women in the womens' movement and meet people in the peace movement. Living in harmony with nature once we really begin to do so will provide so many benefits and improvements in our quality of life. Those that are doing it now find many benefits.(b, INFORMATION SHARING For years I have searched for'informa tion and new sources and innovative approaches to examining our problems and finding solutions. In the month while I was writing this paper almost a dozen new vital pieces of information came into my hands, a number from new sources. Each provided inspiration as it fitted into place to complete the picture. I have always taken dozens of papers to each conference to share my treasures with those sharing my interest in the whole world and its inter - connections. PURPOSE I have prepared this paper and its list of almost 60 background papers to share with you some of the excitement that I feel in my work. To work out by hesitant groping over most of a lifetime an understanding ofne country's economic, political, industrial and natural systems completely opposite to what you thought twenty years ago; to find brilliant scientists, politicians, business people and lay persons sharing your ideas; to find each year more precise research confirming the problems and their severity steadily increasing; and then to find solutions being conceived, tested, confirmed and reconfirmed in practice; that is the exciting and cheerful story I try to communi- cate in this paper. A copy of each of the footnote papers was supplied with the original paper. Kenneth C. Emberley `y PRESERVATION OF TOP SOIL AND SOIL FERTILITY IN AGRICULTURAL AND FOREST REGIONS LAND USE POLICY CONCERNS ARE RISING 1. The only source of permanent prosperity or survival is the ability of a nation to feed itself well. 2. Widely disbursed land ownership of farmland and city home lot land is essential to maintain democracy based on an independent and financially secure citizenery. 3. Controls: use of land transfer from food production contamination with poisons spread on land contamination with poisons in the air and water loss of productivity caused by man and nature. 4. Policy: Policy on use of land to raise food at lowest cost to benefit city residents and corporations. Policy to use foreign competition to keep Canadian farmer income low. : Policy to increase size of land holdings, increase size of fields, size of machinery, increase size of debts, amount of energy and chemical input. '5. We have a crisis in our forests as planting for twenty years has barely averaged 20 %. 25% of trees harvested and no serious effort was, made to design harvesting techniques to produce the most natural regeneration. During this time provincial and federal profits equalled or exceeded those of the industry, and the provinces own most of the forests. 6. The crisis in farming and farmland degradation is too widely documented in scientific, farm journals and the media to be ignored. 7. Is it any wonder industry is looking for ways to attempt to solve the problem while making a larger profit and increasing its control of agribusiness and the land. 8. Scientists and technicians are looking at various narrow segments of the problem with an almost guarantee that while their jobs multiply no one simple technology solution is possible and not even a dozen technology fixes will do any good. 9. Governments closely tied to various industries carefully avoid the one or two possible solutions. 10. Aside from these nine details listed everything is going pretty well and under control. IT IS NOT A SIMPLE ISOLATED PROBLEM It cannot be examined or solved by only economic and technology manipulation of a few factors. In fact, this attitude is one of the main reasons we face economic collapse today on the family farm and environmental disaster in a very short time, maybe five or ten years because of the increasingly unstable system. : p . . - 4 The "Canadian Environment Network ", our official name, has committed itself to locate funding for a research project to present to the Federal Cabinet by 1987 a "Sustainable Development Strategy" to carry out the policy goals of the World Conservation Strategy. Footnote 9 Plan A Footnote 13 CONFIRMATION OF DIAGNOSIS A. AMBIO 1982 - Report of a Conference 10 years after the "Stockholm Environment Conference" produced lists of: ten Major problems needing research : ten Major problems needing active management to produce improvement. Footnote 14. B. New Internationalist May 1984, "Trick or Treat The Sticky World of Food ". (Nor A thirty five page report on the Multinational International High Technology Industry of Synthetic Food as part of our Industrial System of exploiting the land and people everywhere. This documented and confirmed my understanding from many other sources over many years of the size and scope of our industrial food disaster. Footnote 15. THE STRUGGLE FOR A SOLUTION Educating, through making information available on the problem and possible solutions is a key activity. Lobbying professional groups and politicians is a key activity if the momentum in the establishment to continue land destruction is to be slowed. To this end, in early 1984 I produced 5 sets of papers with extensive back- ground material and supplied it to 5 of the 6 Liberal Leadership Candidates,- y- ' `- four of whom replied. cor -7 These papers addressed our problems on a holistic basis as it is the basic policy and one basic strategy of business and government which is the cause of our problem and must be changed before any real solution to any of our 20 main problems will be possible. Footnotes 16, 17, 18. SOIL EROSION OUTLINE The "Land Use Committee of the Manitoba Environment Council" decided their Main Winter Project for 1984 -85 would be to examine "Soil Erosion ". A number of events had led up to this in the experience of various committee members. In particular, the first "Land Use Conference in Manitoba" in 1979 under the leadership of Mr. Runciman. Footnote 19. The publication by the Manitoba Department of Agriculture in June 1983 of "Ecological Agriculture in Manitoba" by Vere Scott and Michael Janzen. Footnote 20 The "Soil at Risk" report of the Standing Committee of the Senate in Agriculture Forestry and Fishing in 1984. Footnote 21 " 5 Originally, the concept of seeking the one possible solution was replaced with the decision to examine two major systems being used to reduce soil erosion: "Zero Tillage" recommended in "Soil at Risk" and "Ecological Agriculture" recommended in "Ecological Agriculture in Manitoba ". THE NEED TO EXAMINE SOIL EROSION NOT AS AN ISOLATED DETAIL BUT AS PART OF A FARMING SYSTEM WITH PROBLEMS Wind and Water Erosion, Salinity, loss of organic matter and fertility, and acidification all contribute to soil degradation. Footnote 1, p. 5. Summer fallow, excessive tillage, larger, higher speed machinery, reduction of shelter belts and natural wood lots, the elimination of pot holes and speeded up spring drainage, have all caused land degradation. A major cause of soil degradation is the industrial view of farming as a Mega Project of huge bare fields of Mono culture growing hybrid seeds often pro- duced by seed companies owned by chemical and drug companies who choose seed qualities. Manitoba has only a little more than 5 million hectares suited to annual production of cultivated crops. This is part of the one twentieth of Canadian land fit for farming. There is very little more available and some is being seriously damaged every year. Footnote 1, p. 3. EXCESSIVE USE OF POISONS In spite of a thousand fold increase in Agricultural pesticide usage in the US since 1950 (Rifkin and Howard, 1980; Krummel and Hough, 1979) the percen- tage of the current crop lost to pests (insects, weeds and diseases) is approximately the same; 33% (Pimentel et al, 1978). Pimentel et al (1978) estimate that only an additional crop loss from 9 -11% would be realized if no pesticides were used and no other alternatives were implemented. Footnote 2, p. 1. Footnote 3, p. 1. According to Clark op. cit., p, 179, it took five times more nitrogen fertilizer to maintain the same yield of crop in 1968 as it did in 1949. In other words, five times the energy for the same result. Footnote 3, p. 3. One billion pounds of pesticides are applied annually at the present time. In fact, losses due to insects have doubled since the 1940's although there has been a tenfold increase in insecticide use. Footnote 3, p. 1. 6 The total effect of this major application of poison is little understood in its effects on soil, food, animal life and people, especially in the long term. The sterilizing effect is believed to be a factor in soil degradation to some degree. CAUSE AND EFFECT Replacing depleted nutrients chemcally for convenience causes financial strain which promotes soil destructive farm practices to earn more money to pay bills. The problems in agriculture include the increase in bankruptcies widely reported in all media. To a varying degree some blame it on the energy intensive nature of modern mechanized agriculture developed over a forty year period when political and economic control of Iran by the USA maintained a world oil price of $2 a barrel while every other commodity price increased. Another problem in agriculture is the steady increase in the size of farms deemed necessary to make a living with low prices blamed on international competition. The cost of capital intensive farm debt is seen as a major problem. $500,000 farms are purchased that need $500,000 of machinery to operate them and annually require financing for hybrid seeds designed by seed companies owned by the companies that sell pesticides, insecticides and fertilizer. OBVIOUSLY IN MANY WAYS THE SYSTEM HAS FAILED In the USA 29 corporations own 21% of all the cropland. Footnote 3, p. 2. In Canada we have the "AGRI -FOOD POLICY" replacing Agriculture and Farming. The increasing size of farms, mechanization of farms and reduced labor input are continued and escalated as Federal- Provincial - Industry Policy. Footnote 4, p. 3. BUSINESS AND GOVERNMENT ARE DESTROYING FAMILY FARMS There are an important fraction of the population who see a need to permit diversity and competing systems and technologies even in the Free Enterprise Capitalist System. Footnote 17. There is clear evidence of the goal of the elimination of the family farm as a coordinated objective of government and business through choices of technology favoring: centralized control low cost food policy depopulation of rural areas accelerated elimination of small towns increased specialization in fewer crops greater dependence and instability with global marketing increased farm size increased capital intense and energy intense agri -food production increased corporate land ownership. Footnote 4 9 ENVIRONMENTALISTS - THE CHURCHES - UNIONS That is certainly a very unusual group to come up with basically the same idea. In the last three years most of the major churches in North America have launched indepth analyses of our economic and industrial system and its weaknesses. The churches that have completed their study have found the inhuman treatment of the unemployed and poor unacceptable and demanded basic changes. I have in my files the statements of the Canadian Roman Catholics and Protestants and they make it clear Ronald Reagan and North American Industry policies are basically unacceptable. The policies of the USSR are apparently long considered unacceptable. It would appear a Nuclear War in the USSR or Nicaragua is not justified to , force on them policies not acceptable in Canada and the USA, to make them adopt our industrial system. Footnote 33 Footnote 34 Footnote 35 ENVIRONMENT IN DANGER VAL WERIER The Winnipeg Free Press on March 13, 1985 published another of Val Werier's intelligent important articles. He describes the Audobon Report on the Canadian Environment and how it is being rapidly destroyed and a large part of the blame lies with our governments responding to their own and to industry's needs to be able to do what ever they want at least cost, least interference, least scrutiny and at highest profit. Provincial governments more than but along with the federal governments have deliberately not created the institutions and the laws to permit proper controls k, to be put in place or to allow citizens even the minimum of legal institutions they need to protect themselves or their land or the natural environments from being poisoned or destroyed by business, government and individuals. Footnote 28 FERNAND SEGUIN - DAVID SUZUKI The Spring Issue of the National Research Council Publication "Science Dimension" includes two pages of guest editorials by these brilliant men, French and Canadian. Footnote 35 FERNAND SEGUIN Seguin worries that Science and Technology as they have increased in public importance have fallen in public esteem. Science is declining in popularity as a career as is engineering. Traditional engineers so often in management and even biological scientists living in isolation are a problem not a solution. Most of our problems are in - 10 human relations and our holistic relationship with nature - the public and individuals sense their declining importance Insert by Author. It is an extremely important article including demands for opening science and technology to full democratic public inspection and control to change its blind, undirected force. He stresses the need for philosophical understanding of the responsibility of scientists for what they do. He stresses the environment collapse approaching as we destroy wastefully our resources and the basic natural systems that have survived 50,000,000 years. He talks about the need to fit scientific activities harmoniously into society by citizens and decision makers. CONTROL TECHNOLOGY - CONTROL SCIENCE Once he opens up this can of worms we must then progress to the stage of modifying those technologies that do not fit harmoniously into society instead of always demanding society change to suit the technology that science, industry and government want. African Bee Experiments Ocean Ranger Design - Complete Pesticide and Drug Testing before Use and adequate Recall Procedures Complete public monitoring and reporting of all Nuclear Power Subsidies Full and Complete Health records centrally filed on every temporary and full time Nuclear employee in every nuclear facility with full follow -up on all who leave the industry Proper full Public Hearings on all construction projects over $1,000,000 by anyone. THIS DEMOCRACY THING COULD BE DANGEROUS IF IT SLOWED DOWN HARMFUL ACTIVITIES THAT MAKE MONEY. DAVID SUZUKI He shows the depth of his humane understanding of people, an amazing quality not too common in scientists, but then he was a scientist who took half liberal arts along with his science so learned about people and society and nature. He said this kind of mixed education should be absolutely compulsory for the elite 1 /10 of 1% of our population who will be its business, scientific and political leaders when he addressed us in January 1985 at the University of Manitoba "Celebration of Life and Learning ". I say all lawyers and others who want to enter school board, city, provincial or federal politics must take either night school or summer school courses to qualify for office to give them this education most of them do not have at all now. The article is on an interview with Germaine Greer, author of "The Female Eunuch ", and what David Suzuki learned from her. He sees great merit in some of the fundamental points she makes. - - - 11 In our faith in modern technology we often throw out longstanding traditional methods that are far better for third world societies (including the third of Canadians who are poor including our Indians and Metis). We develop a machine costing millions to spot Downs Syndrome Fetus and after birth let them die but we will not force industry to clean up the poisons in the environment that cause these problems. We find it easier to manipulate poeple than to marshall the social changes needed to clear up our environment. He mentions the poisonous air of Los Angeles caused by refusing to control technology or human population and the poisoning of the great lakes (because business will let people die to increase profits and governments do not take their responsibilities seriously). Orr. DAVID SUZUKI UNIVERSITY OF MANITOBA At "The Celebration of Life and Learning ", and incredibly exciting event annually put on by the Student Union, an event almost ignored by the general public, the media and á majority of students, Dr. Suzuki presented an almost two hour address in the following theme: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY ARE ALMOST COMPLETELY OUT OF CONTROL 1. War on People is the focus of the largest percentage of scientists and engineers, research efforts and money (The new USA Budget has $32 billion for military research and more under individual departments). Footnote 36 2. Development of products and technologies to make money or centralize power over people; regardless of whether it destroys the environment or is of any net benefit to most people or contributes to what should be the nations goals for its poeple's well being; is the purpose of the second largest group of scien- tists, engineers, research effort and money. 3. The percentage left over for all the important and vital things for the world's well being for nature and people is very small. The author of this paper has come to the conclusion that present policies of increasing militarization of North American society, greatly accelerated since 1980, and the revival of the right wing business attitudes of the Teddy Roosevelt era guarantee two things in my lifetime. Footnote 37 Footnote 38 CHOOSE ONE NUCLEAR WAR and the rapid destruction of most life, the environment and most creatures. ECOLOGICAL COLLAPSE OF NATURAL SYSTEMS on which over four billion people depend for survival. Footnote 26 - 14 Organic Farming or Ecological Agriculture has been proven to reduce soil erosion and preserve soil fertility. Integrated Pest Management Draft Report, Footnote 2, Page 2 Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides Special Agriculture Issue, Footnote 3 Journal of Soil and Water Conservation, Footnote 7 Ecological Agriculture in Manitoba, Footnote 20 Acres USA, Footnote 43 ECOLOGICAL AGRICULTURE "Advanced Holistic Organic Farming" More natural farming has been practised on a slightly increasing scale for p thirty years in Manitoba. In almost every case it was undertaken as a method of solving problems in the advanced technology highly chemicalized farming system of mono culture. H ó lI RGO1 LOUIS L'AMOUR'S CLASSIC OF THE WEST There was something her father had said. "We do not own the land, Angie. We hold it in trust for tomorrow. We take our living from it, but we must leave it rich for your son and for his sons and for all of those who shall follow.' A FAWCETT GOLD MEDAL BOOK Fawcett Publications, Inc., Greenwich, Conn. This significant quote from a western novel was by a white woman living safely in Indian territory on a small ranch. Her father had taught her love of the land and respect for the different customs and lifestyle of her Indian neighbours who respected the natural world, and in return respected her father and her. Similarly, Hon Justice Berger quotes from the French Canadian farmers and fishermen in "Acadia" who seemed to get along better with the Indians than any other immigrant group because of their attitude of caring for the land. Footnote 27 M(OALJJ` 15 ALBERTA "Maintaining the Agricultural Land Base in Alberta ", a report of a Public Inquiry (Footnote 22) contains much useful information and many good ideas but ignores the basic causes of farmland destruction. "Conservation of the Agricultural Land Base was Desirable ", but certainly not essential. page 8 "Expansion of the Beef Industry is Seen as Essential to market the grasses and legumes grown for soil conservation" yet there is concern we eat too much meat already in North America, page 24. "Agriculture can continue to be a viable contributor to the economic life of Alberta long after our non - renewable energy resources are gone ", page 35. There was no mention that farmland was essential to provide food for Alberta citizens for the next 100 years. "To most people it seemed only common sense to preserve the basis of a great industry and a great way of life that rears not only high quality crops but high quality people ", page 8. There was no mention of the "Agri -Food Policy ", (Footnote 4) that many organizations and individuals see business and government policy deliberately destroying the family farm. FARMING IN HARMONY WITH NATURE The first goal must be encourage the cultivation of only those lands suited to cultivation. The second goal must be to encourage the return to and maintenance in grass, forest or wetlands those soils best suited to those uses. The third goal must be to encourage crop rotation including grasses and ,legumes where practical and their incorporation as green manure. The fourth goal must be to encourage the quantity of production and export off the farm of only as much crop as will not harm the permanent fertility and soil stability of the land. The fifth goal must be to encourage the production on cultivated land of only those crops and in such a manner that loss of soil and soil fertility is kept to a minimum and tolerable level. Footnote 6 The sixth goal must be to over a ten year period raise the percentage Canadians pay for food from 17% to 20% of their income with this annual increase in cost of only 3/10 of 1% going directly to support farmers on less than 5 sections of land who practice soil conservation. The size limitation is put on in the belief that larger and corporate farmers are sufficiently prosperous and economically efficient they can more easily afford these practices themselves according to the long held belief in business and government that the economy of large scale operations is better. Certainly program of a different nature for mega farms and agri- business farms will be required. 16 THE FARM IS NOT A RURAL FACTORY TO BE MINED UNTIL BARREN BY THE OWNER, INDUSTRY OR GOVERNMENT POLICY. A BOTTOMLESS PIT TO EARN EXPORT DOLLARS. THE MAIN SOURCE OF BANK INTEREST EARNINGS. IN EXISTENCE ONLY TO BUY EXCESSIVE AMOUNTS OF OVER SIZED FARM MACHINERY. IN EXISTENCE ONLY TO CONSUME EXCESSIVE AMOUNTS OF SCARCE OIL AND NATURAL GAS. IN EXISTENCE TO CONSUME EXCESSIVE AMOUNTS OF POISON CHEMICALS AND HYBRID SEEDS BOTH PRODUCED MAINLY BY THE CHEMICAL COMPANIES. IN EXISTENCE TO MAKE INDIVIDUALS, CORPORATIONS AND GOVERNMENTS RICH BY DESTROYING THE LAND. FARMLAND QUALITY IMPROVEMENT BOARD The gradual introduction of farm quality evaluation at time of sale and of periodic examination of farming practices by an evaluating committee of local farmers with outside expert assistance might be of help to good and other farmers once changes have been made in the system so farms have the choice of making a modest comfortable living without destroying their soil. ECOLOGICAL AGRICULTURE SUPPORT 1. The University of Manitoba should hire an Ecological Agriculture specialist and include the study of this concept as part of the regular curriculum of the University of Manitoba, Degree and Diploma Courses, and as part of their regular research effort. 2. The Manitoba Department of Agriculture should hire an Ecological Agriculture Expert and gradually divert 1% a year of its funding and staff from high chemical High Tech farming support to ecological agriculture support. Thus by the year 2000 A.D., 15% of its funding and staff would be emphasizing farming in harmony with nature. This would be a gradual steady change no more noticeable than took place during the last forty years but in a new direction demanded by the failure of the present system. 3. Ecological Farmers and Organic Farmers would be fully involved as 50% of the advisory and management committees designing the terms of reference, the continent wide advertising and selection of staff, the development of curriculum and department design and programs. 4. Freedom of Information is essential to promote technological democracy and freedom of choice. Unless people are allowed to hear about alternatives and their advantage they cannot intelligently choose. 19 Administration in their (November 1982) report: Land Degradation and Soil Conservation Issues on the Canadian Prairies - An Overview. They have been included with this report as Appendix F. The recommendations in detail 2. SEMINARS AND WORKSHOPS ON ECOLOGICAL AGRICULTURE: Conduct a series of on- 46. going consciousness - raising seminars and workshops on ecological agriculture. The purpose of these seminars would be to bring together the old and the new in a context to enable people to work together in a positive environment without friction. They would be held primarily .for interested farmers and agrologists. The January 1983 Organic Farming Conference in Brandon sponsored jointly by the Manitoba Department of Agriculture and the Ecological Farmers Association is an excellent example of what can be accomplished. A number of vitally important papers are added to the end of the Footnotes list beginning with footnote 49 because of their especial significance to: Destruction of the Environment by State of the Art Technology The Solution of the Problem of Nature Destruction The Difference of opinion between individuals fighting for adequate democratic control of technology and major government and business right wing groups that label citizen activists as communists and terrorists because they oppose corporate goals. 20 Footnotes 1. Soil Degradation in Manitoba - An Overview. David Fallis, Federal nvlronment 'rotection ervice - ept. ':4 - Winnipeg. 2. Integrated Pest Management - Draft Report. 3. North -West Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides - Special Issue on Agriculture - 1982 - Spring Summer Issue, P.O. Box 375, Eugene, Oregon, 97440. 4. From Agriculture to Agri -Food. An analysis of Canadian Agriculture Policy as formed from 1967 to 1981 by Brewster Kneen. A background paper published by the Nutrition Policy Institute, RR #3, Scotsburn, Nova Scotia, BOK 1RO. 5. Ambio - Volume X, Number 1, 1981. The Hamburger Connection: How Central America's Forests become North America's Hamburgers by Norman Myers. Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, Box 50005, S- 104 -05, Stockholm, Sweden. Individual subscription - USA $25 in 1981. 6. Toward A Sustainable Prairie Agriculture. Workshop with West Jackson. Land Institute - Salina, Kansas, USA. Sustainable alternatives in agriculture, energy, shelter and waste management. Perennial polyculture is their alternative. 7. Organic Farming: The Other Conservation Farming System. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation, Nov. -Dec., 1984, p. 357. 8. Chief Seattle - Environment Oration. Reply to USA President's offer for a large area of Indian land and promise of a reservation. Audio visual services - University of Washington, Seattle, USA. 9. Federal Cabinet 234 Mega Projects - Plan B. World Conservation Strategy - Plan A. See enclosed documentation on sources available from K.C. Emberley, 387 Truro St., Winnipeg. 10. The Conserver Society Evolution - K.C. Emberley. 11. Global Conference on the Future - K.C. Emberley. 12. Petition to Hon. John Roberts - K.C. Emberley. 13. For Environment Minister Charles Caccia, Sustainable Economic Development, K.C. Emberley. 14. Ambio 1982 - 10 yrs after Stockholm. 15. The New Internationalist - May 1984. Focuses on issues of world poverty and unjust relationships between rich and poor worlds. 70 Bond St., Ground Floor, Toronto, M5B 2J3, $22 one year. 16. Party Leaders Policy Meeting - Laurier Club - 1984. Major Issues Usually Excluded from Policy Discussion - K.C. Emberley. 21 17. Issues and Concerns Paper Two - K.C. Emberley. Policies supported by business and government vs alternatives. 18. Five Key Policy Areas - essential for a revival of democracy in Canada - for business revival and for renewing a political party - one of a series. K.C. Emberley. 19. Proceedings - Manitoba Land Use Conference - March 11, 12, 1981. Funded by Manitoba Government, Ducks Unlimited (Canada), Manitoba Pool Elevators and other private sources. 20. Ecological Agriculture in Manitoba - Vere Scott and Michael Janzen. A detailed report on the philosophy and reasons for it; practicing farmers in Manitoba numbering almost 70; recommendations to promote the practice; 40 pages of bibliography assembling conveniently for local people almost all essential reportings on fifty years of growth of ecological agriculture. Published in limited edition by Manitoba Minister of Agriculture, Winnipeg. 21. Soil at Risk - Report on soil erosion. Public Hearings in 1983 of Senate Committee on Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry - Ottawa. 22. Maintaining the Agricultural Land Base in Alberta - 1985 report of Environmental Council of Alberta. 23. Deep Ecology - A New Philosophy of our Time? by Warwick Fox "The Ecologist" p. 194. Volume 14 #5/6 1984. Journal of the Wadebridge Ecological Centre, Worthyvale Manor Farm - Camelford - Cornwall PL32 9TT- U.K. 24. Live Simply That Other May Simply Live. British Columbia Voice of Woman - Idea Center, 416 Wardlaw Ave., Winnipeg. 25. Alternative Courses for the Human Future. Maurice F. Strong First Iona Lecture, Iona College - Windsor, Ontario, 13 Feb. 1974. `r 26. The Stockholm Conference, A Friends of the Earth Publication, Out of Print. 27. The Human Side of Energy - 2nd International Forum Theme Address by Mr. Justice Berger, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Aug. 16. 1981. 28. Environment in Danger - Val Werier, Winnipeg Free Press, March 13, 1985. 29. Maskwa Project Newsletter - May 1985, Feature article from "RAIN ". Jan. 1985 issue. "Teaching Children Reaching the Community" with Conserver Society" - Understanding the Natural World" education. 30. The Social and Environmental Effect of Large Dams. "The Ecologist" - Journal of the Post Industrial Age. See footnote 23 for address. 31. Harold Geneen - Chairman I. T. & T. - U.S.A. Today, April 23, 1985. Morality is not the point of a company; profit is. Portrait of Twisted Power. 4. - 220 Queen Street Winnipeg, Manitoba R3J 1K7 December 26, 1985 t.k \k-e3g4-_, 481/4-- a I. 10.q, c.w G o vv."A4. \ Ss o k1/4_ 1 k.4t- Q S-e_ 00`'q- .e. l10 .r\ . n v . r o ,vt. un eVyer. Dear Madam: Happy New Year to you and all the people in the world. This can only be possible if we increase our questioning of the morals and ethics of policies and decisions being made for us by our leaders. New Years' resolutions for all of us: ', 1. Reduce war preparations, make fewer threats in all situa- i tions and pose less aggressively. In budgets and time devote an equal amount to peacefully solving differences at all levels in our lives, in govern- ments, and in corporations. 2. Be more honest in our reporting and story- telling of both sides. Report on the USSR role in Afghanistan but balance it with a story on the Chili dictatorship put in place by the USA or a story on how the USA was satisfied that Nicaragua had a USA - inspired and - controlled cruel dictatorship for 50 years. 3. Explain that only radically new policies to preserve our farm land and forest harvests and reduce pollution will enable our economic system to survive and the people that live with and on it to survive with less extravagance, less waste, and less luxury. 4. The environment must be considered first in any policy proposal. Any program, technology, or project that seriously harms the environment will make us poorer, less healthy, and less well fed and more poorly housed in the future. 5. The violence in our society is a natural growth result of a society increasingly dedicated to less fairness, greater emphasis on hatred, fear, war production and environment destruction. Look carefully at the political, economic and religious connections of those promoting the above items, and expose them. 6. The vast majority of the people do not want a war or the steady increasing threat and talk of one. Examine carefully those who do. 1 `EAN 44. 3 220 Queen Street Winnipeg, Manitoba Tt3J 1K7 December 26, 1985 t--) ak-SSt c V. S ""1-, ei , v- S. c o v,, w, , s s , e 1 S a ¢_ oT /(JL3 O M vk_v 1r o t.- t4A.0-41lI-R Dear Sir: Happy New Year to you and all the people in the world. This can only be possible if we increase our questioning of the morals and ethics of policies and decisions being made for us by our leaders. New Years' resolutions for all of us: 1. Reduce war preparations, make fewer threats in all situa- tions and pose less aggressively. In budgets and time devote an equal amount to peacefully solving differences at all levels in our lives, in govern- ments, and in corporations. 2. Be more honest in our reporting and story- telling of both sides. Report on the USSR role in Afghanistan but balance it with a story on the Chili dictatorship put in place by the USA or a story on how the USA was satisfied that Nicaragua had a USA- inspired and - controlled cruel dictatorship for 50 years. 3. Explain that only radically new policies to preserve our farm land and forest harvests and reduce pollution will enable our economic system to survive and the people that live with and on it to survive with less extravagance, less waste, and less luxury. 4. The environment must be considered first in any policy proposal. Any program, technology, or project that seriously harms the environment will make us poorer, less healthy, and less well fed and more poorly housed in the future. 5. The violence in our society is a natural growth result of a society increasingly dedicated_to less fairness, greater emphasis on hatred, fear, war production and environment destruction. Look carefully at the political, economic and religious connections of those promoting the above items, and expose them. 6. The vast majority of the people do not want a war or the steady increasing threat and talk of one. Examine carefully those who do. `9--1 a IA, %..k- K'kro e_ ¢ 1/4 c9., Most ordinary people want a job, a home they can afford, a wage that will support some modest level of comfort and the probability all their children will not be killed. 7. Some sanity must prevail or we will not survive. Probably the most hopeful sign is that there are over 500 small groups of people in Canada making a personal sacrifice in time, dollars and standard of living to help make this a better Canada to live in for all of us. Environmental activists, peace movement members and many others in self -help and life -style groups are promoting in many ways an amazingly similar, different, improved life- style. A life -style that is more in harmony with nature; to preserve our farm and forest lands from excessive destruction; promoting co- operation and self -help rather than excessive competition and initiative - paralyzing dependence; promoting diversity and innovation where monotony and monopoly so often dominate now; promoting more fairness and economic sharing in the community, nation and in world affairs; to improve quality of life for all. 8. In Canada the richest fifth of the population made 6 times as much as the poorest fifth, in 1983. In the USA the richest fifth of the population made 7 times as much as the poorest in 1974. Under Carter and Reagan policies by 1983 the rich were 9 times richer than the poor, and they are not finished yet. Most modern civilized countries divide their income more fairly than the USA (see p. 7, Oct. 20, 1984, Winnipeg Free Press). 9. Militarism, Star Wars, Free Trade are all policies the USA needs to support their unequal system and spread it more around the world. Is it any wonder so many common ordinary people oppose USA government and business policies even if they like Americans individually. Happy New Year! Sincerely, Kenneth Emberley. INDUSTRIAL AND ECONOMIC PRIORITIES The Program- Environment Protection The Good Life /The Just Society Caring for the environment; desiring to reduce conspicuous consumption and waste; and a desire to reduce the huge stress and cost of preparing for war are uniting three great movements in a desire for a better life style. Environmentalists Peace Activists Conservation Life -style Pioneers New Ideas Are Always Resisted John Kenneth Galbraith in The Age of Uncertainty" begins: The ideas of economists and social philosophers shape actions and events even when we are unaware of their sources. It is hard to believe the increase in public awareness of the "environment" as a crucial factor in our human survival, economic well -being or sickness, and a key factor.in our physical and mental health. We need a decent place to live. Equal and Opposite Reaction A whole series of books detail the natural reaction to the massive escalation of environment destruction by population and technology; a demand to protect the environment: Silent Spring by Rachael Carson The Population Bomb by Paul Ehlrich Limits to Growth by The Club of Rome Small is Beautiful by Schumacher The Stockholm Environment Conference by U.N. Soft Energy Paths by Amory and Hunter Lovins Poisoned Power by John Gofman, M.D. Cult of the Atom by Ford Fate of the Earth by Schell Malignant Neglect by Environment Defense Fund Circle of Poison by Institute for Food and Development Policy - Restricted Pestici;ic 'iarketing Is Technology Out Of Control? Dr. David Suzuki The Energy Inefficiency of oL:r whole continent and the Massive Environment Destruction of Mega Energy Projects, many exempt from Environment Protection Laws, were principal causes of increased Public Environment Awareness in the 1970's. Accelerated Resource Consumption and increased environment destruction That goes with it is a major result of the huge escalation since 1979 in preparations for Conventional and Nuclear War. -2 The development and full scale production of at least ten major new weapons systems, some under development for fifteen years under four different U.S.A. presidents, will bring war fighting to space over many countries. The Cruise Missiles researched and developed for fifteen years under Salt I and Salt II exemptions demanded by the U.S.A. at long last allows us to plan on a war in Northern Canada and Saskatchewan against the promised retaliating of U.S.S.R. cruise missiles when deployed in five years. There is a steady diversion of funds and staff and the discouragement of public interest in health care, education, medical research and support services for the working poor who need government help to help themselves just as do energy companies and munitions contractors. Population Time Bomb Is Here So much of our noticeable lowering of quality of life is due to the increased population of almost 100,000,000 in North America in the last 40 years. Paul Ehlrich addressed us in September 1985 at the University of Manitoba. What put China on to their crash program of birth control was the discovery during a modern census completed in 1980 that they had 150,000,000 more people than they thought they had. There are 20 countries in the world today facing a problem we could not solve in our modern rich country with all its technology, institutions and resources. Doubling Insanity A doubled population in one generation means finding twice as many schools, building a Toronto beside Toronto, a Vancouver beside Vancouver, doubling our National and Provincial Parks, finding twice as much farm land, finding twice as many fish in the rivers and ocean, creating twice as many jobs, producing twice as many toxic chemicals for Lake Ontario, twice as much smog for Vancouver. Idiots at one time dreamed of this for Canada and the U.S.A. but like moose and wolves when the pressures begin to get too great and life becomes more difficult the people decided themselves we will not produce more babies, they don't deserve it. Environmentalism A Growth Industry In the 1980's To Equal The Computer Growth In the 1970's To achieve this goal we must aim at the steady improvement in conditions each year until our program is fully in operation by 2000 A.D. ENVIRONMENT ASSESSMENT AND REVIEW PANELS They must be drastically improved until they meet these minimum goals by 2000 A.D. r 4r 46 -3 Cover all Federal, Provincial, City, and Municipal and Private Business Projects of any kind costing over S1 Million in the first year, planned or begun. Cover thoroughly the concept of alternative technology comparisons to achieve the same net long term goal. If more energy is needed, examine energy, conservation, and alternative sources to provide same net result. If more suburban building lots are needed examine inner city growth alternative and desired population goal to retain or regain quality of life. In licensing chemicals to treat bugs or people we must examine alternative treatments or the alternative of not treating at all as best meeting the social need of the nation to live more in harmony with nature. Cost Benefit Studies We must examine all costs including environment; life style; self reliance vs. dependance; export orientation vs. National, Regional, and Local benefit; profit and tax use and profit and tax level in relation to other industries of less and greater national, regional and local importance; number of jobs and quality of work life and workplace health and safety; waste products and who pays for recovery, recycling and safe disposal of wastes without further polluting the land, air and water; relevance of the product to the national, regional and local goals. Will more gambling increase low paying jobs, alcohol consumption and prostitution and increase abdication of government and business and individuals' responsibility to finance essential social services in an adequate manner through allocation of adequate tax revenue. Quality of Panels and Studies Panel membership and terms of reference for the panels and their studies must be initially determined by committees with equal representation from business, government and citizens representing the environment and general public. Gradually by the year 2000 representation on the panels must increase the percent of environment and public interest groups to 50" and reduce business and government to 25'; each. These goals are essential because in Canada Environment Controls and Regulatory Bodies are much more ineffective than even the U.S.A._ So many projects are government - sponsored and government subsidized in Canada, especially Crown Corporations and Provincial Hydro and Telephone Utilities, that government is strongly in agreement with business resisting every effort to examine the economic sense and environment effect of their projects. So many professional bodies are dominated by members paid by business and government or funded directly or indirectly by them that little reliance can be placed on their independence and lack of bias of the part of many of their membership. - Life -Style Change Permanently Solving Problems Reduce War Preparation We can only solve the problem of escalating militarization of our society and industries by removing governments dedicated to aggressive posturing, threats and increased military budgets. The increasing war threat comes as much from North America as towards North America. We can only reduce our army, C.I.A. and police if we change the policy that is determined to create more millionaires, put low wage Canadians earning S4.00 an hour increasingly in com- petition with poverty- stricken Americans earning $3.00 and Mexicans earning 90C. As Canada under Mulroney joins Reagan increasing the incomes of the rich and lowering those of the poor our militarism is needed as much to control our own restless peasants as those in other countries. Threats and violence must increase as the poor thinking they live in a democracy organize demanding a minute fair share of the country's wealth they help create and business, government, courts and police try to suppress groups that compete with the 'Canadian- Manufacturers Association, the Law Society, C.M.A. and others who demand an unfair large share of the country's money, and want a still larger share. Sharing Self -Help vs. Cut Throat Competition Most of our major churches in North America and even in the U.K. have made very detailed examinations of our economic system increasingly worshipping the Teddy Roosevelt era of cut- throat competition and aggressive imperial expansion into foreign còuntries. Almost without exception they have issued clear -cut condemnations and clearly identified the unacceptable principles and practices and recommended cures. lany of us intimately involved in the business community and studying it seriously know its flaws, its potential to change and improve and the power of the forces refusing to improve _and share both the power and the wealth produced even a little bit more fairly. The whole purccse of the funding of 1 /10th of 1`, to the citizens' groups is to permit a small amount of competition in the Free Enterprise system. only one kind of technology is chosen and supported. by the overwhelming power of government and business and the academic community you do not have any more democracy in your economic system than dictatorships allow in their political systems. Where -2 What do you think accounts for the incredibly large number of little groups of ordinary people banding together to struggle for a chance to run more of their own lives free of the one chosen technology that is taking their job away, lowering the quality of their food, delivering second rate health care, poisoning their bodies and their children. It is forcing their children to worship a system that does not permit effective citizen control, and in effect does not permit competing economic or other systems to exist or grow, or to receive the financial support or encouragement reserved for the chosen technology. The incredible books by Jean N. Auel in the "Earth's Children" series beginning with "The Clan of the Cave Rear'' describes after the most exhaustive research cur ancestors' possible life -style 30,000 years ago. Almost all primitive societies studied recently show they have only been able to survive by co- operation and developing a method of controlling their worst impulses and living in harmony with nature. I believe many people have a deep inherited desire to live in a civilized manner, co- operating with God and nature and doing some good living but doing something worthwhile in life and not doing something very evil intentionally. I believe these books satisfy a little understood inner hunger totally ignored even over this Christmas season as plans for war and threats went on uninterrupted and as other unacceptable policies and practices assaulted our better Christian impulses. Competition In the Free Enterprise System I believe the plan for a "New National Park System" demonstrating farming, forestry and industrial activity being carried on in a rational manner without destroying the land and wrecking unneeded havoc on the lives of the people involved is an essential step just as important today as was the creation of the first National Park in Canada at Banff over 100 years ago today. The fact that -:any people think the idea ridiculous or unnecessary is the best proof I have that this is the time to present it. As mentioned right at the beginning-it takes time to get radical new ideas widely enough known and understood to gain support and credibility. Conclusion Today is the day to begin educating on the need for the 1 /10th of l-_ Funding, Environment Assessment of all and every project including military, and our New National Park System illustrating appropriate technology in harmony with nature. Kenneth Ember' ev y 387 Truro St. Winnipeg, Manitoba R3J 2A5 November 27, 1984 Heritage for Tomorrow Canadian Plains Research Centre University of Regina Regina, Sask. S4S 0A2 Dear Sir: Enclosed please find a proposal for an innovative addition to our national parks system. The steady deterioration of farm soil quality, the steady deterioration of water quality and the steady decline in stable forest area require a response. The Federal Cabinet has adopted the world conservation strategy. The United Nations Environment Division is promoting a world -wide study of sustainable development strategies based on appropriate technology. The Canadian Environment Network is committed to produce a Canadian paper by 1987 similar to the "Soft Energy Study" completed last year. This proposal would put one of Canada's most important institutions at work with demonstration projects of living and working in harmony with nature. KE/dl Encl. Respectfully Submitted, Crossroads Resource Group P.O. Box 1436 Winnipeg, Manitoba R3C 2Z4 Per: p t \- 1Nn eft' Kenneth Emberley /7°. 2 management techniques. The purpose of these areas is to show how our cedar, Douglas firs and other priceless long -lived trees can be managed in a responsible manner; a problem presently found insoluble by both government and business. Private companies, small and large, would be allowed to harvest under strict supervision. This park system must be gradually and steadily expanded, adding 170 of the uncut forest land in the province each year until it covers 10% of unharvested forests in the province. As the 2,000,000 hectares of unregenerated forest is manually planted and manually thinned it must be added to this park system. It should be completely planted in 25 years if we begin next year planting 10,000 acres and double the area planted every year, until 80,000 acres a year is being reseeded just in this one program. The purpose of this program is to illustrate and carry out research to prove: that forests can be harvested sensitively and responsibly. Using a long rotation cycle with greatly reduced waste and without pesticide spraying, using much more natural reseeding because of appropriate harvesting techniques; using manual thinning you can preserve the forest; permit many to use the forest including humans, birds, animals, fish without being sprayed with poisons; and good harvests and modest income earnings can be achieved. Naturally similar programs would be undertaken in each province because most are in desperate need of these corrective measures. NIAGARA RIVER PARK Take over in friendly co- operation a number of industrial parks and toxic waste dumps and show how wise businesses, thoughtful city governments and strong provincial and federal environment depart- ments can all make money together and produce clean water for Lake Ontario. Sincerely, ke_vokekt. vi30 e_No1 Kenneth Emberley / 2 Winnipeg Free Press, Saturday, September 21, 1985 Park can be awkward neighbor By Laura Rance Winnipeg Free Press WASAGAMING Officials here are hoping a United Nations designa- tion of Riding Mountain National Park as a unique ecological preserve will lead to a better relationship with area landowners. Park su rin dent Mac Esta- broo said he is waiting for teal confirmation of the status, which would give the park and its sur- rounding area international recogni- tion as a biosphere reserve. It would be the third such reserve in Canada, and Estabrooks said he ?ais more research funds would vailable to examine conflicts neighboring landowners. Call of the wild /49 "Research is the answer to the long- term," Estabrooks said. "What we do in the short-term is only a Band -Aid operation. "X ac x A biosphere reserve consists of a core of undisturbed landscape locat- ed next to land that is being man- aged to suit human needs through industries such as agriculture or forestry. Pf, K x .. The reserves, named by the Unit- ed Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, provide a way to document the effects of development on the environment so that good management policies can be learned. Estabrooks said the 2,997 - square ilometre -park south of Dauphin ideal location because it is the y national park in Canada sur- rounded by private land. , Study conflict As development creeps up on other protected areas, studies of the nu- merous conflicts river this park's preservation and resource-use poli- cies will be applicable elsewhere, he said. "There's no question we're going to need more money and more re- search but hopefully it won't come out of the taxpayer's pockets," Es- tabrooks said. The area already draws scien- tists from around the world, but international recognition would make it more attractive to universi- ties and research foundations which, fund projects, he said. 1 Wildlife depradation, farmland flooding caused by beavers, and soil erosion from water flowing off the 500 -metre escarpment have infuriat- ed area farmers and local munici- palities over the years. Estabrooks said the problems are isolated but still a big headache for the landowners involved. However, he said the park's policy of not meddling with the natural cycle as never n firmer. The beaver, which farmer's com- plain oTo pastures and which one study suggests cause $750,000 an- nually, turned the park into a water- fowl sanctuary last year he said. the park was full of ducks at a time when populations on the North American continent are at their lowest recorded level, he said. The same policy was responsible for phasing out logpgng and grazing privileges in the nark by 1970, whic to some people believe is a senseless waste of a valuable resource. "There's been a history of poor communication between the com- munities and Parks Canada," Jim Irwin, chairman of the Riatñ ` Mountain Liaison Committee, said 1 ne committee of area municipal- ities and park officials was formed in 1981 to try to iron out their differences. The area farmer and guest -house ori operat said ents gene support the park; they just wish they were compensated for some of the problems it creates. He says he's enthusiastic about the proposed biosphere reserve because it will give local municipalities a say in management of the program. I he heroin committee would co-or- dinate research efforts in the bio- sphere reserve. "We don't have any money our- selves to fund the research, but we can set the priorities," the farmer and municipal councillor said. A federal - provincial beaver con- trol agreement has given farmers some relief from the industrious pests, but compensation for other damage is hard to come by, he said. Crops eaten The provincial government will compensate farmers for crops eaten by wildlife, but that doesn't cover the full cost of the damage, he "They (elk) trample more than I they eat, but we only- get paid for what they eat," Irwin said. - Estabrooks said once the extent of ,' a problem is identified through re- search, the committee or the individ- sal landowner is in a much stronger position to seek compensation. Municipalities have asked for a comprehensive water management program for the 23 silt -laden streams flowing out or the park, i which plug ditches and cause flood- ing, he said. "Siltation has destroyed the com- 4 mercial pickerel fishing in Lake Dauphin, " he said. The lake, north of the park, is less than a metre deep and is filling in at a rate or more than one centimetre per year, he said. The park has more than 15,000 beaver, the highest concentration in North America. They migrate from the park and flood pastures and fields with their dams. "I have one neighbor here who used to go out religiously every morning and dig out a beaver dam,". Irwin said. 1 It's a waste of time to trap them, .' because their pelts are worth so - little, he said. j But to some extent, area farmers 'may have been authors of their own problems. , A Canadian Wildlife Service offl- 1 cial studying wolves in the area in 1979, warned farmers trapping the predators for pelts worth up to $300,,1 that they could face future beaver !. .problems. Statistics show the population of ' the area's wolves, which feed on beaver, has dropped by half in the -, past decade, while beaver numbers 1have exploded. JIM irwin says his fellow farmers will welcome some say in the park's policies. !d said. III II 1 I 1 . . ` I On a j , i r i ', FOUR -PAGE SUMMARY LIBERAL TASK FORCE ON PEACE SECURITY AND WORLD DISARMAMENT The Honorable Jean Chrétien, P.C., M.P. The Honorable Lloyd Axworthy, M.P. submitted by Provincial Constituency of St. James Liberal Party in Manitoba presented by Policy Chairman Kenneth Emberley 387 Truro Street Winnipeg, Manitoba R3J 2A5 888 -5920 3 especially allowing people to self -help themselves to meaningful employment. Increased military production reduces civilian production and reduces total employment. It could he questioned, as it no doubt will be, if the type of democracy we have now could survive the comple- tion of this project. CANADA'S ARMED FORCES THE REDUCTION OF NA RISK FUND Any increase in arms budget for strengthening Canada's forces must be (!latched dollar for dollar by money put into a fund to reduce the necessity for these armed forces and to reduce the need for constantly modernizing our forces' equipment at an unnecessarily rapid rate. The fund must be paid out annually in equal amounts to the four follow- ing groups: 1. A section of our Secretary of State's office that will work to 1egotiate directly with the Soviet Union through the United Nations on Bilateral Arms Reduction and control and study the "Arms Race" and make proposals to the U.S.A. and the U.S.S.R. 2. A direct grant to the United Nations Peace College on Conflict Resolution and funds to permit CBC to carry on this vital work. 3. Direct funding to all peace and disarmament organizations and especially to the United Nations Association to permit doubling of permanent paid staff or the funding of two paid staff if none existed and guarantee five annual grants so some permanent worthwhile programs can be commenced. This would include groups like the Pugwash Conferences and funding to publish larger printings of newsletters. 4. Funding for a nation -wide campaign under established groups to assist every library in the country to balance its resource materials to balance the flood of pro -war publications. The Trudeau Government creation of the "Center for Arms Control and Disarmament" and funding for peace groups was a grand initiative. WHY AN ARMS RACE? - WHY THE HUGE ESCALATION? There is a giant failure in our systems to examine the system of education or government has deep basic flaws in its fundamental assump- tions, teachings and methods of operation. Ralph Nader and University Public Interest Research Groups, Citizen Environment Groups and Now Citizen Peace and Disarmament Groups are doing this and the picture we have discovered in skillful scientific research and prolonged discus- sion of morals, ethics, religion and technology and science are all coming together with the most amazing clarity and unity. The major Churches and Trade Unions each separately have arrived at similar con- clusions. Our common memberships provide a connection through an informal network. DR. DAVID SUZUKI - A PLANET FOR THE TAKING Dr. David Suzuki in his CBC series "A Planet for the Taking" examines in a very professional way this basic question of why there is an Arms Race. He also examines the damage to our natural systems of agriculture, forestry and water cycles needed for the survival of all the creatures on this planet including people. See this series if you missed it. No single event can be more helpful to you in grasping the several serious underlying causes of so many of our problems today and their possible resolution. He was a scientist who took half liberal arts along with his science so learned about people and society and nature. if DAVID SUZUKI - UNIVERSITY OF MANITOBA JANUARY 1985 At "The Celebration of Life and Learning," he presented an almost two hour address on the following theme: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY ARE ALMOST COMPLETELY OUT OF CONTROL 1. War on people is the focus of the largest percentage of scientists and engineers, research efforts and money (the new U.S.A. Budget has $32 Billion for military research and more under individual departments). 2. Development of products and technologies to make money or centralize power over people; regardless of whether it destroys the environment or contributes to what should be the nation's goals for its people's well being; is the purpose of the second largest group of scientists, engineers, research effort and money. 3. The percentage Left over for all the important and vital things for the world's well being for nature and people is very small. CHOOSE ONE NUCLEAR WAR and the rapid destruction of most life, the environment and most creatures. ECOLOGICAL COLLAPSE OF NATURAL SYSTEMS on which over four billion people depend on survival. If present policies are followed they are both guaranteed and which comes first is irrelevant. In 5, 10 or 15 years one is bound to have occurred and possibly both, likely both. END THE WAR ON MANKIND; THE WAR ON NATURE I have heard this theme repeatedly in various ways over a ten -year period from its limited tentative rough drafts beginning in 1975 to the cleár cut precise definition in 1984 and 1985 at many conferences. The Secretarys General of the U.N., and the Commonwealth, Aurelio Peccei, Dave Brower, Justice Berger, Maurice Strong, a recent PFRA report all detail the need for urgent drastic change. OUR INDUSTRIAL SYSTEM IS FLAWED WE ARE TOO GREEDY FOR POWER AND WEALTH If you read books like "The Soviet Threat" or "Trilateralism" you would see two competing imperial empires each bent on growth, growth in power, growth in population, growth in consumption, growth in wealth, growth n waste, growth in profit at any cost. Only when we decide we love this beloved, beautiful land we live on more than the fun we get raping it to get richer quicker will we ever begin to change our industrial and educational and political systems to learn to walk a little more humbly without our big bully club. Only when we decide we love our fellow humans more than we love the extra wealth we get by cheating them out of fair prices for the things we buy from them because we share the U.S.A.'s military, economic, political and nuclear power to force them to sell on unfavorable terms; only then can the Arms Race slow down. Only when we decide to be less greedy in cheating our own Native People of their share, their fair share, of the good land that God put here for the white people; only then can we begin to lessen the Arms Race. PIOUS HYPOCRYTES We must open our eyes and see the disgusting hypocrisy we display by piously mouthing what grand peace- loving Christians we are. We cheerfully supported the CIA when they killed the President of Chile and put in a puppet ruler 6,000 miles away and seven years later when the Soviets did the same in Afganistan right on their borders we proudly pointed our fingers and criticized from our virtuous position of innocence while the Chile dictatorship still carries on, with U.S.A. tolerance and support. We fly milk to Ethiopia but a root cause of the problem is that in most - . - of these countries as in our own agriculture, farming as a family enter- prise preserving the soil for the children and grandchildren is con- sidered irrelevant by most for thé last twenty years. In most of these countries major international corporations co- operate with the local government to manipulate the people, the land and agriculture to produce more export crops to benefit the people who run the country, own large areas of farm land and have shares in the corporations. Canada and theU.S.A. supply the systems for major industries and the Arms Race tocontrol the population and each year less local food is raised on smaller acreages of lower quality Land owned by the peasants. DEMOCRATIC CHANGE NEGOTIATED CHANGE The working people have had to make all the changes as technology and governments and business have completely revolutionized our society andmany of the changes have not been beneficial. If you really and sincerely want International and National Security it can only betamed by yielding to some of the demands of the people for changehat will benefit common people. Negotiated change can only begin whenyou have studied your opponent, your competition whether that person isa laborer or Soviet official, and ha had the courage to really learnand understand his or her position and view of you and your position, and recognize their right to live like civilized people. Respectfully submitted, Kenneth Emberley. 5 ! v\ Uv'- ¡/ - 2 - The U.S.S.R. has stated it will not. The U.S.A. alone has said it will when it is ready in defiance of the wishes of most of the people in the world. For over 12 years there has been an effective committee of equal numbers of U.S.A. and U.S.S.R. military and scientific experts to monitor this treaty and each side has many times stopped work on a variety of programs when they were shown to be liable to violate the treaty. The two -year propaganda assault by the U.S.A. accusing the U.S.S.R. of violations is all fraud because if there was a shred of truth to them they could have been submitted to the committee and when proven the U.S.S.R. would have stopped. The U.S.A. has already breached the treaty by test firing a third space weapon system, the "miniature homing device," while accusing the U.S.S.R. of leading the space arms race by developing two weapons systems. Every time "Star Wars" is mentioned we must use the Canadian Bar Association "Star Wars" brief to remind everyone that we will be breaking international law while we help the U.S.A. with space weapons to break International Law, the ARM treaty. 4. Planning War - Talking Peace - Threatening We must take over the peace talks just like this was a real democracy. We must monitor and intervene and chastise and expose hypocrisy and loudly condemn threats and intimidation, yes certainly, from either side. S. Defence Strategy - Offensive - First Strike Every new plan of the U.S.A. must be related to the 1981 128 -page U.S.A. official military strategy paper that details pressing the Soviet Union into a corner and forcing it to become "capitalist" like the U.S.A. with much less sharing of wealth with low income people or we will have to launch a Nuclear War to destroy all the Communists in the U.S.S.R. We must find the majority in the Peace, Environment, Lifestyle and Third World concerned groups who do not think Communism is so bad it is worth it to have a Nuclear War that will kill 1 or 2 billion people to kill off the opposition. We must find or educate a majority in the Peace, Environment, Lifestyle and Third World concerned groups who do not think the U.S.A. style of capitalism as practised under Ronald Reagan and even Carter is so good we have a right to demand the rest of the world adopt that system or face Nuclear War and the deaths of 1 or 2 billion people. - 3 - That concept would be no more democratic than ordering all citizens in the U.S.A. to become Republicans or face death. Most opponents the U.S.A. labels as "Communists" only want to be free of international and national control of their lives and their nations' economy by international and national elites that keep them in a state of poverty and servitude such as our laboring classes had in Canada and the U.S.A. before 1920 and the beginning of our modern civilized laws protecting working people, the poor, sick and disabled. 6. Star Wars - Perfect Defence - Joke The same people that built: Three Mile Island The Ocean Ranger and Space Shuttle will build the perfect defence system. Technology costing 1,000 billion dollars built over 20 years by 1,000,000 people in 1,000 factories and located over 5,000 miles cannot be perfect and only the simple minded technocrat could believe it will be. 7. Small ICBM, one of five major offensive weapons with MX, Pershing 2, Trident and Cruise makes a farce of the concept of defending the U.S.A. military bases only with Star Wars but leaving cities undefended. Small ICBM strategy for 15 years, 1990 -2005 A.D., is to force U.S.S.R. to use 4,000 or 5,000 missiles to be sure of killing all the mobile missiles driving around western U.S.A. in 5 States. Receiving 5,000 USSR rockets will hurt us. 8. Every military increase must be clearly attacked as an example of hypocrisy: talking peace but spending all our money on war preparation. The budget has: $6,000,000,000 for war $ 3,000,000 for Trudeau's new Peace Institute. See accompanying proposal to demand matching each military dollar increase in budget with a peace dollar increase in budget. 9. Canada and U.S.A. determination to build a Big B -1 Bomber force and a Big Cruise Missile force will force the U.S.S.R. to retaliate and bring Nuclear War to Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta. Even our Provincial Government is trying to get industry to build the machines, radar and air bases that will bring war to Canada's North. - 4 - It violates our Nuclear Weapon Free Zone and we are promoting the violation. ke_ V\ N e*V\ yy`b eJM k Kenneth Emberley. Corporations (who no longer even have an allegiance to one country since they operate all over the world, playing one country against another) are deploying value systems that are extremely destructive to the future of society. They're not pushing solar energy, they're pushing nuclear power; they're not pushing natural foods, they're pushing artificial foods with artificial chemicals; they're not pushing natural seeds and making them more healthy to resist pests, they're pushing more chemicalization of agriculture creating more contamination of the air, water, soil. The corporations are short term predators in a world of technological complexity that inflicts a horrible penalty on societies that are short term. So these large multi - nationals are becoming dysfunctional. They really cannot be reformed they can only be modestly restrained. True reform would be to displace the corporations with a much more co- ordinated economy. You displace the corporations by simply developing a greater and perhaps more profound awareness of genuine happiness in the society which would tend to displace the tobacco industry, the liquor industry and the valium industry. It is really a revolution in consumer values which will have the greatest effect on furthering a large self- reliant structure for the economy. A lot can be accomplished through consumer groups and good communications systems, but the yeast for this change has got to come from a broader perception of human happiness by citizens which does not, accord with the kind and price of goods and services now so monopolized by the large corporations. Let's break the budget down and see how you can reduce con- sumption by wiser shopping, by more awareness and greater efficiency, by rejecting products and services that you've found you don't need. This all comes from taking the microcosmic view. If you would look at the larger picture, you'd see that by growing a garden, for example, or recycling teaching kids to repair their clothing instead of throwing them away -you'd get that budget to go down. It doesn't pay to be too ethnocentric but we're entitled to look around the rest of the world and say, "Where else can people, expending a small portion of their time and intelligence and creativ- ity, build power from the grass roots and accomplish so much ?" We should realize that in terms of start -up- ability and our constitu- tional base and elbow room, we have a moral imperative to take a just co- operative and leadership role for the not so fortunate people of the world. exerpts from interviews and speeches with Ralph Nader - Presented by the Manitoba Public Interest Research Croup (MPIRG) P.O. Box 106 University Center (UMSU) University of Manitoba Winnipeg R3T 2N2 MPIRG IS: MPIRG Manitoba Public lateral fRawmu ch Gros, Oa university -based noel- partisan two -profit organization to stimulate public interest research in Manitoba. As a public interest group with brancha at each campus, MPIRG will be a bridge between the academic community and the world outside. Omodelled on the work of Ralph Nader (Nader's Raiders) and other environmental, consumer, law reform and educational groups in the U.S. and Canada. Oto collect reliable scholarly research on socially relevant topics such u job creation in a conserver society, peaceful conversion of war industry, human rights, health and safety, appropriate technology. farming and food, energy use and the environment. Research on business, government, engineering and hard science topics is also welcome. Oto build up a resource library and list contact with professionals, specialists, community groups and other universities which may provide further information. This centre would be open to students, the academic and the outside community. Oto prepare educational materials for universities, schools and the public. These may range from scholarly studies to public policy briefs, articles in college papers and major dailies, pamphlets, slide shows and film or TV scripts. Oto cooperate and exchange Information with other university brancha in Manitoba, OPIRG in Ontario, Simon Fraser University, UBC, and several Quebec universities; environmental law, human rights and other research groups in Canada, the States and Britain; local community groups such as churches, school and school boards, unions, senior citizens, native people, handicapped, naturalists, aerologists. etc. O(eech university branch) will create resource fila, contact lira, á collect magazines and other materials on a variety of local, regional and national iuua materials not readily available in libraries, bookstores, or special research centra. SOME MPIRG RESEARCH TOPICS: Files are being built up on the following topics. Student research on these, bibliographies, and resource people's names, are needed. Get your professor's permission so you can get academic credit for this research. agribusiness aid to refugees; overseas :Wens' needs alternatives to jail business history, corporate profiles business- government links chemicals, ecotosicity clean air dean water consumer issues cooperatives, self -help corporate links with S. Africa, Chile, etc. educational materials for Northern schools: e.g. nutrition, gardening, native studies energy, energy alternatives, education food forest freedom conservation of information, human rights, civil rights, police & writs of assistance (search warrants) future work for the handicapped future formatting Manitoba: the year 2t)00 health and safety housing, Winnipeg core area job creation In a non -war conserver society Manitoba industries: case studies native peoples new international economic order nuclear energy, waste, weapons peace education, industrial conversion rational transportation networks rural economic alternatives (REAP) secret service, RCMP soil depletion, Manitoba farming student job directory volunteer work in Manitoba women's issues I AM INTERESTED IN check off: Contact MPIRG, Room 102 L, P.O. Box 106 University Centre, University of Manitoba Winnipeg MB R3T 2N2 D helping on current research topic (which one?) p having MPIRG work on the topic of D becoming a Community Member D becoming a member of local Board of Directors >general mailings. Please put my name on list. > information about specific issues. Mailings on YOUR NAME ADDRESS TELEPHONE 12D+ - PROPOSED FUNDING The most effective and democratic structure has proven to be PIRGs funded by students at each campus. An automatic but refundable (to conscientious objectors) fee is approved by a student referendum. then collected along with student fees by the university Registrar. For example, OPIRG is funded and run by students who pay 53.00 per semester refundable within the first three weeks. This funding method would give MPIRG a solid year-to- year bast: to hire staff to aid student rerearck, to run the resource library, and coordinate projects. to by locally unavailable books and magazines, make photostat copies for research files, pay typesetting and printing costs. Usually each campus branch employs one fulltime and one parttime staff. They organize public education programs such as the Supermarket Tour, outside speakers, films, slide & tape presentations, publications, debates, workshops. They also assist students and members of the larger community to find resources and gain skills. Non -students can heap MPIRG through their participation and advice, tax -deductible donations, purchase of educational materials. With the approval of the university Senate and student council, many PIRGs encourage faculty and community people to join by paying a 55.00 yearly fee. MPIRG C( Manitoba Public Interest Research Group WHAT CAN IDO? Students WHO CONTROLS MPIRG? MPIRG structure reflects both its cooperative, student -based and student- funded branch efforts, and its bridge between the university and the larger community. Directors, resource people, and educational materials may be drawn from this community. Provincial coordination of research is done by representatives of the branch Boards, elected annually by students. Staff people coordinate this research effort at the local level. Each local branch , with its staff. is accountable to its Board of Directors. The PIRG branch must satisfy all normal constitutional requirements for a student society: e.g. in elections, funding, and financial audits. Eiger your professor's permission to do research (for which you will related also geiacademic credit) on public interest topics to your courses. Give a copy to MPIRG. You can use our files in or to start your research. We may even be able to get some of your writing into print. In any case you will be helping together with others to develop a solid reliable body of research. Many small coordinated efforts will make big public education projects possible. lJYou do not have to change the world all by yourself, but you can help cooperate with other MPIRG volunteers in 1- rounding up research papers by fellow students and faculty 2-contacting outside organizations and resource people 3- preparing educational materials for publication 4-gathering new members here and at other universities 5-referendum. See the section on funding 6-Board of Directors candidacy and elections Faculty and community MPIRG structure should develop from cooperation among branches at each Manitoba university. Tell other professors, researchers and students about MPIRG and its nerd for research. Pass on this pamphlet. and encourage them to con- tact us. Let us know of items for our files. O You are invited to participate as a resource person. OYou are invited to participate in the elected Board of Direc- tors (7 to 10 people) in each branch. Board members may be faculty, student or community resource people, responsible for advising branch staff on day -to-day activities. research projects, and educational materials. Each Board also has delegates to a provincial executive which coordinates research and publication. OYou may make tax- deductible donations and /or buy MPIRG publications. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT The authors of this report were engaged in February 1983 to prepare a brief report constituting "anoverview of current trends and thinking in the agricultural community on the impacts of land use andsoil quality on agriculture. with' particular emphasis on current trends including energy costs." The con-tract entailed a verbal agreement that one of the contractors would attend the following workshopsand symposium as a means of ascertaining the current views of soil scientists regarding the sustainability of the productivity of farm lands under contemporary use: the 1983 British Columbia "Soil Degradation Workshop" at Harrison, British Columbia. February 17.18: the Alberta Soil Science Workshop at Edmonton. Alberta. February 22.23: and the "Soil Erosion and Crop Productivity Sym- posium" of the American Society of Agronomy at Denver, Colorado. March 1.3. 1983. Because of timeconstraints in the contract and the participation specified in the above meetings. there is emphasis inthis report on conditions in Western Canada. However. the general principles are broadly applicable. In order to obtain the opinions of a considerable number of soil scientists, in addition to those con-tacted at the workshops and the symposium. questionnaires were sent to a widely distributed array ofsoil scientists in Western Canada. The reponses and co- operation obtained were excellent. More thanthirty soil scientists responded. returning questionnaires and providing a large number of reprints.papers and other publications related to the topics concerned. We are pleased indeed to acknowledge with genuine thanks and appreciation the fine support and assistance received from fellow agrologists. Many of their papers are among the references listed. We are also pleased to acknowledge with genuine thanks and appreciation the very helpful editingdone by Mr. Max McConnell, the Executive Secretary of the Canadian Environmental Advisory Council. C.F. Bentley. P.Ag. McAllister Environmental Services Ltd. Edmonton, Alberta L.A. Leskiw, P.Ag. Pedology Consultants Edmonton. Alberta TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ii FOREWORD INTRODUCTION A Bit of History iReturn to Reality iFactors Which Influence Sustainability 2 FACTORS WITHIN THE DOMAIN OF FARMERS 4 Salinization aErosion 4Depletion of Soil Organic Matter and Plant Nutrients s Organic matter decline 5Nutrient depletion 6 Nitrogen 6Phosphate 6Potassium. Sulphur and Others 6 Cropping Systems and Soil Management Practices 7 Summer fallowing 7Preferred rotations 8Moisture conservation 8Acidification 8Other degradations 9 Summary 9 FACTORS IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN 11 Land Use Regulations iConversions of Agricultural Lands to Other Uses 11Strip - Mining and Other Land Disturbances 12Toxic Contamination 12Agricultural Education, Research and Extension 12Economic Policies for Agriculture 13 NATURAL OR EXTERNAL FACTORS 14 THE VIEWS OF SOIL SCIENTISTS 15 Opinions on Degradation isOpinions on Sustainability of Productivity isOpinions Regarding Soil Conservation isSummary Statement on Attitudes 16 iii v , SUMMARY 17 CONCLUSIONS 18 LIST OF TABLES 1. Fertilizer usage in Western Canada 1938 -1979 19 2. Agricultural capability classes of land in Canada and of con- verted lands 19 3. Comparison of agrologists' services in soils- related activities for Saskatchewan and Montana 20 4. Opinions regarding land degradation in the Prairie Provinces 20 LIST OF FIGURES 1. Soil organic matter losses by soil zones in the Prairies 21 2. Diagramatic illustration of sources of nitrogen in a grain - production -only system on the Prairies 22 3. A comparison of U.S. and Canadian Federal government ex- penditures on soil and water conservation 23 4. A comparison of expenditures on soil and water conserva- tion by Prairie Provinces and two adjacent states 24 REFERENCES 25 APPENDIX I. World Soil Charter 27 APPENDIX II. Report of the Soil Conservation Workshop, December 8 & 9, 1982 (The Canadian Federation of Agriculture) . 28 APPENDIX Ill. Questionnaires 31 iv yr, A is very much oriented to the short run. Economics is not adept x X at valuing the future. Thus farmers are encouraged if not com- pelled to adopt practices and cropping patterns that are in- consistent with long -run productivity. Since most farmers can- not survive if they ignore the short run in the interests of a longer term gain. the unavoidable result is land use that con- flicts with production sustainability. *High costs of inputs and low prices for farm outputs force farmers to draw down their soil's capital. Mined-out soils are less the product of ignorance than of economic forces shaped by rising energy costs on the one hand and by cheap food policies on the other. In the present climate. farmers simply cannot internalize the costs of rebuilding the soil and stay solvent. Without attention to such realities, all the talk in the )t world about conservation farming is strictly academic. i For similar reasons, land diverted from agriculture to other uses is rarely evaluated with respect to long -term production potential, nor with an eye to predictable and increasing future needs for food. Given this improvident view of tomorrow, social programs and policies need to shift focus. placing greater emphasis on future profitability rather than on that of today, thereby allowing the market system to effect the needed changes in land use practices. The Environment Coun- cil of Alberta, for example, has recently suggested that com- pensation payments for agricultural land threatened by withdrawal be set at six times its current productive value .8 References OWill the Bounty End? Garry Lawrence Fairbairn, 1984. Western Producer Prairie Books, Saskatoon. 160 pp. 2. Soil at Risk Canada's Eroding Future. A Report on Soil Conservation by the Standing Committee on Agriculture. Fisheries, and Forestry, to the Senate of Canada. Hon. H.O. Sparrow. Chairman. 1984. The Senate of Canada. Ottawa. 129 pp. 3. Agricultural Land Degradation in Western Canada: A Physical and Economic Overview. M. Anderson and L. Kapik, 1984. Canada Department of Agriculture. Ottawa. 4. State of the World. Lester R. Brown, 1984. W.W. Norton & Company. New York. 252 pp. 5. Submission to the Royal Commission on the Economic Union and Development Prospects for Canada. by the Canadian Environmental Advisory Council. Ottawa. 1984. vii This is social cost pricing. As argued in Environment Canada's submission to the Royal Commission on the Economic Union and Development Prospects for Canada, far from neutering market economics. social cost pricing can help to restore the true efficiency of the market system .9 Logically. then. Council places the major responsibility for en- couraging ecologically sustainable agriculture squarely on the non-farming population and on the governments whose members are largely drawn from it. We are overwhelmingly an urban society; the rural population is small. Those policies and programs that will either nourish agriculture and rural communities or force both into decline are largely in the hands of townspeople and legislators. Quoting Fairbairn in his report sponsored by the Agricultural Institute of Canada: To date. the urban majority has instinctively and remorseless- ly pushed the rural minority into a pattern of mining the land: larger farms. ever more monstrous machines. and costly rivers of chemicals) Now, from 1984 on. all townspeople, research agencies, and all levels of government must remorselessly push farming toward conservation practices. and be prepared for the good of the country to shoulder the costs. Dr. I.S. Rowe Member Canadian Environmental Advisory Council O6. An Environmental Ethic Its Formulation and Implica- tions. Norman H. Morse. 1975. Canadian Environmen- tal Advisory Council, Ottawa, Report No. 2. Also, Toward an Environmental Ethic. D.A. Chant. Ontario Naturalist magazine. March 1977. 7. Land Use. Proceedings of the Fifth Joint Meeting of the Environmental Advisory Councils, at St. Andrews, New Bwutswick, 1980. Canadian Environmental Advisory Council, Ottawa. 8. Maintaining and Expanding the Agricultural Lond Base in Alberta Summary Report and Recommendations. Environment Council of Alberta, 1984. 8th Floor Weber Centre, Edmonton. Alberta. 0 Sustainable Development: A Submission to the Royal Commission on the Economic Union and Development Prospects for Canada. Department of the Environment. 1984. Ottawa. t 1041i `. 0 W e are pleased to introduce you to: D R . R O S A LIE B E R T E LL A w orld renow ned expert on low level radia- tion. D irector, International Institute of C on- cerns for P ublic H ealth in T oronto. M S . M U R IE L D U C K W O R T H F ounding m em ber of the V oice O f W om en (V O W ) and C R IA W , m em ber of the O rder of C anada. A ctive in peace, education and w om - en's groups activities. D R . G E O R G E IG N A T IE F F R etired C anadian diplom at, he w as at different tim es C anada's A m bassador to N .A . T .O . and the U .N . C urrently C hancellor, U niversity of T o- ronto. M R . LU IS H E R R E R A C A M P IN S F orm er P resident of V enezuela, lifetim e S ena- tor and parliam entarian. O ne of the organizers of the C ontadora group of the S outh A m erican countries. M R . S T E P H E N LE W IS A m bassador and R epresentative of C anada in the U .N . F orm er leader of the N .D .P . P arty in O ntario. M R . F E R G U S W A T T E xecutive D irector, W orld F ederalists of C anada. D R . F R IT JO F C A P R A D r. C apra has done research in high energy P hysics. H e has w ritten extensively about the philosophical im plications of m odern science. C onference S ponsors A cadem ics for P eace A xiom Institute of International A ffairs C ontinuing E ducation D ivision, U niversity of M anitoba E ducators for S ocial R esponsibility M anitoba A ction C om m ittee on the S tatus of W om en M ennonite C entral C om m ittee U nited N ations A ssociation (M an. C hapter) W innipeg C oordinating C om m ittee for D isarm am ent P hysicians for S ocial R esponsibility P roject P eacem akers W orld F ederalists (M an. C hapter) M anitoba P eace A ssociates H onorary B oard: H on. H ow ard P aw ley, P rem ier of M anitoba H is W orship M ayor N orrie, C ity of W innipeg M r. G ary P olonsky, P resident, R ed R iver C om m unity C ollege, W innipeg M r. John P ullen, P resident, M anitoba F ederation of Labour D r. A rnold N aim ark D r. R obin F arquhar IN S E A R C H O F P E A C E P rogram a conference to explore alternatives in disarm ing the w orld M arch 7 & 8, 1986 D ow ntow n H oliday Inn W innipeg - T his conference revolves around the idea that the nuclear arm s race, fueled by inter -' national antagonism , is a danger to all hum anity. T he form at of this event includes a process for synthesis of individual con- cerns, so w e m ay better understand w hat alternatives w e need to create. Y our input and feedback are crucial to the success of this gathering! H ear these internationally recognized resource people as they share w ith us their w ays of understanding and solving the problem s of national anim osities. P articipate in this opportunity for people in M anitoba to share w ith each other and the resource personnel, our view s on inter- national tensions and w hat W E can do! F riday, M arch 7, 1986 S aturday, M arch 8 198 9:00 O pening R em arks: Leo D uguay, M .P . 9:10 C hairperson: W aris S here "P eacem ongering & the P olitics of S urvival" D r. G eorge Ignatieff 10:00 Q uestions & R esponses 10:15 R efreshm ents 10:30 C oncurrent S essions A . C hairperson: Janine G ibson -G rant T albot P eace M ovem ent R oom Im pact & Im petus M uriel D uckw orth B . C hairperson: D r. John M cK enzie B allroom H ealth C oncerns in the N uclear A ge D r. R osalie B ertell C . C hairperson: D r. K en O sborne C olburne C onflict R esolution R oom T he C O N T A D O R A E xperience Luis H errera C am pins D . C hairperson: Louann B uhr W estm inster International N etw ork for 5:30 R egistration R oom A S econd U .N . A ssem bly F ergus W att 7:00 D inner E . C hairperson: K ris B reckm an C hairperson: Jack London, F aculty of Law , U niversity of M anitoba K ildonan R oom M odus V ivendi E ast & W est P ost S um m it D r. G eorge Ignatieff 8:15 O pening R em arks & W elcom e: 11:30 Q uestions & R esponses P rem ier H ow ard P aw ley 11:45 Lunch 8:45 Introduction of K eynote S peaker: W aris S here, D irector of K eynote S peaker: D r. F ritjof C apra, "P aradigm for a P eaceful W orld" International E ducation, R ed R iver C om m unity C ollege K eynote presentation by S tephen Lew is 9:30 Q uestions & R esponses 10:00 S m all G roup D iscussions 10:30 R efreshm ents /M eet the R esource P ersonnel 1:45 C oncurrent S essions R epeated A . C hairperson: T erri G ray T of P eace M ovem ent cA -0. R m Im pact & Im petus M uriel D uck w orth B . C hairperson: Lesley H ughes B allroom H ealth C oncerns in the N uclear A ge D r. R osalie B ertell C . C hairperson: M artin Z eilig C olburne C onflict R esolution R oom T he C O N T A D O R A E xperience Luis H errera C am pins D . C hairperson: D r. B rendan M acD ougall International N etw ork for A S econd U .N . A ssem bly F ergus W att C hairperson: C indy B urkett M odus V ivendi E ast & W est P ost S um m it _D r. G eorge Ignatieff 3:00.. R efreshm ents W estm inster R oo rt E . ; 3:20 P anel: "W here D o W e G o F rom H ere?" A ll resource persons to participate M oderator: Lloyd A xw orthy, M .P . 4:00 S um m ing U p D r. John M cK enzie, P hysicians for S ocial R esponsibility, M anitoba 4:15 R efreshm ents, G oodbyes M anitoba P eace A ssociates are very grateful to the follow ing sponsors for their generous support of this conference: C anadian Institute for International P eace and S ecurity C anadian D epartm ent of S ecretary of S tate T he P rovince of M anitoba U niversity of W innipeg 404 Ik G G 11 K gplp% no Any increase in arms budget for strengthening Canada's forcesmust be matched dollar for dollar by money put into a fund toreduce the necessity for these armed forces and to reduce the needfor constantly modernizing our forces' equipment at an unnecessarilyrapid rate. THE REDUCTION OF WAR RISK FUND The fund must be paid out annually in equal amounts to the fourfollowing groups: 1. A section of our Secretary of State's office that will workto negotiate directly with the Soviet Union through the UnitedNations on Bilateral Arms Reduction and control and study the"Arms Race" and make proposals to the U.S.A. and the U.S.S.R. toconstructively assist Arms Control Negotiations. It must have anadvisory committee representing the peace groups dedicated topeaceful resolution of conflicts. 2. A direct grant to the United Nations Peace College which holdsmeetings around the world on Conflict Resolution. A part of thisfund would be used to permit CBC to carry regular programs on thenational network at least an hour a week on this vital worktotally ignored at present. A part would be used to fund a collegemeeting in Canada each year. 3. Direct funding on a small scale to all peace and disarmamentcitizen organizations and especially to the United Nations Associ-ation. First funding would be to permit doubling of permanentpaid staff or the funding of two paid staff if none existed andthe funding would guarantee five annual grants so some permanentworthwhile programs can Conferences. be commenced. This would include groupslike the Pugwash ,Funding would gradually expand groups' ability to publishlarger printings of newsletters and larger distribution includingschool libraries and businesses and professional people who havesuch great difficulty in finding information in the regular publi-cations to which they usually subscribe. 4, Funding for a nation-wide campaign under established groupsto assist every library in the country to balance its resourcematerials by the inclusion of books, periodicals and newslettersto balance the flood of pro -war publications and news reports inour daily newspapers raising hysteria so similar to that beforeWorld War II. The Trudeau Government creation of the "Center for Arms Controland Disarmament" and funding for peace groups was a grand initiativeand I know the M.P.'s here today worked to get it finally passedlong after it was needed. BASIC QUESTION YOU DID NOT ASK US WHY AN ARMS RACE? - WHY THE HUGE ESCALATION? There is a giant failure in our education system and our govern-ment system. There seems to be no desire at all to examine if thesystem of education or government has deep basic flaws in itsfundamental assumptions, teachings and methods of operation. Ralph Nader and University Public Interest Research Groups, Citizen Ja- 4 6. Submission of the Canadian Bar Association to the Special Joint Committee on International Relations on Canada's participation in research on the Strategic Defence Initiative. By David hhras Winnipeg August 2, 1985 The CBA wishes to present nine propositions for the consideration of the Cannittee. These positions have been developed with the assistance of Lawyers for Social Responsibility, the B.C. branch of the Canadian Bar, which has its on committee on nuclear issues, and the national CBA camdttee on nuclear issues, which fret this Sunday in Toronto. 1) The NATO treaty imposes no obligations on any member to participate in the Strategic Defence Initiative (S.D.1.) The NATO treaty obliges the parties to maintain and develop their collective capacity to resist armed attack. NATO's collective capacity to resist armed attack is based on a force plan. The force plan is approved by the alliance council. Although the force plan is secret, there is no reason to believe that S.D.I. is part of the plan. In the contrary, because of express S.D.I. opposition by the NATO members, there is every reason to believe that S.D.I. is not part of the force plan. The force plan, in any case, does not impose a legal obligation on the signatory countries. Canada has never felt legally bound to its defence contribution to NATO. Canada has viewed its obligations as only a best effort commitment. There is a sense in which S.D.I. goes against the NATO treaty. The treaty emphasises consultation and acting in harmony in defence matters. Yet S.D.I. was initiated unilaterally by the U.S. rather than -by the allies together after consultation. The invitation by the U.S. to have the alliance participate in S.D.I. has caused a strain on the alliance, with some signatories reluctant to participate. -2- 2) There is no specific obligation in the NORAD agreement requiring Canadian participation in S.D.I. An earlier version of the NORAD (North American Aerospace Defence) agreement specifically stated that it did not involve any commitment by the Canadian government to take part in an active ballistic missile defence agreement. The present version does not have that statement. The present version says only that the US and Canada will seek ways to enhance co- operation in the surveillance of space and in the exchange of information on dare events relevant to North Anrricnn defence. S.D.I. is more than just surveillance of space. Canadian participation in S.D.I. would be more than just an exchange of information on space events. While the earlier version of the agreement is clearer than the later version on the issue, the later version is not a complete reversal on the issue of Canadian participation in an anti Ira I ist ic. missile (Alil`l) defence. 3) The Canada U.S. defence Production Sharing Arrangements impose no legal requirements that Canada participate in S.U.I. The Defence Production Sharing Arrangements (DPSA) are arrangements with the U.S. The DPSA do not obligate Canada to share in the production of any defence item. All the arrangements do is facilitate any sharing in the production of a defence item which the two countries want. The arrangements give Canada access to the U.S. weapons market. No Canadian export licences or permits are required. The only requirement is that the weapons trade between the two countries be kept in rough balance. -5 - Canada, realistically that is what will happen. A joint research effort is going to involve the transmission of technical information from the U.S. to Canada, as well as transmission of technical information from Canada to U.S. 6) Deployment of what is developed through SDI would violate the Outer Space Treaty. The preamble to the Outer Space Treaty of 1967 commits parties to "the use of outer space for peaceful purposes." Whether the technology developed through SDI is considered offensive or defensive, it is designed for use in war. The treaty prohibits the placement of nuclear weapons in outer space. One element of SDI is the nuclear powered X -ray laser. The energy needed to power the x -ray laser requires a nuclear explosion. That nuclear explosion can take place in space, in which case it is a violation of the Outer Space Treaty. Or the explosion can take place on earth. In that cases it would be a violation of the Partial Test Ban Treaty of 1963. 7) S.D.I. is a violation of the Treaty on the Non Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. The Non - Proliferation Treaty (NPT) commits the parties to "pursue negotiations in good faith on effective measures relating to the cessation of nuclear disarmament." The nonnuclear powers who signed the treaty signed it on the basis that the nuclear powers would respect that commitment. The non nuclear powers agreed to remain non nuclear on the understanding that the nuclear powers would work to becoming non nuclear themselves. S.D.I. is not a step toward cessation of the nuclear arms race. It is an escalation of the nuclear arms race. S.D.I. is not a negotiatited initiative with the Soviet Union. It is a unilateral initiative. S.D.I. is not part of a new nuclear arms control agreement. Rather, it puts into doubt nuclear arms 6 agreements that have already been signed, such as the ABM treaty and the Outer Space Treaty. The Third Review Conference under the NPT is about to begin, in September of this year. One option always open to non nuclear countries that have signed the treaty is to withdraw from it. There are countries with existing or emerging nuclear capability that have yet to sign the treaty including Brazil, Pakistan and South Africa. If the nuclear powers are not respecting their own commitment to work towards cessation of the nuclear arms race, the incentive to new members to sign the NPT is weakened, and the incentive to existing signatories to withdraw is created. 8) Canada would be violating international law by asssiting the U.S. in violating its obligations under international treaties. As mentioned earlier, the ABM treaty is a Soviet American Treaty. Canada is not a signatory. Yet, if Canada were to assist the U.S. in violating the treaty, it ou1dnot -'the U.S. alone that violated international law. Canada as well, would be in violation of international law. Because Canada has not signed the ABM treaty, Canada is not bound by it. Canada would not violate the ABM treaty by developing its own anti ballistic missile defence, in isolation from the U.S. The situation is different when Canada is assisting the U.S. in an American development, testing and deployment of an anti ballistic missile defence. There is an international legal obligation on non signatory states not to aid a signatory state in the breach of its treaty obligations. With other treaties, the obligation is more direct. Canada is a signatory to the Partial Test Ban Treaty, the Outer Space Treaty and the Non Proliferation Treaty. When SDI vi°1ates those treaties, Canadian participation in SDI is more than just aiding an American violation. It is a direct de - . - - Canadian violation. Canadian assistance to the U.S. in a U.S. violation of its international treaty obligations would be a violation of international law, whether the assistance took the form of direct government assistance or sub contracted private assistance. Even with sub contracted private assistance, through the Canadian Commerical Corporation, the Government can not claim that these private sub contracts are independent from the Government and do not commit the Government internationally. 9) Banning nuclear weapons, rather than SDI, is the appropriate response to the nuclear threat. Claude Thomson, the national president of the CBA, in a speech he gave recently to the Twelfth Conference on the law of the World, in Berlin, called on the international legal community to determine that nuclear weapons are unacceptable in law. He called for a complete and universal denunciation of nuclear weapons. It is important not to draw any false analogies between conventional warfare and nuclear warfare. We cannot say that just because radar and anti aircraft weapons have been useful in conventional warfare, ABM systems should be developed to meet the nuclear threat. When it comes to nuclear war our first concern has to be not how to defend against it, but how to prevent it. If all we think about is defence, and not prevention, , we are courting disaster. Anything other than an absolutely infallible defence would be catastrophic. And infallibility is beyond human capacity. Page 1 It is difficult to pinpoint precisely either the time or the cause of death of Canadian urban policy. My own guess would place the former at some point around the mid- 1970's, and would attribute the latter to a complex and lethal combination of governmental and popular lassitude. The universal, post- recession preoccupation with macroeconomic concerns seems to have largely obscured the nexus between the overall vitality of the national economy and that of our major urban centres.1 Whatever the cause, however, it is clear that whereas the late 60's and early '70's had seen a tremendous burst of interest in "the urban scene" from academics, the media, and eventually even from government itself, the decade from the mid- 1970's to the present has been singularly bereft of major policy initiatives at the urban level. The formal demise of the federal Ministry of State for Urban Affairs in the late 1970's may not have markedly hastened this trend, but it was certainly an apt metaphor for it. Since that time, the federal government has virtually abandoned any pretence of attempting to rationalize or horizon- tally co- ordinate the spending and activities of the legion of its departments and agencies active in Canadian cities. Not only that, but there seems to be a good deal less activity to co- ordinate. Federal "disengagement" has become the new order of the day, and it has merely been accelerated, not invented, by the current national government. One can discern the seeds of disengagement in the housing field, for example, at least as far back as the National Housing Act amendments of 1978. A further and even more dramatic reduction in the federal housing presence is anticipated in 1986. Similarly, in the field of industrial development, a major reduction in the federal government activities in Canadian cities took place through program changes occurring in 1983. The past decade has seen federal urban initiatives restricted either to such individually praiseworthy but isolated megaprojects as Toronto's Harbourfront, or to the "normal" but apparently unconnected activities of its departments which happen to be spending billions of dollars in our cities. It seems as though an integrated and comprehensive approach to urban problem- solving has suddenly gone completely out of fashion. Perhaps an implicit judgement has been rendered that Canada's urban economic and socio- economic problems have all been solved, or at least have attenuated to the point where today's 1 This is a connection which writers such a: Jane Jacobs have recently attempted to restore. See Jacobs, Jane, Cities and the Wealth of Nations: Principles of Economic Life (New York: Random House, 1984). Page 2 minimalistic and haphazard approaches are now adequate. If that indeed is the judgment, then I beg to differ. The Core Area Initiative Indeed, there is now compelling evidence that an integrated and interventionist urban strategy is not only required but can actually work. That evidence is provided by a remarkable experiment in urban policy inter- vention presently underway in Winnipeg---the Core Area Initiative. Currently in the fourth year of its five -year mandate, the CAI has attracted considerable interest from policy- makers in Europe and the United States, but surprisingly little from elsewhere in Canada, where it might far more readily serve as a model for inter governmental co- operation on urban problem- solving. The Core Area Initiative is a $96 million, tri- governmental urban revitalization strategy which was launched in 1981 in response to a constel- lation of inter related physical, social, and economic pathologies in Winnipeg's declining inner city. The city's core area (covering fully ten square miles and housing nearly 100,000 people) had been suffering from a litany of problems which would be painfully familiar to many other North American central cities. Although declining in absolute numbers (a problem in itself), Winnipeg's core area population contained an ever - increasing concentration of disadvantaged and special -needs residents. The core area's unemployment rate was double the city -wide average, and its incidence of families below the poverty line was five times the average.1 Moreover, in recent years the core area had absorbed a substantial number of native and other ethnic immigrants, many of whom lacked the educational and vocational skills required to compete effectively in the urban job market. In addition, the core area's housing stock was aging; in some areas as much as 40% of it was formally classed as being in poor con - dition.2 And finally, the downtown proper was losing a progressively larger share of its retail market to competition from suburban shopping centres. While these problems may be all too common to other Canadian, American, and European cities, the solutions adopted by the Core Area Initiative in response were not. Indeed, the CAI is arguably the most ambitious and 1 Institute of Urban Studies, Core Area Report: A Reassessment of Conditions in the Inner City (Winnipeg, 1979), 53. 2 Institute of Urban Studies, Housing: Inner City Older Type Areas (Winnipeg, 1979) iii. Page 3 comprehensive urban revitalization effort ever undertaken in North America. While there have been a number of truly remarkable urban redevelopment projects undertaken in Canada (Harbourfront, B.C. Place, the Halifax and St. John's waterfront projects) and in the United States (in Baltimore, Minneapolis, Portland, and Battery Park City in New York, to name but a few), none has had the combination of substantive breadth and intergovernmental delivery structure of the Core Area Initiative. The Substantive Mandate The breadth of the substantive ambit of the Core Area Initiative's programming is literally unprecedented. To date the CAI has implemented over 1.000 individual projects, including the following: * The creation and capitalization of the North Portage Development Corporation, which is currently undertaking a $200 million, mixed -use development on ten acres of prime,publicly acquired downtown land; * The creation of over 3,000 jobs and training opportunities for disadvantaged core area residents; * The planning and development of $21 million worth of new market housing (260 units, four projects); * The rehabilitation of over 4,000 existing older homes; * The recycling of 30 privately owned heritage buildings; * The establishment or expansion of 140 small businesses, ranging from "upscale" restaurants and nightclubs to a small manufacturing concern operated by a recent immigrant family from Southeast Asia; * The planning and development of 330 units of co- operative and non - profit housing (ten separate projects); * The completion of 140 community facilities and services projects worth over $40 million and ranging from a Chinese cultural centre to a program to improve pre -natal nutrition for high -risk inner city women; * The formation and capitalization of six community development corporations, which are undertaking neighbourhood-based capital projects with a combined value of $20 mi l lion ; * The completion of a $3 million inner city education program (fifty-one separate projects, ranging from special reading enrichment programs for disadvantaged pre- school children to those designed to combat adult illiteracy); * The development of two major new arts centres; * The completion of land assembly, site planning, and preliminary negotiations towards the development of 100 acres of downtown railway lands. Page 6 already catalyzed over $250 million in private sector investment as well. Initially, private developers and entrepreneurs exhibited a considerable (and well- merited) scepticism about CAI, and there was no discernible change in the investment patterns which had seen disproportionate capital flows to the suburbs. However, after two years or so, once there was tangible and widespread evidence of the scale and therefore the seriousness of government's commitment, there was a palpable shift in the attitude and subsequently the investment patterns of the private sector. Once private investors became convinced that the CAI represented both a focussed and an enduring public commitment, they were prepared to put their own money at risk. I am persuaded that any less massive, tangible, and convincing display of public policy intent would have failed to catalyze anything close to the present level of private investment. The key here is focus. The CAI's greatest single achievement to date may well have been the forging of a single, highly visible, and reasonably cohesive project identity for what we have already seen to be an extremely diverse set of activities. Government departments and private businessmen alike had to be convinced that there was a sufficiently focussed critical mass of activity to justify further, complementary investment. Indeed, there are no fewer than seventeen government departments directly involved in the CAI, yet under normal circumstances not one of them has the slightest organizational reason to preoccupy itself with Winnipeg's core area. This is by definition most true of the massive federal departments such as C.E.I.C., C.M.H.C., and D.R.I.E.,1 for whom the city's core area is simply one of literally hundreds of legitimate supplicants across the country clamouring for scarce departmental resources. Two things were required, and fortunately both were forthcoming. The first and most important was the will on the part of the key politicians from the three góvernments to make extraordinary deflections in normal depart- mental activities in order to reinforce rather than dissipate the CAI's momentum. The second was a vehicle with the time, resources, and mandate to preoccupy itself exclusively with the core area. This was a special - purpose central agency, the Core Area Office, whose sole raison d'etre was the mobilization, focussing, 1 Canada Employment and Immigration Commission, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, and the Department 3r Regional Industrial Expansion. Page 7 and delivery of public and private investment in the core area. In the absence of such an agency, it is quite probable that the "normal ", centrifugal tendencies of both the marketplace and the government departments would have prevailed, and dramatically reduced the CAI's impact. Community Control There is also a third dimension of the CAI which, while perhaps less unique than either its substantive scope or its tri -level delivery apparatus, has been no less instrumental to the success: the degree to which the CAI has provided for decentralized, community -based decisionmaking and delivery for many of its programs. Scope for community input into CAI activities ranges from a purely advisory role in some program areas to the devolution of actual spending authority in others. As an example of the latter, the CAI has devoted $12 million of its core budget to the provision of community facilities and services in the inner city. Over 140 separate projects have been undertaken, ranging from the construction of ethnic cultural centres and thirty -four day care centres to the delivery of a program designed to reduce inner -city infant mortality through improved maternal pre -natal nutrition. The final decisions on which proposals are accepted and which are rejected rest with a nine - member community board appointed by the senior politicians from each level of government (the Policy Committee). This board comprises a broad cross section of citizens with special expertise related to the critical inner city social issues, and it has tended to function in a remarkably non - partisan fashion. Another significant example of the devolution of spending control from government to community organizations is to be found in the work of a number of the CAI's community development corpora- tions. The CAI has established no fewer than six such corporations, each active within a different geographic area within the core area, and each with a different program mandate. What the six community corporations have in common, however, is that within overall budget envelopes centrally established by the CAI, each has a tremendous degree of autonomy over how that budget is spent. Each corporation has its own board of directors composed of local area merchants and residents, and the CAI supplies a budget for each to hire its own small program staff as well as providing capital budgets ranging from $500,000 to $1.4 million. The basic thrust of the overall budget is initially negotiated between the CAI and each community corporation, and then the corporations are basically left to administer the projects themselves ado to make the myriad of decisions required for their successful implementation. Projects undertaken through the community development - Page 8 corporation vehicle have ranged from an eight -block streetscaping and storefront improvement project to the purchase and recycling of an abandoned gas station into a first - class, 220 -seat performing theatre. In this latter example, the community corporation is using the ongoing revenues from the operation of the theatre and its associated parking as seed money with which to launch non - profit housing and social service projects. The ultimate significance of all six examples, however,lies at least as much in the organizational growth and develop- ment of each group as it does in the particular physical or social projects undertaken. CAI The Next Phase At the time of writing (December, 1985), intense, tri- governmental negotiations are underway over the fate of the CAI experiment. At this point, it appears very probable that the CAI will be extended for a further five -year term, albeit with a somewhat revised program mix and emphasis. In many respects the renewal of the CAI will be as politically remarkable as was the agreement which originally established it in 1981. It should be recalled that the 1981 decision was and remains unprecedented in Canadian urban political history in that it united three disparate levels of government under a single financial and decisionmaking structure. This marriage has not always been a placid one. The mandates, priorities, ideologies, and partisan stripes of the various governments have varied sub- stantially enough that generating and implementing $96 million worth of agreed upon program content would have been extraordinarily difficult even without the two changes of government which have occurred over the life of the project. Now, the tri -level debate over the renewal of the CAI is taking place in a political context where only one of the three governmental signatories to the original 1981 agreement is still in power. In addition, the municipal government in Winnipeg is dominated arithmetically by suburban councillors, and ideologically by an anti - interventionist ethos which strongly resists policy initiatives of any kind, particularly those lying outside of a very traditional and minimalistic interpretation of local government responsibilities.1 The federal government is facing the omnipresent spectre of deficit reduction, as well as a litany of legitimate but competing spending priorities from across the country. How then, in such apparently inauspicious circumstances, will it be possible to renew the 1 I elaborate on this argument in Kiernan, "The Politics of Quiescence: the "Reform Experience in Winnipeg ", in Magnusson and Sancton (eds.) City Politics in Canada (Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1983), pp. 222 -254. - - Page 11 more adept at identifying those increasingly scarce senior government resources, and then integrating them with local priorities by negotiating formal, tri -level urban development agreements. For senior governments, tri -level agreements represent an opportunity to spend their money far more efficiently and with greater impact than is currently possible. For local governments, they represent a form of alchemy whereby chronically meagre municipal resources can be magically transmuted into program impacts eight to ten times larger than anything remotely attainable unilaterally. For private investors, tri -level agreements represent a massive, tangible, and focussed expression of government commitment, and therefore a more stable and attractive environment in which to do business. And for ordinary taxpayers, who normally don't give a damn which level of government is paying for which program, they seem to simply represent a sensible way to go about making their cities more enjoyable places to live, work, raise children, shop, and participate in cultural life. In the absence of such tri -level arrangements, the 80% of Canadians who live in our urban centres will have to content themselves with a public policy which, on its best days, achieves the status of benign neglect. T o m a s S e n n e t t Introduction to TEN DAYS FOR WORLD DEVELOPMENT January 31 - February 10, 1986 535 TEN DAYS FOR WORLD DEVELOPMENT Why are People Hungry? What is Ten Days for World Development? "Ten Days" is an inter church development education /action program sponsored by the relief and development agencies of the Anglican, Catholic, Lutheran, Presbyterian and United Churches in Canada. As such, it is an issue- raising program aimed at consciousness- raising and action, not only among Canadian church members but among all Canadians. It is not a fund- raising program. Since its beginning in 1972, it has focused on a number of important development issues such as the New International Economic Order, food, work, trade, and aid. On occasion, it has highlighted specific geo- graphic areas illustrative of development needs and hopes. In the past three years Central America has been the area for study and action. A Place to Begin Ten Days 1986 The Ten Days for World Devel- opment program (January 31 February 10, 1986) with its theme "Why are People Hungry ?" will enable us to move beyond a focus on the "victims" to help us understand why people are hungry in the first place. It will guide us in a study of hungry people's relation- ship to society and its agencies, in order to get at the questions of power over food and food producing resources who has it When people are starving. immediate food aid is vital. But have we thought beyond the emergency response to what is needed to eliminate hunger in the long term? and how is it used? The program will lead us to identify: local. national and international priorities which block peoples access to food It will make it possible for us to meet people from the Third World who will tell how the have a.: dressed hunger in their countries. á And it will help us clarify just what responses. along with emergency aid. are necessary. Finally. the program will equip us to press for effective Canadian policies and practices that will address the underlying causes of hunger in our 1k.'( - -<<.- '.,s .>*1-:L` r ' l ., ,,,° s : ..rat r. f.l,,` r'''¡l 111ti],, j' i, t, t 10. Mii 1 A ! 7! Q\Pv :i., (--..s .t+. s-,_ .ús _ ':w;: n `r,i` n t .,r h i- ' F . } 1,.i -y-ti \\ '' '/ x , jA T i*` I3 t's i_ t.,. '-; w ,t dt. . rir ,1 .° !/I1r ) , :r r. . ._. . .. r \ ` - , j{ R ' ik ,..ti': -. :s'' i _t : Y-._ .r. . Panel Personalities Mosi Kisari Mosi Kisari is founder and present program officer for the Research and Development Consultancy Service of the All African Conference of Churches in Nairobi, Kenya. Born in the village of Shirati, Tan- zania, he is an articulate spokesman for aid recipients in Africa. Kisari stresses that world hunger is fundamentally a problem of justice, not of charity, overpopulation, or inadequate resources. "It's no use," says Kisari, "restric- ting the issue of hunger to one of famine relief. It has to be seen in the full con- text of poverty and economic develop- ment." Mosi Kisari takes a special interest in small scale rural development, as the most effective means to meet the hopes and improve the living conditions of the people he encounters in his work. He himself was born and raised in a pea- sant community. His MA degree, from the University of Reading in southern England, is in Rural Social Develop- ment. Recent copies of an A.A.C.C. newsletter, which he edits, focused on an analysis of myths about world hunger as well as the dilemmas facing voluntary agencies in wealthy countries that seek to help Africans. Mosi Kisari approaches questions of hunger and development from a pro- foundly Christian prespective. "Jesus walked among the people," he points out, "and he related particularly to those who were excluded from the society of his day." Thus Kisari advocates the role of a political pressure group, which is an in- tegral part of social action for develop- ment, for the Church. "FAMINE: CAUSES AND REMEDIES" ROOM 3C01 UNIVERSITY OF WINNIPEG WED., FEB. 5 7:30 p.m. Robert Smith The Right Rev. Robert F. Smith was elected Moderator of the United Church of Canada in August, 1984. Dr. Smith is not satisfied that enhancement of its own identity will solve the tensions which exist in the United Church today. "It will be much more significant," he says, "if we identify with the world Church and look for a unity which transcends nationalism." Powerful experiences in Dr. Smith's life have been the encounters with peo- ple from 'the suffering Church' in Nor- thern Ireland, South Africa, Central America, Korea, and the Native Chur- ch in Canada. Dr. Smith finds that 'the suffering Church poses the kinds of questions that lead us out of a parochial identity.' Charles Elliott Charles Elliott, author of seven books including Patterns of Poverty in the Third World (1975), has worked in more than 40 developing countries on four continents. Elliott is a respected writer, broadcaster and theologian as well as one of the world's foremost experts on the economics of international develop- ment. "I don't believe," Elliott emphasizes, "that development is all about moder- nization. It's much more about the way in which power is distributed, used and abused." Elliott is convinced of the need to re- organize relationships between the rich and poor nations of the world, so that they should be based no longer on domination and subjection. Charles Elliott's latest book, Praying the Kingdom: Towards a Political Spirituality (1985), received the Collins Biennial Religious Book Award. In this book, Elliott wrestles with the feelings of helplessness and powerlessness that affect many concerned people in the rich countries when they try to deal with questions of hunger, poverty and global injustice. He remains firm in his belief however, that `there can be no spirituality without action, without politics.' Charles Elliott is currently holding an inter disciplinary professorship at the University of Bristol, England and he is preparing a documentary series for BBC TV on the subject of interna- tional theologies.