Letter from the President

Science for Peace, ever since its foundation in Toronto, was intended to be a national network of scientists working for peace from coast to coast, with associates world-wide. The establishment of Chapters in New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario and British Columbia is witness to the fact that at least a basic federal network exists. The problem has been to reflect and strengthen this federal network appropriately in the organization of Science for Peace. An important step was the establishment of a network of research and education directors, which was the product of the innovative efforts of Paul LeBlond and Anatol Rapoport; this has served to bring some coordination between the national office and chapter activities. In addition to the Toronto Chapter, which provided our founding fathers and mothers, the B.C. Chapter in particular has been active in organizing successful conferences and seminars and in compiling important publications.

The latest step towards building a national network was taken, after discussion by the Board, by calling a Special General Meeting on February 11, to consider rotating the executive among the more active chapters, starting with Vancouver, while retaining a national office in Toronto. The discussion of this issue revealed that members were by no means unanimous, but sufficient approval was forthcoming to advise the nominating Committee to seek candidates for a Board and executive more representative of other centres in Canada, especially from B.C.

This experiment, to be successful, will require volunteers in all chapters to do specific jobs. There is an immense amount of work to do as the nuclear debate becomes increasingly focussed on such issues as the Defence White Paper, the demilitarization of the Arctic, the further reduction of nuclear stockpiles following the INF agreement and the safeguarding of our ecological environment, as well as the prevention of nuclear war. I believe that members will wish to give this experiment every chance of success.