The U of T Philosophers for Peace were charged during CPA meetings in Winnipeg this summer with organizing a session at the 1987 Learned Societies meetings in Hamilton. The group was asked to initiate a modest newsletter.
Over 30 people attended a roundtable discussion on “Philosophical Perspectives on the Origins of War”, following which some 20 discussed the need for and how to organize nationally.
Lois Dove (U of T) and her mother were Radcliffe graduates and daughter Marion is currently enrolled as an undergraduate at Harvard. The three women were honored in early September at the 350th anniversary of Harvard’s founding — a three generation Harvard-Radcliffe family.
“We should never lose sight of the fact that to avert disaster we have not only to teach men to make things, but also to produce people who have complete moral control over the things they make.”
— Charles, Prince of Wales Harvard’s 350th anniversary Sept. 5, 1986
Floyd Rudmin (Queen’s University) will serve as secretary/treasurer of the Social Responsibility Section of the Canadian Psychological Ass’n this academic year.
The True North Strong And Free
A Public Inquiry into Canadian Defence Policy and Nuclear Arms
Nov. 8-9, Edmonton, ALTA, Convention Centre; sponsored by Edmonton PSR and The Council of Canadians.
Among those discussing the issues are SfP member Dorothy Goresky; and considering alternatives, George Ignatieff and David Suzuki.
Inquiries should go to True North Office, #40I 14727-87 Ave., Edmonton, ALTA T5R 4E5
Complexity
A year ago Ursula Franklin assisted in the production of the CBC IDEAS program, “The Northern Front”. This year Ursula’s IDEAS program will focus on Complexity. Assisting in the explication will be Henry Regier, Environmental Studies U of T,Cornelia Baines, M.D., professors W. Vanderberg and F. Cunningham, U of T, and U of T’s professor of peace studies, Anatol Rapoport.
An intriguing part of the program, according to Prof. Franklin, will be an interview with the researcher from Simon Fraser University who has been involved in a program of introducing automation into a public system“from the ground up” instead of “from the boss down”.
Ideas — CBC Nov. 6 and 13 9-10 pm
Peace Studies at McMaster
The President’s Committee On The Study Of Peace at McMaster University has recommended not only the development of an undergraduate level program, but also graduate studies. The committee report points out that there is at present no Canadian graduate program in the study of peace. Strong resources to support a graduate level program at the university include the Russell Archives, an exceptional research collection on British pacifism, the Vera Brittain papers, the largest single archive of any Christian pacifist documenting the period 1930-45, and the Canadian Baptist Archives and materials on Canadian peace movements. PRI-Dundas is near and has expressed interest in development of cooperation with McMaster.
A key innovative recommendation is for the creation of a Centre for Peace Studies, which would be a focus for multi-disciplinary effort. The administration and servicing of an outreach program could go on through such a Centre.
Cross of Iron
“This world in arms is not spending money alone. It is spending the sweat of its laborers, the genius of its scientists, the hopes of its children….This is not a way of life at all in any true sense.
Under the cloud of threatening war, it is humanity hanging from a cross of iron.” April 16, 1953
— The Hon. Dwight D. Eisenhower 34th President of the U.S.A.
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